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-====== July 2022 Newsletter ======
-===== Commit History/Introduction =====
-Only a few minor changes have been made to some feature branches of advtrains, mainly involving housekeeping work:
-  * The manual in the ''doc'' branch has been split into a few files.
-  * Strings related to diamond crossings are added to the locale files in the ''l10n'' branch.
-  * Some minor issues have been addressed in the ''new-ks'' branch.
-The lack of activity can be attributed to, among other things, a lack of time from the developers and contributors.
-In addition to Advtrains, Marnack released [[https://github.com/Marnack/dlxtrains_modpack/releases/tag/1.9.0|version 1.9.0 of the DlxTrains modpack]]. This new version includes a new [[usage:trains:dlxtrains_modpack:dlxtrains_diesel_locomotives:north_american_sw1500_diesel_locomotive|diesel engine]] and some minor housekeeping work.
-As such, this edition focuses on another setup, taking procedures used on 56i-mtserver and finding ways to generalise them for other servers and local worlds.
-===== Special Features =====
-==== Junction Design ====
-Take Pinnacle station in 56i-mtserver. It is built to the extreme north and connects three lines.
-If a train wanted to go from Crosspoint to Pinnacle and to Croxleigh, it would be unable to without a system of junctions.
-However, the Pinnacle station throat is far too large for an economic junction. The Pr-n2 splits into sextuple track near the end, making a t-junction very inneficent.
-Instead, the junction set was built further south, where the rail lines are thinner.
-{{:events:newsletter:netmapperoutputofpinnaclejunction.png?400|}}
-{{:events:newsletter:physicalmapofpinnaclejunction.png?400|}}
-Above are two different maps of the solution. Visible are three seperate t-junctions. Trains from the left can get to the far right track without obstructing the middle track due to a viaduct.
-The junction is designed to be as economic as possible. There are no t-junctions where the bypass track joins, only y-junctions. This is because any need for a train using the bypass track to join the middle track is already served by the existing straight tracks.
-However, it allows traffic from the (not shown) far left line to cross into the far-right line without obstructing the middle (Pr-n2) line.
-In your setups, before building any junction, consider the traffic requirements. How many trains go down a specific track? How can you help ensure the frequency of trains on a track go through a junction and do not affect other tracks too much?
-Ensure you use the junction which ensures the balance between frequency and economy is met to the highest standard.
-One of the main problems with Pinnacle junction is the use of small turning radii on the junctions and lines, forcing extremely low speeds for trains crossing the junction. However, this was a necessary evil due to how compact the junction is.
-==== Avoiding Level Crossings ====
-In the last newsletter, we discussed the construction and automation of level crossings.
-Level crossings are only safe when used correctly. However, the ability to respawn has encouraged reckless behaviour by level crossing users, such as crossing whilst a bell is ringing (and dying as the train hits them at full line speed) or loitering next to the crossing due to the extra space generated as a path crosses the line in a non-perpendicular way.
-Level crossings also become more dangerous as line frequencies increase. A train every 10 minutes is harder to get hit by accident then a train every 30 seconds.
-The safest level crossing is no level crossing. No person can stray onto the track. No runway train can come without warning, and eyes can be kept at the ground instead of at the railway line, staring an impossible distance on the search for trains.
-When a path meets a railway, do not build a level crossing. Instead, build a gentle set of stairs going up and over the railway (or under), and then meet back up with the path after having crossed.
-Below is a reference image of both a level crossing and an overpass on the Pr-n2 (which is also the longest line on the server):
-{{:events:newsletter:gradseperatedlevelcrossingnextoalevelcrossing.png?400|}}
-The crossing takes up more space but is safer. The barriers prevent cyclists from sliding onto the track due to high winds or poor drivership, and the stairs are very gentle.The mapgen path is cut up and given a hard surface, which makes walking easier.
-The overpass is suited for high-frequencies of a short line but also reduces cost on budget low-frequency lines by not requiring expensive electronics to be safe.
-==== Building a Railway In a Day: the methods used in L1, L2, and L3 of the Am metro on 56i-mtserver ====
-The Anarchy Mountains metro lines were all built in a single day with focused construction. They used revolutionary methods to achieve such high construction speeds, building on old procedures in line building.
-=== L1 ===
-The first line to be built was L1. Am central station had already been built, with 6 tracks, two already being used for the two monodirectional ring lines. Two x junctions existed at both ends, which use a system of points and crossovers shaped like  an x to allow trains from any track to go to any other.
-The L1 started construction northbound, using a tunnel portal going down, deep into the ground. It used the middle track. Once the downramp was finished, the tunnel shell and tracks entered construction. The tunnel was shaped like a semicircle, using ramps. at the roof to allow pressure to be directed away from the tunnel.
-Worldedit was used to extrude the tracks the 1.75 km north (using ''/stack2 3000 0 0 1''). Two stations were built. the first stopping at another player's house, and the second stopping at a nearby island. These stations were close enough that by standing on the far end of one platform, one could see the far end of the other platform.
