Is this helper operation possible in AI mode?

[JonMyrlennBailey]

A helper engine leaves a siding and travels to a junction on another part of the route to wait for another train. The other train shows up to the junction and the helper couples to the front it. The train with the helper travels a certain portion of the layout to another junction. The helper uncouples and switch to another track. The train moves on. The helper then travels back to it's home siding

What commands are used for a sequence such as this?

 

[DARTrider]

For the first part "A helper engine leaves a siding and travels to a junction on another part of the route to wait for another train," you could use something like this: At the start of the session, give it the "drive to trackmark" command to drive to the designated trackmark, then give it the "wait for trigger" command to wait for the other train to activate the trigger. For "The other train shows up to the junction and the helper couples to the front it," use this: Have it couple up to the rear of the train using the "couple to" command, then tell the driver of the train to go forward (or tell the AI to do that). For "The train with the helper travels a certain portion of the layout to another junction. The helper uncouples and switch to another track," Have it use the "wait for trigger" command to wait for the train to stop on the trigger. Then, have it uncouple with the "uncouple from" command and then use the "drive to trackmark" command to drive back to the siding.

Hope that helped.

 

[JonMyrlennBailey]

Thanks, DART. This did the trick. I had to fiddle with my track layout some to get this to work. I also discovered I need to put an invisible signal down the mainline behind the stopping point of the train to be coupled to so the helper driver backing out of the helper standby siding can see down the track one or more junctions otherwise he will just balk at the Couple command. I can apply a trigger and wait-for-trigger command to the train too. When the train stops for the helper to hook up, it is waiting under this command of its own. The train under helper tow stays waiting during the entire helper trip. Andrew in the A7 (while waiting under the command) leaves the driving to Bald in the SD40T-2 during helper service up and down the mountain. When the helper parts from the train following the helper trip, it hits a wait-for trigger on another track so the passenger train can continue on its own schedule. Whenever drivers balk at commands, a gray exclamation mark is shown by his avatar.

 

[DARTrider]

Glad to be of service
I plan to use the same thing for my Utah Belt route that I'm working on for sessions.