One of the major features in Traincontroller "Gold" edition is the concept of a "train set". A train set is a collection of carriages, wagons and locomotives. The key thing is that you can make changes to it at run time - i.e. not in edit mode. I needed this feature for terminus arrangements: where a locomotive needs to be removed from its carriages and repositioned or replaced by another one.

Consider a terminus station: a locomotive hauls a train into the station, and reaches the buffers at the end of the platform. A common operation is for a new locomotive to be added on to the other end of the train, and it will then take the carriages away leaving the original locomotive behind. It's not possible for this to be automatic. This is how we did it.

Firstly, the schedule for the "arriving" train needs to be set to separate the engine on completion. There's an option in each schedule for an operation at start and finish of the schedule; simply set "separate locomotive" in the finish operation. In this example, I've got two operations (separate locomotive, and turn off loco lights) so you have to make a list.

loco ops at end of schedule

loco ops at end of schedule2

Secondly, you need to enable a train to be joined to the other end automatically. It turns out that if Traincontroller can use train tracking to follow the locomotives, then it can do the join automatically when it detects the locomotive backing onto the uncoupled carriages. To enable that:

For each engine you want to be able to do this:

1. select the engine in the "engines and trains" window

2. On the main menu, select train | train set | enable join by train tracking.

 

For all this to work, train tracking must be functioning. That means you need to have a block that the locomotive can be tracked from, and to, your block containing the carriages; each must have detection. On my railway, platforms have had 2 detectors: one to detect occupancy for most of the block, and one to detect the train arriving at the end (so TC stops it). You now need 3 detectors: an additional one at the entry to the block, that won't be occupied by any resistor wheelsets on carriages, so TC can see the engine arriving in the block.

So now: my old train departs, leaving behind a locomotive. A new train arrives, and it logically separates the loco from the carriages when the schedule stops. Uncoupling magnets automatically uncouple it at the same time. You manually drive a new loco onto the other end of the carriages; Traincontroller tracks it, and joints the loco on; then that new train can depart. All without using edit mode!

Finally - on my railway, multiple units are treated as single engines. When they arrive at the station, they can be separated and you get an error "engine xxx cannot be separated because it is not contained in a consist" indicated in the messages window; it's safe to ignore that error.

 

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