North Eastern Railroad

Hiemdal · Posted: Thu Feb 19, 2004 7:46 pm Post subject: Manual vs. Automatic Switches

Is there an efficient way to tell which are which while creating an activity?

Rich Wade · Posted: Thu Feb 19, 2004 8:26 pm Post subject:

I traveled over an hour once only to find an auto switch on a siding I wanted to use. Mad

robertr · Posted: Thu Feb 19, 2004 8:30 pm Post subject:

James, the only way I know is to either go into the RE and fast forward (using shift key with the arrows) or actually run the route in the Sim. If you can find a place that has a yard view, you can navigate the same way as in the RE and it's a little easier to do, but there are not too many of them equipped with one.

ADF has all manual switches, I think Whitefish and MP are the same and maybe Seattle, but not sure about any of the others right off hand.

Hiemdal · Posted: Thu Feb 19, 2004 8:35 pm Post subject:

Ok, in the RE do I really need to delete the signals to get the properties on a switch? If so this is going to be an "interesting" job. Shocked

robertr · Posted: Thu Feb 19, 2004 8:38 pm Post subject:

Sorry about the missing information Embarassed

Look at the switch and see if there is a small lever sticking up (like a switch handle)on the side of the switch towards the end. If there is, it is manual. If there isn't, it's automatic Embarassed

Can't believe I left that off there Doh!

Classic senior moment Rolling Eyes

GaryH · Posted: Thu Feb 19, 2004 9:58 pm Post subject: Re: Manual vs. Automatic Switches

Kip · Posted: Thu Feb 19, 2004 10:18 pm Post subject: switches

On Hoodoo, I only use auto switches on hi-speed cross-overs and diverging switches. All the manuals are on sidings, spurs and yards (mines too).

Some route developers sometimes don't distinguish between the two different switches. Happens.

krausyao · Posted: Sat Jan 31, 2009 11:42 pm Post subject:

You can use Activity Editor with a text editor to determine if a particular switch is automatic or manual.

1. Create a short path that includes the switch.

2. Open the path file with a text editor.

3. Look for the TrackPDP element that ends with 2 0.

TrackPDP ( -12818 14287 -589.047 21.6449 35.4675 2 0 )

4. Open the track database file (route.tdb).

5. Find the junction node using the location of the TrackPDP element.

-12818 14287 -589.047 21.6449 35.4675

You may have to use the beginning portion of the location as sometimes they do not exactly match.

-12818 14287 -589.0

6. Examine the last attribute of the TrJunctionNode to determine if the switch is manual or automatic. 0 is automatic and 1 is manual.

TrackNode ( 83
TrJunctionNode ( 0 73 0 )
UiD ( -12818 14287 1 0 -12818 14287 -589.047 21.6449 35.4675 0 1.04702 0 )
TrPins ( 1 2
TrPin ( 86 1 )
TrPin ( 82 0 )
TrPin ( 85 0 )
)
)

Find the track shape in tsection.dat for complete information on the switch. This track shape is 73.

TrackShape ( 73
FileName ( A1tPnt10dRgt.s )
NumPaths ( 2 )
MainRoute ( 0 )
ClearanceDist ( 26 )
SectionIdx ( 1 0 0 0 0 179 )
SectionIdx ( 2 0 0 0 0 183 176 )
)