Switches & Switch Signs: Difference between revisions

Latest revision as of 22:30, 3 April 2025

Switches are moveable pieces of track designed to steer rail vehicles in one of two possible directions. Depending on the session difficulty settings , switches can be operated in many ways:

Using comms radio aimed at the switch
Using station and route schematic maps with the Dispatcher license
Using switch setter gadget
Using mouse cursor in mouse mode
By manually interacting with the switch lever

When crossing a switch from the diverging end, it needs to be aligned to the desired direction of travel. When crossing it in the opposite direction, however, the switch doesn't need to be aligned. It will automatically change to the track that the crossing wheels are coming from.

There are two types of signs associated with switches: announcing and navigational one.

The announcing sign has a red “Y” shape on a white background, indicating an upcoming switch ahead and the end of the current speed limit section. It has a white appendix sign underneath, indicating the distance remaining to the switch, in kilometers. For example, a distance of 400m would be marked as "0.4".

The navigational sign is located on the switch itself. It shows a diagonal white line on a red background, indicating the direction the switch is set to. Changing the switch will move the sign to point in a different direction, along with the track alignment.

When operating long trains in reverse, a distance tracker gadget can be very useful to navigate switches.

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
 <languages />
-{{OldManualArticleNotice}}
 <translate>
 <!--T:1-->
-Switches are moveable pieces of track designed to steer trains in one of two possible directions. Depending on the session difficulty settings, by default they can be operated by hand, using a comms radio, and with the mouse cursor in mouse mode.
+Switches are moveable pieces of {{pll|Railway Terminology|track}} designed to steer {{pll|Rail Vehicle Types|rail vehicles}} in one of two possible directions. Depending on the session {{pll|Difficulty|difficulty settings}}, switches can be operated in many ways:
+* Using {{pll|Comms Radio Switch|comms radio}} aimed at the switch
+* Using {{pll|Station Map|station}} and {{pll|Route Map|route}} schematic maps with the {{pll|Dispatcher|Dispatcher license}}
+* Using {{pll|Switch Setter|switch setter gadget}}
+* Using mouse cursor in mouse mode
+* By manually interacting with the switch lever
-<!--T:2-->
+<!--T:8-->
-Additionally, switches can be read and changed remotely using schematic station and route maps, if the driver owns a Dispatcher license.
+When crossing a switch from the diverging end, it needs to be aligned to the desired direction of travel. When crossing it in the opposite direction, however, the switch doesn't need to be aligned. It will automatically change to the track that the crossing wheels are coming from.
-<!--T:3-->
-Installing a switch setter gadget allows reading and setting switches ahead too, with a small onboard device.
 <!--T:4-->
-There are two types of signs associated with switches: the announcing and the navigational one.
+There are two types of signs associated with switches: announcing and navigational one.
 <!--T:5-->
-The announcing sign has a red “Y” shape on a white background, indicating an upcoming switch ahead and the end of the current speed limit section. It has a white appendix sign underneath, indicating the distance remaining to the switch, in kilometers. For example, a distance of 400m would be marked as "0.4".
+The announcing sign has a red “Y” shape on a white background, indicating an upcoming switch ahead and the end of the current {{pll|Speed Limit Signs|speed limit}} section. It has a white appendix sign underneath, indicating the distance remaining to the switch, in kilometers. For example, a distance of 400m would be marked as "0.4".
 <!--T:6-->
 The navigational sign is located on the switch itself. It shows a diagonal white line on a red background, indicating the direction the switch is set to. Changing the switch will move the sign to point in a different direction, along with the track alignment.
+<!--T:7-->
+When operating long {{pll|Rail Vehicle Types|trains}} in reverse, a {{pll|Distance Tracker|distance tracker gadget}} can be very useful to navigate switches.
 </translate>
-{{See also|Comms Radio Switch|Speed Limit Signs|Grade Signs|Track ID Signs|Dispatcher|Route Map|Station Map|Switch Setter}}
+[[Category:Infrastructure|5]]
-[[Category:Infrastructure]]