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Firstly, I just wanted to say thank you for the positive reception with which the UkTrainSys cross-platform .NET plugin has been received; this was very nice to see! Based on feedback, I’ve now updated the UkTrainSys plugin, so that the AI driver will operate the Driver Reminder Appliance en-route. I’ve also implemented an enhanced neutral section and Automatic Power Control simulation, but first, a little background information might be in order…<\/p>\n
Neutral section (phase break) installations<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n For those who don’t know, a neutral section (or phase break), isolates different phases of the power supply being fed to the overhead electrification system from each other. This is accomplished by inserting a short length of insulated material into the contact wire, which the pantograph head can still slide across at speed. In the UK, I gather these insulated sections are typically comprised of glass-fibre rods with ceramic collars threaded on to them, with the total length of the neutral section itself, being only around 4 metres.<\/p>\n At either side of the neutral section, are a pair of track mounted magnets, called APC (Automatic Power Control) magnets. Whenever an APC receiver on an electric train detects these magnets, the APC system flips the state of the air-blast\/vacuum circuit breaker (ACB\/VCB) between the pantograph and the on-train traction equipment, interrupting or connecting the supply from the pantograph and overhead line.<\/p>\n Thus, when a train approaches the first pair of magnets prior to a neutral section, the ACB\/VCB is commanded open, such that there is no power being drawn from the overhead line when passing through the neutral section (this prevents the pantograph from drawing an arc and accidentally connecting one of the power supply phases to earth – the neutral section cantilever\/support tubes are earthed so that the two separated phases aren’t connected in the event of an arc). When the train passes the second pair of APC magnets after the neutral section, the ACB\/VCB is commanded closed again, and power from the overhead line can be taken.<\/p>\n See the illustration to the left, for an overview of the installation. The yellow arrow indicates the direction of travel; the red line indicates which parts of the contact wire are still live, even if the Automatic Power Control system has opened the train’s air-blast\/vacuum circuit breaker, and finally, the blue line shows the location of the neutral section itself.<\/p>\n Updated UkTrainSys cross-platform .NET plugin (v0.3.1.3), with enhanced neutral section and APC simulation<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n Secondly, and more importantly, I’ve significantly improved the simulation of neutral sections, and Automatic Power Control. Now, the APC magnets and the actual neutral section itself can be declared separately. This means that every time the correctly defined APC magnet beacon is passed, it will flip the current state of the train’s ACB\/VCB. This however, does not affect the actual availability of line voltage from the contact wire.<\/p>\n What this means, is that if the ACB\/VCB is tripped open by an APC magnet, but your train stalls because you weren’t travelling fast enough, you can now manually re-close the ACB\/VCB by pressing the pantograph up\/reset button. If the train’s pantograph is not<\/strong> within the separately defined 4 metre long neutral section, you can take power from the overhead supply once again, and move the train backwards or forwards as appropriate, so you can try to build up enough speed in order to coast through the neutral section without stalling, this time. If the train’s pantograph does<\/strong> stop within the neutral section, then line voltage is not available, even if you try to re-close the ACB\/VCB. In this case, you have to hope that your train is on a gradient, such that if the brakes are released, the train will roll out of the neutral section due to gravity. If this isn’t possible, then you have some explaining to do!<\/p>\n There is a more interesting aspect to this, though – with UkTrainSys, you can now drive backwards<\/em> through a neutral section, not just forwards, and still have the full simulation experience. On a unit like the 323, (I think) the APC receiver is located on the bogie beneath the pantograph, on the second coach. The beacon receiver on an openBVE train is located at the front of the train, however – where the driver is (thereabouts). If travelling forwards, then when the front of the train passes an APC magnet beacon, this triggers a point-based event, and a check can then be performed, which will only carry out the ACB\/VCB operation when the train is so many metres beyond<\/em> the beacon; i.e the distance between the front of the train, and the location of where the APC receiver is supposed to be. But what happens if the train is travelling backwards? The location where the APC receiver is supposed to be, will pass the APC beacon before what is now the rear of the train (where the driver and openBVE’s beacon receiver are located), will pass the beacon, and hence trigger a beacon related event. This obviously won’t work properly, as the action triggered by the beacon, won’t happen until it’s beneath the driver’s position, which is too late when travelling backwards.<\/p>\n So, the UkTrainSys plugin now includes what I’m calling the “Offset Beacon Receiver Manager” (OBRM). Whenever the UkTrainSys plugin passes an APC magnet beacon while travelling forwards, the plugin stores information about the beacon in an array. The stored information includes the beacon type, it’s location, it’s optional data, and an offset distance which equates to the distance between the front of the train, and the location of where the APC receiver is supposed to be. The OBRM continually checks whether the train is currently travelling forwards or backwards, and whether the APC receiver location has passed the actual beacon location, taking direction of travel into account. When the trigger point occurs, the OBRM issues a command to the APC system, rather than doing this via the SetBeacon() method. The only other thing to mention, is that jumping to a station clears the encountered beacon history, so you actually have to drive forwards over a beacon for it to be stored by the OBRM.<\/p>\n This means that you can drive an EMU like the 323 through a neutral section backwards, but it also means that a Driving Van Trailer (DVT) with an electric loco pushing a rake of coaches from behind, can respond to the APC magnets at the correct time and location, whether travelling forwards or backwards, too.<\/p>\n Also, the UkTrainSys changelog can be found here: UkTrainSys project page<\/a>.\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n Short neutral section test route, for use with UkTrainSys and the class 323 with 3D cab<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n\n![](\"..\/photos\/mk3_neutral_section_1.jpg\" "\\"A")
\nView of a real MkIII neutral section<\/a>
\nThanks to Daniel Beardsmore<\/a> for the photo<\/em><\/span>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n
\nUK1 and MkI neutral sections
\n[Click to enlarge]<\/span><\/a>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n
\nAPC magnets and a neutral section
\n[Click to enlarge]<\/span><\/a>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\nAnyway, an updated version of the UkTrainSys plugin is now available together with the class 323’s 3D cab (version 0.3.1.3 – downloads can be found further down), and I’ve made some improvements to the simulation of electric trains. Firstly, I’ve modified the pantograph behaviour – when the pantograph is rising or lowering, pressing the Up\/Reset or Down button has no effect until either operation is completed. Pressing the Up\/Reset button when the pantograph is already raised, will just re-close the air-blast\/vacuum circuit breaker (ACB\/VCB) if it’s open.<\/p>\n\n<\/a>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\nDownload:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n
\n(The unrefurbished class 323<\/a> from Trainsimcentral is required first – the 3D cab and plugin update should OVERWRITE any existing files in the “Cl323 Unrefurb_openbve” folder).<\/em><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<\/div>\n\nImportant:<\/strong> Remember that you need openBVE v1.2.9.20<\/a> in order to use the new UkTrainSys .NET plugin, and also remember that this is an alpha release of the plugin, so it may have some issues, but they’ll be addressed as development progresses.<\/p>\n<\/div>\nI’ve prepared a short test route so that you can try this new feature. The route includes two neutral sections; the first on level track, and the second on an incline. Using the class 323<\/a> with the latest version of the 3D cab update and UkTrainSys plugin<\/a>, you can drive through the neutral sections and play with the new behaviour.<\/p>\n\n