TNOS Layout 1: Automatic Modes 1 through 3

[sandiway]

I've had my starter TNOS set for a long time but I've not ventured to play with it until this lockdown. 

 

Didn't have extra C280 track pieces as in the manual, so I've got something similar to layout 1 with Wide PC curves C317/C345 hybrid (didn't have enough of either left over). The layout doesn't quite compute exactly but the few mm short is not critical here.

 

It took me a little while to debug  because one sensor didn't really work right (I used my old TCS 5563 in mode 7 to debug the layout) and I didn't realize initially that the gaps needn't be at the branching end of the points. The Tomix electric points can have a gap at the merged end instead.

 

There's some overlapping train movements in layout 1 but there are also stops waiting for the next zone to vacate but the stop is WAY longer than I expected because the train ahead needs to trip the TCS sensor two zones ahead. So having a single ND unit is not very interesting. Layout 3 with two ND units using 7 or 8 feeders and TCS sensors (zones) or up to 14 TCS sensors looks more interesting. I'm pretty sure I don't have 14 sensors lying around though.

 

Anyway, here's a video illustrating modes 1 (alternating), 2 (overtake) and 3 (alternating and swap sidings) on layout 1.