Enhanced Interlock Tower and TrackmarkList Commands

Does any of the DriveToTrackmarkList commands work with EITs. I have a route with single track with passing sidings with a 6 track yard at one end of the line. I set up trackmarks at the end of each yard track with the names set up for use with the DriveToTrackmarkList command. Some trains are set up to drive to an unoccupied track, which they properly did when there are no issues elsewhere.

But, I discovered in order to prevent cornfield meets, I had to set up an EIT at the entrance to the yard, along with one at the end of the last siding before the yard. However, the trackmarklist command and the EIT at the yard don't always set up for the same track.

How do I get a train to drive to a trackmark at the other end of an unoccupied track in the yard using the EIT? Which command do I use? Or, is it even possible with EITs?

Thanks for any help.

George

You need to set paths to all yard tracks and only use one tower for all paths. Towers will only see the paths in their own tower. You need to set paths in both directions within the same tower.

stagecoach said:

You need to set paths to all yard tracks and only use one tower for all paths. Towers will only see the paths in their own tower. You need to set paths in both directions within the same tower.

Click to expand...

I did that.

Here's a diagram. ">" and "<" show the direction the signals are facing and the EIT trigger is pointing to.
......................................................................................................................../==S6==============================GTWYY[06]===
....................................................................................................................../==S5>==============================GTWYY[05]===
..................................................................................................................../==S4>===============================GTWYY[04]===
................................................................................................................../==S3>================================GTWYY[03]===
................................................................................................................/==S2>=================================GTWYY[02]===
=====<S11==/==S10>==TM1==ET1>===<S9=S8>=========<S7==/==S1>==================================GTWYY[01]===
====<S12==/

The tower for the yard has 6 paths into the yard and 6 paths out of the yard as follows:
S1 to S7
S2 to S7
S3 to S7
S4 to S7
S5 to S7
S6 to S7
S7 to S1
S7 to S2
S7 to S3
S7 to S4
S7 to S5
S7 to S6

The tower at the end of the siding has the paths:
S10 to S11
S10 to S12
S11 to S10
S12 to S10

On one run the train leaving S12 to S10 (which is under an autodrive command) drives to TM1 where the DriveToTrackmarkList command is then executed. Tracks 2, 4 and 6 were occupied. The command set up to drive to trackmark GTWYY[01], then the train continued to the EIT trigger (ET1). Here the yard tower was triggered, but set up the path S7 to S5. The path needed should have been S7 to S1.

George

Are you using track circuit detectors and insulators? The DriveToTrackmarkList does not work properly without them.

fec210 said:

Does any of the DriveToTrackmarkList commands work with EITs. ...
Thanks for any help.

George

Click to expand...

I just got done making an EIT, and from the first sentence of your post, I would say that as long as you have a 'path' setup in your EIT that can converge your consist through the junctions and crossings, based on priority, from start to finish, it will open the path when it becomes available.

Anything going through the EIT area must have a 'path' that starts outside and ends at the last point in your 'path'. The EIT starts working when you consist hits the entry, and turns off when the consist reaches the end. Thus releasing it to other consists with converging 'paths'. Make sure the yellow path line gets you through the area.

I have some help on setting EITs here;
https://cdetrainz.com/tutorials_diamond_crossing.aspx

The first thing is don't have the siding tower or have it and not the yard tower. Think of a tower as a signal box controlling a large section of the track. EIT towers can not see each other so your siding tower can not see what the yard tower is sending. Put the paths in one tower. In the tower set up use dynamic setting and release as the train passes along the path. To stop train meets I would start and end all paths from S10 & S11 with the drive to TM placed before the siding track. Your setup is allowing the EIT to detect the train before it sees the drive to TM command.

I do have TCBs properly set. In fact, the EITs properly work in selecting an unoccupied yard track. The DriveToTrackmarkList command properly selects an unoccupied track. The problem is they don't select the same unoccupied track. I don't think they communicate with each other.

Anyway, I've been looking into MCPathStops and the AutoDriveToMCPathStop command. I'm still reading up on this. So, hopefully this will solve the issue.

About one vs multiple towers... The way I need it set up requires separate towers. This has been working ok with the exception of trains entering the yard as describe earlier. I don't have cornfield meets due to tricks I used. By the way, I made a mistake in the post containing the diagrams. All the paths leading out of the yard go to signal S8, not S7. I also have a TCB for the block that includes S10. I also have exclussive paths set up so paths leading from the yard and paths leaving the siding don't activate at the same time. I did all this to allow following trains, but prevent cornfield meets. This part is working ok.

As far as the TM1 placement goes, the intention was to autodrive to that trackmark from earlier in the route, using MCMs and EITs along that route. When the train gets to TM1, the DriveToTrackmarkList command is executed. Then, the train will drive to ET1 to trigger the yard EIT, which it does, unfortunately for a different track then the command selected. I was hoping having the DriveToTrackmarkList command activated by the time the ET1 trigger was reached would tell the yard which track to select. But, the yard EIT had other ideas.

Everything else on the route that I am testing seems to be working for the most part. Though, sometimes a path is cleared, but the signal remains red from several seconds to several minutes. Times vary each run. I suspect that it may be in part, at least, to my computer barley able to handle TANE. As when just a couple of trains ran, the EITs and signals seem to be ok. Same near the end of the run, when just a couple are running. But, when I get up to 7 or 8 trains running at the same time, the game is sluggish and the signal issue creeps in. But, I'll just have to deal with that until I can get another computer.

I've done many test runs, making adjustments. But, there were 2 occasions trains derailed. Don't know why. Sunspots? :hehe: One time an activated path all of a sudden de-activated, but no derail. I guess a once in a blue moon glich... probably due to my sluggish computer again.

Like I said, I will look into path stop. Though, I will switch the autodrive command to a trackmark that is closer to S7, after the yard EIT is triggered. Hopefully, then the train will just drive to the path stop.

Hi fec210.

I confirm that when you are using MCM to auto select a path in an EIT to an unoccupied track in a yard or in a station (using TCBs to detect if the exit signal track is occupied or not), you will need an MCPathStop and an AutoDriveToMCPathStop to drive to the path stop you will encounter when following the final path chosen by MCM.

Track mark lists were designed and implemented at a time where there was no EIT and MCM assets, and was at that time the only method to drive to an unoccupied track. It should be compatible with the use of EIT if EIT is configured to use automatic path assignment and if the DrivetoTrackmarkList command is the train current driver command when EIT will search the path to auto select ; it is not currently compatible with MCM as MCM currently do not check and ignores the final target track park chosen the by the driver command. May be that in a future MCM version, it will be able to detect these situations and avoid problems reusing the EIT autoselect facility but today it is not the case.

So two solutions : the best for me is to use EIT, MCM and MCPathStop but you may if you prefer use only EIT and DriveToTrackMarkList with trains with no mission codes to avoid MCM to autoselect paths …

Regards.
Pierre.

Thanks Pierre,

I've setup the path stops and missions codes. It is now working as intended.