-The tunnel was curved to the east using [[https://forum.minetest.net/viewtopic.php?f=11&t=20159|Tunnelmaker]]. Another identical tunnel was built, but with hidden glow glass behind the slopes. Two more stations were built, using the "tunnelmaker method", which involves:
-  -  Using the tunnelmaker to build a tunnel with an open edge to the rail
-  -  Replacing the stone with tunnel material, using ''/replace stone x''
-  -  Building elevators to either side, allowing passage to the surface
-  -  Building signage and copying it using worldedit
-The rest of the northen tunnel was blocked off with a solid wall, hiding a lot of empty tunnel.
-The southern end was built using the exact same method.
-Once all the physical infrastructure was complete, it was time to begin work on the infrastructure which sat on top, such as interlocking (which uses physical blocks as symbols for points on a track), and rolling stock.
-Interlocking was made simple due to most of the line being standard-double track, with both terminal stations having one platform with one track, which was where trains reversed.
-Trains were of standard E321 rolling stock used on both ring lines. The stock was painted yellow, the colour of the line on the map.
-Overall, tunnel construction took 2 hours, stations 3, interlocking 1, and rolling stock 15 minutes.
-=== L2 ===
-After the L1, L2 was built. A library was built south of the main mountain, which was as important to administration as the central town hall.
-The entire line is barely a kilometer long. Construction started at the library, where a wall was destroyed to make a lengthwise passage onto the adjacent platform, which had a single track built next to it.
-North, a y-junction was built, allowing trains to go left (much to the opposition of the [[https://wiki.linux-forks.de/mediawiki/index.php/Forks_talk:Rail_Operating_Rules|Book of Tracks]], and much to the celebration of Boris Johnson). The rest of the bridge was worldedited in, stretching north before making a wide turn (thanks to tunnelmaker) into the mountain, where the line passed under the existing metro tracks and met its end at the town hall,where another end-on station was built.
-Another station was built at the town hall, using the tunnelmaker method. Afterwards, the line was finished. Suddenly, the potential for a station at Anarchy Mountains central was realised and a station was constructed there.
-Interlocking was built with signals every 25 blocks, allowing frequency to be relatively high. Signals were semaphore due to the primative nature of the line.
-Rolling stock was formed of E321 trains with a purple stripe.
-L2 is the shortest line on the entire server, but also has the longest construction time per 50 metres due to the lack of automation in construction.
-=== L3 ===
-The final line of the Am metro is also the longest. L3 stretches from as far east as the gay district to Broken Hills interchange, making it the most useful of the metro lines, connecting mainlines like no other line.
-The L3 is the most unique of the lines. Many tunnels are avant-garde, such as a tunnel with lava undeneath, and a tunnel with grass.
-The eastern half was quite simple, as it is formed of mostly tunnel.
-The first tunnel is the lava tunnel. Using the tunnelmaker mod for a base, the ground was excavated and a void was created. It was filled with lava and a glow glass floor above prevents any passengers from falling in, with a solid stone line underneath the track.
-This made for an effective and quick tunnel, constructed with worldedit.
-The tunnel then transforms to the green tunnel, where the walls use cactus brick in much the same shape as the L1 tunnels. These tunnels dive forwards towards Downtime's House, where the track enters the third tunnel and curves right, a gneiss brick tunnel. The track steps up, and then turns left  to switch track side with a genius t-junction making the trains seamlessly join Downtime's tunnel alongside mainline Pr-w2 trains, stopping at Downtime's house and the gay district before taking a balloon loop and coming back.
-The western half is even more intresting. The track first dives downwards, using a worldedit tunnel (''/stack2 10 -3 -1 0'') and then enters a grass tunnel, built in the same was as the lava tunnel, but with grass. The tunnel was first copied some way, and then bonemeal was used to grow plants. The full megatunnel segments were copied forwards, giving the illusion of diversity all the way.
-Once the ocean had been crossed, the track dives upwards to form a bridge. The deck was made with tunnelmaker and supports with ''/set stone''. The deck was copied forwards, forming a tunnel with a nearby mountain
-The track then turns, using tunnelmaker, going south to meet Monshō Crest (which uses the Japanese word for "Crest" as a joke). Before flying into a tunnel, and slowly turning in such a way the track ends up south of the Pr-w3
-Using train detectors, a portion of the tunnel lights up as a train enters, providing warning before maintenance crews are struck.
-The tracks then continue west using previously mentioned construction methods, using some stations parallel to the Pr-w2 and then ending at Broken Hills, where a balloon loop exists taking trains back (and a series of banners reading "This is the end \n Hold your breath \n And count to ten \n Feel the train move", a reference to Adele's //Skyfall//).
-The tunnel actually continues, but was cut short in much the same way as all tunnels in the metro.

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