FOND DU LAC :8

[RHKluckhohn]

Doing some polishing prior to uploading version 8 of the Fond Du Lac branch. Now that TANE SP2 is installed, it's time to migrate from 12 just to see if it works, and see what's needed to repair it (always the optimist!)

The major changes have minimal operational impact:

• Moved the East and West Iron Ridge mainline signals to clear the foul points.
• Gave up on the West Forest St crossing (SOO/West Yard) ATLS installation and reverted it to normal automatic control. ATLS could not deal with long trains hitting the portal before the exit trigger was cleared. Now cars will stack up on the yard tracks as the SOO goes through, but they will clear out when the gates open as they ought.
• Land O'Lakes bay 2's Multiple Industry New replaced with Mul ind str l=10M due to operating issues.

• Built a casting sand dump and silo at Mercury Marine casting (NOT interactive).

Cosmetic changes include:

• Added and landscaped a baseboard south (TT east) of FDL Intermodal.
• Added dump gratings at several existing industries.
• Put a gate in the fence at the Brenner south driveway.

-- 30 --​

 

[RHKluckhohn]

2 July 2017

Additional work up to today:

• Removed the eastern driveway crossing at Mercury Marine. Superfluous, unusable by anything bigger than a golf cart. Revised whistle posts for the two remaining crossings there.
• MAJOR OPERATING CHANGE: Speed reduction to 15 mph from 20 approaching the Iron Ridge plant on the branch. Required by limited visibility.
• Added CTC Begin and End signs at Iron Ridge as appropriate. User must simulate calls to the DS. Should have put in switch machines instead of conventional levers, but doing it now would require edits to most sessions, and I'm lazy.
• SIGNAL REVISIONS, Non-programmed signals only:
  • Replaced many home signals with appropriate assets, now that I've learned a bit about prototype signalling and studied the signals available in Trainz
  • Iron Ridge: modern signal at west end track 4 (CTC); triple indicators at East and West Iron Ridge
  • Jones Switch: approach signals relocated to protect trains at work
  • Mayville West, Knowles and Brownsville: likewise
  • East Fond du Lac: revised signalling at the freeway overpass junctions. Still not entirely happy here but it's better.
• ROUTE ALIGNMENT CHANGE: East Fond du Lac freeway overpass approach. Moved the west junction closer to the overpass, easing the MILW curve noticeably. None of my sessions start here, hope none of yours do. Check them for derailments if they do.
• KNOWLES & BROWNSVILLE DERAILS: Operating radius reduced to 1 M; I had left them at 20 by oversight.

-- 30 --​

 

[RHKluckhohn]

4 July 2017

Spent the day putting in a live truck crossing at Mercury Marine. Moved the semi at the crossing over to a loading door and put in a "simple" loop using BNSF50's red wire invisible track. The crossing is single-track on the RR, 2-way for the trucks. Control by Boat's ASB. Took many trials to sort out the EB crossing; turns out ASB is sensitive to track splines in the controlled area, but finally got a realistic "swing" to the approach and the truck transits the crossing reliably. Tried the HOTT invisible signal first but the ASB didn't like it so used norfolksouthern's <kuid2:45324:24010:3> instead. Works fine. The controller is hidden inside the building south of the crossing, by the personnel door. This is all installed on the route layer.

Projected use is daytime sessions using one semi+trailer. There are two stop positions consisting of trackmarks, located so the rig is out of sight behind the buildings. Total truck run from stop to stop is about 2:30. Suggested intervals would be in the 14-24 minute range. Of course the time at each stop can be set differently in the driver schedule. It would be best to make this the last driver in the list.

The ASB triggers are positioned so that even if the truck hits the trigger first, the train will not have to slow down -- the truck should be well clear by the time the train arrives. The loco engineer will see a red indication in the HUD on approach until the trigger is hit and the signal clears -- just ignore it.

---------

 

[RHKluckhohn]

9 July 2017

The Wednesday PM Patrol session (under development) revealed issues with the positions of the ATLS crossing triggers in Mayville on either side of the depot, so they have been reorganized and it all seems more prototypic. Also straightened up the east ballpark bleachers.

Note: the signal revisions mentioned early include simplification of the signals in Mayville; the home signal for the Mayville siding is relocated just east of the fire department. The home signals all now display the correct aspect for the diverging routes.

The Wednesday PM Patrol is taking the old SW 7 away for reassignment. Next step is to create a de-engined clone that will not act as a helper. The original creator has kindly provided permission to upload the change.

-- 30 --​

 

[RHKluckhohn]

Yesterday's trigger revisions, I gradually remembered, had been tried before and don't work as desired. Trying them again reinforces my conclusion that ATLS doesn't accommodate shunting activity over the crossings.

So today the ATLS installation was replaced with Atilabarut's My Level Crossing and given a preliminary test. Both Kekoskee Street and Breckinridge are two-track, but track 2 is the house (industrial) track and the alignment prohibits using the available 2-track crossings. It was necessary to create two separate crossings at each. However, only one invisible train is used at each since there is only one pair of signals protecting both tracks. In the rule, each appears as two crossings but the trigger distances are set quite differently, and each calls the same trackmark/invisible train.

Discovered the hard way that this setup requires a closed loop of invisible track to keep the invisible train from derailing when a consist starts within the controlled zone. And when the session starts with a consist in the zone, the crossing is triggered and closes until the consist is removed. Which is not a problem if it's a train, but a cut of parked wagons will keep the crossing closed. And that's why the trigger settings for the two tracks are different.

Next step is to test with the latest session which requires parking a long train on track one while running around and switching the industries. I'm hopeful it will be right.

This means the release of :8 must wait until all the sessions using these crossings are updated, a lengthy list. Wish there were a way to cut and paste the rule between sessions!

The conversion of #623 to a dead engine has been partly successful. Testing a further revision next run. It's build is 1.4, so it can't be uploaded and a change to 2.9+ involves required mods beyond my expertise and maybe impossible in such an old asset. I may just leave the original loco in the uploaded session and make the dead version available by email or Dropbox.

-- 30 --​

 

[RHKluckhohn]

Except the Breckinridge crossing triggers are set the same -- there's no need for two crossings in the rule here. Oh, well, the extra work kept me entertained. I'll straighten it out next work session.

<:B~b

 

[RHKluckhohn]

[FONT=&quot]So today the ATLS installation was replaced with Atilabarut's My Level Crossing and given a preliminary test. Both Kekoskee Street and Breckinridge are two-track, but track 2 is the house (industrial) track and the alignment prohibits using the available 2-track crossings. It was necessary to create two separate crossings at each. However, only one invisible train is used at each since there is only one pair of signals protecting both tracks. In the rule, each appears as two crossings but the trigger distances are set quite differently, and each calls the same trackmark/invisible train.[/FONT]

Well, that was waaaay too complicated! Two trains passing killed half the crossing every time. So what to do? How about "Follow The Instructions!" Atila provides a nice set of graphics in the rule. Each crossing pair is now arranged as a single crossing according to his diagram and they work as desired. The Kekoskee St. triggers had to be placed differently -- track 2's is about 25 M west of the xing.

Further testing revealed the Dayton St. xing (ATLS) was getting zapped by the switching move (long train) in Wednesday PM Patrol so it has been Atilized.

A short portal has been installed at the east/south/compass west end of the Oakfield line to permit reliable generation of trains, should that be wanted. Haven't tested it yet. (Better do that.) However, the existing Un-portal trackmark is retained for backward compatibility and the new portal doesn't interfere with existing use.

Added outside lighting to the Mayville Fire Department ... Creeping perfectionism is setting in, it's time to quit and work on the sessions.

-- 30 --​