One of the key tasks of TrainController™ is the operation of trains.

TrainController™ offers a wide range of opportunities to run trains - from fully manual to fully automatic control in many varieties.

For most variants of train operation, it is sufficient to enter the track diagram with digital turnout addresses and blocks with feedback sensors into the program. Routes are automatically calculated by the software (see also route test). The use of exact itineraries must only be entered into the program if really desired.

The following list provides an overview of the ways to control trains with TrainController™:

Spontaneous Runs

This is the most handy method to run your trains under full protection and routing. Just put a locomotive on the track and call the menu command Spontaneous Run. The train will immediately start to move, provided that the route ahead is clear. It will then select an appropriate path and continue to travel, until it reaches a dead end or until the path ahead is blocked for another reason. At a dead end it will reverse automatically, if desired, and continue to travel to the opposite direction.

Routes can be treated in different manners for spontaneous runs. It is either possible to allow the computer to select and activate all routes requested by the train automatically. It is also possible to leave this to the human operator. In this case the train is stopped in blocks with at least one outgoing route, until one of these outgoing routes is selected and activated by the human operator.

For spontaneous runs it is sufficient to enter the track diagram with digital turnout addresses and the blocks with feedback sensors into the program. There is no need to specify routes, itineraries, sequencers, etc. in advance.

AutoTrain™ by Drag & Drop

This is another very convenient method to run trains under full protection and routing of TrainController™. Just put a locomotive on the track and drag the symbol of the train on the computer screen with the mouse from its current position to the desired destination position. The train will immediately start to move, provided that the route ahead is clear. It will then select an appropriate path to the specified destination block and travel there, if possible. After arrival at the destination block the train is stopped.

AutoTrain™ by Drag & Drop requires only to enter the track image with digital turnout addresses and to arrange blocks and feedback sensors. There is no need to enter routes, itineraries or sequencers, etc. into the software.

AutoTrain™ Symbol Bar

This is an extension of AutoTrain™ by Drag & Drop. Instead of dragging a train symbol from its current position to the desired destination the path of the train and other options are specified via the AutoTrain™ Symbol Bar. This symbol bar provides more options than the more simple drag & drop method. The full functionality for automatic running of a train is available here. Among other options it is possible to specify more than one start and destination block, to enforce inclusion or exclusion of certain blocks, to specify scheduled waiting times during the travel, to specify operations, that will be executed during the travel, to determine, whether the train will be controlled manually, automatically or by a mixture of both, and so on. The AutoTrain™ Symbol Bar is also useful to predefine train runs for automatic operation of the layout.

To accomplish these goals it is sufficient to enter the track diagram with digital turnout addresses and the blocks with feedback sensors into the program.

Schedules

Schedules provide the possibility to predefine train runs in advance and in particular for full automatic operation. Unlike the other methods schedules do not require manual intervention to be started. The full functionality for automatic running of trains is available for schedules, too. Among other options it is possible to specify more than one start and destination block, to predetermine the exact paths, to specify scheduled waiting times during the travel, to specify operations, that will be executed during the travel, to determine, whether the train will be controlled manually, automatically or by a mixture of both, and so on.

Manual Control without Securing

Manual train control without block securing is performed by putting a train on the track and by driving it with the throttle of the digital system, with the on-screen throttle of TrainController™ or with a +SmartHand™ handheld without taking any further measures. Although the position of the train can be tracked by the computer, the computer does not activate routes ahead of the train or take corrective action like stopping the train at a red signal. The human operator is completely responsible for routing and stopping. A train driven in this way, however, is protected against other trains running under control of the computer, while other trains are not automatically protected against this train, i.e. the human operator is responsible for ensuring, that the train operated by him in this way does not run into other trains.
Disadvantages:

All the methods listed above can be used simultaneously and freely combined.

Separately, for all the above modes except the manual control it can be specified, who will take the part of the engineer or when the computer is expected to intervene. The following modes are possible: The following modes to run trains manually, namely:


can be applied to any manually or semi-automatically operated train for any of the methods listed above. It is also possible to pass each train from manual operation to any of the automatic modes listed above and back or between the particular modes listed above at any time during operation. In short terms: there are almost no limitations.