UP (and maybe BNSF) Rules SafeTran signals (work in progress)

[Dakota]

I am working on a set of signal scripts for the SafeTran signals in RCAP (formet SMMDigital ones) that will implement Union Pacific Rules. If I get time I might make a BNSF set. These are very nice modern signals as used extensively by both railroads out here in the West. As part of this effort I have done a load of cleanup on the signal scripts, and added lots of user-friendly debug output which I really needed in order to understand what's really going on. The code appears to be the work of multiple authors, each of whom had a partial understanding, and the result is a hodge podge in some places with dead code and stuff that is very difficult to follow. I'm well along but it may be months as the testing is difficult. I want to make sure it properly imp,ments not only the basic stuff but yard entries, and Absolute Permissive Block Signaling for unmonitored long single track. The APBS logic is there thanks to the amazing PikeHikr but it looks like it has been compromised. I'm having a devil of a time following it, but it is a load of fun!

Why post here? Because I'm curious if anyone would be interested in my packaging this for RCAP. Or should I release is as an "RCAP Add-On"? Or is anyone even interested?

I know TS2019 is a mature product. Nonetheless I am doing a route from Yermo to Vegas (UP Cima Subdivision) as a longer term project. I need real world signals. the default ones look ancient or have the wrong rules (in the case of SafeTran, NORAC, CSX, NS, etc, no western railroads). UP uses Safetran.

[GERUNIMO625]

Hello,

I for one would be VERY, VERY interested in proper UP signals. Goodluck to you!

[Dakota]

Attached is a nice chart of the 2018 signal rules. These are what's in the UP System Special Instructions 2019 update. What I need to determine is how they are applied and how to make that happen inside TS2019. The existing signal scripts are so far off it's not funny. Good thing I am really good at reading and refactoring other peoples' code. The Existing scripts are actually rather well commented, but it's plain they are a hodge podge.

[Dakota]

I've made considerable progress on the signal scripting now. I have a development environment set up to "lint check" the LUA dynamically as I type(*), automate the generation of the final scripts from the pieces, and have extensively upgraded the debugging output to provide human readable messages, identify signals by their ID, and strip the noise from the logged lines so I can actually read the debugging. I have attached a sample of the stripped logging output. The stripping tool is a drag-and-drop javascript. I have also stripped out a lot of the speed-related complexity which was in the east coast signal logic and implemented most of the UP signal rules as I understand them (chart attached). Pikehikr's APBS still works.

(*) Using Visual Studio Code editor and the LUA plugin. It's really really nice.