Automation track

[CAREL_RICHTERS]

I would like to automate my railway system.

To test this, I have built a small test track consisting of an oval with a passing loop on both long sides. I have divided the track into six blocks: two blocks on each short side and one block on each long side. The passing loops share the same block number as the main tracks on the long sides.

I am using a block signaling system where a signal automatically turns green when a train passes the TCM behind the signal of the block it is leaving, and the signal at the entrance of the new block turns red.

However, this system does not work correctly on the long sides, where the track splits into two. The goal is for the switches on both long sides to alternate their position each time a train passes and for the signals to adjust accordingly.

a switch is set to direct a train onto a passing loop, the signal at the end of that loop should turn red, while the signal for the main track on the long side should turn green.

When the switch is flipped to send a train onto the main track, the signal for the main track should turn red, and the signal for the passing loop should turn green.
In theory, this should be possible using a Trigger, but I cannot find any way to assign an action to a Trigger within Trainz.

Who can help me solve this problem?

 

[JCitron]

What you want to do is very possible in Trainz. You need to use Track markers and Track Direction markers.

These are found under the third-tab under tracks in Classic Surveyor and also in Surveyor 2.0 under track objects.

Track Direction Markers work like one-way signs. You place them with the point end pointing towards the direction you want your AI drivers to drive.

Track markers are waypoints to help guide the AI Drivers to various locations on your route and to avoid certain tracks to prevent them from driving through a goods yard instead of remaining on the mainline.

With your setup, you will want to use the direction markers placed on the split of your junctions, just beyond the points, with one facing towards the direction you want to go with the other facing the other direction. This will keep the AI on the correct track for your route.

There are many kinds of signals as you've most likely found out. You want to use absolute signals where the tracks come together at the ends of your passing loops and advance or permissive signals in between.

The AI drivers will want to take the shortest path between two points even if it means passing through a goods yard at 3 kmph instead of remaining on the mainline at 100 kmph! To prevent that from occurring, place track markers - the red markers.

When you place a red track marker, a dialog box will open up. In the top bar, type in the name you want to use.

When you are in Driver, click on a driver to control and then open up the driver command queue by clicking on the three buttons on the right of the driver controls to change from either DCC (easy) or CAB control to the command bar.

Here you place drive to or navigate via track mark commands by clicking on the small arrow located on the left. With either command, a pulldown menu will appear and here you choose whichever track marker you want to use.

If you want, you can save all this by creating a session so that your configuration is repeatable and you won't need to set up your drivers again and again. This is a bit much for this post and I recommend you check out the Wiki How-to articles for more information on Surveyor and Driver.

 

[CAREL_RICHTERS]

Thank you for your answer. I also found it in my mailbox. I am goimg to try it. If I still have questions, i hope I can put them to you.

 

[JCitron]

Thank you for your answer. I also found it in my mailbox. I am goimg to try it. If I still have questions, i hope I can put them to you.

Feel free to ask questions here. If I can't help you, others can as well.

 

[CAREL_RICHTERS]

I am sorry for responding so late to your extensive message from January 30.

I’ve been busy with all sorts of things. In the meantime, I have tried to apply your advice, but unfortunately, I did not succeed in achieving the intended goal. This is mainly due to my lack of knowledge and experience with the basics of automating a virtual model railway—especially in such a complex program as Trainz.

I do have more experience with automating a real model railway. That was much simpler, even though it could achieve the same results as Trainz. But that was a Dutch program, and the designer guided you in the beginning. Although he also wrote a clear manual, there were still parts that made sense to him but not necessarily to the user. I really miss this kind of guidance in Trainz.
I find the manual difficult to follow. It contains so many cross-references that I lose track of the main points. That’s why I’d like to ask you to carefully review the steps I’ve taken and make corrections where needed, also step by step, so I can follow along properly.
From experience, I know that when someone is an advanced user of a program like this, they tend to skip multiple steps at once because they seem obvious to them but not to others.

That said, I’ll continue with my actual story: I have built a rail layout with two passing loops on the long sides. I have created six blocks: four in the curves and two along the long sides. I assigned the same block numbers to both the passing loops and the long sides; the next block is numbered 2, and so on up to block 6, which comes before block 1. At the end of each block there is a two-light signal; behind each block I have placed a Track Circuit Marker (TCM), in both switch points a Track Direction Marker (TDM), and behind that a red Track Marker (TM). It is one-way traffic, so there are no oncoming trains. The signals at the end of the blocks are responding correctly. When a train leaves a block, the lower signal light turns green and the upper light goes out, unless there is still a train in the block following the adjacent block; in that case, the upper light of the block turns orange, and in the incoming block both lights remain red instead of switching to green and turning off. However, the signals for both tracks along the long side remain red, and the switch position does not change either. Moreover, in no block does a train stop at a red signal. At this point, no waiting times need to be introduced. The releasing of the signals on the long sides must occur once a train has left the next block. This should happen alternately, just like the switch position should change alternately.

I find it strange that a train does not stop at a red light at the end of a block, since that is an automatic feature of the block system in the blocks. This is being interrupted by the switch, which should alternate its position. It is clear that I am doing several things wrong, but I do not know what. I hope you don’t mind that I am questioning you so extensively. I hope you understand my question and can provide a good answer.

I forgot to write, I also added some Rules to the Edit Session:

1. I configured the same drivers and trains as in Driver Mode, leaving the Autodetect enabled
2. For the Driver Command, I only maintained the Halt and removed all the other checkboxes.
3. For Set Junction I added the two switches that need to change position for entering blocks on the long sides, setting Direction to Right and Locked to unlocked; I left the AI Controls set to: allows AI control.
However, this does not change the behavior of the trains: a train does not stop for a red signal, and the switches remain exclusively in the right-hand position.

I thank you in advance for your cooperation.

 

[sw1500]

"3. For Set Junction I added the two switches that need to change position for entering blocks on the long sides, setting Direction to Right and Locked to unlocked; I left the AI Controls set to: allows AI control."

The AI drivers will always try to block each other. change the AI Controls set to: block AI Control. Also delete the Interlocking Tower Path Selection UI rule because these two rules do not play well together.