Parking a Consist close to a Road Crossing

[davesnow]

There may be another method of doing this, maybe even a better one, but this works fine for me and it's pretty quick and simple.

 

[SPNGTyler]

You could use the ALTS system and set up the triggers. The only thing with that is you better be using that line for slow trains only, otherwise the crossings wont go down untill you hit the triggers, and if you set up to close for the speed? Trainwreck.

But this is pretty cool, I will have to try this out.

 

[Approach_Medium]

ATLS will work perfectly, if you place multiple approach triggers (using the 2-direction/4 trigger system).
Set the closer triggers to ignore trains of priority 1, and the distant triggers to activate only for priority 1 trains.

Now, when you are going to park any cars near the crossing, set the priority on that train to 2 or 3. The train will be moving slowly when it approaches the road crossing, so it will still give the crossing time to close before the train arrives.

Assuming that you placed a double set of approach triggers on each side of the crossing (in addition to the two you need for each track right at the crossing to de-activate it), then your train will release the crossing properly before it is parked in the yard.
Make sure that none of the triggers is placed where a train will be stopped. That would foul everything up.

You must remember to set the train priority properly, but I find this much easier than using invisible junctions, and also allows me to set crossings up so that MOW trains do not foul the crossings unnecessarily. I set all of my triggers to ignore priority 3, and set anything I don't want to trip the crossing to 3.

One thing you must make sure of when you use the ATLS system, is that your train must cross all 4 triggers (approach, both exits, and the other approach) before it reverses or stops, else the whole system may act unpredictably for another train.

There is now also a fix for starting a session with trains on the triggers. I'm not sure how to use it yet, but it is available on DLS.

The ATLS system by Boat is by far the best crossing system available.

FW

EDIT: I have set up a small test route with the ATLS crossing set up as I described, with a small yard very close to the crossing. I am getting excellent results with the ATLS V2.5 system. It seems to be handling the stopping and reversing on the crossing much better than with the older version. I am going to continue testing with multiple trains passing while the local is backing into and working the yard.
In my setup, I have a single ended yard, so there is going to be a lot of reversing over the crossing.

 

[davesnow]

Thanks for the comments. I don't use the ATLS. Looks complicated to me. As I said, my method works fine and is very simple. I guess I'm just simple-minded!:hehe:

 

[mattm]

As I said, my method works fine and is very simple. I guess I'm just simple-minded!:hehe:

Nothing wrong with simple ideas. Sometimes the simple ideas are better than the complicated ones. Plus, whatever works for you, works for you. We all have our ways of doing certain things. You might clean the kitchen down to the last speck of dust, i'll call in the exterminators once in a while.:hehe:

Cheers,

Matt.

 

[Xengeance]

Just a suggestion, if you feel you're competent enough with setting up triggers in Surveyor, why not add a session rule and triggers to the tracks that simply throw the invisible switches to allow rail traffic to pass through, and then reset them to 'all-clear' once the train has passed a specific distance from the crossing (perhaps marked with a small track-side sign for easy reference)?

On a side note: Union Pacific's track typically have markers painted to the rails at a minimum distance of 250 meters on either side of grade crossings to indicate the clearance for idle consists - though obviously this may vary in other railroads. I use this as a baseline when setting up crossings in a route.

 

[lewisner]

The idea of using Invisible Junctions near level crossings is a fairly old one but it has one serious disadvantage as I found out.If you are driving in manual mode you tend to forget where the IJ is, with the resultant wagons and locos spread all over the crossing!

 

[davesnow]

The idea of using Invisible Junctions near level crossings is a fairly old one but it has one serious disadvantage as I found out.If you are driving in manual mode you tend to forget where the IJ is, with the resultant wagons and locos spread all over the crossing!

The way mine are set up, I always remember---

Green/North --- clear to proceed

Red/North --- Railcars are parked