Interlocking In TrainController

[melmerby]

Hi Dave,

 

Its that dam prototype stuff again.

 

Keith, could you clear up what it is you want. Is it you want other points to move if any point in a group changes. Is this by selecting points on the switch panel or by using routes which RFS has introduced into the mix or even a combination of both.

I wanted to stop a conflict from being set.

 

Using my example, from the situation starting with both tracks set straight:

 

If the lower point operates, the upper one must operate as well and conversely, if they are already both thrown and the top one returns to normal, the bottom one must do the same. This stops the possible situation of diagram "D" happening, which I assume could not be set on 12" to foot scale railways!

 

Using two flagmen in a kind of flip-flop mode does this just fine.

 

When operating a schedule in TrainController it means there is no possibility of a train arriving at the diamond on the straight route and finding the polarity incorrect, from a previous operation, due to the lower point being still thrown.

 

What was happening was that, a train was being routed via the lower turnout on to the branch around a long reverse loop and arriving back on the straight track travelling in the opposite direction and shorting on the diamond which was still switched to branch. There was another double junction at the other end of the loop and that was doing the same. Both now working fine.

 

Keith

[The Stationmaster]

I wanted to stop a conflict from being set.

 

Using my example, from the situation starting with both tracks set straight:

 

If the lower point operates, the upper one must operate as well and conversely, if they are already both thrown and the top one returns to normal, the bottom one must do the same. This stops the possible situation of diagram "D" happening, which I assume could not be set on 12" to foot scale railways!

Keith

 

That is more or less the prototype situation on usual locking, which means both points stand normal for the straight route at a right hand junction (i.e as per your drawing) the trailing point has to be reversed first to allow the facing point to be reversed and the facing point has to be first returned to normal to allow the trailing point to be returned to normal.

But the trailing point can be set reverse at any time because doing so does not create a conflict with the routes from the facing point.

n.b. this is for a right hand junction, a left hand junction is the other way round in that the facer releases the trailer (and on Southern standard principles it's all done a different way but we won't go there).

[two tone green]

As I thought. I can fully understand now your aims and as you say the flip flop idea does work.

 

I thought a little more about it today and Dave's suggestion of using one flagman could well be done using a similar build up of the logic for the flip flop but combined in one flagman by using groups and the correct logic between them.

 

Whist the trigger is 'easy', the operation side is a different issue as you are limited to having all the elements in the operations box all operating together with no logic to divide them up into separate operations. The option there though is to use macros or list which have conditions and trigger them. The conditions being if the points are one way only the other macro will fire and visa versa.

 

But me thinks it can be done with one flagman with a little thought.

[two tone green]

Hi Mike,

 

The electrofrog element adds another dimension to this and has to be taken into account when running things and the route setting like Keith says.

[melmerby]

It's amazing how much effort everybody has put into what I thought would be a simple fix.

Thanks for all the replies.

 

Keith