Tom Anderson wrote:
On Tue, 24 May 2005, Clive D. W. Feather wrote:

In article , Tom
Anderson writes

The discussion says that something called a '4-track relay terminal
with a 2-track relay' used to exist at Park Row on the New York
subway. No idea what that is, but the poster seemed to be impressed.


####D####
/--------------\
|------* ####A#### \
\-----------\ /--*----
X
/-----------/ \--*----
|------* ####D#### /
\--------------/
####A####


I've just realised how to build a terminal with arbitarily high
capacity, provided you don't mind making your passengers choose between
an equally arbitrary number of platforms:

+-[--------+-]-\
### / [ ### / ] \-----
-----+ [ -----+ ] /----
\ [ \ ] /
+-[--------+-]-/
n

Where the bit in square brackets with an n at the bottom is a repeated
unit (think polymers!). Trains come in from the east (and why do trains
always come in from the east in these things?), run along the road at
the southern edge of the structure, then pick a bay to stop in, run in
on the diagonal approach road, get in, stop, exchange passengers, then
pull out on the diagonal departure road, joining the main road at the
northern edge and heading back out east. The point is, there are no
conflicting movements, and no contention for anything except the running
roads, so the terminal doesn't restrict capacity below that which the
line supports (provided you can do the diverges and converges
perfectly). Note that when n = 0, this is a normal single-track
reversing terminal, and when n = 1, it's rather like a Sao Paulo
terminal (but with more irritating platform layout).

I think you have to be rather clever about the order in which bays are
used to preserve even intervals between trains, though.

If you replace the reversing bays with through lines, you get a
multi-track loop:

/-[--+-]-\
/ [ / ] \
|# [ |# ] \-----
|# [ |# ] /----
|# [ |# ] /
\ [ \ ] /
\-[--+-]-/
n

Which is wider, shorter, doesn't reverse the trains and is amenable to
the use of island platforms.

Probably not the most sensible use of railway space, either way!

I take it you've never played Transport Tycoon. You've just described a
Ro-Ro station.

http://www.transporttycoon.co.uk/rail2


--
Dave Arquati
Imperial College, SW7
www.alwaystouchout.com - Transport projects in London

On Tue, 24 May 2005, Dave Arquati wrote:

Tom Anderson wrote:
On Tue, 24 May 2005, Clive D. W. Feather wrote:

Probably not the most sensible use of railway space, either way!

I take it you've never played Transport Tycoon.

Could never get it recognise my sound card .

You've just described a Ro-Ro station.

http://www.transporttycoon.co.uk/rail2

Curses!

I love the idea of using TT as a sort of eye-candified SIMSIG or
something. It does buses too, so one could try using it to model bits of
London. I understand Ken is a SimCity fan (or at least was during the
interregnum), so he might be open to using it as a strategic planning
tool.

You might consider doing your master's project on a TT model of London.
You'd be unlikely to graduate, but you'd probably make Slashdot.

tom

--
The revolution will not be televised. The revolution will be live.

Tom Anderson wrote:
On Tue, 24 May 2005, Dave Arquati wrote:

Tom Anderson wrote:

On Tue, 24 May 2005, Clive D. W. Feather wrote:


Probably not the most sensible use of railway space, either way!


I take it you've never played Transport Tycoon.


Could never get it recognise my sound card .

You've just described a Ro-Ro station.

http://www.transporttycoon.co.uk/rail2


Curses!

I love the idea of using TT as a sort of eye-candified SIMSIG or
something. It does buses too, so one could try using it to model bits of
London. I understand Ken is a SimCity fan (or at least was during the
interregnum), so he might be open to using it as a strategic planning tool.

You might consider doing your master's project on a TT model of London.
You'd be unlikely to graduate, but you'd probably make Slashdot.

LOL, I'm not so sure... those buses in TT never go down the streets you
want them to, and have a habit of getting stuck on level crossings and
getting hit by trains. And the trains can be a bit dodgy too - after
all, they can go around right-angled corners! Oh, and the key issue -
passengers wait at a station but they don't mind where you take them to;
they all get on the first train! Apart from that, it's a brilliantly
addictive game.


--
Dave Arquati
Imperial College, SW7
www.alwaystouchout.com - Transport projects in London

On Thu, 26 May 2005, Dave Arquati wrote:

Tom Anderson wrote:
On Tue, 24 May 2005, Dave Arquati wrote:

Tom Anderson wrote:

Probably not the most sensible use of railway space, either way!

I take it you've never played Transport Tycoon. You've just described
a Ro-Ro station.

http://www.transporttycoon.co.uk/rail2

I love the idea of using TT as a sort of eye-candified SIMSIG or
something. It does buses too, so one could try using it to model bits
of London. I understand Ken is a SimCity fan (or at least was during
the interregnum), so he might be open to using it as a strategic
planning tool.

You might consider doing your master's project on a TT model of London.
You'd be unlikely to graduate, but you'd probably make Slashdot.

LOL, I'm not so sure... those buses in TT never go down the streets you
want them to,

And this is different to London how?

and have a habit of getting stuck on level crossings and getting hit by
trains.

Ah, that is different to London - we don't have many level crossings, so
the buses have to hit bridges instead.

And the trains can be a bit dodgy too - after all, they can go around
right-angled corners!

Hey, you're the DLR fanboy here - those little buggers routinely do
manoeuvres that would make the trains at Alton Towers look like
supertankers!

Oh, and the key issue - passengers wait at a station but they don't mind
where you take them to; they all get on the first train!

I am beginning to think you have never actually used the circle line.

Apart from that, it's a brilliantly addictive game.

Well, people do find it hard to give up using the tube.

The crucial question, though, is does Ken know the cheat code to instantly
upgrade all lines to monorails?

tom

--
Punk's not sexual, it's just aggression.

On Thu, 26 May 2005 15:15:49 +0100, Tom Anderson wrote:

The crucial question, though, is does Ken know the cheat code to instantly
upgrade all lines to monorails?

I suppose if the Underground were to be converted to monorail, it would
still have a second rail, and probably a third, though.
--
http://gallery120232.fotopic.net/ps12686823.html
(British Metro, Light and Miniature Rail and Trams)