From 5aad0930d1ddd63d9021d833a9379b4a01bd8414 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001 From: Gabriel Pérez-Cerezo Date: Sat, 10 Oct 2020 23:28:42 +0200 Subject: Squashed 'advtrains/' content from commit 3256c27 git-subtree-dir: advtrains git-subtree-split: 3256c2778d626548541bcdfabf3026f781a2287c --- assets/interlocking.html.LyXconv/interlocking.html | 830 +++++++++++++++++++++ 1 file changed, 830 insertions(+) create mode 100644 assets/interlocking.html.LyXconv/interlocking.html (limited to 'assets/interlocking.html.LyXconv/interlocking.html') diff --git a/assets/interlocking.html.LyXconv/interlocking.html b/assets/interlocking.html.LyXconv/interlocking.html new file mode 100644 index 0000000..f50d158 --- /dev/null +++ b/assets/interlocking.html.LyXconv/interlocking.html @@ -0,0 +1,830 @@ + + + + + + + + + + +

+ + +

Interlocking +System +Guide +

+
+ +

1 Introduction + +

In real-world railways, a so-called interlocking system is a set of railway signals and trackside equipment. Its purpose is to prevent +conflicting train movements which otherwise could result in derailing or colliding trains. If you want more information, just search for +“railway interlocking” on the internet. +

Real-world interlocking systems perform this task by setting routes. A route is a path along a track that a train can safely pass. To set a +route for a train, the signalman (the operator of a signal box) has to set switches (turnouts) to the correct position and lock them in order +to make a signal for a train show “Proceed”. In newer systems, this is done automatically by the interlocking system. A route can +not be set if switches are locked to a wrong position by another route or if any portion of the route is occupied by a +train. +

The interlocking system in this Minetest mod tries to follow real-world interlocking systems as far as applicable. It divides tracks into +track sections and implements a route setting mechanism following the same principle. +

However, for the sake of simplicity of implementation and usage, not all concepts of real-world interlocking have been taken over. +Especially, there is no mechanism for overlap. +

If you are looking for a place to learn how real-world interlocking systems work, have a look at “SimSig”. By looking at their simulations, +you can obtain experience on how to set up your own interlocking systems in AdvTrains. The SimSig glossary is a good place to look up +unknown terms in this document. +

+ +

2 Setting + up + track + sections + +

In the real world, a line of track is divided into so-called track sections, or track circuits. Those systems often can not tell +where exactly a train is, but only which track sections it occupies. A route can never be set through an occupied track +section. +

A track section often covers: +

+

You will find some examples on how to interlock certain patterns later. +

+ +

2.1 Track + Circuit + Breaks + +

In this mod, you will not directly configure the locations of track sections. Instead, you designate the borders of each track section using a +special node, the Track Circuit Break, abbreviated TCB. +

For example, if you want to create a track section for a piece of a main running line, you set up two TCBs at the ends of this track +circuit. +

Setting up a TCB works as follows: +

    +
  1. Place a TCB node somewhere near the place where the circuit break is going to be located. +
    2. +
  2. Right-click the TCB node +
    3. +
  3. Punch the rail which should act as TCB
+

The result should look like this: +

PIC +

Now you have assigned the TCB node to a rail. Right-click the TCB node once again. This will bring up a form which looks as +follows: +

PIC +

You see that the form is divided in side A and side B. To designate where each side is, a marker is displayed on the rail. You can always +make this marker show up by punching the TCB node, and remove it by punching the marker. Both sides are shown as “End of +interlocking”. This means that there is no track section set up at this place. +

You should repeat this procedure once again a few meters away from the first TCB to create a second TCB on the same +track. +

PIC +

Once you have both bordering TCBs set up, you can now create the actual track section. To do this: +

    +
  1. Right-click one of the TCBs +
    2. +
  2. Locate the correct side (A or B) to create the track section +
    3. +
  3. Click “Create interlocked Track Section” in the formspec on the chosen side.
+

Now, the text on the formspec has changed. It shows something like this: +

PIC +

Clicking “Show Track Section” brings up another formspec: +

PIC +

On the top, you see a list of all TCBs that border this track section. In your case, there should be two TCBs listed. If there’s only one, +head over to 2.2. You should now select a name for the track section, to identify it later. +

The same procedure is applicable when you create a turnout track section, except that you have to set up three or more +TCBs. +

