Signalling on the ECML

I have made a steam version of the ECML, cut off at Potters Bar. I am trying to get an express train to keep up a decent speed as it heads north from Kings Cross. I have replaced the colour light signals with Bloodnok's UQ semaphores.

All is well up to just south of Harringay Station. Up to this point the message attached to the signals is "no train approaching". The signals are clear and the train speeds through. But at this signal the message becomes "signal is waiting for a train to approach", the signal is at "stop", and the train slows down until is is close to the signal, the signal clears, and then the train has to get up to speed again, which is very unrealistic on an express route. Can anyone tell me why the behaviour changes, and why at this particular signal? I can't see any reason why it should happen.

Thanks,
Mick Berg.

PS I'd like to take this opportunity to thank the ECML team once more for this route. It is a masterpiece and has given me countless hours of enjoyment.

I know two things that can cause this. 1)The distance to the next signal is too great. 2) The stop signal isn't preceded by a distant. Chris.

Hi Mick

I came up against this on the S&C route with an express always slowing to 7 mph at one of the stations before the signal cleared. I was using the Path rule and its driver command to set the path through each station in turn along the route and the solution was to set the path two blocks ahead instead of just through the next one. Have a look at the signals through Hornsey and Wood Green to see if they are showing clear when this happens.

Regards

Brian

Mick_Berg said:

PS I'd like to take this opportunity to thank the ECML team once more for this route. It is a masterpiece and has given me countless hours of enjoyment.

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Please you enjoy it Mick. Myself and the team enjoy building it. I find it quite relaxing.

Saturday and Monday having a break from building and being on Deltic D9009 as riding fitter along the ECML for one of the days.

Cheers
Stuart

ECML Project Leader

My solution to the problem has been to make every signal a combined, so that, as Chris suggests, each signal is preceded by a distant. This works reliably, although probably not prototypically correct.

It seems there is no RHS version of the UQ signals I am using, so I tried an LMS signal. The Distant arm does not go to clear. Any ideas why?

Does anyone else have a problem with the signal at the north end of Gasworks Tunnel on the Up Fast road? It will not clear no matter what I do. If I nudge the train just past it with the DCC control, the train will then find its way through the "throat" to Platform 6 with no problem.

Thanks,
Mick Berg.

.......so I tried an LMS signal. The Distant arm does not go to clear. Any ideas why?

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The LMS signals stopped working in TS2009 and were replaced. If you search the DLS for "LMSr" signals, those are the working replacements - similarly "GWR" signals were replaced with "GWRr" signals. You can, however, clone signals and make your own right hand ones:

Using Content Manager, in the config.txt, look for the line that says trackside -2.5

and change it to trackside 2.5

Look for the line that says username "LMSR XYZ Signal"


and change it to something youwill recognise like "LMSR RT XYZ Signal"


Save the change, commit the cloned signal and "Bob's Your Uncle!" As the signal was made before TS12, you may find it commits as faulty and might need lines like "category era" and "asset-filename" removed in the config.txt before you can get rid of the faults. You can either do this manually, or using the "Asset X" and "TARDIS" script plug ins.

Okay, I have just tried to change one of the LMSr signals and it has thrown up errors. Whilst Ihave managed to get rid of the errors by using Asset X and Tardis, it is not easy. What I will do is email alex23 and ask if I can upload right hand versions for you. As I recall, signals prefixed "UQ" and "LQ" signals belong to the Trainz Classics / Settle and Carlisle crew and modified files cannot be shared (or else why would anyone buy Trainz Classics or Settle and Carlisle if the content was freely available?)

Is there any particular reason for using the older signals? I've often wondered why people with later versions of the game use them.

You can get UQ signals from the S&C website. Also search the DLS for recent signals from Bloodnok.

Chris.

sterrett said:

The LMS signals stopped working in TS2009 and were replaced. If you search the DLS for "LMSr" signals, those are the working replacements - similarly "GWR" signals were replaced with "GWRr" signals. You can, however, clone signals and make your own right hand ones:

Using Content Manager, in the config.txt, look for the line that says trackside -2.5

and change it to trackside 2.5

Look for the line that says username "LMSR XYZ Signal"


and change it to something youwill recognise like "LMSR RT XYZ Signal"


Save the change, commit the cloned signal and "Bob's Your Uncle!" As the signal was made before TS12, you may find it commits as faulty and might need lines like "category era" and "asset-filename" removed in the config.txt before you can get rid of the faults. You can either do this manually, or using the "Asset X" and "TARDIS" script plug ins.

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This seems like the simplest solution for me. I should have thought of it myself, as I've done a similar thing before, as I made some custom gantry signals for a special case at Alexandra Palace.

Many thanks, I will make the clone today.

Mick.

Is there any particular reason for using the older signals? I've often wondered why people with later versions of the game use them.

You can get UQ signals from the S&C website. Also search the DLS for recent signals from Bloodnok.

Chris.

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If you're creating a route that you want others to share easily, then the content must all be freely available on the DLS. You can specify that the downloader needs "TS12" and the "S&C" add on (which I have done with the "Withered Arm" because, in addition to the signals, there are vehicles and buildings of the 1960's that enhance the atmosphere. Without them, the route lacks a certain je ne sais quoi!). However, that might stop the schoolboy who doesn't have the pocket-money, or whose parents won't let him buy the S&C add on, from enjoying your route as you intended. Once you get into the realms of making the downloader search for obscure items, or visit payware sites, you're really only going to appeal to a small cross-section of the community.

The LMSr Signals work well for former Southern rural lines where, in the West Country, many signals were of the lattice variety or built on old rails, but the UQ ones seem to be more region specific - hence why I have used both. Permission to modify the LMS signals, originally created by jetstreamsky and modified by alex23 as LMSr, so that we can have right hand use is more likely to be obtained.

So, there are reasons!

I'd like to take this opportunity to thank the ECML team once more for this route. It is a masterpiece and has given me countless hours of enjoyment.

Click to expand...

Me too! Thank you ECML team! I would also say that ECML does also provide inspiration and help with building my "Withered Arm" route. (I find myself looking at aspects of the ECML and thinking "Ah! that's how they managed to do that!" - so I go away, and do something similar!)

If you're
creating a route that you want others to share easily, then the
content must all be freely available on the DLS

Click to expand...

Thanks for the explanation, but I wouldn't call the S&C signals difficult to track down.
Look on the S&C site's downloads page, and they're free.
I would still suggest looking for Bloodnok's UQ signals on the DLS.

Chris.

Oh! I didn't realise that the s&c downloads were free to all. If that's the case, I will make more use of the UQ range and the GWR ones too.

Good work on the ECML guys, this is all I use in TS12. A steam version would be nice. All so some/lots of session's would be nice to. (Please, maybe, beg, beg.:udrool::udrool