Creating and Editing Warrants

A Warrant contains the information needed to run a train. This includes the DCC address of the locomotive(s), the route train will take, the settings of the turnouts to traverse the route and the throttle commands to use at various points along the route - e.g. speed, when to show lights, sound horns, bells or other sound effects. For an overview discussion of warrants, see Warrants.
NOTE: Warrants can only be created if the PanelPro configuration has at least two OBlocks defined.
There are three steps in creating a warrant, 1. define the route; 2. select a train; and 3. record the throttle commands. There are two tabs on the Create/Edit window, Define Route and Record/Playback Script.

Defining a Warrant Route

Routes are created using the Define Route tab in the Edit Warrant window.

Origin, Destination, Via and Avoid Blocks

The Origin Block is where a train given this route will start and the starting path within the origin block is the track it is on - e.g. a path named "Departure Track #3" in block named "Main Terminal". Choosing the portal of the path, e.g. portal "West Approach to #3" where the train should exit the origin block determines the direction of the train on the route. A computer algorithm will find portals, paths and blocks needed to take the train to the Destination Block and path - e.g. "Arrival Track #1" in the destination block.

A warrant route is created by selecting the the block and path where the train will begin its trip and the portal by which it should leave. Then you select the block, path and entry portal where the train should end its trip. Press the Calculate Route button and the the computer will determine all the intermediate paths needed to make the trip.

NOTE: in the upper right hand portion of the Create/Edit Warrant frame is a table listing all the OBlocks you have defined. Either the system name or the user name of the block can be dragged and dropped into the location blocks on the upper left hand side of the frame.