CTC panrl operations

There are several dispatching simulators available that model CTC operation, like the commercial Train Dispatcher and the freeware Train Director,. I have used both of these, but rather than having the knobs as on a real life CTC panel you use the mouse to click on the signal shown next to the track on the display to change it. Probably not what you're looking for. I don't know of any simulation that has you manipulating CTC panel knobs, but I haven't looked at everything that's available either. I might suggest that you go through the extensive list of railroad computer games and simulations at the following link and see if any meet your needs:

Basically, on a CTC panel there are turnout controls which throw the turnouts and signal switches which turn the controlled signal green if the route is clear to the next signal. I once built a 45 signal CTC board using logic chips to do the decisions for the route clearance and the board worked very well. When the train passes the signal, the signal goes back to red and stays there until you reset it with the signal control. The lever for the signal goes to the left or right to indicate which direction the train is to go. It is the joint between two blocks (which may contain turnouts for multiple paths) is allowed to go. I'll note that different boards may have different actions depending upon what they control. For example, you may want to be able to tell a train to enter a block wher there is something already there and giving a green signal is the wrong thing to show so it may do something like a blinking red which indicates that you can enter the block but be prepared to stop short of something on the track. Something like this would be used in a yard area where the locos may need to enter the block to pick up a cut of cars or such an operation. Seperate rules for the trackage area will control that type of stuff.

-- Bob May

rmay at nethere.com http: slash /nav.to slash bobmay http: slash /bobmay dot astronomy.net