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Author Topic: Mainline-style signaling (and cab signaling) plugin  (Read 10560 times)

Offline stump

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Mainline-style signaling (and cab signaling) plugin
« on: May 29, 2013, 02:20:47 am »
With all the commuter and mainline equipment development threads I see here, I thought I might try to create an OpenBVE train safety system plugin that implements NORAC cab signaling. This would also include defining conventions for placing NORAC-style signals in routes (including handling Rule 251/261-without-cab-signals, Rule 251/261-with-cab-signals, and Rule 562 territory appropriately), and I would also add an AI that obeys the relevant rules.

This is the set of rules used by (among others) Amtrak and just about every commuter railroad in the Northeast that isn't part of the MTA. (And the two that are aren't really too different from the others anyway, so you could probably end up adapting this to them too.)

I am not planning to use native code, so this will not be OS-specific.

I have not started yet. Updates will be posted here. Comments on the idea are appreciated.

Offline PSharp217

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Re: Mainline-style signaling (and cab signaling) plugin
« Reply #1 on: May 29, 2013, 11:35:29 am »
I like the idea. Is there  going to an Amtrak, LIRR or MNR routes and activites to go along with the signaling. I would love to see what everyone can come up with... SHould be pretty interesting .

Offline trainbrain

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Re: Mainline-style signaling (and cab signaling) plugin
« Reply #2 on: May 29, 2013, 12:31:41 pm »
Sounds like a great idea, I would love to help if you need it.

(textures, helping to equip trains, etc.)
« Last Edit: May 29, 2013, 12:34:01 pm by trainbrain »

Working on the Northbound 2nd Ave Subway and the eastbound JFK express.
Upcoming projects are the R11, R15 and R12 trains.
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Offline trainbrain

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Re: Mainline-style signaling (and cab signaling) plugin
« Reply #3 on: May 29, 2013, 12:36:50 pm »
I like the idea. Is there  going to an Amtrak, LIRR or MNR routes and activites to go along with the signaling. I would love to see what everyone can come up with... SHould be pretty interesting .

I know that at some point someone was making a Northeast Corridor route, but I don't know what happened to that.

Working on the Northbound 2nd Ave Subway and the eastbound JFK express.
Upcoming projects are the R11, R15 and R12 trains.
(All credit to goes to Lance522 for the signature)

Offline Dj Hammers

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Re: Mainline-style signaling (and cab signaling) plugin
« Reply #4 on: May 30, 2013, 12:25:35 am »
Development of cross-platform plugins is very sorely needed, so I applaud your efforts greatly. One of the things the developers here have been hoping for is a plugin that can be implemented in our routes and trains that works on all OS's, so this comes as great news to us!

Offline trainbrain

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Re: Mainline-style signaling (and cab signaling) plugin
« Reply #5 on: May 31, 2013, 12:39:04 pm »
I know that at some point someone was making a Northeast Corridor route, but I don't know what happened to that.

Perhaps we can revive these to go w/ the plugin.

http://forums.bvestation.com/index.php?topic=256.0

http://forums.bvestation.com/index.php?topic=1299.msg16125#msg16125

Working on the Northbound 2nd Ave Subway and the eastbound JFK express.
Upcoming projects are the R11, R15 and R12 trains.
(All credit to goes to Lance522 for the signature)

Offline Threxx1

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Re: Mainline-style signaling (and cab signaling) plugin
« Reply #6 on: June 10, 2013, 03:38:12 pm »
A NE Corridor route is kind of ridiculous when you think about it... OpenBVE isn't nearly powerful enough for a route of that scale, and it's a massive project to attempt...

Offline trainbrain

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Re: Mainline-style signaling (and cab signaling) plugin
« Reply #7 on: June 10, 2013, 05:07:02 pm »
A NE Corridor route is kind of ridiculous when you think about it... OpenBVE isn't nearly powerful enough for a route of that scale, and it's a massive project to attempt...

Well that is not entirely true...there are pretty long British routes similar to the NEC, namely the Tyne Valley and ECML Northumberland routes.

