I would like a RR signal that completely IGNORES switches/junctions on the mainline.

[JonMyrlennBailey]

I'm sick of these yellow/green signal conditions when my AI train approaches a switch on the mainline in a 50-mph. The train will be going 50 mph then suddenly slow to 25 when there is a switch ahead.

What are types of visible signals that avoid AI reactions to upcoming switches?

Is having a switch in a 50-mph zone not feasible?

 

[cascaderailroad]

On a really miles and miles long high speed mainline, as soon as a train senses a signal, it inspects the position of the switch ahead, if it is too close, or lined wrong, it will display other colors than green ... Very probably on a small tight model railroad, this slowing down to 1/2 speed, or stopping, will be COMPLETELY unavoidable, no matter what type signal you use, especially at 50 mph, or greater.


You have to learn how to place signals correctly, as the distance between signals should be able to have your entire train in in between the 2 signals, and this goes for speedboards also, as the head end will slow down for a lower speedboard immediately, but the head end locos will not speed up again until the tail end passes the higher speedboard

My suggestion is drive slower, and don't use AI

 

[martinvk]

That signal is doing its job, protecting next block of track. I would investigate why it is showing yellow instead over-riding and potentially causing an accident.

 

[JonMyrlennBailey]

It's only going yellow because a switch was placed there. It still goes yellow when the switch is in the correct position. I have signals spaced at 1,000-foot intervals on my 2 1/2 mile stretch of 50-mph zone. This was done to minimize yellow conditions on a 7.10 mile loop of model layout with up to 10 trains running on the two-track system. Until I added a switch in the 50-mph zone, trains never slowed down in this area unless there was a train close ahead. I added a switch in this region because I relocated my staging yard near here as that was the only practical place for it.

AI is essential to my enjoyment of the game but it is finicky and always presents obstacles to work around.

 

[JonMyrlennBailey]

A 40-mph zone will slow a train to 23 with other-than-green conditions.

A yellow in a 25 will result in a train travelling 21-23 mph depending on the driver's mood.

In slow zones, yellow conditions have negligible impact on speed performance.

 

[JonMyrlennBailey]

Cascade, is there a good tutorial as to where SIGNALS should be installed on a Trainz route, how many should be used and why?

 

[JohnnyC1]

The biggest problem with novices is the use of interlocking signals when a permissive 05 or absolute 04 will do. The intermediate 06 and 08's should not be used on single/double track where there aren't any crossovers.

John

 

[JonMyrlennBailey]

I do have a double track system with several crossovers in a short 7.10-mile closed loop since this is supposed to mimic a model layout but understand nothing about the permissive/absolute jazz. I'm not a master of railroading knowledge. I just want my trains to look pretty and behave in a realistic fashion. That's all. If I were a rich hobbyist, I would hire a design consultant and engineer my hobby trains toward perfection. But for now I have to wing it as best as possible. Nobody has published a Trainz Bible in easy-to-understand terms for novices.

 

[Ghost42]

http://trains.0catch.com/Tut4-IntroToSignaling.htm
Signals and much more.

 

[JonMyrlennBailey]

The biggest problem with novices is the use of interlocking signals when a permissive 05 or absolute 04 will do. The intermediate 06 and 08's should not be used on single/double track where there aren't any crossovers.

John

I read up on signals at the link Ghost provided to get to know more about them. I played with the permissive 05 and absolute 04 Signal USA 02's I downloaded. They seem to offer promise in getting AI trains past my mainline junctions in a 50-mph while showing green all the way through the block whereas other signals types caused a yellow condition. However, after a couple route mods following this experiment, now that stupid AI is troublesome by balking at the recently-installed switch levers in this 50-mph zone for no apparent reason. It just stops at the lever and says it is 'waiting for the track to clear ahead'. XDR was no help so now it's a fresh reinstall for Trainz 2012. This happens periodically. AI breaks down over several route/session revisions. It's just a matter of time.


It seems that AI behaves differently to various signal types by various authors.


SIX HOURS LATER

TS12 reinstalled: AI still balks at my newest X-Over for main line to staging yard. Had to remove X-Over. Now trains on the main line far side of the yard entrance, have to use an older X-Over about halfway around the layout, cross over to the other track there and back a couple miles to get to the yard junction on the near side. The whole process of pulling trains in and out of the yard is manual, of course. It's a mystery why AI balks at some of my switches on the mainline.

Because I can't seem to have a crossover that is reliable for AI operation near my newly-constructed staging yard in back of my layout, I won't be needing those special signals after all.

Sometimes, when making a new addition to my line, it's a long wild goose chase to try to "accomodate" AI for the changes. AI gets very sensitive to switch additions and is fussy about signal selection as well. I have to engineer my layout centered around the AI function and all its balkiness.