CTA operating unit

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Introduction

This machine was delivered by the company “KRONE” (Now Vossloh). They have been used for a long time. In principle they were the computers of the 1970s. Data entry took place via the punch cards or via the little extra keyboard. Normally the operator would have a huge bin in front of him and flip with his fingers through the cards. The cards were sorted by time for that particular location.

In this simulation we have attempted to combine the impossibilities of a computer environment with the possibilities of the CTA operating unit. Therefore you will find some operating habits that are do not entirely conform to standard Windows user interface guidelines. We chose to change it, to enhance the simulation and the speed of operation needed.

It takes some practice getting use to it, and as such is an expert option only.

Main entry panel

If you click with the mouse on the unit above “A” you will get another panel popping up. This is the main entry panel. You will see number combinations of 1.1 or 3.1, 3.2, 3.3. These indicate the various PIDs on the platforms.

Also you can find a white button “LT” and a red button “UT”.

In order to set a PID to its correct destination you MUST first choose the track it will apply to.

While a PID is moving do NOT attempt to enter in a new code; doing so could break the devices. If you notice you made an error, press the red button “UT” (= interrupting button). The roll will stop immediately at the next roll stop. After the roll stops, you can enter in the new destination code.

If you want to “blank” a roll and the time indication on a PID, press the keys for the appropriate track and press the white button “LT”. The roll will move to the neutral or “blank” position.

If you want to set three PID’s in a row (like 3.1, 3.2 and 3.3) of one platform, press the button 313233 at the right of the series and enter in the destination and time code. All three PIDs outside will roll at the same time to the same destination. After you have chosen the track, you can do two things: use the card reading unit ”C” or the numerical key pad.

Groups on the Main Entry panel

Group	Entry panel Hengelo	Entry panel Amsterdam CS 1	Entry panel Amsterdam CS 2	Entry panel Braunschweig Hbf 1	Entry panel Braunschweig Hbf 2	Entry panel Marburg (Lahn)
1.x	Wdn 1 / Aml 2 / Hgl 11 / Es 1	15	7	1	7	8
2.x	Wdn 2 / Aml 3 / Hgl 2 / Es 2	14	5	2	8	5
3.x	Wdn 3 / Aml 4 / Hgl 3 / Es 3	13	4	3	11	4
4.x	Es 4	11	2	4	14	2
5.x	-	10	1	5	43	1
6.x	-	8	-	6	-	46

Numerical Keypad

If you want to enter in a code instead of using the card reader unit, choose a track first then type in ALWAYS 6 numbers with the numerical keypad on the device. If the destination code is 09 and the time is 08:35, you must enter 090835. The roll will start immediately. Note: your keypad on your keyboard can be used to enter numbers.

Some important numbers: 00 = blank, 01 = “do not enter train” message.

Card Reader

Under “C” you can find the card reader unit. The punch card is being decrypted in that slot. Technically, the punch card reader is simply a way to automatically enter the 6 numbers. If using the keypad is the “manual” method, the card reader is the “automatic” method of entering data. It saved the operator a whole lot of time.

The button “WA” starts the reading process. It takes about 4‐5 seconds to read a card.

The card Bin

At the bottom (under the CTA operating unit) you can find the card bin. It contains all needed cards for a location. At the start of the simulation the cards are sorted according to the time you need them. Also, you will find the most correct card at the front, as if your colleague left his work place in a proper way.

The RIGHT bin contains all current cards. Press the LEFT mouse button to flip to the next card in the bin. Press the RIGHT mouse button to flip BACK to the previous card in the bin.

This is like you’re “walking” through the cards with two fingers. You also can go through the cards with your mouse wheel. It depends on your mouse wheel settings in Windows, how fast this will go.

But what if a train is late? In that case you want to save the card for later. Put such cards in the LEFT bin. Just the arrow buttons “J” to move cards between bins. The front cards are the cards you move. Make sure you keep the cards sorted appropriately. Otherwise your next colleague won’t talk to you for months!

You can also pull the card a little bit out of the bin to look at some details like the destination. To pull a card out a little bit, click the green arrow that appears on top of the card. The card will move upwards, allowing you to see some of its details. Click the green down arrow to move the card back into its down position. The green arrow buttons will only appear when your mouse hovers over a card.

If you want to look at the full details of a single card, use the special option “view card” to see it in full length. You can flip the card or even save it as a picture.

==Special options Well of course... nobody is perfect! Therefore we have some special options for you under the button “K”. You can do the following actions:

View the cards in full detail. A separate window will open that allows you to flip or save the card as a picture.
Sort the left or right side of the bin. Just if you messed it up a bit, this might help you getting things in order. (No, I didn’t allow the programmer to deduct salary in that case.)
If you got completely list, click on the “panic” option to completely reset the bin. All “delayed trains” cards in the left bin will be sorted into the right bin again and all cards will be sorted according to time and the most correct card will be show at the front. (And again it won’t cost you a penny of salary. Donations to the programmer are welcome!)
If you have enough of it and keep losing salary, you can also disable this expert option within the simulation.

How to operate it?

Automatic entry

To set a PID properly with the card reader unit, please do the following:

Ensure the correct card is shown at the front of a bin
Transport the card from the bin with the button “B” or “L”
Choose the appropriate PID’s from the main entry panel “A”
Press the button “WA” to read the card. The button lights up while the unit is reading
Allow up to 5 seconds to read the card
Check if on the indications “D” and “E” if the codes for destination and time correspondent with the card. If it does NOT correspondent, press “WA” again to read again. If it doesn’t work correctly, likely the card is broken. Please use manual entry instead.
Place the card back in the bin by pressing the button with the red “X” under the reading unit. The card will always be placed back in the right bin.

Manual entry

For manual operation please follow the next instructions:

Choose the appropriate PIDs from the main entry panel “A”
Enter the number code for destination and time without interruption into the numerical keypad. You may also you use the keypad on your real physical keyboard to enter the number. Note that erroneous entries are simply ignored. Time is entered in 24 hours format; hours lower than 10 need to be preceded with a zero.
The rolls will immediately start changing the moment you enter the last number.

Making a PID “blank”

In order to put a PID in a neutral or “blank” position, you can choose a track on the main entry panel or enter “000000” manually. You can also press the “LT” button. The roll immediately runs to the neutral position.

Entering “do not enter train” message

Sometimes you must enter in a code manually, especially if a train ends at a platform on a location, you must prevent passengers from entering the train. To do this you must enter code “01” into a PID. It then will show in big red letters “NICHT EINSTEIGEN” (German for “do not enter train”).