Realistic driving

When you're new to the simulator, having as many indications and automated mechanisms as possible allows you to get to grips with its basic principle.

Ideally, however, you should be able to make lines with as few indications and automated mechanisms as possible. Here's how to understand signage "globally", so as to dispense with the need for interface information.

Note that if you're not using the Zuiki controller, I advise you to leave the lever position visible.

Speed Limits

This section does not concern trains/sections using D-ATC/ATACS systems, as the limit is indicated directly on the dial.

For maximum speed on the track, please consult the line guide.

Track signals

On the track, speed limits are represented by white signs with black writing. They are sometimes accompanied by a smaller number. Speed limits last for the duration of a curve or switch.
The first sign indicates the new limit, and the second (if present) indicates the distance subject to the limit (here, 75km/h limit on a 370m curve). The limit is considered crossed once the entire train has passed (not just the front of the train).

There may be a second limit sign below the first. This is reserved for express trains with seating capacity.

There may also be a small orange (or yellow with red stripes) or green (🟧/🟩) square below the main panel. The orange square indicates that the limit can be increased by +5km/h in the case of "new high-performance trains" (i.e. all the trains proposed in the simulator). The green square refers to 209 or E233 series trains. It also increases the limit by +5km/h, except in sections where the maximum speed is 120km/h or more. In this case, the limit is increased by +10km/h.

When you're on a turnout, you'll see limit signs with black corners, so that it looks as if they're pointing to the right or left.
This means that if you need to take (or arrive at) a turnout in the direction indicated, you must drive at the speed indicated.

This sign signifies the end of the limit. Please note that the end is only effective once the train has completely passed the sign.

On the Oito line, there are also limits represented by black signs with white writing. These concern tilting trains (E353 series used as Limited Express trains on this line).

These signs are used to indicate a temporary speed restriction (e.g. during railworks). The first sign warns of the speed limit (45km/h in this case) and is placed 500/600m before the second sign, which indicates the start of the limit.
The third sign indicates the end of the restriction, and is only effective once the train has completely passed the sign.

Light signals

Main signals

A track is divided into several sections called "blocks". There are several types of light signals:

• Exit signals, placed at the end of stations, often on single-track lines, and generally made up of 2 lights: red and green. They indicate whether the train is ready to move onto the track.
• Block signals are placed at the beginning of a block to indicate to the driver what to do inside the block.
  Entrance signals are placed before the train enters the station, to regulate entry.

Just before a turnout, there may be several signals, in which case they are placed to match the profile of the turnout, with one signal higher than the others. This represents the track that does not use the switch. For example, a red signal at the top left and a green signal lower down on the right means that the train will use the switch to go to the right (and slow down accordingly).

There are several signal formats, with more or fewer lights. Likewise, there are several indications. Here's a summary table.

• Proceed (green): No worries on the lane, you can drive at the maximum authorized speed (except limitation)

• Reduced speed (yellow/green): Displayed when the next signal is "caution" or "speed restriction". Speed is reduced to 75km/h or 65 km/h depending on the line.

• Attention (yellow) : Displayed when the next signal is "speed restriction" or "stop". Speed is reduced to 55km/h or 45 km/h depending on the line.

• Speed restriction  (yellow/yellow): Displayed when the next signal is a stop sign. Speed is reduced to 25 km/h.

• Stop (red): The train must stop before entering the block.

When several speed limits are present (e.g. via a sign and via a light display), the speed to be applied is the lowest of the limits.

Repeat signal

There are also repeat signals. They are linked to the next block/entrance signal and repeat their signal. They are used when visibility makes it impossible to see the signal in advance. They display 3 lights in a row and have the following meaning:

• 3 vertical lights: the next signal is "proceed".
• 3 horizontal lights: the next signal is a "stop".
• 3 diagonal lights: other cases.
  

