Signals & Track German Train Protection Signal (zugdeckungssignal)

So far we only have the shunt signals that can show Hp 0 and Sh 1. But there are also train protection signals used in stations which can only show Hp 0 or Kennlicht (deactivated). By default they are deactivated and the dispatcher would ignore them and route to the next mainline signal.

It gets interesting in this scenario:
Entrance mainline ----empty section---- train protection (Hp 0) ---- train ---- exit mainline

Here, the dispatcher could lay in a route from the entrance mainline signal to the train protection signal showing a mainline signal aspect, not a shunt aspect (!). This way, two trains can enter one platform without calling the signaller. It can also be used to speed up the entry of the second train, while the first is still departing (used in Cologne). Here, the second train gets likely Hp 2 with Zs3 showing 2 and if the first train clears the platform, the train protection signal can deactivate and allows continuing to the mainline exit signal.

In total, there are 4 behaviours possible:

1. being deactivated with empty platform: train gets path to next mainline signal (or train protection signal with Hp 0)
   
2. being set to Hp 0 with empty platform: train gets path to train protection signal; this is used to allow another train to enter in opposing direction (like Hamburg Hbf, Düren irl) up to a train protection signal in opposite direction at the roughly same place which is also on Hp 0
3. being set to Hp 0 with filled platform ahead, stays Hp 0 until platform ahead is clear: train gets path to train protection signal; used to enter stations with multiple trains in the same direction (used in Cologne Hbf irl)
4. being set to Hp 0 with filled platform ahead, deactivates after stop of arriving train: train gets path to train protection signal; used to couple a second train to the first train without calling the signaller (used in Cologne Hbf irl)

I have already seen the 3rd behaviour in Queen's Park on the Bakerloo line with various signals in the platform that get green as soon as the previous train has cleared the section.

In real life, the signaller can actively set the protection signal in a desired way. But in the game, it would need to happen automatically.

I'd be interested to build such a signal or at least the model of it. For the view, I'd start with the existing shunt signal that is standing, creating a child view and remove one of the white lamps. But I'm unsure if that will work without the source files.

The model will definitely be interesting and it's also interesting which signal type is fitting the best. It isn't really mainline but it isn't a running shunt or yard entry/exit signal either.

 

You might not even have to model it, the lamps and the body of the signal are already separate components. I've added Kennlicht to a signal in the past, basically it shows that whenever it would normally show Hp1, and that worked as well so I'm sure you could pull it off with the shunt signal too

 

How did you do that with signals that you don't have the source for?

 

Subclassing it. There's a thread on the forum, search for Kennlicht. The forum won't let me link it unfortunately for some reason

 

Found it. Don't know if it will help because I want to actually have correct logic. In the example on the forums, the Hp 1/2 aspects were misconstrued to show Kennlicht but the PZB magnets would still be on, for example. The PZB magnets are able to respect Kennlicht but it needs to be the proper Kennlicht aspect for that to work.
Will be interesting if I can get the signal to interoperate with other signals made from the German signal system.

 

That's correct, I didn't know better at the time
Maybe you found out already but you can make a signal (at least the German ones from EuropeanContentPack) show Kennlicht if a specific route is set by the dispatcher. Works by adding an entry in the "Custom" array in the signal's route table entry corresponding to that route and putting just the content "Kenn" in it (without the quotation marks).

 

Interesting. Will try to get a testing route to identify if the desired behaviour may already be possible with the existing signals. Then it would "only" be a matter of the route devs to actually place them appropriately.