Hello guys: hope everyone is having a pleasant summer fishing or whatever.
I got a call from a reader who is having trouble using AF semaphores to operate two trains at once on long loops. He says that the AF pressure trips don't work well, and has tried all the right things as far as I can tell, adjusting them, cleaning the contacts, not nailing down the track near the trips, and placing cardboard under the discs. Has anyone on this list gotten this system to work well? If so, could you post descriptions, advice, and suggestions for him? He is not computerized, so I will print out any helpful postings and mail them to him. Are the AF electric track trips better? Has anyone used Erie Signal or Dallee trips for this successfully? How about the MTH pressure trips and ITAD's? What is the key to the correct placement of the trips? etc, etc. I know that some of you guys have some good answers. Please pitch in here. I never liked this system too much, and so haven't much experience with it. Incidentally, I am working on a system that will allow several trains to occupy one loop without colliding. It is based on the old block system in the Lionel Fawcett paperback. The key for this system is to divide the loop into three blocks to run two trains. For three trains you would need four blocks, for four you would need at least five blocks, etc. No semaphores involved. I have gotten it to work well with two trains, but need more accurate train detection devices to make more than two train operation work. I hope to set it up on the floor, tinker with it until it works, and then publish it in S Gaugian. It ought to be fun and useful too. Any suggestions? Thanks. Tom Jarcho S-Trains list sponsor: http://www.americanflyertrains.com All the "Flyer" you desire...books and accessories too! To UNSUBSCRIBE from this list send a note to [EMAIL PROTECTED] Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