The AdvTrains interlocking system allows you to add more TCBs after you have created a track section. This works without problems in +most cases. For example, you can easily insert a turnout into an already set-up track section and create another TCB behind it, and +AdvTrains will automatically detect the existing track section. Problems arise only if you try to insert a TCB in-between a section, in +which case both sides of the TCB will end up assigned to the same section. The code currently does not handle this case properly, so try +to avoid this situation by all means. As a last resort, you can always dissolve a faulty track section, as described in the next +chapter. +

+ +

2.2 Long + track + sections, + crossings + and + other + edge + cases + +

+ +

2.2.1 Very + long + track + sections + +

If you try to set up a track section that is longer than 1000 nodes, advtrains won’t recognize the TCB at the other end because of a safety +limit in the traverser function, which is supposed to prevent deadlocks. This case has happened when the Track Section overview screen +only shows one TCB in the list. The procedure for this is as follows: +

    +
  1. Go to the second TCB (the one that wasn’t recognized). It should show “End of Interlocking” on the relevant side. +
    2. +
  2. Click “Create interlocked track section”. The section created will be different from the one that is already present. +
    3. +
  3. In the track section overview, click “Join into other section” +
    4. +
  4. Go back to the first TCB, bring up the Track Section overview screen of the first track section and click “Join with ???”
+

The other, missing TCB should now appear in the list. If you accidentally started such a joining procedure, click the “X” button on the +right. +

+ +

2.2.2 Rail + crosses + +

Since rail crosses are created by laying tracks across each other without logical connection, there’s no way for advtrains to know whether +rails cross each other. +

Rail crossings in interlocking systems are always one single track section, which in most cases has 4 TCBs adjacent. +

PIC +

The procedure is quite similar to the one for long sections: First, create two track sections for the branches, and then use the “Join” +function to merge both sections into one. +

+ +

2.2.3 Deleting + and + re-adding + single + TCBs + to + a + section + +

In some occasions, for example when you remove a siding or a crossover, it can be necessary to unassign a TCB from a track section. +There are multiple ways to do this: +

+

The result is that the TCB shows “End of Interlocking” and the section does not list the TCB as an endpoint anymore. +

The other case is adding a siding or a crossover, in which case one or more TCBs still show “End of Interlocking” although they should be +part of a section: +

+

+ +

2.2.4 Dissolving + sections + +

If you made a mistake setting up something and you don’t see any other way to fix a misconfigured track section, you can always +delete it using the “Dissolve section” button. This operation removes the track section and sets all TCBs that previously +belonged to the section as “End of Interlocking”. This will always work and lets you start over new with setting up track +sections. +

+ +

2.3 Interlocking + patterns + +

Have a look at the following images. They show you how you can set up sections so that reasonable train moves are +possible. +

You should settle on a naming scheme for your sections. This way, you can determine the source of an issue faster +

+ +

3 Signals + and + routes + +

Signals are appliances that can give instructions to trains. That can be the permission to proceed, a speed restriction, or other +information. +

There are 2 types of signals: +

+

+ +

3.1 Signal + Influence + Point + +

Every signal is associated to a track on which the instruction should be followed. Signals are usually placed right next to the track on the +right side. Human observers do know then that the signal belongs to the track left of it, however, train safety systems (like the one in +advtrains) can not. +

This is the reason why a so-called “influence point” needs to be assigned to any signal that should actually give instructions to trains, +should the driver (if even there is one) fail to recognize the instructions. +

Depending on the signal and the mod that adds the signal, there are different ways to configure this. Signals integrated into advtrains +behave as follows: +

+

The small formspec that opens allows you to set and later view or clear the Influence Point. To set the influence point, click the “Set” +button, face towards the signal and punch a rail about 2m in front of the signal. A small marker will be shown, indicating success. To +cancel setting an influence point, punch anything other. (note that then the influence point remains unset, regardless of its previous +state) +

The advtrains-internal train safety system ensures that the train always obeys any restrictions imposed by signals, if (and only if) the +influence point is set properly. +

+ +

3.2 Signal + Aspects + +

While static signals are mainly used for speed restrictions, the interesting ones are variable signals. Of course, you can always control any +variable signal by traditional means (mesecons, digiline, right-click) if the signal allows it, but that misses the point of this interlocking +system. +

