From: utzoo!decvax!goutal
Newsgroups: net.railroad
Title: Re: Computerized railroad
Article-I.D.: decvax.339
Posted: Tue Nov 16 01:32:03 1982
Received: Wed Nov 17 04:05:34 1982
References: rocheste.212

I did, at UMASS in 1976.
We had a 4'x8' layout that looked sorta like the olympic games symbol,
inscribed on an oval.  We had a series of projects (for Real-Time
Programming course) of increasing difficulty.
Final project was to run as many as four trains (engines, actually,
-- "quantum trains") through a complete circuit of this thing simul-
taneously, with provision for all sorts of GHA (Giant Hand Action),
such as tampering with switches, physically stopping (like derailing)
various trains, false triggering of train sensors (reed switches under
track).  My partner and I had a sort of state-machine approach to this,
wherein each train responded to various levels of various disaster
by various sequences of action, ranging from simply slowing down
to hitting the brakes to rerouting (to cope with possible brake failure).
Worked pretty well, as I recall.
-- Kenn (decvax!)goutal