AutoDrive System Pack

August 12th, 2010
 

AutoDrive System

AutoDrive Pack

Included in the Basic Pack!


Contains:

Information:


Version: V2.1/3.1
Last Update: 08-12-2010
Permissions: Modify/Copy/No Transfer

The automation system for your UR Trains come in 2 forms, built-in automation systems, and automation systems that rely on a trigger device placed on the track. All automation systems only interact with your train when the trains are in AUTO-DRIVE mode, In manual driving mode, it is your responsibility to ensure that switches are set correctly, etc.

Automation systems will allow your UR Train track layout to come alive! Trains can share the same section of track, can divert to different sidings, stop at stations, reverse, allow other trains to pass, open doors at stations and blow their whistles/horns at various points along the track.

For most reliable use, you should ensure that all of your trains are oriented in the same direction along one piece of track. With the electric trains, that means that the engine with the pantograph should be considered as going in the FORWARD direction. With the steam train the smokestack end is the FORWARD direction (fig.1).

fig.1

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Each train should have a unique train number. If you are using 2 of the steam trains for instance, differentiate one from another by numbering them differently. You can select the number of your rezzed train from the train rezzor.

Built-In system: Emergency Stop

The leading engine (the one with the pantograph, or the steam engine) has an emergency stop built-in for when the train is travelling in a FORWARD direction. If the train detects another train in front of it, it shall stop until that train moves ahead or out of the way. The paused train will wait several seconds once it no longer detects an obstruction and will then resume movement at its last speed. In most cases this prevents one train from colliding into the back of another train ahead of it. If after 2 minutes the obstruction ahead still has not cleared, then the paused train will teleport itself back to its home position and after a slight delay will resume driving in auto mode.

Placement of the track detectors:

You should place your detectors in between the rails at the desired location, at a height approximaterly matching the top of the rail.
After placing the detector and verifying it's correct use, you may hide it from view by touching the detector and selecting 'Hide' from the menu that is presented. If you wish your detector to again appear visible, it is probably best to go to the SL View Menu and select 'Highlight Transparent' (or use the keyboard shortcut 'CTRL-ALT-T' - Your detector will appear as a reddish square. You may then touch it and select 'Show from the menu' then disable highlight transparent with 'CTRL-ALT-T' again.


Whistle


Place the whistle detector at any location you wish your train to sound its whistle or horn. Any train that passes over the detector will immediately sound one blast of the horn or whistle.


Speed Up FWD & Speed Up BK


Place this detector at any point along the track where you wish your train to speed up from speed 1 to speed 2. Only trains travelling in the appropriate direction will respond to the detector. i.e. if a train travelling in a BACK direction passes over a 'Speed Up FWD' detector, the train will not change speed. Only trains moving in a FORWARD direction will be affected by the 'Speed Up FWD' detector. Similarly, the 'Speed Up BK' detector will only cause trains that pass over the detector in a BACK direction to change speed.


Slow Down FWD & Slow Down BK


These 2 detectors cause trains travelling in the corresponding direction to immediately decrease their speed from speed 2 to speed 1. Trains travelling in the opposite direction to the detector type will not be affected (i.e. a train travelling BACK will not be affected by a 'Slow Down FWD' detector). If a train travelling in the corresponding direction is already at Speed 1, it's speed will not be affected either.


Station Halt FWD & Station Halt BK


Any train that is travelling in the corresponding direction as one of these detectors will immediately activate its brakes and come to a complete stop. The train doors will open on either the left side, the right side or both sides depending on the settings, and the train will pause for a nominated amount of time. Once that time period has finished the train will sound its' whistle or horn, close the doors, and then move back off in the same direction at speed 1. To set the delay time, or nominate which doors to open (left/right/both) touch the detector and select 'Delay' or 'Doors' as desired, from the menu.

When placing the 'Station Halt' detectors, bear in mind that it will take some distance for the trains to come to a complete stop from the time that the detector is collided with, so you will need to place your detector at a point slightly before the point where you wish the front of the train to stop.


Train Conductor


This object does not need to be placed on the track, but can be placed anywhere within 20 meters of where a loco stops at the station. Just before the train closes its doors and moves off, the conductor will yell 'All Aboard'. One Train Conductor can serve multiple tracks provided it is within 20 meters of all stopping locations of the locos.