A signal aspect is a piece of information that a signal shows to the train driver. It contains information about whether and at what speed +the driver may proceed at the signal. +

Every signal, both static and dynamic ones, imposes a certain aspect to trains passing the signal. For static signals, this is always the +same aspect, such as “Proceed at speed of 8” or “Shunt moves may not pass”. Dynamic signals, however, can display multiple different +aspects. The default for them is always as restrictive as possible, mostly “Halt!”. +

You should know that both static and dynamic signals use exactly the same properties for signal aspects. There is no difference in the +meaning of the aspect definitions. +

In the following sections, we will talk about main signals. By this, we mean a variable signal that can display both a “Danger” aspect +(trains are not allowed to proceed) and at least one “Proceed” aspect (train may proceed as train/shunt move, with optional speed +restriction), which act as an “entry signal” for one or multiple routes. +

+ +

3.3 Train + moves + and + Shunt + Moves + +

+

There are also 2 general types of signals: Main signals and Shunt signals. While main signals have a meaning for all types of trains, Shunt +signals only have to be followed by shunt moves. Usually, Shunt signals that are on a train move route are set to a Proceed aspect as +well. +

When a train reverses, its mode automatically changes to “shunt move” until it passes a main signal that shows “Proceed as +train move”, which is usually designated by a green light. From this point on, it can accelerate to maximum permitted +speed. +

Some main signals, like the ones from the Ks signals mod included by default, can also display “Proceed as shunt move”, which is +designated by 2 white lights along with the red light. Once a train passes this signal, it becomes a shunt move. +

+ +

3.4 The + concept + of + routes + +

A so-called route is a locked path between two main signals, which locks all turnouts in the correct position. Its purpose is to offer a train +a path on which it can safely proceed without interfering with any other train. A route always incorporates and locks one to multiple +track sections, starting with the one that lies directly behind the “entry” signal. +

Example: Imagine a station with 2 platforms on a single track running line. We are looking at signal A. You probably want trains coming +from the right to go into platform 1 or into platform 2, so you need to program 2 routes. +

PIC +

This leads us to the most important aspect of route programming: Routes always start at a signal (A) and end at a signal facing in the +same direction (D and E), not at an opposite-facing signal (B and C). There are only few exceptions, we’ll cover this +later. +

When you set a route to make a train proceed on it, the interlocking system ensures that: +

+

For this to work, you need to specify all track sections the train will pass along, as well as the positions of all turnouts that need to be +locked. Those are not only the turnouts that lay directly on the train’s route, but also some turnouts on adjacent tracks, the so-called +flank protection. +

The purpose of flank protection is to prevent runaway trains and/or wagons to pass into a route. This is achieved by setting nearby +turnouts to a position that points “away” from the route. Example: +

PIC +

The upper turnout, of course, needs to be locked in straight (normal) position, while the lower one is not relevant for the route itself. But +what if the lower turnout was set to the diverging (reverse) position and the driver of another train approaching signal B fails to see the +red light? This train would crash into the first one. To minimise danger, that other train would need to be routed towards signal +D. +

There are, of course, situations, where both positions of a turnout would conflict with a route equally. In those situations, there’s nothing +you can do and no flank lock needs to be set. +

+ +

3.5 Assigning + main + signals + to + TCBs + +

Main signals in the advtrains interlocking system are positioned - like in real life - at the border of track sections, because routes also start +and end there. For advtrains to know from which signal which routes can be set, you need to assign the signal to a +TCB. +

To do this, perform the following steps: +

    +
  1. If not already happened, set up a TCB (you don’t need to, but are advised to, configure track sections there) +
    2. +
  2. Place the signal a few meters in front of the TCB, so that trains stopping at the signal do never pass the TCB +
    3. +
  3. Locate the side of the TCB which points in the direction that trains will proceed past the signal, as shown in the figure + below. +
    4. +
  4. Right-click the TCB, and click “Assign a signal” on this side. +
    5. +
  5. Punch the signal.
+

PIC +

If you haven’t set an influence point for the signal yet, the influence point formspec automatically opens. +

You can assign a signal to each side of a TCB. This is, for example, useful when creating block sections on a bi-directional main running +line. +

Only main signals can ever be assigned to TCBs, because static ones can either not display “Danger” or do not permit to proceed at +all. +

