Help with ATCS

[mike nowakowski]

I am a beginner with this can someone please help me set up ATCS step by step.

[odave]

The first step is to get a Yahoo account, if you don't already have one, then join the ATCS_Monitor group:

http://finance.groups.yahoo.com/group/ATCS_Monitor/

Once your membership is accepted, you can download the ATCSMon program files.

When you have the ATCSMon program, it has an excellent tutorial on how to get things set up using the layout for Metrolink in California. I would go through that and make sure everything is working on your PC.

Then go to http://www.greatlakeslive.com/atcsmoncnfltholly.html to get the CN Flint & Holly sub layout. It has a good readme too.

If you need more help, just shoot me a PM and I can try to walk you through it.

[mike nowakowski]

I joined the group and i downloaded ATCSMon380.exe what should i do now.

[odave]

Go ahead and install it, taking all the defaults in the setup wizard

Assuming you want the CN Flint & Holly Sub to start with, go to its Great Lakes Live downloads page (click here) and download the "kit".

The kit is a ZIP file. Uncompress it to whatever folder you like. When you uncompress it, you will find a "How TO.txt" file. It has instructions on how to configure ATCSMon - just go through them.

[mike nowakowski]

Ok, i did all that the only thing that i am confused with is how do you tell where a train is on the dispatcher display.

[odave]

A train is where the track lines are red - or more generally, where the track is occupied.

When the lines are green, that means that the track is cleared for an approaching train, as indicated by the signal icons. You can override this manually by clicking on the signal icon. The track that it controls will go from green to white & back as you toggle it. The actual state from the field will be restored after you mess with it when that CP sends out new data.

When the lines are white, nothing is cleared (or there is no data)

Gray tracks are where no ATCS equipment is present (e.g. Flint Service Track)

When a control point name is red, that means you have gotten data from it recently. White names mean that no data has been received. Blue means that a state change has been requested.

More info on this thread

[mike nowakowski]

When you say "on the field" does that mean that the signals change on the Flint sub when i toggle them.
And where do you get Rochelle Ill and Fostoria OH and all of the created michigan ATCS Monitors.

[odave]

Sorry, I wasn't clear. When you change the signal states on the dispatcher display, you're just doing it locally on your PC - it's sort of like a test mode. ATCSMon is "read-only"

When the real signal sends out an update, ATCSMon will undo your local change and make it be the "real" state.

One place to check for other layouts is on the ATCSMON site's files page.

[mike nowakowski]

and one more things i have been wathing ATCS and it seems like the trains arent moving for a wile and it seems like the red lines are getting shorter and longer is this suposto happen

[mike nowakowski]

And could you please help me set up the Flint and Mt. Clemens sub i tried but it didint work.

[odave]

The ATCSMon layout is just a schematic, it is not a scale map. Miles of track without interest are compressed - that's why the red lines get shorter and longer.

As for the Mt. Clemens sub not working, you need to connect to an internet server like the one at Great Lakes live that covers this area. I don't think there is one. Not all ATCSMon layouts have internet servers. Some of them are for guys who hook their scanners up to their laptops - the scanner then drives the display instead of the internet server.

There's an internet servers list on the ATCSMon site. You set this up in the Configure > Options > Data Source tab.

[mike nowakowski]

I take it thats the case for this one without a server.

Thanks for all the help i may have more questions but i am good for now thanks again

Mike nowakowksi

[RailCanon]

As for the Mt. Clemens sub not working, you need to connect to an internet server like the one at Great Lakes live that covers this area. I don't think there is one.

There really isn't, unless the CTC-controlled siding at Haven is set up for ATCS, which I kind of doubt. With that location being the exception, the entire Mount Clemens sub is dark, unsignaled territory.
ATCS is installed on CN's CTC-controlled mainlines in the state. Specifically, this includes the entire Flint Subdivision, the South Bend Subdivision, the Holly Subdivision from Durand to Moterm in Ferndale (Moterm to Milwaukee Jct. is ABS signaled), most, if not all, of the Shoreline Subdivision, and a portion of the Flat Rock subdivsion (?) from FN Tower to a point just east of the Flat Rock yard, I believe.

[Mike]

Just for reference:

Mt. Clemens Sub Has two (Radio Code Line) Control Points and there sending there information to the Richmond Tower that also hears E & W Imlay Tappan's and Port Huron there are a total of 8 CP (Control Points) in on this Frequency 928.30625Mhz. I would LOVE to have a reciver out there to feed back to my servers to light up the rest of the Flint Sub and the Mt. Clemens Sub. finding good hosts in the right location has been very tough!

I will be installing a Server on the Shore-Line Sub over Christmas and creating a layout file for that sub over the holidays. (while hanging out at the in-laws)

there are 12 towers that cover about 30 - 40 miles each of CN trackage so I will need about 12 - 14 hosts to light all of everything CN in the Michigan District. So far I have 4 on-line and three yet to be installed..

a small part of the South-Bend Sub is up as of yesterday. (Where CN & CSX Cross)