Full Skirted Barrier Crossings

lewisner

Well-known member
Is there a tutorial on how to use Bloodnoks Full Skirted Barrier Level Crossings and Half Barrier Crossings? The half barriers don"t kick in till too late on my 100 MPH main line and the Full Skirted ones just sit doing nothing whatever the speed.I guess I"m supposed to use a Tigger or reset a Radius but clicking "?" does nothing..:confused:
 
Nope they are 'plug and play' as it were. The problem with them kicking in late is well known but sadly just a part of them, they kick in too early at low speeds, or at least they would if they were set up to kick in right at 100mph. As for the skirted ones, hmmm not sure at all, they always work for me. Are you using 04 or 06?

Andy
 
The full barrier crossings do not work in '06, but in '04 I never had a problem. Unfortunately, I did have the same timing problem you describe (I think travelling about 40mph is the limit, or the barriers haven't fallen all the way), but paulzmay described a way of using the AJS traffic controller to increase the distance away from the crossing you can go before it activates. I'll search for it so you can see...
 
I"m using 06...and they don"t work in 06?,,:( I guess I"ll have to search for foreign ones which work in 06, but Mr B"s ones look so good.Thanks for your replies,and I"ll have a look for AJ"s traffic controller.
 
I have the full ones. But as you said about the 100 mph, on mine when a train is at that speed. It is already on the level crossing by the time the barriers just reach there stopping point. :)

Matt
 
This is the thread where I posted my really complicated workaround... http://forums.auran.com/trainz/showthread.php?t=8682&highlight=crossing

I recall when Bloodnok first released these he had made a concious decision to have a prototypical barrier movement speed, but that unfortunately, this meant that they were too slow on high speed lines. I suspect that the UK has some of the highest line speeds across level crossings in the world... :rolleyes:

Paul
 
Under TRS2006 (but not TRS2004) crossings can be scripted to accept a command from an outside source and can also be prevented from operating automatically.

This could be used in conjunction with a trigger to provide what is required. Something like this:

1. Train crosses trigger at user defined location
2. Trigger issues message to crossing: Close Gates in (value based on speed of train at trigger point) seconds.

Rather than perpetuating the AJS Crossing Controller trick, which is too complex for its own good, would it be better to produce a controller of this type?
 
"Paulzmay" Thanks for that link-I"ll have a closer look at it after I"ve had a couple of drinks to steady my nerves! On the subject of "keeping them down" I had a "bright idea" which was to change the Trainz Build number from 2.5 to 2.6 - don"t laugh, I"ve read that sometimes this is a way to do things like this-but the only effect it had was to make the barriers stay permanently down.:o ..I"ve made a lot of nice looking gated crossings using "Yard Gate" especially where they are on a skew,but I"d like to have working X-ings where possible.
 
I suspect that the UK has some of the highest line speeds across level crossings in the world... :rolleyes:

Not directly relevent, but I researched AHBCs (that's the ones with half barriers) for Systems (it got handed in last week), and the maximum line speed is 100mph over these, and slightly higher over the MCBs (the full barriered ones).

However, Britian is actively trying to phase these crossings out and Network Rail are now obliged under their charter not to build any new ones - only to upgrade existing ones when and where appropriate.

Our European neighbours have more level crossings per mile than us, but there are two factors where they have the advantage - their line speeds are slighly slower and they tend not to drive around the falling barriers quite so often. I believe the dedicated Eurostar and TGV routes do not have crossings on, but I couldn't be certain and am not qualified to comment here.

This early document tells a lot about level crossings, and may be interesting to some. It is a report into the accident at Hixon, but it is very thorough and looks at both British and European practice (heavy reading in places though). You should note that at the time UK crossings were not completely developed, so are quite different to the ones seen now. Maybe someone will get around to making one of the early automatic crossings :).

Summary -> http://www.railwaysarchive.co.uk/docSummary.php?docID=74&PHPSESSID=eb5bcc1fd7f51cd069b704295fa6abbf

Direct link -> http://www.railwaysarchive.co.uk/documents/MoT_Hixon1968.pdf - WARNING - REALLY BIG DOCUMENT!!!
 
Under TRS2006 (but not TRS2004) crossings can be scripted to accept a command from an outside source and can also be prevented from operating automatically.