Working on the Northbound 2nd Ave Subway and the eastbound JFK express.
Upcoming projects are the R11, R15 and R12 trains.
(All credit to goes to Lance522 for the signature)

Offline Dj Hammers

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Re: Mainline-style signaling (and cab signaling) plugin
« Reply #8 on: June 10, 2013, 05:50:10 pm »
An NEC route is definitely possible, but to make it even remotely realistic would require enormous amounts of time, work, and money.

Offline BStyles

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Re: Mainline-style signaling (and cab signaling) plugin
« Reply #9 on: June 10, 2013, 08:05:38 pm »
Well that is not entirely true...there are pretty long British routes similar to the NEC, namely the Tyne Valley and ECML Northumberland routes.

Yes but those aren't 400 miles long.

BStyles

Offline bigbellymon4

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Re: Mainline-style signaling (and cab signaling) plugin
« Reply #10 on: June 10, 2013, 08:22:38 pm »
Wouldn't coding the NEC be like coding for the A from 207 to Far Rockaway and back to 207 at least 3 times?

Offline trainbrain

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Re: Mainline-style signaling (and cab signaling) plugin
« Reply #11 on: June 10, 2013, 08:27:54 pm »
Yes but those aren't 400 miles long.

BStyles

Nobody said we were making the entire NEC in one go, maybe just bit by bit.

Working on the Northbound 2nd Ave Subway and the eastbound JFK express.
Upcoming projects are the R11, R15 and R12 trains.
(All credit to goes to Lance522 for the signature)

Offline BStyles

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Re: Mainline-style signaling (and cab signaling) plugin
« Reply #12 on: June 15, 2013, 02:42:24 am »
Making the NEC in bits and pieces makes absolutely no sense in the long run, considering that most of the routes don't make short stops (In between, you have auxiliary routes like MARC and NJ Transit).  The Acela Express is a single shot, and the AEM-7 and HHP-8 consists go as far as Miami.

BStyles

Offline Fan Railer

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Re: Mainline-style signaling (and cab signaling) plugin
« Reply #13 on: June 15, 2013, 03:34:38 am »
Building the NEC in sections is completely feasible. It just depends on how much painstaking detail you insist on adding into it.
http://web.ncf.ca/fb214/
^ Here is the perfect example of what I mean. The Maastricht route that you can download on this page is 300 kilometers (186.45 miles) long, making it about the length of a typical Keystone run between Harrisburg and NYP. Takes 3-4 hours to run depending on whether you're making every friggin stop on the local, or if you're express-ing. Honestly I'd have to disagree with Bstyles and say that building the NEC in segments is MUCH more logical. Realistically speaking, who is going to sit at their computer for literally 8 hours (http://www.amtrak.com/ccurl/774/528/Northeast-Corridor-Schedule-2-012813.pdf) as they operate from Boston South to Union Station WAS? Segmenting the line like this -->
BOS-NH, NH-NYP, NYP-PHI, PHI-WAS
is much more realistic in the sense that you can play for 2-3 hours at a time on a segment of your choice, rather than waiting for the ENTIRE NEC to load with all those objects and then fumbling with the station jumper to get to the segment you want to operate. That's just my take.
« Last Edit: June 15, 2013, 03:51:39 am by Fan Railer »

Offline pollard7545

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Re: Mainline-style signaling (and cab signaling) plugin
« Reply #14 on: October 18, 2013, 04:50:38 pm »
As a Conductor for AMTRAK my craft and the Engineers would not work from Boston to Washington. We have several crew change locations. Boston, New Haven, New York City, Philadelphia and Washington. Philadelphia is used when a crew is running short on time from the hours of service law. Baltimore is another crew base because we supply the crews for the MARC local service to DC so we can grab crews from there in a pinch. But if you are going to try to create the NEC you will have to break it up..[1]Boston to New Haven...[2]New Haven to New York-on the Metro North...[3]New York to Philadelphia...[4]Philadelphia to Washington