CROR Switching Feature (restricting) & Rule 564 (permissive stop) switch for Surveyor
So I was out watching the real trains in Niagara this evening (all day actually as I'm on vacation). Towards the evening I caught my last train of the night before heading home just after sunset. It's a good time to see distant signals yet still make out the trains. I seen the distant signal at Port Robinson was it's a typical restricting and I thought to myself, man would it be cool to have this in Trainz. Then my mind brainstormed and immediately an idea and concept was formed. I told my son what I was going to try tonight on live stream and it worked almost exactly like the prototype.
Now this may work for other signals (I can't think of the ones that come to mind as I'm exclusively using the CROR signals now that I'm using CN that uses them). But how this would work in theory I felt would work for CROR and in fact works like a charm. Look for signals that have signal rules if this functionality exists for other railroads. It is something that you put into Surveyor.
If you want a visual of how this is done, check tonight's video with the "switching feature 7/2" and I'll spend an hour going through the testing and setting it up to work with Port Robinson just like I seen it tonight. For those that don't want to watch an hour long video I'll try and describe the technique here.
1) You need a signal that has rules or relies on the condition of switches to form an indication type. In this case CROR can use rules to check switch settings in a route and apply a signal. For CROR normal may cause issues but for this control point it worked as expected. I think normal only looks at the switches then clears a signal or something (I forget).
2) Go into Surveyor and install hidden track by the control point. I actually used the building of the JR enhanced interlocking that has a nice bungalow (without using the interlocking feature as it's not needed though might work for interlockings as well who knows use your imagination). From the hidden track I attached it to 3 different routes which created a center off toggle at the box. At the end of the lines I put track markers describing what each direction meant. This allows you to toggle the direction in map mode and see text descriptions of what it is currently set to. This is all the work needed for the toggle and hidden track. You want to name the switch however something easy like the control point name. I used "Port Robinson". Oh and make sure your switch is set to center off for Normal operations before saving.
3) Add the switch on the box as part of your rules logic. So I'll describe the 3 functions of my control below.
3a) Normal or center off. This basically is a check and see if all rules of the interlocking pass through for normal operations. Your engine stops or moves forward this sets the normal signal for the route. Goes in opposite direction drops to stop. Will only light if a train is approaching the signals etc.
3b) Rule 564. This rule is a CROR rule that may have an equivalent in the UCOR or other rulebooks that allow a return to train function. It also simulated the CTC function of STOP. Except in this case AI or players will move through a STOP signal and player trains WILL NOT get a penalty if the rule exists for disobeying a STOP signal. You can also use this to simulate run arounds, and other return to train functions. Also this can be used to get trains passed a signal that will NOT clear due to technical issues etc.
3c) Switching Feature. This is in some places I've heard the term "call on" signal. What it does in Canada is shows a RESTRICTING signal to allow crews to work a yard, industry, etc. where this is available to line up a drill lead through the control point. The signal will light RESTRICTING and the crew is free to move in and out of the control point to perform switching duties. When he is done switching, the crew calls RTC to cancel the switching feature. The dispatcher would then return the control point to normal operations and the RESTRICTING signal would drop and resume normal CTC operations.
This probably isn't the first experiment I do with this technique. Since I enjoy coding, I'm just starting to get into the configs of Trainz. I can easily see creating an entire board of it's own away from the layout to set-up some form of dispatching. Perhaps using triggers to cancel signals etc. But for now all I wanted was a more realistic experience at Port Robinson.
This doesn't work exactly like the prototype. The RESTRICTING signal normally drops to STOP when anything is in the control point and returns back to RESTRICTING once the control point is clear. What I was able to do however was make sure that it is lined up correctly for the switching feature to work based on the rules I set up.
Anyways that is best I can describe it. Hope this helps some people out if they are looking for some more switching features to their system.
Thanks
Sean
So I was out watching the real trains in Niagara this evening (all day actually as I'm on vacation). Towards the evening I caught my last train of the night before heading home just after sunset. It's a good time to see distant signals yet still make out the trains. I seen the distant signal at Port Robinson was it's a typical restricting and I thought to myself, man would it be cool to have this in Trainz. Then my mind brainstormed and immediately an idea and concept was formed. I told my son what I was going to try tonight on live stream and it worked almost exactly like the prototype.
Now this may work for other signals (I can't think of the ones that come to mind as I'm exclusively using the CROR signals now that I'm using CN that uses them). But how this would work in theory I felt would work for CROR and in fact works like a charm. Look for signals that have signal rules if this functionality exists for other railroads. It is something that you put into Surveyor.
If you want a visual of how this is done, check tonight's video with the "switching feature 7/2" and I'll spend an hour going through the testing and setting it up to work with Port Robinson just like I seen it tonight. For those that don't want to watch an hour long video I'll try and describe the technique here.
1) You need a signal that has rules or relies on the condition of switches to form an indication type. In this case CROR can use rules to check switch settings in a route and apply a signal. For CROR normal may cause issues but for this control point it worked as expected. I think normal only looks at the switches then clears a signal or something (I forget).
2) Go into Surveyor and install hidden track by the control point. I actually used the building of the JR enhanced interlocking that has a nice bungalow (without using the interlocking feature as it's not needed though might work for interlockings as well who knows use your imagination). From the hidden track I attached it to 3 different routes which created a center off toggle at the box. At the end of the lines I put track markers describing what each direction meant. This allows you to toggle the direction in map mode and see text descriptions of what it is currently set to. This is all the work needed for the toggle and hidden track. You want to name the switch however something easy like the control point name. I used "Port Robinson". Oh and make sure your switch is set to center off for Normal operations before saving.
3) Add the switch on the box as part of your rules logic. So I'll describe the 3 functions of my control below.
3a) Normal or center off. This basically is a check and see if all rules of the interlocking pass through for normal operations. Your engine stops or moves forward this sets the normal signal for the route. Goes in opposite direction drops to stop. Will only light if a train is approaching the signals etc.
3b) Rule 564. This rule is a CROR rule that may have an equivalent in the UCOR or other rulebooks that allow a return to train function. It also simulated the CTC function of STOP. Except in this case AI or players will move through a STOP signal and player trains WILL NOT get a penalty if the rule exists for disobeying a STOP signal. You can also use this to simulate run arounds, and other return to train functions. Also this can be used to get trains passed a signal that will NOT clear due to technical issues etc.
3c) Switching Feature. This is in some places I've heard the term "call on" signal. What it does in Canada is shows a RESTRICTING signal to allow crews to work a yard, industry, etc. where this is available to line up a drill lead through the control point. The signal will light RESTRICTING and the crew is free to move in and out of the control point to perform switching duties. When he is done switching, the crew calls RTC to cancel the switching feature. The dispatcher would then return the control point to normal operations and the RESTRICTING signal would drop and resume normal CTC operations.
This probably isn't the first experiment I do with this technique. Since I enjoy coding, I'm just starting to get into the configs of Trainz. I can easily see creating an entire board of it's own away from the layout to set-up some form of dispatching. Perhaps using triggers to cancel signals etc. But for now all I wanted was a more realistic experience at Port Robinson.
This doesn't work exactly like the prototype. The RESTRICTING signal normally drops to STOP when anything is in the control point and returns back to RESTRICTING once the control point is clear. What I was able to do however was make sure that it is lined up correctly for the switching feature to work based on the rules I set up.
Anyways that is best I can describe it. Hope this helps some people out if they are looking for some more switching features to their system.
Thanks
Sean