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Train Shunting Puzzle
Train shunting puzzles, also often called railway shunting puzzles or railroad switching puzzles, are a type of puzzle. Shunting puzzles usually consist of a specific track layout, a set of initial conditions (typically the starting place of each item of rolling stock), a defined goal (the finishing place of each rolling stock item), and rules which must be obeyed while performing the shunting operations. There are often constraints such as making the minimum number of couplings and uncouplings, or making the minimum number of junction direction changes, or completing the puzzle within a specified time limit. Other important factors may include the lengths of tracks limiting the number of rolling stock vehicles which can be placed along them. Some shunting puzzles allow certain types of rolling stock to navigate a particular section of track but not other types of rolling stock, for example a locomotive might not be allowed to pass below a low bridge whereas wagons are allowed, ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Shunt (rail)
Shunting, in railway operations, is the process of sorting items of rolling stock into complete trains, or the reverse. In the United States this activity is known as switching. Motive power Motive power is normally provided by a locomotive known as a ''shunter'' (in the UK) or switcher (in the US). Most shunter/switchers are now diesel-powered but steam and even electric locomotives have been used. Where locomotives could not be used (e.g. because of weight restrictions) shunting operations have in the past been effected by horses or capstans. Hazards Coupling The terms "shunter" and "switcher" are applied not only to locomotives but to employees engaged on the ground with shunting/switching operations. The task of such personnel is particularly dangerous because not only is there the risk of being run over, but on some railway systems—particularly ones that use buffer-and-chain/screw coupling systems—the shunters have to get between the wagons/carriages in order to ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Rolling Stock
The term rolling stock in the rail transport industry refers to railway vehicles, including both powered and unpowered vehicles: for example, locomotives, freight and passenger cars (or coaches), and non-revenue cars. Passenger vehicles can be un-powered, or self-propelled, single or multiple units. A connected series of railway vehicles is a train (this term applied to a locomotive is a common misnomer). In North America, Australia and other countries, the term consist ( ) is used to refer to the rolling stock in a train. In the United States, the term ''rolling stock'' has been expanded from the older broadly defined "trains" to include wheeled vehicles used by businesses on roadways. The word ''stock'' in the term is used in a sense of inventory. Rolling stock is considered to be a liquid asset, or close to it, since the value of the vehicle can be readily estimated and then shipped to the buyer without much cost or delay. The term contrasts with fixed stock (infrastru ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Locomotive
A locomotive or engine is a rail transport vehicle that provides the Power (physics), motive power for a train. If a locomotive is capable of carrying a payload, it is usually rather referred to as a multiple unit, Motor coach (rail), motor coach, railcar or power car; the use of these self-propelled vehicles is increasingly common for passenger trains, but rare for freight (see CargoSprinter). Traditionally, locomotives pulled trains from the front. However, Push-pull train, push-pull operation has become common, where the train may have a locomotive (or locomotives) at the front, at the rear, or at each end. Most recently railroads have begun adopting DPU or distributed power. The front may have one or two locomotives followed by a mid-train locomotive that is controlled remotely from the lead unit. __TOC__ Etymology The word ''locomotive'' originates from the Latin language, Latin 'from a place', Ablative case, ablative of 'place', and the Medieval Latin 'causing mot ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Goods Wagon
Goods wagons or freight wagons (North America: freight cars), also known as goods carriages, goods trucks, freight carriages or freight trucks, are unpowered railway vehicles that are used for the transportation of cargo. A variety of wagon types are in use to handle different types of goods, but all goods wagons in a regional network typically have standardized couplers and other fittings, such as hoses for air brakes, allowing different wagon types to be assembled into trains. For tracking and identification purposes, goods wagons are generally assigned a unique identifier, typically a UIC wagon number, or in North America, a company reporting mark plus a company specific serial number. Development At the beginning of the railway era, the vast majority of goods wagons were four- wheeled (two wheelset) vehicles of simple construction. These were almost exclusively small covered wagons, open wagons with side-boards, and flat wagons with or without stakes. Over the course of ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Trainz
''Trainz'' is a series of 3D train simulator video games. The Australian studio Auran (since 2007 N3V Games) released the first game in 2001. The simulators consist of route and session editors called ''Surveyor'', and the ''Driver'' module, that loads a route and lets the player operate and watch the trains run, either in "DCC" mode, which simulates a bare-bones Digital Command Control (DCC) system for the simple stop-and-go of a basic model railway, or "CAB" mode, which simulates real-world physics and adds working cab controls. Overview In the route editor, Surveyor, the user can shape the landscape, paint with ground textures, lay tracks, and place buildings and roads. The user then operates the trains in Driver, either in free play, or according to a scenario called a ''Driver Session'' (previously called ''Scenarios'' in the early versions of ''Trainz'', ''Ultimate Trainz Collection'', and ''TRS2004'') which can range in difficulty from beginner to expert. In CAB (cab ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Microsoft Train Simulator
