John,

Although I have used the S88 with the memory and connected it the same way the instruction booklet tells you and all the programming involved in it but I never understood the mechanics behind it, mind you this was many years ago.
I think, the way I understood it, one side activates it and the other side cancels it.
One section of the programming I never achieved and this is when you set a priority route, whereas a track crosses another one and you select one track to have priority over the other one.

I didn't realize at the time how advanced the memory was, for instance your solenoids are switched in a sequence and you can delay the switching time by pressing the selected button up to 8 times (maximum delay).

I've used switch contact and contact tracks to monitor my trains, for instance your contact tracks are installed inside of your turnouts from both sides, within this circuit you attach a brown wire to the track and this in return goes to the S88 (I can't remember if it was 1-8 or 9-16), this way of setup, it isn't just your loco but also your carriages which will be monitored and the way it works, one side of the track is isolated (k-track for an example), with your AC wheels the other side is either free (no axles on your siding) or the siding is occupied = detection of wheels) and this will prevent any train entering this particular siding.
there are other blocksystems you can use, for instance a 3 track siding = all tracks are occupied and you have an entry signal = isolated section and the trains will not enter any of the sidings until one siding is declared free.
the memory only works in alphabetical order = route A1 - A8, B1 - B8, C, D etc etc. it always will start with route "A", than "B" etc.etc.

You can have the memory working internally or externally, again I can't remember which is which, one is for manual operation and the other automatic operation.
manual operation lets you press the button, e.g. A1 and this will than activate route "A" and as you most probably already found out you can add routes to another route, the maxcimum solenoids you can attach to a route is 20 adding another route you can have 40 solenoids operating in a sequencial mode.

there are issues as I said I haven't resolved, for instance if you have a 3 track siding and you have some of the connection points still free, e.g. 1-8 or 9-16 can you use the the left over connections for something else or is this it and you have to use another S88 to start with a new programming process.

I'm sure there are others on this forum who are more clued up than I am and hopefully I can pick up some hints and information from this interesting and important topic.

thanks for bringing it up.

regards.,

John

...as far as I remember , but I'm not very sure because actually my memory-system is disconnected.... it happens to avoid accidents when 2 different routes are sharing one same device or common devices .... For instance : one turnout is included in two routes A1 and A3...in the route A1 its position must be "turn left"....and in the route A3 its position should be "straight on ".
As under the interlocking mode & in some configurations the memory works in a sequential order ( not always) , if route A3 is trigerred the turnout won't be activated untill route A1 is unlocked ...In facts : it is the whole Route A3 that will not be executed before Route A1 is unlocked....( each device has an adress , the memory should be able to know if some routes shared same devices or not...)

Despite I didn't try it : the more comfortable is to have 2 memory 6043 one working in "normal mode" + one working in "interlocking mode"...(I only had one memory box 6043).

Edited by user 04 June 2012 15:35:47(UTC)  | Reason: Not specified