Auto Switch FWD & Auto Switch BACK


These detectors will cause NOMINATED train numbers to immediately switch a railway switch in the specified direction when a nominated train passes over it in the corresponding direction. To set up the auto switch you must enter a comma delimited list of parameters in the description field of the object, as follows:-

SWITCH #,NOMINATED TRAIN #1& NOMINATED TRAIN #2&NOMINATED TRAIN #3....,DIRECTION

e.g. w07,1788&5005,STRAIGHT would cause switch w07 to immediately set itself to a straight direction when trains 1788 and 5005 travelled over it, provided they were travelling in the corresponding direction (BACK or FORWARD) to the type of detector used. Any other train number OTHER than 1788 or 5005, or ANY train travelling in the opposite direction to the detector type, would ignore that detector.

You may place a couple of detectors with different train numbers and switch directions near each other to branch various trains to different track sections. i.e. :- (fig.2/3)

fig.2/3

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This would cause train 1154 to branch into Siding B, and trains 4066, 5005 and 1764 to branch into Siding A (provided they were travelling in a forward direction). Any other numbered train will not cause the switch to change direction from its previous setting so would branch into Siding A *or* Siding B depending upon the direction the switch was last set. You may place any qty of train #'s in the description field that you like, provided that each is separated by an ampersand symbol (&), and the overall length of the description field does not exceed the maximum allowable character entry for the field.


Auto Switch w/pause FWD & Auto Switch w/pause BACK


Same as above, except that the train will come to a stop and wait 30 seconds before changing the switch, IF the switch was previously set against the desired direction in the last 30 seconds. This allows trains already proceeding through the switch not to become derailed. e.g. (fig.2/3).

fig.2/3

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In this example, assume train 1154 had touched the detector less than 30 seconds ago. It would immediately set switch w01 to the left direction and begin to pass through the switch on to the single section of track.
Now, along comes train 4066 and touches its detector. It knows that switch w01 had been set to the opposite direction less than 30 seconds ago, so 4066 will come to a stop, wait 30 seconds, set switch w01 to straight, and move off again. Now along come train 1764 and touches its detector.
It knows that switch w01 had last been set in the same direction that 1764 wishes to go, so 1764 will proceed normally without coming to a stop.


Auto-Switch A/B FWD


The A/B Auto-Switches toggle switch directions each time a nominated train passes over them.
To set up the auto switch A/B you must enter a comma delimited list of parameters in the description field of the object, as follows:-
SWITCH #,NOMINATED TRAIN #1& NOMINATED TRAIN #2&NOMINATED TRAIN #3....,DIRECTION #1, DIRECTION #2

e.g. w07,1788&5005,STRAIGHT,RIGHT

This would cause the first nominated train that crossed the auto switch to set it's direction to STRAIGHT, the next designated train that passed over the switch to set its direction to the RIGHT, the next designated train to set he direction back to STRAIGHT and so forth.


Pauser 1:1


Pausers allow you to enforce a certain space between trains. You may specify the spacing by time in seconds by touching the detector. When a train passes over the detector it will compare the current time against the time the most recent train previously passed over the detector. If the time period is less than has been set on the detector, the train will come to a stop for the same amount of seconds that the detector has been set to, before moving off again. If the time period is greater than the time the detector is set to, the train will proceed normally without pausing. e.g. (fig.4).

fig.4

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In this example, if train 1764 had passed over the pauser less than 60 seconds ago, train 4066 will come to a stop for 60 seconds when it touches the Pauser detector, and will then start off again. If however, train 1764 had passed over the detector more than 60 seconds ago, train 4066 will continue travelling forward without coming to a stop.


Pauser 1:2


Same as Pauser 1:1 except train only stops for half the amount of time the detector has been set to. For example, if the Pauser 2:1 was set to a time of 60 seconds, then a train will come to a stop and wait for 30 seconds before moving off again, if it touches the detector within 60 seconds of the last train that travelled over the detector.


Reverser FWD & Reverser BK


Causes a train to come to a stop, wait a certain amount of time, optionally open it's doors (left, right or both) and then close them again before moving off in the OPPOSITE direction that it came from. You can set options for the length of the stop and which doors to open by touching the detector. Great for use on a single point to point track with a station at both ends. i.e. (fig.5).

fig.5

Here train 4066 will travel FWD until it comes to a stop at Station B. It will then travel in the opposite direction back to Station A, where it will again stop, then reverse direction and head off to Station B again.

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