Gibbon, Cozad & Western - "The 100th Meridian Line"

[John]

You might be able to safe a lot of work by using CATS

[Ed Kapuscinski]

Any questions? 

Can you get Chat-GPT to do these for you?

[C855B]

Can you get Chat-GPT to do these for you?

Har har. I do a little bit of fiction writing and hang out on a writers' forum, and we are carrying on (and on, and on) about how Chat-GPT is changing our world. Being the closet Luddite I am, my take is "...pshaw... NOT!" 'cause it doesn't understand - and likely never will - satire, paradox, humor and bunches of other subtle language-play. My quip is that the generated text is so dry it takes two glasses of milk to choke it down.

It surely wouldn't get my solution of accommodating signaling where the crossovers could be aligned to run the train through the junction just to end-up on the same track they started from! 

[Ed Kapuscinski]

Har har. I do a little bit of fiction writing and hang out on a writers' forum, and we are carrying on (and on, and on) about how Chat-GPT is changing our world. Being the closet Luddite I am, my take is "...pshaw... NOT!" 'cause it doesn't understand - and likely never will - satire, paradox, humor and bunches of other subtle language-play. My quip is that the generated text is so dry it takes two glasses of milk to choke it down.

It surely wouldn't get my solution of accommodating signaling where the crossovers could be aligned to run the train through the junction just to end-up on the same track they started from! 

Maybe not, but I DID just have it write an Excel formula for me.
It can do lots of programming. Probably not in THIS weird language (since it wasn't trained), but like... it could.

[John]

Can you get Chat-GPT to do these for you?

Maybe

write a logicng statement to control signals at a control point!

Assuming that the control signals are represented by boolean variables, and the control point is a physical location where the signals are monitored and acted upon, a possible logical statement to control signals at a control point could be:

IF (Signal_1 AND Signal_2) OR NOT Signal_3 THEN
Take action A at the control point
ELSEIF NOT Signal_1 AND Signal_2 THEN
Take action B at the control point
ELSEIF Signal_3 THEN
Take action C at the control point
ELSE
Take default action D at the control point

This statement specifies four possible scenarios based on the values of the three signals, and defines a corresponding action to be taken at the control point for each scenario. The logic can be customized according to the specific requirements of the control system.

[mu26aeh]

I'm all of a sudden getting flashbacks from my 7th or 8th grade computer programming class (thinking '93-94) 

[John]

I'm all of a sudden getting flashbacks from my 7th or 8th grade computer programming class (thinking '93-94) 

LOL .. but it makes perfect sense for something like this.  If the block is occupied, then the signal should be red. If the switch is thrown to diverging, then lower signal head should be yellow (or green depending on the rule) ..  I personally use CATS for this - it's a much easier interface to work through IMO .. JMRI is very powerful, but written by programmers so the ability to go down to the nuts and bolts level is there .. which is great for those odd situations that need special coding .. it's also a swiss army knife - lots of tools that can do similar things - which can be intimidating to a lot of people

However with all this power comes a cost .. you need to devote effort to learn the coding involved, or at least the basics ..  before I took down the M&O, I had options to do full CTC control with dispatcher, or for roundy round ops APB2 setups.  It took some time, but the effect of working signals is really impressive and can add enjoyment to the hobby.   

[C855B]

Father, I have sinned yet again. Please be merciful in assigning my penance.

I just ordered a caboose from MBK to go with the HO Centennial and GP30B display. I put up the shelf yesterday above my workstation, found the - again, HO - BLMA two-head signal in LA&SL style, and realized I needed to "complete" the display. Good thing Athearn very recently released the proper UP caboose, so I am now set. I have a 40' appliance boxcar in the yellow/silver "Automated Rail Way" map scheme acquired many years ago, but I don't think it will fit on the 3' shelf with the rest. HO is big. We'll see.

[packers#1]

The real question Mike, is are you going to build an HO diorama for the track and signal to sit in appropriate scenery?

[C855B]

Probably not, though your suggestion makes me think it might be fun and relatively easy to have a panorama shot behind the shelf. I have plenty of appropriate material.

There's another shelf display in the plans for the 7 brass HO models acquired over the years of the UP double-diesel fleet, one of each. It will strictly be a display case.

[dandopinski]

Yes. Under speed signaling protocols. Not all RRs have adopted it.

Are you using Union Pacifics signalling protocol then?

[C855B]

Are you using Union Pacifics signalling protocol then?

Some of it, aspects from the set that's published with JMRI, UP-2008. It's not really what I want, which is UP rules proximate to 1970. There are a few speed signaling aspects, but not nearly as many as the later set. Problem I'm having with fudging the 1970-ish signaling rules is lunar instead of flashing red for "restricted" indications. Don't have lunar available.

[GaryHinshaw]

Father, I have sinned yet again. Please be merciful in assigning my penance.

I just ordered a caboose from MBK to go with the HO Centennial and GP30B display.... but I don't think it will fit on the 3' shelf with the rest. HO is big. We'll see.

I guess I'll have to be the first one to say this out loud: given the size of your space and the scope of your existing benchwork, it would be the 'work of a moment' to repurpose it to HO.

[basementcalling]

Father, I have sinned yet again. Please be merciful in assigning my penance.

I just ordered a caboose from MBK to go with the HO Centennial and GP30B display. I put up the shelf yesterday above my workstation, found the - again, HO - BLMA two-head signal in LA&SL style, and realized I needed to "complete" the display. Good thing Athearn very recently released the proper UP caboose, so I am now set. I have a 40' appliance boxcar in the yellow/silver "Automated Rail Way" map scheme acquired many years ago, but I don't think it will fit on the 3' shelf with the rest. HO is big. We'll see.

Let us know if you order a full sized caboose to use as guest accommodations for visitors. Matter of fact, if you ordered a full size Centennial  to sit outside the "museum," that would be cool news too.

[C855B]

I guess I'll have to be the first one to say this out loud: given the size of your space and the scope of your existing benchwork, it would be the 'work of a moment' to repurpose it to HO.

Blasphemy! Shame on you, Gary! (I know. The thought has crossed my mind.)

But no, too much invested at this point. The GP30B arrived in the mail at the house this afternoon and I am (with great difficulty!) resisting letting out the factory air until I get it over to the studio this evening. I've also been pricing current-production freight cars in HO, which are doing a fabulous job of suppressing any interest there. $100+ for one auto rack? Yikes.

Repeat after me, "Long trains, Mike. Long trains. Lots of mainline running. Long trains."