Single track line signaling issue

[Dan_Hat]

Im sure somewhere on the history theres a thread for this but i thought id ask as im sure some one can help

Im curently building a route bassed on the west of england line between Exeter and Salisbury. The route is mostlty single track with passing loops, trouble is some of the loops can be over 50 miles apart and im having problems with the signals one loop will show "line ends or is closed"

is there anything i can do to to get the signals to comunicate with each other without disrupting trafic control??


PS is there a thread on using triggers to control signals??

 

[Dermmy]

In later versions of Trainz you can use 'smart' signals to break those long single length sections up into manageable chunks, but in 06 if the AI can't scan far enough ahead to find the next signal you are sunk, any non-scripted signal placed mid-way will inevitably result in a Mexican Stand-Off situation. I'd be introducing extra passing loops, even if they are non-prototypical....

 

[Dan_Hat]

so in otherwords im going to have to upgrade!! oh well its due anyways! any one else have any better ideas

 

[philskene]

Is this of any relevance?

http://forums.auran.com/trainz/showthread.php?t=83432

The Signal Link device itself is for TS2009. You might be able to backdate it to work in '06.

Tell me if it helps - and if you do get it working whether it links over a 50 mile length of single track.

 

[stagecoach]

The old rule for a single track was never place a signal on it. Place a signal at the end of the loop before it it returns to single track and always have the junction lever set for the inbound loop so the train can see it from the last signal. Only trains leaving the loop need change the junction ahead of it.

 

[norfolksouthern37]

trouble you will get if not linking signals on the ends of the loops is that the signals cant 'see' over a certain distance (23-26 miles iirc?). even placing signals like suggested above will not work as the signals cant see to each other.

either place more passing sidings or use that linker. i dont think there should be any problems getting it to work in 06, but dont quote me on that. it has been a while since i looked at it.

 

[Vern]

I don't think you have quite checked the geography if you are placing loops 50 miles apart. On a (very) rough take from the sectional appendix...
Wilton Jn to Tisbury @12 miles.
Tisbury to Gillingham @9 miles.
Gillingham to Templecombe @7 miles.
Thence double track to Yeovil Jn.
Yeovil Jn to Chard @ 17 miles.
Chard to Honiton @ 16 miles (assuming you're not putting in the new loop at Axminster).
Honiton to Pinhoe @ 13 miles.
Thence double track into Exeter.

You may of course still get problems over some of those distances due to the limitations of the programme - as noted above it may be better in the newer versions but when I built my West Highland routes in TRS2006 I hit this problem. Placing an interactive station in the middle of a single line section can also confuse the signalling.

The only suggestion would be to place intermediate signals American style in each direction to break up the section (note these would have to be placed with an overlap (crude diagram 1>.........2<...>1.......2< ) to avoid standoffs in the middle of the section, or alternatively put some more crossing loops in.

 

[Kennilworth]

Hi

The only suggestion that I can come up with as you're using TRS2006 is to try the SCS2006 rule to write your scenarios. The variables and conditional commands (If, If Else and If End) contained in it will enable you to prevent a train entering the section if another train is already occupying it. In effect it mimics the token system used in the UK.

Regards

Brian

 

[sniper297]

I've been mulling this over since I first saw this thread - it occurs to me that with a 50 mile long section of single track on the route you wouldn't need any signals at all, since you'd schedule a max of half a dozen trains per day with no potential for collision. That sounds facetious, but it's the way railroads worked in the beginning. Line from Podunk to Nowhere Gulch is 100 miles long with only two passing sidings, depending on demand you wouldn't even need to schedule meets - train going from Nowhere to Podunk sits in the yard and doesn't leave until the one coming from Podunk arrives.
Given the limitations of trainsims any route with really long single track sections, even only 10 miles, would need to have an extremely low volume of AI traffic however you signal it.

 

[Dan_Hat]

Well two issues an unsignaled route means trains run permenantly at caution speed and the route should have a train on each single track section... anways after looking at the distances this may now be irelevent