ATLS LCM question

G

Gary_Evans

Still plays with Trainz
Would somebody please point out the advantage of using ATLS controllers, slaves and triggers at LCM crossings? I recently downloaded Jointed Rail's Midwest Grain and noticed that the crossings with heavy traffic use ATLS assets. In contrast, in my map creations I use a combination of US Level Crossing Towers and Yarnish Crossings with no ATLS assets. Approaching trains stop traffic until the train has passed the crossing after which the traffic resumes moving. Seems to work fine without having to add all the ATLS assets. Am I missing something? Is there an advantage to using all the ATLS assets at crossings?
I'm getting older and my understanding neurons are aren't functioning properly:eek:

Gary
 
As long as you keep your train speed under 50mph then the non atls work just fine but if you plan on anything faster you'll need the atls to close the crossing sooner. The farther you set the trigger from the crossing the sooner the crossing will close. My NRC crossings which have to use the atls system also have the advantage of setting them at any angle regardless of the track vs road angle. You do have to use a traffic stopper with these to stop the traffic though.
 
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Gary_Evans said:
Would somebody please point out the advantage of using ATLS controllers, slaves and triggers at LCM crossings? I recently downloaded Jointed Rail's Midwest Grain and noticed that the crossings with heavy traffic use ATLS assets. In contrast, in my map creations I use a combination of US Level Crossing Towers and Yarnish Crossings with no ATLS assets. Approaching trains stop traffic until the train has passed the crossing after which the traffic resumes moving. Seems to work fine without having to add all the ATLS assets. Am I missing something? Is there an advantage to using all the ATLS assets at crossings?
I'm getting older and my understanding neurons are aren't functioning properly:eek:

Gary
Click to expand...
Trust me, it is easy and well worth it. Makes the crossing more realistic and BNSF50's newer crossings and SAXRT crossings require it. Plus, with it you can make the gates go up for example 3 seconds after the train passes as opposed to 15 seconds after it passes. May seem like some work at the beginning but it becomes routine after a while.
 
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As well as allowing road traffic through quicker it also allows you to shut the gates against road traffic earlier. So the train can be further away from the crossing when the gates operate - it looks a little more prototypical.
 
Hi Gary

In addition to the above, the triggers can be set to react to the priority of the train. For UK trains a 125mph train will need to trigger the barriers about a mile out whereas a local or freight may only be travelling at 60mph and need a trigger about half a mile out. Each train would have a different priority and would activate different triggers for the same crossing. As mentioned above it allows greater realism with barriers going down at the correct times for trains travelling at different speeds.

Regards

Brian
 
Once you get used to using them which is not hard you won't want to be without them. I use them because my route has a 75mph speed limit so the trains are half way through the crossing before the gates even start without ATLS.
 
One more question now that I have read the tuts and asset instructions. While perusing the MWG map I noticed several of the crossings have invisible junctions connected to the invisible track. When and why are these needed?

Gary
 
I really do not find that necessary, I get by just fine without doing that. I don't know why it is done either.

SETXR
 
Gary_Evans said:
One more question now that I have read the tuts and asset instructions. While perusing the MWG map I noticed several of the crossings have invisible junctions connected to the invisible track. When and why are these needed?

Gary
Click to expand...

The invisible junction can be used to turn the crossing off say if a train is stopped at a passenger station next to a crossing loading/unloading passengers or if its working in a yard close to a crossing. There are other ways of accomplishing this as well such as using priority triggers and other means. The invisible junction is probably about the simplest though. I hope this is what you are referring too.
 
bnsf50 said:
The invisible junction can be used to turn the crossing off say if a train is stopped at a passenger station next to a crossing loading/unloading passengers or if its working in a yard close to a crossing. There are other ways of accomplishing this as well such as using priority triggers and other means. The invisible junction is probably about the simplest though. I hope this is what you are referring too.
Click to expand...
Yes. Thank you Clem.

SETXR
 
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