Interesting situation described here. I've wondered about this with some of the maps I have. In terms of real simulation, seems to me that, helpful though it may be, Release Junction has its potential drawbacks and probably is not realistic. The other half of this equation is the use of many signals between turnouts.
There is not much point (and real danger) in entering a long stretch of road that has no turnouts, regardless of what local signals say, unless you know the whole line ahead is clear or has escape points - and that an opposing train heading toward but not yet on the uninterrupted line ahead will be stopped. But, no turnouts ahead means no escape points. If a train is already on the line ahead or cannot be stopped from entering it, where can another train headed in the opposite direction go, once it has entered the line?
Not having been a railroader, I can be all wet, but in a yard situation it appears to me that real yard operations are designed to stay off the main as much as possible and, especially, not to enter the main beyond the limits of the yard. In other words there will be an end-of-yard entrance to an arrival/departure track at each end, with adjoining classification tracks off to the side, as well as engine servicing, drill tracks, and so on. If a switcher needs to move across the main, then that should be done using crossovers between the turnouts at the ends of the yard. Unless it is very close, the AI train coming down the main toward the yard will only control the outside switch. And, if it is close enough to control an interior switch, you probably want to wait until it has passed through.
Regarding multiple signals along a line with no turnouts, I would like someone to explain to me why so many are in use on some routes. I suppose the issue is following another train headed in the same direction. What is done on a real railroad? What was done in the old days before radio communications? I suspect that train orders were given out at each station, and an engineer would know what was ahead or what to expect to be ahead -- whether to lay up and wait or whether to proceed at what speed. Unless there are some Rules to cover this situation, TRS does not offer the ability to give out station orders, but does allow the "engineer" (me) to look ahead on the map and see what to expect. That being the case, why use multiple signals between turnouts? Well, we can use Post Message and Wait for Message rules, but that is between engineers, not very realistic prior to what, the 1970's or so when radio communications became possible - even now, I suspect (but don't know) that communications pass between engineer and dispatcher, not between engineers.
Don't mean to be going off on a tangent from this thread, but I think it is all related and would appreciate some education on these points, especially as relates to real railroad practices - how it is really done in different time eras, not how to get around it in TRS.
Dick