Distance signal

A distance signal is linked to an input signal. They are used on lines that are not on an automatic lighted block system or where visibility is reduced, and are often used on single-track lines. They are rectangular in shape. The signal displayed lets you know what signal will be displayed on the incominghome signal. Here's the correspondence:

SignalDistance de distancesignal	SignalHome d'entrésignal
"Libre"Proceed"	"Libre"Proceed"
"VitesseReduced réduite"speed"	"Attention"Caution /"Vitesse restreinte"Speed restriction"
"VitesseSpeed restreinte"restriction"	"Arrêt"Stop"

TempsTime etand prochainenext garestation

PourTo avoirfind l'heureout actuelle,the lacurrent time, the easiest solution la plus simple est.is... deto regarderlook laat montrethe àdriver's goussetpocket du conducteurwatch (exceptionexcept faiteon surthe laOito ligneline, Oito,where oùit's celle-ci n'est pasnot visible enin entier)its entirety).

Sinon,Otherwise, la plupart desmost trains sontare équipéequipped d'unwith écrana affichantscreen diversesdisplaying informations.a Commevariety cetof écraninformation. estAs souventthis liéscreen auis often linked to the type deof train utilisé,used, ledetails détailof dethis cesinformation informationsare estgiven indiquéon dansthe laassociated pageline de la ligne associée.
page.

NotezPlease toutefoisnote, quehowever, pourthat lesfor some trains de la série(e.g. 205 (Ligneseries Senseki) et de la sérieor E129 (Ligne Shin-etsu line)series), l'station arrival time information d'heureis d'arrivéenot enavailable. gareThe n'estremaining pastime disponible. L'affichage du temps restantdisplay (STA) estis donctherefore conseillé.recommended.

Enfin,Finally, pouron leslines lignes où leswhere trains traversespass desthrough garesstations sanswithout s'arrêterstopping (trains de type Rapid, Express, ...etc.), un son est émis, disanta "tsûka",tsuka" avantsound d'arriveris dansemitted unebefore garearriving oùat l'ona nestation doitwhere pasyou s'arrêter.don't have to stop.

InclinaisonTerrain du terraininclination

L'inclinaisonThe detrack lainclination voieis estindicated signaléeby parsigns desof panneauxthis detype ceon type,the surside leof côté duthe rail. LaThe partieblack noirepart indiqueindicates l'inclinaisonthe surinclination laquellewe're nouson, somme,the lawhite partiepart blancheindicates indiquethe lanew nouvelle inclinaison.inclination.

LaThe valeurvalue deof l'inclinaisonthe estinclination écriteis surwritten laon partiethe blanchewhite enpart in ‰ (pourper mille)thousand), ouor L pourfor direflat terrainground. plat.However, Toutefois,this celle-cimay peutnot êtrebe peuvery visible dansin lethe simulateur.simulator. Donc,So, siif layou're valeurinterested vousin intéresse,the jevalue, vousI'd conseilleadvise deyou laisserto actifleave l'affichagethe detilt l'indicateurindicator d'inclinaison.display active.

3 positions sontare possibles :possible:

• / : TerrainRising en montée

• terrain
  - : TerrainFlat plat
• terrain
  \ : Terrain en descente

Downhill

PositionStop d'arrêtposition enin garestation

LorsqueWhen lathe remaining distance restanteand etthe lestop guide d'arrêtare nenot sontvisible, pasyou visibles,need vousto devezuse utiliserthe lessigns panneauxindicating indiquantwhere oùto arrêterstop votreyour train. CesThese panneauxsigns sontare desquare-shaped, forme carrée, tourné deturned 45°, avec un contour coloré (souvent rouge/orange) et souvent un numérowith a l'intérieur.colored S'iloutline n'y(often àred/orange) pasand deoften numéro,a c'estnumber uninside. arrêtIf obligatoirethere's auno panneau.
number, it's a mandatory stop sign.

