Trackside signal function

[TrainEngineer1]

Is there a way to make USA track signals function like they should? I'm talking about the lights coming on when the train is in the signal block and once it clears the block, the lights go off again.

[buzz456]

Is there a way to make USA track signals function like they should? I'm talking about the lights coming on when the train is in the signal block and once it clears the block, the lights go off again.

I'm not quite sure what you mean by as it should. I live near the CN tracks and they show green when nothing is in the block or adjacent block. The UP tracks near me show red when nothing is coming or going.

[PapaXpress]

I know what he means. Over here the old SP and now UP lines have the signals turned off when the block is unoccupied. This was to save on battery power (when they used it), but also to prevent people from using them for target practice (or so the story goes).

[Bananarama]

The lights would have to be scripted to do so, but I don't know if it's even possible.

[TrainEngineer1]

It was done in Trainz 12 on a BNSF Route. I'm used to working with scripts in Microsoft Train Simulator, which I don't play anymore since Railworks has gotten much better. I'm not used to the files yet in TS 2016, but will study them over and see if something can be done. I have resignaled most of my USA routes with the ones using the Stevens Pass signals and the SMM Track signals. I don't care for the ones made by Dovetail. To me they don't look right.

[Sibell]

If in Germany a block is clear, and no engine runs on it...the signals are red. No signal will be green here if there is nothing going on. I remember some signals turn into green at the reverse signal when the ends of a consist pass threw it in RW. Is this normal in the USA ? We have here main signals and some signals before them called ''Vorsignal''. If a main signal shows red, the signal before that shows yellow. This looks like a block after the signal is used and you have to be stop at the next main signal or reduce your speed to get a next yellow signal or a green one if you slown your consist to much.
I'm asking myself is there a way to get a red signal on the reverse signal to be red when the end of your consist pass threw it ?

[TrainEngineer1]

I noticed after a consist goes past a signal the light on the opposite side goes from red to green. That light should stay red for a while. I need to study the signal scripts and see if I can change them.

[barnez]

Yes, it would be possible to script this functionality.

No, it would not be easy, and would likely be buggy.

In short, you would need to script a new signal state for all the lights to be unlit. This would need to be tied to the track occupancy to properly read/ activate the signal state.

Depending on which family of script you wish to do this for (BNSF/ def2 family or NEC/ searchlight family) the occupancy/ signal-state sections are written quite differently and are not interchangeable.

good luck.

-barnez

[BNSFdude]

Almost all of our signals are approach lit out here, even the old GN GRS Color Lights.