JMRI Part 2 – Blocks, Routing, Logic and Signalling

See the list of possible courses for 2023, and if you are interested in this or another course for 2023, please let us know.

Watch this space for when the next course is scheduled, but note that we will only run this course in 2023 if we receive sufficient expressions of interest.

This is part 2 of our three JMRI courses, also referred to as “More JMRI”.

Any bookings for our 2020 course that we were not able to run at Rushden, that you have not yet been able to attend, will be honoured for this course in 2022. If you already have such a booking, you will be contacted by email with latest updates.

The course will run over the weekend with arrivals from 4pm on Friday afternoon to about 5pm on Sunday afternoon.

In addition to the weekend course, there is an optional follow-on practical workshop day on the Monday. This day will be purely a practical workshop session for you to apply the knowledge learnt over the weekend, with the assistance of the tutors. If you have your own layout hardware that you want to work on with JMRI, we can also assist with that on the Monday

This course will take you through train detection and identification, entry exit routing and signalling using signal mast logic.

This is a weekend course for those already familiar and competent with the basics of JMRI.

As a pre-requisite you should have attended our introduction to JMRI Panel Pro course, or be fluent with drawing a layout diagram in the Layout Editor, setting up turnouts & sensors, turnout feedback, linking from a Layout Editor Panel to the physical layout, use of blocks & the basics of train detection.

We will be using the JMRI Panel Pro Layout Editor throughout.

Topics covered will include:

What's new in JMRI

Revision of block detection and train tracking

Choosing where blocks start and end, which rails to detect

Detecting trains on frogs and crossings

Real vs virtual blocks

Train identification - Reporters – RFID

Logix – “If this then do that”

Entry-Exit (NX) routing

Signal heads vs Signal Masts

Setting up control of signals using signal masts – semaphore and colour light

Signal mast logic (we will use BR 2003 rulebook signals for our examples)

Signal feathers using Logix

Semaphore junction signals using signal groups

Approach control

Permissive working

Customising signal mast icons

Block routing

Diving into JMRI XML files as and when we need to

A brief look at scripting – write your own program within JMRI

This will be a practical course so that you can have a go on your own computer as we go along.

You can download more details below:

JMRI Part 2 – Blocks, Routing and Signalling course details

These courses are organised by a group of MERG members for the benefit of other MERG members and railway modellers in general. Your booking is directly with the course organisers, not with MERG itself.

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