DOCKLANDS LIGHT RAILWAY ROUTE FOR BVE README

CONTENTS

Thank you for downloading the Docklands Light Railway (DLR) Route for BVE. You should have downloaded this route FREE from <http://joshimsbveroutes.gamehorizons.net/> If you have downloaded this from any other source please inform me, no action will be taken against those who report this. This route is FREE and should not be used for commercial purposes and should in no way be reproduced for any other simulation without the author's EXPLICIT consent. This route contains copyright material of not only the author's but of other people (see section 3 below for credits). Please respect this, and should you wish to re-use any of the material in this route for any purpose please contact me at <joshim.nur@gmail.com>

This route tries to capture the highest level of detail without too much complex scenery. The route should run satisfactorily on lower specification machines, and this route has been developed on a 900Mhz AMD Athlon machine with 256MB SDRAM. During alpha testing the route averaged a frame rate of 9-16fps (frames per second) on this machine. It is therefore expected that the route should run satisfactorily on machines of similar specification. Naturally if you have a higher specification machine you can expect the route to run very well.

The route is based on a real light railway system operating in London as part of the Transport for London (TfL) network. Information relating to the system can be found at the TfL website at <http://www.tfl.gov.uk/>. The route begins in the heart of the City of London at Bank Station. In then proceeds through the east end of London to the Docklands and the Isle of Dogs and to terminate at Greenwich often referred to at "the home of time". The route was originally intended to go to Lewisham as the real railway does only 3 stations away from Greenwich, but due to some scenery programming problems due to tight curves at Deptford, this will be delayed slightly. This will be completed and will be available for download in the near future, so please do check the website regularly at <http://joshimsbveroutes.gamehorizons.net/>

Note in BVE.net (version 2.9) there is an error which can be safely ignored, PowerL.csv and PowerR.csv will be shown as erroneous. Click 'Ignore' to continue and the route will continue normally.

The Docklands Light Railway uses special trains which are computer controlled. There is a Train Captain (now referred to officially as Passenger Service Assistants) which are on board the train to inspect tickets, issue them in case of machine failure or to issue penalty fares. They are also responsible for closing the doors of the trains at stations to ensure their safe departure.

The train can also be controlled manually by a panel in a locked cabinet at the front of the train. For the purposes of the simulation in BVE the train is controlled manually by you but the view is would be seen if the train was computer controlled. Hence you in a way act as the computer controlling the train!

The route has a series of markers for your information as you drive the route. Some are for information purposes only (these appear with an italic 'i' background), and others give instructions as to how to drive the train correctly. Speed limits are given in Kilometres per Hour on a teal coloured backgrounds the train displays them in these units digitally to the left of the screen. Also next to the digital speedometer is a "hazard warning" light. This will illuminate when the doors are open and the train should not move. The ATS will prevent the train from being powered when the doors are open. You should adhere to the speed limits so that you stick to the timetable and also drive appropriately. There are three power notches and three braking notches. If the speed is less than 50 Km/h you should accelerate in P2 from a stationary start, but if the target speed is higher than 50 Km/h you should use notch P3 from a stationary start, and then use notch P1 to hold the speed or use the 'SPEED HOLD' function of the train ('Backspace' in assignment option 1, 'D' in assignment option 2) to keep the train at that speed. When you approach a stopping point use the brake gently and appropriately to stop at the stop mark, shown by a black diamond and a yellow background with brown edges on the track. You should normally be able to stop using B1 and B2, but for higher speed B3 may also be required. You must stop within 5m either way of the mark (ideally within 2.5m either way) for the doors to open.

The route has signals which are at stations and at points only. As the train is normally computer controlled there are no need for intermediate signals as the computer knows how far ahead the next train is. The signals will only therefore show STOP (with a red horizontal bar) at stations in the route. These will change to PROCEED (a vertical arrow pointing upwards) on approach to the stop mark, but some signals will only change on stopping fairly accurately. If the signal does not changed because you have stopped slightly short but the door does open, when BVE closes the door for departure begin to move slowly forward and the signal will change aspect.

At points, the signal will show the route set. If the route set is not the straight path a DIAGONAL ARROW pointing to the left or right will be displayed. If this is the case you must not exceed 25 Km/h through the points, unless a speed restriction marker instructs you otherwise. After clearing the points you can return to the line speed shown by the previous marker or comply with the new line speed if a new marker advises you of it. If you drive correctly and according to the line speeds and signals and the tips for acceleration, you should be able to comply with the timetable of the train (can be viewed by pressing F4).

Most of the work in the Docklands light railway is the work of my own, but I have used other authors work as well, and I am sincerely grateful to them for permitting me to use them in this route. The following have contributed to this project:

• David R Coleman - for DLR Train textures, 'E'/'X'/'C' signs and information on their locations

• Steve Green - For support, inspiration to code in BVE in the first place, Cl357 C2C train object and for some building textures which feature in his excellent collection of routes at <http://www.trainsimcentral.co.uk/>

• Anthony Bowden - For some textures used including BR signals, barges, platform textures and sounds from his excellent collection of superbly detailed UK routes at <http://www.railsimroutes.co.uk/>

• John Owen - For his time and effort to record brilliant sounds for use in the DLR_B92_46 train and also for modifications to the .DAT file of the train.

• R.P.F. Consemulder - For the original image used for Train Panel picture of the DLR_B92_46 train. <http://www.xs4all.nl/~dodger/>

• Hans Schilder of JoWood productions for allowing me to use a fire siren sound from the excellent

  addictive game of Traffic Giant <http://www.trafficgiant.com/>

• Members of the T-S.com Workshop for help, advice and support - you know who you are!

• Members of Transport Forum who have been brilliant and supportive.

• And all the BVE'ers who have waited so patiently for the route!

• And anyone else I may have forgotten in error.

Please remember that the work in this route is copyright material, and should not be used without explicit permission from the relevant authors. Please visit <http://www.railsimroutes.co.uk/developerguidelines/>

Joshim Nur, 22 April 2004