Using the Trigger Multiple Signals Rule,

[JonMyrlennBailey]

it is virtually impossible to always avoid collisions between trains at a crossing no matter how you adjust the invisible signals, the trigger position or the trigger ranges. Most of the time vehicles will cross safely. Once in a blue moon, they will inevitably "mix paint" or "blood" at the TMS crossing.

This is especially true when you have a slow-moving "train" as a AI-controlled horse carriage (8 mph max, 4 mph under yellow) vs an oncoming F7 silver streak, 25 mph or faster. The AI driver of the horses may slow down even if the signal turns red as he is passing it and end up ghosting through the crossing fast train. At the crossing, the speed limit for my horses on their route is 10 mph, max. I try to get them across the visible tracks with very DANGEROUS realistic-looking-and-speeding railroad trains as expeditiously as possible. What are the rules for horse-drawn vehicles at railroad crossings in the real world? Horses pulling wagons are much slower than automobiles to accelerate. Of course, the horses driven by the guys in cowboy hats must always yield to any oncoming "railroad" trains or get turned into ground dog food or glue. That is the natural and sensible rule to have.

Obviously, this Trainz programming logic would not work in a world where PHYSICAL autonomous vehicles at railroad crossings are operated as expensive collision damage and loss of lives would otherwise be certain.

How would an autonomously-driven car safely negotiate railroad crossings in the real world? There has to be a point of no return once the car crosses the red light: it can't hesitate or stop dead on the tracks with a train coming. Once it decides to GO it must hurry on through without looking back. It is like an airplane that barrels down the runway. The aircraft must either lift off or abort take-off depending how much runway is left. It is all math and physics.

Yes, good software controlling automated transportation must be fast and decisive. Split second life-or-death decisions must be made. There is no room for error or gray area. It has to be all or nothing when negotiating a crossing. It is a GO or NO GO proposition. Depending upon the speed and distance of traffic from the crossing involved, can the vehicle approaching the crossing stop safely in time if there is an oncoming train nearby? Would the moving vehicle close to the crossing in question do better to just gun it?

It is like the game Frogger. In my case it is "Horser". Can the ponies beat the choo-choo at the crossing?

 

[stagecoach]

The trick is to have multiple triggers on the main line with the radius set to overlap each other. While a train is over the trigger the signal will be red so when a train enters the first trigger radius the signal goes red. The train is still in the radius of the first when it enters the radius of the second so the signal remains at red. The first trigger should be set far enough away the wagon would have time to cross when a fast train crosses the first trigger to the point it reaches the crossing. The set signal can use multiple signals and multiple triggers. Also place a signal a short distance beyond the crossing for the wagon so it has a clear path across it.

 

[JonMyrlennBailey]

very well, stagecoach

My farm wagon and stagecoach both run over the same dirt course which crosses the train tracks in the woods. The stage follows the wagon about half the distance around the one mile closed loop. Time-wise, I issue the commands so the wagons are far enough apart over the same course so as to look like natural random scenery and not members of the same wagon convoy. Invisible signals spaced around the loop keeping them from getting too close to one another and bunching up over time: they are both AI controlled and run continuously on repeating schedules as moving scenery. I have about three invisible signals right now scattered around the wagon course. Perhaps I need five or six. If the lead wagon is in a signal block ahead the following wagon, if too close, may get a red signal and do something stupid like stop right on the train tracks to get squashed by a speeding diesel. It could be the lead wagon is triggering a red signal to the crossing trailing wagon by its mere presence in the block and is not caused by the mainline track triggers. I can perhaps expand the range of the mainline triggers somewhat as well so wagons approaching the crossing will have more advanced notice of oncoming fast trains. This whole crossing thing is something of a science to perfect. It is all mathematics and timing.

Naturally, a software scripting method like Trigger Multiple Signals would not work well to control PHYSICAL autonomously-driven vehicles at RR crossings in the real physical world. Real world traffic control by digital means would need to be something more highly sophisticated in the name of safety. There are too many complex variables as speed, acceleration, stopping distance, time and so forth. Normally, horse carriages are driven by humans whose brains have better judgement, intuition and sensory perception than most gaming software. A PHYSICAL stagecoach will never become autonomous unless the horses are robots.

Trainz with its AI feature does indeed provoke thoughts of the future of autonomous transportation indeed. The biggest concern will always be SAFETY!

 

[stagecoach]

The one thing that stands out to me is because the wagon is so slow it may be passing the red signal at the point it changes to red. This will then cause the wagon to stop on the crossing it may show as a spad (signal passed at danger) and wait for 2 minutes. Only suggestion is to place the signal a bit further away from the track so if it does pass at danger it will still stop before it gets to the rails.
You could use the ATLS assets for this as it may be better for this situation. ATLS controller, Tram stopper, signal guard and 4 triggers. Place triggers on main line at a distance from the crossing place one on each side of the crossing and one further down the track. Replace the wagon signal with the tram stopper and place the signal guard just before it. If the above situation happens the guard will allow the wagon to complete the crossing even if it just caught the signal at red.