this is out there

djbillyd007

Member
djbillyd007
Join Date
Mar 2005
Location
Sevierville TN
Posts
83
I am using a automationdirect 305 plc to run a model railroad mostly to help my 18 year old son to learn plc's. I have used several output to control speed and direction. He got thru these eaily. If you have any challenging ideas let me know. i have a round house that needs controled and several switch tracks that could be used as training.
 
How about a routing map - using recipe. Expand the complexity - if it is in section A or C accelerate to speed x, but in section B, D, E apply speed y.
 
Different interval stations

Make the assignment so the train has to go the different "stations" at different intervals. Etc Have 3 switch tracks which counts as stations. At every run around teh track the train always need to stop at A, and every other run it needs to stop at B, while the stops at C should be 6 runs out of 7.

Otherwise, if you have inputs for the PLC. Use the inputs to make a shedule, like a LIFO table. If you push A,B,A,C then the train should automatically move first to A, then to B, then to A and then to C and stop.
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Safety First...

While Ron want to crash the trains (always the thing the little boy inside us like to see...), how about inserting logic that prevents this from occuring by switching tracks and stopping the train that has a "lower priority"? This would also be fun to debug as, if the logic is incorrect, you do have a crash.

This may be no trivial task if you vary train length, have small sections of tracks (sidings?) to pull over to avoid the collisions, and change train priorities as a function of time. Then add a third train....
 
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