''Microsoft Train Simulator'' is a 2001 train simulator developed for Microsoft Windows. It was released on May 31, 2001, and developed by the UK-based company Kuju Entertainment. It sold one million units worldwide by 2005. Features Microsoft Train Simulator allows players to operate a selection of trains on various routes in Europe, Asia, and North America. Players need to stop and start the train, couple wagons, and drive the train using the computer mouse, keyboard or a hardware addition (e.g. Raildriver) as controls. Routes The game featured six routes in four countries: Austria, Japan, the United Kingdom and the United States of America. Four of the routes use a standard gauge () and two a Gauge. Reception Sales ''Train Simulator'' sold 191,952 units in the United States by the end of 2001, which drew revenues of $8.7 million. These numbers rose to 330,000 copies ($11.6 million) in the United States by August 2006. At the time, this led ''Edge'' to rank it as the coun ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Passing Loop
A passing loop (UK usage) or passing siding (North America) (also called a crossing loop, crossing place, refuge loop or, colloquially, a hole) is a place on a single line railway or tramway, often located at or near a station, where trains or trams travelling in opposite directions can pass each other. Trains/trams going in the same direction can also overtake, provided that the signalling arrangement allows it. A passing loop is double-ended and connected to the main track at both ends, though a dead end siding known as a refuge siding, which is much less convenient, can be used. A similar arrangement is used on the gauntlet track of cable railways and funiculars, and in passing places on single-track roads. Ideally, the loop should be longer than all trains needing to cross at that point. Unless the loop is of sufficient length to be dynamic, the first train to arrive must stop or move very slowly, while the second to arrive may pass at speed. If one train is too long for ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Wye (railroad)
In railroad structures, and rail terminology, a wye (like the'' 'Y' ''glyph) or triangular junction (often shortened to just "triangle") is a triangular joining arrangement of three rail lines with a railroad switch (set of points) at each corner connecting to each incoming line. A turning wye is a specific case. Where two rail lines join, or in a joint between a railroad's mainline and a spur, wyes can be used at a mainline rail junction to allow incoming trains the ability to travel in either direction, or in order to allow trains to pass from one line to the other line. Wyes can also be used for turning railway equipment, and generally cover less area than a balloon loop doing the same job, but at the cost of two additional sets of points to construct, then maintain. These turnings are accomplished by performing the railway equivalent of a three-point turn through successive junctions of the wye, the direction of travel and the relative orientation of a locomotive or rai ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Inglenook Sidings
Inglenook Sidings, created by Alan Wright (1928 - January 2005), is a model railway train shunting puzzle. It consists of a specific track layout, a set of initial conditions, a defined goal, and rules which must be obeyed while performing the shunting operations. More broadly, in model railway usage inglenook may refer to a track layout (or portion thereof) that is based on or resembles the Inglenook Sidings puzzle. Details The track is based on Kilham Sidings, on the Alnwick-Cornhill branch of the North Eastern Railway (NER).wymann.info Inglenook sidings Shunting puzzles, Adrian Wymann. The sidings should be able to accommodate 5, 3, and 3 wagons, the leading spur accommodating 3 wagons and the locomotive. For the original version of the puzzle there are 8 wagons in the sidings, the rule being: * Form a train of 5 wagons ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Timesaver
Timesaver is a well-known model railroad train shunting puzzle (U.S. English: switching puzzle) created by John Allen. It consists of a specific track layout, a set of initial conditions, a defined goal, and rules which must be obeyed while performing the shunting operations. The standard layout consists of a simple yard, with five switches (three lefthand, two righthand), five spurs, and a runaround track at the center. Power is supplied to the track, sufficient to run a locomotive at a fixed slow speed, controlled by a simple center-off reversing switch. Several freight cars are placed on the track, and the object is to move all of them to clearly marked destination positions. Variants and gameplay methods Timesaver can be played as a game, with the object to complete a given puzzle in the shortest amount of time (time spent thinking counts the same as time spent actually moving cars, and the number of moves is irrelevant). The switching game became a contest at the National ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Car Spotting (positioning)
Car spotting is precise positioning of a railroad car for loading/unloading. When a locomotive pulls a train of freight cars to a loading/unloading station, it approximately positions them with respect to freight handling equipment, since locomotives are not well-suited for precise positioning. Therefore, special systems (car spotters) are invented for car spotting. Systems that handle strings (trains) of cars to spot them one after another are known as car progressors or car indexers. a US patent description See also * Car spotting (service) *[...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Logic Puzzles
A logic puzzle is a puzzle deriving from the mathematical field of deduction. History The logic puzzle was first produced by Charles Lutwidge Dodgson, who is better known under his pen name Lewis Carroll, the author of ''Alice's Adventures in Wonderland''. In his book ''The Game of Logic'' he introduced a game to solve problems such as confirming the conclusion "Some greyhounds are not fat" from the statements "No fat creatures run well" and "Some greyhounds run well". Puzzles like this, where we are given a list of premises and asked what can be deduced from them, are known as syllogisms. Dodgson goes on to construct much more complex puzzles consisting of up to 8 premises. In the second half of the 20th century mathematician Raymond M. Smullyan continued and expanded the branch of logic puzzles with books such as '' The Lady or the Tiger?'', ''To Mock a Mockingbird'' and ''Alice in Puzzle-Land''. He popularized the " knights and knaves" puzzles, which involve knights, who a ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
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