I've had so much success with the Flagman/CI (thanks to John's coaching), I don't think I'll ever need a VC for stopping trains in occupied or contiguous blocks again.

I've been working on a test Track Plan to see if we can figure out how to stop a train which is entering and leaving occupied Blocks, while there are resistive cars there.

I'm very close.  I've managed to get 5 Schedules done before I encountered a problem.

Then it's only that the Brake Marker is working, but the Stop Marker isn't.

It looks like the Flagman is timing out, despite my putting 60 seconds on the clock.

The loco is crawling along at 2 km/h as well, so something is wrong there also.

Anyway, have a look John and see if there is anything we can use here.

Cheers

Hi Max

How are the blocks occupied at the start?  Or perhaps you could talk me through how to operate the *.yrs file or is it the *.yrw?

I just open the *.yrr file and get an unpopulated track plan

Thanks Brian

I am still doing something wrong…….I get an unpopulated layout…….anyway I will manually assign as per your post and see what happens

[user=449]brianpr1[/user] wrote:

John, when I loaded it I got the A109 in 2, a boxcar in 3 &4 and two in 11.

Sorry Brian………just to be certain …..2 cars in Block 11………..set up as a train set?

Hi Guys.  Just got up, so I've missed a bit.

Brian, you're right about the Simulator.  Fortunately I don't have to use it.  Block 3 appears to be working correctly in Train Control, with half activated by the stationary car and half white when the train leaves.

The whole sequence works correctly up until 5 Shuffle, where it starts to run slowly.  The Block goes red in Block 3 and the Brake Marker comes on, but the Stop Marker doesn't, and the train runs on, despite a 60 second Flagman timer setting.

Apart from the final Schedule, it all works fine.  The loco drops off the car and goes into Block 4, picks up the yellow car and backs out, stopping short of the blue car.  This says to me that TC can operate into and out of an occupied Block.  It seems like that by the time we ask TC to do it a third time, it's too much for it.

A couple of things:-

My software is metric while yours sounds like it's imperial, as some of the numbers are different when I get them back, but . . .

as I build the data, I notice the computer takes longer to process each bit of input.  For example, Assigning a Train to a Block, I have to wait about a second for each click, otherwise it doesn't "take."

I'm starting to wonder if my single processor computer just doesn't have the muscle to do the work?

John.  I'm opening the *.yrr file from within the unzipped folder.  Well, I think it's the *.yrr.  I haven't got the TC computer open, but it's the first one with the RR&Co logo.

Brian.  Yes, you are right about Schedule 1.  It doesn't matter which set of markers I use, so long as I assign the right Schedule to them.  The others are left over from another Track Plan which I used as a template - it's easier, as the loco has to have all of the boxcar Functions assigned to it, each time I make a new copy. 

[user=449]brianpr1[/user] wrote:

I think John is right on this one, with a two block schedule there is no way to leave a current drawing vehicle in both single detector blocks and perform a join.

Isn't this is what is happening in Schedules 3 and 4?

[user=449]brianpr1[/user] wrote:

I think John is right on this one, with a two block schedule there is no way to leave a current drawing vehicle in both single detector blocks and perform a join.
I can see only two possibilities to get out of it.

One is to say hang the expense and use more detectors instead of flagmen or VCs.
The other is to physically shorten the blocks and place them beneath the engine stop position. That way the detectable cars would be outside the detected section and the detector would go off as the train left.  I haven't thought it through and it may not work. With your varied movements it may not be practical even if it did work.

Along similar lines I am thinking of applying this solution

Existing

Block  A………………………………………Block B………………………..both with CIs

Proposal

Split Block B into two by adding a 3rd undetected Block C                               

Block A with CI…………………………Block B with CI……………………….Block C

 

You can run schedules from A to B provided either B is empty at the start or A is empty at the finish (and vice versa of course)

You can run Schedules from A to C provided B is empty so that vou can set up a virtual contact for C…………..I havent tested this but I think it will work:roll:

 

Block 6 with CI…………………………Block 4 with CI…………………….

Blue boxcar in Block 6                                    Yellow boxcar in Block 4
Loco in Block 6 with it

                                                                 Loco moves to Block 4
                                                                 Schedule 3

Loco moves Yellow boxcar to B 6
Schedule 4

It looks to me that both Blocks are occupied, while the loco is moving by itself.   quest:

 - and Block 4 is empty in Schedule 4.

No problem.

It seems to me that the problem happens when the loco pushes the yellow boxcar into Block 3.
In that case, Block 6 is still occupied and Block 3 is occupied by the brown boxcar.

So, it's not so much that the end Block needs to be empty, but it seems to be the third vehicle which is causing the problem.
Have I understood it correctly?

If I have, may I respectfully say to Juergen, that there is a shortcoming in TC Gold?  What I'm proposing isn't unrealistic.  Surely others have encountered this scenario?

Or, maybe we just haven't stumbled on the solution yet?

What I'm going to try tonight, is to repeat the exercise at the other end of the layout.

The Blocks are physically bigger.  I just want to satisfy myself that it's not because I'm trying to do it all in a space which is too small.

Hi Guys -  you seem to be having so much fun I'm seriously tempted to join in - if only I had time _ RR&Co can be such a time consumer
I'm following your posts with interest.

[user=449]brianpr1[/user] wrote:

John,

Your suggestion for adding a third block:  Would this create difficulties in joining? 

I dont think so……………..in actual fact it is just a variation on my original proposal!

Save money by using a virtual contact!

Until recently I had considered a virtual contact as a one off device to allow a loco to be tracked into an already occupied block.

In fact it is a much more powerful tool. I have a a number of industry sidings on Granby which I had automatically wired up with contact indicators at a cost of about $30 per siding.

Provided I have two indicated blocks in front of the siding fan none of the sidings in the fan need indicators……all the movement into and out of the sidings can be controlled by a virtual indicator. You can not only finish a schedule in a block with only a virtual contact……… you can start a different schedule from the  block as well.

 

I just wish I had thought of this before I installed the additional indicator on my parcels siding!:roll: Any way I have it noted as a potential spare!  

I