I have been asking questions about how to automate my layout, and maybe I was too quick to ask about that, as I see it may be more complicated than I thought.
What I would like to know is, without any physical sensors, can I make "Routes" for my engines to follow? I would like to be able to deliver and pick up freight cars on the layout. I have no physical sensors, reporters or transits to work with. Do I need sensors for that? Do I need transits for that? Do I need recorders for that? The instructions say that some of these are necessary, and some that may not need them. And then there is the statement that when I set up one of these things (sensors, signals, recorders, transits), to be careful if you edit one because you could mess up work previously done. And if I change one or more, and I do not change subsequent ones in other places, they will come back from previous references. SCARY! I understand loss of work as I have had to do some rewiring lately UNDER THE LAYOUT when some of my stationary decoders stopped working.
Yes I have been reading in the user manual, but all of these things are not put in a context of what I need, how much of what I need is automatically put in (like the blocks for switches) , or if I already have a lot of "automatic blocks" for my turnouts, how do I fix the blocks so I know where and, what turnout they are attached to.
I am very hesitant to get into this aspect of setting up because it is made to sound so difficult.
For instance "sensors". The instructions have very long paragraphs talking about how to set them up and that when you make a block or set a turnout they may be made automatically in the software as I am setting up a layout in layout editor.
My turnouts are in, and I can switch the turnouts from my remote panel board AND my computer. But I would like to progress from here and get my trains starting to move freight and make deliveries and pickups. Can we start with that??
I started out with 4 blocks, but as I added turnouts, the software added blocks that are in a sequential order as I added new turnouts. So I do not know if I can change the user names of the turnout blocks, or if I have to keep them as they are.
Thanks,
George