+ +

3.6 Shunt + routes + +

The information in this section is subject to future change because of safety issues! +

Operating railways is not all about driving trains around. Coupling, decoupling and moving single engines, wagons or groups of wagons +across a station, called shunting, also plays an important role. +

Remember what we said about routes: There must be no rail vehicles on the route. So what if you have some goods wagons +ready on a siding, and want to couple an engine to it? You can not set a regular route into the siding, because it is +occupied. +

The solution is to program a second route into the siding, but with the difference that it already ends at the rear-facing signal of it, so it +doesn’t include the siding section itself: +

PIC +

The Sht2 route then needs to show a shunt aspect, which instructs the driver to proceed slowly and watch out for vehicles on the route. +See later on for how to set this up. +

Shunt routes like this are, so far, the only exception to the “Routes should end at a signal facing the same direction” +rule. +

+ +

3.7 Route + Release + +

In early real-life interlocking systems, routes either had to be cancelled by the signalman after the train had passed the route, or there was +a single release contact at the end of the route. However, as interlocking systems evolved and the position of trains is now +roughly known by the track sections, portions of the route can be freed as soon as the train has left the corresponding +section. +

AdvTrains has chosen a modern approach to route releasing. Each turnout lock is associated to a track section belonging to the route’s +path. Once the train leaves this section, all assigned locks are also freed. +

Please note that reversing a train outside of stations is not only discouraged, but also very dangerous, because even +real-world interlocking system do not expect this. There is a clear, human-sense rule that you should never reverse the +driving direction of a train while on a main line or on a turnout. Else, you can be considered a terrorist. (quote from +professional!) +

+ +

3.8 Programming + a + route + +

The route programming procedure is quite straightforward if you’ve read the previous sections and understood how routes should be +set. +

Routes always start at a main signal. You must have assigned the signal to a TCB, as described earlier. +

When you right-click the main signal, it no longer changes its aspect. Instead, a formspec pops up, showing you an (empty) list of routes +with the possibility to set them or to create new routes. Click the “Create new route” button to start programming a new +route. +

The form closes, and an arrow is displayed on the TCB. You are now in “Route Programming” mode, programming the first track section +of the route. Now: +

+

Depending on the situation, you are now offered some possibilities to proceed: +

+

Once you’ve clicked the “Advance” button, the lock markers change to a red lock symbol, telling they can’t be changed anymore. Repeat +the above procedure until you are ready to complete the programming procedure: +

+

A few hints: +

+

+ +

3.9 Route + information + screen + +

PIC +

This is the screen that appears when you click “Edit Route”. It lets you change the route name and delete the route. Also, it shows a +summary of the route and its elements. +

The route summary lists information per track section on the route, so the line starting with “1” is the first section of the +route. +

The ARS rule list and its purpose is explained later. +

+ +

3.10 Specifying + signal + aspects + +

By default, newly programmed routes show an aspect that comes closest to “Proceed at maximum speed”. However, it can be desirable to +change this behavior, like when the route passes a diverging turnout, the train should be signalled to drive slower, or the route is a shunt +route and therefore only “Shunting allowed” should be shown. +

This is the purpose of the “Change Aspect” button in the route info screen. +

Signal aspects in advtrains consist of 4 sections: main (Information for train moves), dst (Distant signal information, not implemented +yet), shunt (Information for shunt moves) and info (additional information, currently not in use). +

+

There’s a field in the “shunt” part of signal aspects that is not displayed in the GUI, but is of potential interest to developers of signal +addons: shunt.proceed_as_main. +

+

The property is used by the Limit Of Shunt sign, where proceed_as_main is set to false. Shunt moves have to stop in front of it, while +train moves are signalled “Proceed”. Regular main signals that show “green” have the field set to true, so that all trains can pass +it. +

+ +

4 Interlocking + system + operation + +

Setting up the interlocking for a portion of a railway network requires some time, experience and planning, but once done, there’s not +much to do anymore to make trains run on your, now safer, railway. This section covers some useful practices to route trains across your +network. +

At the moment, routes can either be set by clicking the signal or via LuaATC, or by using the “Remote Routesetting” +button from the Onboard Computer. It is planned to control this via a “signal box” view based on the currently broken +itrainmap. +

