AWS or ATP or TPWS in Open Rails
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AWS or ATP or TPWS in Open Rails
This is maybe well known for some, but can anyone give me some pointers, as to what exactly is available in OR (compared to what might be expected 'for real', in the typical British outline diesel or electric loco made for MSTS) by way of any sort of automatic train control?
I know there's the alerter/vigilance device thingy which in MSTS and OR, if set to 'on' in Options, will play a sound and display a text warning which you must acknowledge (Q or Z key, can't recall) within a few seconds to avoid the brakes being applied. I would be happy to leave this turned on - except that some locos do NOT have a sound but DO have the alerter (the text message displays) and it's easy to miss that message. And I'm not sure, where there IS a sound, if it can be heard if you happen to be in the external view at the time. Leading to some embarrassing situations.
The MSTS manual and even my trusty old Sybex 'strategy guide' - remember those? - don't say much, except that the manual says this of the Acela re both ATC and alerter:
"The Automatic Train Control (ATC) system ensures that the train obeys signals and speed limits. If the engineer fails to observe speed limits or to slow the train to the appropriate speed upon receiving an approach or stop signal, the ATC system slows the train automatically. If the engineer fails to acknowledge this change within five seconds, full brakes are applied (this is called a “penalty brake” application). An Alerter system also sounds an alarm if the train’s controls are not operated during a 25-second period. The engineer must respond to this alarm within 15 seconds or the brakes will be applied and the power will be shut down, bringing the train to a halt. "
Short of whizzing around in every loco or MU I now have and deliberately (i) breaking speed limits, while avoiding being pulled over by a police-liveried Class 37 (remember that advert?) and (ii) racing up much too fast to yellows or reds, it's hard to know what - if anything - traction other than Acela has, by way of 'penalty braking'.
The second part of the manual's Acela ATC description sounds a bit like AWS or TPWS ('If the engineer fails...to slow the train to the appropriate speed upon receiving an approach [=yellow?] or stop signal, the ATC system slows the train automatically...if [he] fails to acknowledge this change within 5 seconds, full brakes are applied'). Apart from the lack of an audible warning (though 'Overspeed' flashes in the cab I think).
There's not much I can find on this online about which sim supports which system, but a poster on Elvas Tower asking about AWS pointed out that some or many locos have a block of lines in their .eng files headed 'AWS' plus another line in another block, with some binary stuff after it. A query that went unanswered.
Running trains in a certain other trainsim I appreciate the 'dings' as I go over the AWS ramp coming up to greens and the horn at yellows which must be acknowledged - haven't SPADed yet. I'm hoping that at some point that - while region-specific - we may one day get such effects in existing MSTS traction.
In the meantime, can more experienced users clarify what to expect - if only 'nothing at all' - from 'the average' UK-outline diesel or MU in MSTS and/or OR? What happens if you have a SPAD? Is it just a jolly good spanking at the debrief, or will the brakes come on? Are some makers of traction for MSTS likely to have incorporated Acela-type ATC (which if I read this right would slow me down coming too fast to a yellow or a red, not just stop me after the SPAD)? Or not if you have to have the overspeed protection to get the more AWS/TPWS-like signal-related slowdowns or breakings? The OR signalling manual states that (in user, manual, control mode) a SPAD induces an emergency brake application, which implies to me that's universal, and possibly all there is. Which would be at least good to be sure of.
Ivor
Edit - I just tested with a single actiivity which I recalled started with some reds ahead and after a SPAD the brakes came on, which looks to be the 'out of control' response described in the OR signalling manual. One SPAD doesn't make a Spring as they say but it looks like that might be the way it works?
I know there's the alerter/vigilance device thingy which in MSTS and OR, if set to 'on' in Options, will play a sound and display a text warning which you must acknowledge (Q or Z key, can't recall) within a few seconds to avoid the brakes being applied. I would be happy to leave this turned on - except that some locos do NOT have a sound but DO have the alerter (the text message displays) and it's easy to miss that message. And I'm not sure, where there IS a sound, if it can be heard if you happen to be in the external view at the time. Leading to some embarrassing situations.
The MSTS manual and even my trusty old Sybex 'strategy guide' - remember those? - don't say much, except that the manual says this of the Acela re both ATC and alerter:
"The Automatic Train Control (ATC) system ensures that the train obeys signals and speed limits. If the engineer fails to observe speed limits or to slow the train to the appropriate speed upon receiving an approach or stop signal, the ATC system slows the train automatically. If the engineer fails to acknowledge this change within five seconds, full brakes are applied (this is called a “penalty brake” application). An Alerter system also sounds an alarm if the train’s controls are not operated during a 25-second period. The engineer must respond to this alarm within 15 seconds or the brakes will be applied and the power will be shut down, bringing the train to a halt. "
Short of whizzing around in every loco or MU I now have and deliberately (i) breaking speed limits, while avoiding being pulled over by a police-liveried Class 37 (remember that advert?) and (ii) racing up much too fast to yellows or reds, it's hard to know what - if anything - traction other than Acela has, by way of 'penalty braking'.
The second part of the manual's Acela ATC description sounds a bit like AWS or TPWS ('If the engineer fails...to slow the train to the appropriate speed upon receiving an approach [=yellow?] or stop signal, the ATC system slows the train automatically...if [he] fails to acknowledge this change within 5 seconds, full brakes are applied'). Apart from the lack of an audible warning (though 'Overspeed' flashes in the cab I think).
There's not much I can find on this online about which sim supports which system, but a poster on Elvas Tower asking about AWS pointed out that some or many locos have a block of lines in their .eng files headed 'AWS' plus another line in another block, with some binary stuff after it. A query that went unanswered.
Running trains in a certain other trainsim I appreciate the 'dings' as I go over the AWS ramp coming up to greens and the horn at yellows which must be acknowledged - haven't SPADed yet. I'm hoping that at some point that - while region-specific - we may one day get such effects in existing MSTS traction.
In the meantime, can more experienced users clarify what to expect - if only 'nothing at all' - from 'the average' UK-outline diesel or MU in MSTS and/or OR? What happens if you have a SPAD? Is it just a jolly good spanking at the debrief, or will the brakes come on? Are some makers of traction for MSTS likely to have incorporated Acela-type ATC (which if I read this right would slow me down coming too fast to a yellow or a red, not just stop me after the SPAD)? Or not if you have to have the overspeed protection to get the more AWS/TPWS-like signal-related slowdowns or breakings? The OR signalling manual states that (in user, manual, control mode) a SPAD induces an emergency brake application, which implies to me that's universal, and possibly all there is. Which would be at least good to be sure of.
Ivor
Edit - I just tested with a single actiivity which I recalled started with some reds ahead and after a SPAD the brakes came on, which looks to be the 'out of control' response described in the OR signalling manual. One SPAD doesn't make a Spring as they say but it looks like that might be the way it works?
33lima- Posts : 66
Join date : 2017-10-21
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