Hi Bob,
Welcome! I am sure that someone will get to this.Software can do many great things for control.In fact,I am going to head down to a friends layout and get(with help from computer geeks ) a CS2 and Railroad&Co working.

Where are you located in MA? ETE member?


Dr D

Hi Bob,

Robert is not quite correct , there is a timer associated with the pendulum/shuttle function.

If you only have one train in operation (powered) using the station sensor at any one time, You can set up a shuttle with only a middle sensor and no end sensors.

if you want to rotate multiple trains through the same station , all the ones "not in focus" should be on a dead section so that they do not get the commands to (re)start. A traditional shadow yard would normally be wired up this way

With the CS2 you set up a shuttle routine per loco, therefore each loco can have its own speed and pause settings.
AND multiple shuttles can be active at one time! even if they use the same sensors

Additional: If you want to cater for "other" trains through the station then wire up a k84 to disable the sensor (or switch it to a different s88 port) so that the trains in "sequence mode" do not take off at the wrong time.

FYI. comparison
The CS1 takes the other tack, by setting up a route to which you associate a (one only) train. The limitations are the settings for delays and speed are fixed (and the CS1 does not have a mid point option so the "mid point pause" solution is not applicable)

Have Fun !
Peter

I also want to have one train stop on one siding and have a second start its route.
If the CS2 cannot do it alone, is there software that can be run in conjunction with the CS2?

Vince

Hi Peter,

You say above an S88 can trigger a locomotive function. I thought that was only possible when using routes in CS2? Anyway does that mean a S88 could activate the "shunting mode" for a MFX locomotive. Just brain storming here; instead of having brake modules a contact tracks via S88 triggers a locomotive to go to "shunt mode" at the distant signal. It then slows down and eventually stop at home signal (power off track). It will not be a smooth braking, but should look better than an abrupt halt? A contact track after the home signal can then deactivate the "shunt mode".

Brgs - Lasse

Correct - using the Memory feature to set up "routes" that includes the Loco Function is the core of this capability
By Associating that route with a sensor allows for automatic triggering by a train on the layout

This is a little impractical as the loco is hard coded, meaning any other loco triggering the sensor would also activate the function. Absolutely fine for a line with a single train shuttling along it.


Absolutely

This would be absolutely fine for a single train(loco) or a set of trains (locos) providing only one is running at a time (the others need to be on dead sections in the storage yard so they don't react to the commands).
It would require the "routes" to include a command for each loco in the group - with all but one loco on a dead section, the result would only be actioned by the one active locomotive.

Yes the deactivation of shunting mode "route" would be important. This could be done any time between the signal going green and the the train return to its storage yard - but before one of the other dead sections is livened up.

I would not use the fact that these things can be done without software, stop the evaluation. once you have taken the plunge down the software path the limitations of firmware coding in the CS are eliminated and another universe of variations is opened up. But sometimes there are little dioramas that just need a little bit of route sequencing to bring them to life without having to boot a PC.

...oh yes, thank you very much Clapcott for all those interesting explanations....
I should get a brand new CS2 before the end of the year , I'm longuing....
BTW , with the ability of triggerring Lok Functions , I'm thinking about the telex couplers....as all loco don't have telex coupling, I wonder how we could manage to make some funny automatism.....have you ever try ?
I4m almost sure the CS2 has not finished to grow, after the new last new range of Marklin decoders, as well as the whole Marklin digital system...,

Yes, connect the selected Middle contact to the track and each time the contact is activated the assigned loco will stop for the specified amount of time and then resume in the same direction (no matter the set direction is for this specified loco).
Note:
- similarly any time the specified Start Contact or Stop Contact is activated the specified loco will stop for the specified time and then start in the opposite direction.
- in fact the shuttle operation may be extended to multiple stops provided they use maximum 2 contact (either same contact track is paralleled on multiple contact tracks or a relay is doing the job
Cheers
Jean