This could be used in conjunction with a trigger to provide what is required. Something like this:

1. Train crosses trigger at user defined location
2. Trigger issues message to crossing: Close Gates in (value based on speed of train at trigger point) seconds.

Rather than perpetuating the AJS Crossing Controller trick, which is too complex for its own good, would it be better to produce a controller of this type?

Absolutely! Is that an offer? :D

I suspect that the sheer number of times I've used this trick on my new route (and the massive number of rules) may be slowing my computer down somewhat...

Paul
 
Hi Andi,

I second Paul's remark.

In addition could it be possible to link the controller to the signals as well, necessary for Full Barriers, but not for AHB's as AHB's are not considered an obstacle and are not always signalled (on some lines the nearest signal could be over a mile away and showing a proceed aspect with the crossing still open to road traffic).

Full Barriers are controlled from the signal box (or signalling centre by CCTV) and are protected by a stop signal which is kept ON until the crossing is clear.

I've noticed in trainz that crossings seem to have no effect on the signal aspect, not quite prototypical !!

many thanks

Adrian 19

PS I have a request for an addition in the Superscript, I'll put it in a new thread.
 
In another thread andi06 said he was going to look into a rule when he has finished his pullman work. The thing that we have asked him to look at is similar to his traffic control.

We are looking at a crossing that is not attached to the main track and has invisible track. this can be placed at any angle beneath the main track. This would then connect up in the same way as his traffic crossings but without the controller. A new rule that works in the same way as multi trigger signal, but controls a lever instead would replace the controller.

A set of triggers placed around the crossing would detect a train and change the lever this in turn would close the gates. When all trains have left the triggers the lever would change back and the gates will open.
You could also place a signal and use signal rule that showed red while the lever was in its default position and be automatic when the lever changed to close the gates.
 
What I have in mind is a two part setup. Both the trigger and the crossing will need to be scripted and, as I have little or no interest in building 500 level crossings, it would be useful to be able to attach the crossing script to existing objects.

The trigger will need to know which crossing it is talking to, how far away it is and how long its animation takes to run. It will need to detect a train and the speed at which the train is travelling. It will then need to work out how long it will take for the train to get to the crossing and when the gates should close. It will wait until the appropriate moment and then send a message instructing the crossing to run its animation.

I'm reasonably sure that all of this is possible in TRS2006, and it should also be possible to extend the concept to send messages to signals and junctions.

The crossing script will just need to turn off the built in auto response mechanism, listen for 'Train Approaching' messages from the triggers and, once the crossing is clear of trains, close itself. This can probably be set up as a standard script which can just be dropped into existing unscripted crossings.

Since crossings can control road traffic only as well as road and rail together the situation that Stagecoach is describing could also be covered directly (ie without the dummy junctions). I'm not minded to further support the AJS Crossing Controller - it was always a bodge and is unneccessary under TRS2006.

To quote from a recent trainz newsletter:

Trainz Classics will feature:
...
-Train controlled sounds, lights and boom gates at build-in road crossings
-New Freeways feature supporting and including one way and multi-lane roads
-Remodelled roadway traffic featuring working head lights
...


So Auran are planning to implement their own 'Street Kit' - where do I send the bill?

Assuming that they make a better fist of this than they did with their 'Junction Kit' there will probably be additional facilities in the next release so don't expect this immediately. I will start looking at it though and it would be useful to hear anybody else's thoughts on the subject.
 
"Crossings not attached to the Main Track" sounds like a good idea - that way they could be set on a skew, as many are.If they had a trigger, it would simply a matter of (by experimentation) finding the distance the trigger needed to be from the crossing to work satisfactorily at full line speed and then measuring that distance from the crossing on all other crossings with the same speed.BTW a signal engineer told me that for all new LC installations the MINIMUM distance from a signal to the LC is 50 metres.Thats why Network Rail sometimes prefer to refurbish existing signals ( which have "grandfather rights) rather than commision new ones.
 
I'm reasonably sure that all of this is possible in TRS2006, and it should also be possible to extend the concept to send messages to signals and junctions.

Since crossings can control road traffic only as well as road and rail together the situation that Stagecoach is describing could also be covered directly (ie without the dummy junctions). I'm not minded to further support the AJS Crossing Controller - it was always a bodge and is unneccessary under TRS2006.

This may be so but its 2004 that we are trying to get it to work in. The controller is not needed in the setup weve been trying to do, just a way of getting multiple triggers to change a lever will work for us.
 
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