Lineside Signals: B&M Eastern Route

[jbvb]

Near the beginning of this thread, I mentioned looking at what was then the Atlas signal system, but not finding enough documentation to understand how it worked.  Now I've seen an installation, at the Southern New England Model RR Club in Gardner, MA (O Scale 2-rail).



They aren't prototype- or era-specific: Tri-color signals here, searchlights elsewhere and a few PRR position-lights.



Their large space is pretty much filled with layout, passageways around and under it, a dispatcher's office (shown) and monitoring camers so Dispatch can see a little bit of the action.  Forgot to ask what they're using, maybe JMRI/Panel Pro.



This is how train crews learn which DCC macros do what to local switches.  Wouldn't surprise me if havoc sometimes arises from an operator fat-fingering the wrong macro number; another thing I forgot to ask.



Atlas' modular components and RJ-45 wiring scheme saves customers from soldering, but also make individual interlockings fairly large. This is about 16x24".

Documentation now exists. I haven't read beyond the Table of Contents, but 24 pages is a lot better than none.

 https://download.atlasrr.com/pdf/AtlasAdvancedSignalGuide.pdf

The SNEMRRC Atlas system turns out to have been set up by the original designer, who sold his system to Atlas around 2013. He's not active in the club any more, but the guy I talked to was well versed in how it worked and how to update/modify it.