Counters

[Hwnel]

Hello,

I have just finished putting in Feedback contacts (about 80) and set up a Tour automatic where My trains leave a
8 Track Shadow Station to the 6 Track Main Station and from the Main Station back to the Shadow Station.  The Main Station is accessed from both sides via an entry signal.  This works fantastic!  The trains all run random so even I don't know which train will leave the Shadow Station or the Main Station.  I've read the manual headings routes, tours, tour automatics and profile a few times each.  But still don't quite know how to implement the counter function. 

Is there an example of how the counter can be used?  For instance can I have a particular train circle the layout 2 or three times and stop while the rest of the tour automatic still runs?  If so, how is this implemented?

I'd like to thank the developers of this program as this is what I was working toward on my layout.

MfG

Elliott

[Raphael]

Goodday Elliot,

on the Dutch site of this forum you wil find something about the counters, written by Bob Vermeulen (autor)

Maby he has an translation.

Thomass

[Moris]

Hi Elliott,

in this post http://www.windigipet.de/foren/index.php?topic=60752.0 you will find the link to download the german translation of the document to which Thomass refers to.

I read it and found it very interesting and useful. You will find some tips on how to use counters to condition the processing of ZFA (Tour Automatic). See also section 11.10.3 of the User Manual (English version).

Regards,
Maurizio

[Stefan Lersch]

Hi Elliott and Moris,

no, sorry that is a different article that I translated. I haven't translated the counter article, yet. Anyway it would be in German...

[Moris]

oh sorry , I didn't know about another article by Bob Vermeulen specific to counters.

Anyway I found the document "ZFA handbuch-D-Pro X.doc" quite interesting, so thanks for the translation .

Regards,
Maurizio

[Hwnel]

Hello

@Thomass
Thank you for your quick response.  Is the Article that Moris is referring to the one you meant?  I couldn't find an article that might be specific to counters

@Moris,
Thank you for the link to the "ZFA handbuch-D-Pro X.doc"  It was interesting reading and did have a little bit about counters controlling a Shadow Station, very helpful.

@Stefan,
Ich kann noch ein bischen Deutsch, so if you do translate any articles related to counters(Zähler) please let me know
I'm just looking for examples of what others may have done with counters.

Mfg

Elliott

[Bob Vermeulen]

Hallo Elliot,

The article Raphael was mentioned to you is only in Dutch  and here is the link to it:

http://www.windigipet.de/foren/index.php?topic=57770.0

Me by if you look in to it you can understand the figures and can you use it by looking to the colour prints.

If you have a problem with counters I can translate it with a translation program during my Christmas break

[Hwnel]

Hello Bob,

Thanks for your reply, I've just read...err...looked through the article and can follow it to some extent
I will try to implement your example on my 8 track shadow station.  Is there a reason you set the teller(counter?) to 5?  Or is that to distinguish which counter is being referred to in the dispatcher(Stellwerkswarter).

Your article is very informative thank you!

Groeten uit Hawaii

Elliott

[Stefan Lersch]

Hi Elliott,

I just had again a glance at Bob's article. 5 is just an example. He explains how to set the counter (yes, that's "teller" in Dutch) to a specific value. Very interesting is chapter 4. There Bob shows a shadow station with 10 tracks and depending on the value of the counter either a passenger train ("personen") or a freight train ("goederen") may depart.

I hope this helps you just a little further.

[Hwnel]

Hello Stefan,

Yes it does help me further, thank you.  I think I understand that the dispatcher counts the counter up one notch when a train passes over feedback contact 123.  Does the dispatcher set the counter back to 01 when the counter reaches 15 on the attached picture?

I understand that the tour automatic(ZFA) will only set a train in motion when the correct counter value is shown.  Is this correct?

Mfg

Elliott

[Stefan Lersch]

Hi Elliott,

yes, both is correct. You understood the basics of usage of the counters, very good!

[Moris]

Hello Bob, and Stefan

with the help of Google Language Tools I managed to translate the most of your article, and I found it very easy to understand, so thank you for the link (and for writing it ).

Regards,
Maurizio