+ +

4.1 Train + Safety + System + +

The Train Safety System, called “LZB” in the code (from the german term Linienzugbeeinflussung, although this is a completely different +system), ensures that trains obey any restrictions imposed by signals when influence points are set. This way, it is not possible to pass +signals at danger or to bypass speed restrictions. +

It is possible to overrun red signals, if a route is cancelled while a train is approaching. Real interlocking systems use a mechanism called +Approach locking for this, however, as of now, there’s no similar system in this mod. If a red signal is overrun, the train brakes using +emergency brake (“BB”) and can not be moved any further. You should then examine the situation and drive the train backwards out of +the section. +

+ +

4.2 Simple + route + setting + and + cancelling + +

To set a route, simply right-click the signal, select a route and click “set route”. If there are no conflicts, the signal turns green and the +train is allowed to proceed. +

It may be possible that the route can not be set, because one or more other routes conflict with the current one, or a section is blocked. In +this case, the signal stays red, and the conflicting item is shown in the formspec. As soon as the conflict is resolved (by cancellation +or release of the conflicting route, or the section becoming free), the requested route will be set and the signal turns +green. +

If a route is either requested or set, it can be cancelled from the signalling formspec. This means that all turnouts and sections are +released, and the signal reverts back to red. This of course only works when the train has not passed the signal yet. There is no +mechanism for Approach Locking. +

+ +

4.3 Automatic + Working + +

Block signals on main running lines usually only have a single route to set, the one proceeding along the main line. Their purpose is only +to show whether there are trains in the next section. So, it would be convenient if this only route would set itself again after a train +passed. +

This is what Automatic Working is for. Set a route, click “Enable Automatic Working”, and as soon as a train passes, the route is +automatically re-set. +

This function is nearly identical to SimSig automatic signals. It can also be useful on a line with high traffic, when there’s a +low-frequented access to a siding. You’d enable automatic working for the main route and cancel it only when you need a train to go into +the siding. +

+ +

4.4 Automatic + Route + Setting + (ARS) + +

As interlocking systems evolved, the goal always was to offload work from the human to the system, automating things. Modern +interlocking systems can automatically set routes based on a pre-programmed routing table for each particular train. Since one +outstanding feature of Advtrains is it’s high degree of automation, it has a similar system to automatically set routes for a train +depending on certain parameters. +

Every train in Advtrains has 2 internal properties that can be set through the Onboard Computer of every engine in the train, the “Line” +and the “Routing Code” +

+

Examples: +

PIC +

Both lines share the section between Blackbirdshire and Parktown. To divert them again, they can save their line number in the “Line” +field. +

PIC +

Some trains should go to B, some to C, the direction can be set with a routing code. +

One single routing code should not contain spaces. You can set multiple routing codes by just separating them with spaces in the +Routing Code field. So, “Stn Ori” would be matched by ARS rules either containing “Stn” or “Ori”. This does not work for +lines. +

+ +

4.4.1 Writing + ARS + Rules + +

Every route of every signal can be given a set of ARS rules. A single ARS rule can either match a line or a routing code (combinations, +e.g. and’s, are not yet supported). The first rule in the first route that matches any of the properties of the train is selected, and that +route is set for the train. +

PIC +

You can add an asterisk (“*”) to the ARS rules of one route. That route then becomes the default route. +

If no explicit ARS rule matches the train, then the default route is chosen and set. If there is no default route, nothing happens and the +signal remains red. +

+ +

4.4.2 Using + ARS + +

In contrast to Automatic working, where the route is re-set immediately after the train passed, ARS sets the route only when the train +approaches the signal, e.g. is just about to start braking in front of it. +

At any place where one of the following things take place, you should use the ARS system in favor of Automatic Working: +

+

In the route overview, you can see some information on the ARS settings: All routes that have ARS rules are highlighted red, the “default +route” is highlighted green. +

ARS does not affect signals which already have a route set, and signals which are operating under “Automatic Working”. +

+ +

5 Final + notes + +

The interlocking system is mainly finished, though there are still some plans and ideas. They include: +

+

Apart from this, there’s the large oncoming project of a new timetable-based train automation system, but this will take some time to +evolve and is out of the scope of this document. +

If you have any suggestions, corrections, improvements, criticism or cute kittens and stuff, you can always contact me by various means +(Forum PM, E-Mail (orwell@bleipb.de), Linuxworks server chat a.s.o.). Have fun! +

- orwell + + + + -- cgit v1.2.3