CeThis numéronumber indiqueindicates lathe stop position d’arrêtfor pour una train ayantwith autantas demany voiturescars (ouor moins)fewer) quethan lethe nombrenumber affiché.displayed. IlYou fauttherefore doncneed connaîtreto leknow nombrethe denumber voitureof quecars comportein votreyour train (indiquéindicated suron l'écran de paramétrage de lathe simulation) settings screen).

L'objectifThe estaim deis s'arrêterto avecstop l'avantwith duthe front of the train auat niveauthe dusign. panneau.Note Athat noterthe quevideos leswere vidéotaken ontwith ététhe prisescamera avecat lathe camérafront àof l'avant duthe train. Donc,So, siif vousyou're jouezplaying avecwith lathe vuecockpit cockpit,view, ilit's vautworth prendrebearing enin comptemind quethat lathe perspective n'estisn't pasquite toutright. àYou'll faitneed correcte.to Illet vousthe faudrapanel doncpass laisserin passerrelation leto panneauthe parfront rapportof à l'avant duthe train.

Correction de laStopping position d'arrêtcorrection

LorsqueWhen lathe correction estis enin manuel,manual simode, vousif dépassezyou laovershoot the stop position d'arrêtin dansa unestation, gare,you'll ilhave vousto faudramanually manuellementreverse reculer lethe train afinto deposition bienyourself vouscorrectly positionneron surthe le quai.platform.

PourTo reculer,move ilbackwards, fautplace vousyourself mettrein en position neutreneutral (N), puisthen appuyer 2 fois surpress [↓] afintwice deto passerswitch defrom la marche avantforward (F) àto la marche arrièrereverse (R). ActionnezThen ensuitemove lethe levierlever surto una niveaupower de puissancelevel (P1-P5) pourto reculer.reverse.

UneOnce foisyou're bienin placé,the n'oubliezright pasposition, dedon't repasserforget ento marcheshift avant.back into forward gear (Positionneutral neutre,position, puisthen 2 foispress [↑]) twice).

FaireMaking una bongood arrêtstop

Lorsquehen l'onyou doithave s'arrêterto enstop gare,at una bonstation, conducteura appliquegood undriver certainewill apply a certain braking force deinitially, freinagethen, auin départ,a puis,few en quelques étapessteps (3 ouor 4), ilreduce réduitthe sabraking force deuntil freinageyou jusqu'àcome l'arrêtto a halt (parfor exemple:example: N > B7 > B6 > B4 > B2 > B1 ouor N > B7 > B5 > B3 > B1).

EtAnd, bienof sûr,course, una bongood conducteurdriver newon't rappliqueraapply pasa unhigher niveaulevel supérieurwhile pendant son freinage.braking.

Dead man's switch

The dead man's switch function checks that the driver is still able to operate the train. The principle is simple: if, after one minute, no commands have been entered (buttons, lever changes), an alarm sounds.

The driver then has 5 seconds to press the dead man's switch to indicate that he is still able to operate the train. If he fails to do so, the train will automatically stop, activating the emergency brakes.

Dead section

On some lines (e.g. Jôban Line), certain sections are not supplied with power (e.g. following a change from DC <-> AC supply). In these areas, no power should be applied. They are represented by the following signs:

• The first (2 black stripes on a yellow background): indicates the arrival of a dead section.

• The second (3 red stripes on a white background): start of dead section (AC and/or DC)

• Third (1 red stripe on white background): start of dead section (AC)

• Fourth (white circle with black border): end of dead section
  

Note that the simulator does not take these dead sections into account, and that it is still possible to accelerate in them.

Other signals

This sign indicates that you must use the horn, either because there is an unprotected level crossing, or to warn people when approaching a bridge or tunnel, or when there are workmen working on a site near the tracks. Note that when you pass workmen on the tracks, you should also use the horn to signal that you've seen they're there.

This sign indicates that a station is approaching, but is not always present. It is often placed when visibility is too poor to know where the station is.