Question on ATLS traffic stopper

HiBaller

19 Years of Trainz
I seem to remember, a long time ago, a thread dealing with why vehicles don't stop far enough back from the track to keep from being "hit" by a train. I can't find it.

I have a crossing, a long diagonal crossing at maybe 25 degrees. This means I can't use only 1 traffic stopper as the vehicles simply glide through the dropped crossing gates and cruise right up to the tracks (where the traffic stopper is sitting in the middle of the road).

If I put in 2 traffic stoppers, I nearly always have 1 or more vehicles trapped between them. The thread I remember gave a fix to keep that from happening. Anyone know where it went?

I have played around with the road vertices, moving them toward and away from the traffic stopper, but that had no effect at all.

Bill
 
I have moved to the TRC crossings system. Much simpler than ATLS and, in my view, work better. Both UK and US styles are accommodated. No wiring required and final result I find more attractive in a route than ATLS.

Val.
 
Interesting set of contents. I've downloaded everything. I think maybe a test route to figure out how to use it might be in order.

I did notice none of the crossing gates looked very Japanese, though. Small matter. I can work within the structure of TRC if need be.

Thanks for the info, David2de.

Bill
 
I've downloaded and studied the web page(s) you gave me, David2de, but I haven't a clue how to actually make this stuff work. I spent a frustrating day trying to figure out the "tutorial" but never got any of the pictures to match. The "Properties" page of every item did not look like the one in the tutorial. There were no fields to fill in for range, etc, or radio buttons to select functionality. Just a blank page with the name of the trigger, traffic stopper, etc and nothing else.

I'm back to my ATLS system. At least I know how to make it work.

Bill
 
I have a crossing, a long diagonal crossing at maybe 25 degrees. ... vehicles simply glide through the dropped crossing gates and cruise right up to the tracks ... I nearly always have 1 or more vehicles trapped between them.
Just like what sometimes happens in the real world!

RE: TRC vs ATLS, I use both.
TRC for 90 degree crossings.
ATLS for diagonals.

Once you get the hang of it, TRC is quicker than ATLS.

Put down a stopper in the middle of the track and the middle of the road. Cut back a section of the track and attach each end to the ends of the stopper. Do the same for the road. Put a red trigger on the track near the road with the arrow facing toward the road.

Put on your gates.

In properties name each like:*
Stopper: 1&1
Trigger: 1&2 (Ignore the radius for now)
Gates: 1&3, 1&4

And You're done.

* The number (1 to 99) to the left of the & (prefix) must be the same for all the items in the set. The number to the right of the & (suffix) must be unique within the set. So 37&13; 37&63; 37&91; 37&3 is OK.

If you have a road with three adjacent tracks crossing it you'll have three triggers, one 3 track stopper and 2 gates.

All sets must have unique prefix numbers. If not, a train will close gates on a roads miles apart. :)
 
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You can cure the traffic problem in ATLS. Place road spline to just before the crossing (SP A} and start again after the crossing (SP B) SP = spline point. Connect a section of road from SP A to traffic stopper and from traffic stopper to a point near the other side (SP C) and then connect (SP C) to (SP B). Now use invisible road from (SP B) to second traffic stopper and then carry on to (SP D) and (SP D) to (SP A). You should now have two roads crossing the track, one normal road and one invisible. You then need to move (SP D) & (SPC) over the traffic stopper so it is just off centre. Trainz will always send traffic to the left if driving on the left so the spline point needs to be just off to the right, this might be reversed for right hand driving Ive not checked.
 
Having trouble visualizing that one, Stagecoach. I tried it out and the cars did a little jig over the traffic stopper every time. Must be all those spline points in close proximity.

Bill
 
I seem to remember, a long time ago, a thread dealing with why vehicles don't stop far enough back from the track to keep from being "hit" by a train. I can't find it.

I have a crossing, a long diagonal crossing at maybe 25 degrees. This means I can't use only 1 traffic stopper as the vehicles simply glide through the dropped crossing gates and cruise right up to the tracks (where the traffic stopper is sitting in the middle of the road).

If I put in 2 traffic stoppers, I nearly always have 1 or more vehicles trapped between them. The thread I remember gave a fix to keep that from happening. Anyone know where it went?

I have played around with the road vertices, moving them toward and away from the traffic stopper, but that had no effect at all.

Bill

Not sure about the 25 degrees, but are you sure you have the invisible train and track in a loop correctly. Pictured below is 2 XING's and 2 Crosswalks, and 2 Traffic Stoppers and in my case the cars are too far back for my liking.

ATLS 01.jpg


ATLS 02.jpg


.
 
I've solved that part, Christopher. The gates are functioning just fine. If he cars stop too far away, you can move the traffic stopper(s) more toward the track they guard to change where the vehicles stop. It would be much simpler if there was a "stopping range" adjustment on the traffic stopper, but moving it is a solution.

My problem is vehicles that happen to be between the traffic stoppers when the controller triggers the gates. They see the only stopper, which is across the next track, and stop -- usually on the track. I can't guard against that happening.

What there needs to be is some type of special track/whatever between traffic stoppers that won't allow a vehicle to stop between them. I'd rather see a vehicle blow through a barrier on the far side than sit there waiting for a train to whack them.

Bill
 
I've managed to get TRC working finally. Until I watched the tutorial, I couldn't see the ampersand in the name (my eyesight isn't very good), so nothing worked.

I've set up an angled crossing using the 6-place vehicle stopper and the vehicles stop at a respectable distance and (so far) none have been caught between. What I don't understand is why I need two of the red-arrow "Close" triggers -- each aimed in different direcitons. If there are a front and rear detection zones, then only one should suffice.

What happens to me is a train approaches from the 'rear' of the arrowhead and everything functions normally, including a brief stop at a station adjacent to the crossing. The gates rise and close again when I start moving once more.

From the other direction nothing works. The gates stay open until the end of the train passes the red arrowhead and THEN the bells ring briefly/gates begin to lower, but go back up immediately.

When i put another red-arrow facing opposite the first one, all works great. Did I miss something in the tutorial? Are there supposed to be two red triggers per crossing?

And, I do like TRC better than ATLS for complicated gates despite the fact that no Japanese crossing content can be used with TRC.

Bill
 
I don't think so, Paul. My crossing angle is nearly 20 degrees and the 6-track stopper (for TRC) works well in this instance to keep vehicles away from the track.

Bill
 
I have several TRC crossings that work in both directions with one trigger. But I have a few that only work if I use 2 triggers. I'm using version 3 TRC and have both front and rear distances set up. In my case I think the offending crossings are near a 4 way crossover on a 2 track main.
 
I have several TRC crossings that work in both directions with one trigger. But I have a few that only work if I use 2 triggers. I'm using version 3 TRC and have both front and rear distances set up. In my case I think the offending crossings are near a 4 way crossover on a 2 track main.

I now have three TRC crossings on my single-track line. I've had to use two triggers, each set about 40M from the crossing and the arrowhead aimed at the crossing. The crossing works perfectly now after I added the extra trigger. Maybe the TANE verison (build 90948) has something to do with it.

Bill
 
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