What's New?
I will update this page with each new release that is cut. Even though TSCAD has not even been released for Beta yet, I am creating a new release every 1-2 weeks for internal Alpha testing. Some of you may have seen me on the DAMS server. As I find issues and add new features, I create new Alpha releases. This page has information on what is in each of them:

• The biggest requested feature is here! You can dispatch as many territories at once as you'd like!
• New "Main Window" that shows all global chat communication in Run 8 as well as server time, local time, and and comm status.
• The radio stack now open automatically and has tabs for each territory currently loaded.
• The dispatcher sheet now has an "Off Territory Trains" tab to see trains not in your jurisdiction.
• When a train tones the dispatcher, a popup notification displays on the dispatchers primary monitor.
• Overall, a new look and feel to a lot of windows and dialogs.
• The ability to set a "server time". (This is done by offsetting your local system time - see the User's Manual).

• Red signal violations will not be generated when TSCAD starts if there are trains already in the OS.
• Red signal violations should work properly now (and not activate) when a train is aligned through a crossover in multi main track territories.
• Only one instance of the dispatcher sheet can be open at a time.
• Only one instance of the radio stack can be open at a time.

• Problem with red signal notification has been fixed through crossovers.
• Miscellaneous bugs fixed relating to the new radio stack and dispatcher sheet.
• Final touches necessary for beta.

• Changed BNSF DS-13 to BNSF DS-113.
• Changed UP DS-54 to UP DS-254.
• When a route stack is added, the route will appear yellow.
• When setting up a route stack or a fast route, rather than right-clicking on the final block, blocks will appear green when mouse-over. Left click on the block will set up the stack or the fast route.
• New dispatcher sheet for Active Trains, Recrews and Yard Trains created.
• TSCAD Radio Stack created. The dispatcher can now use the texting chat interface and see the radio towers for his/her district. Visual indication when being toned. Radio tower button flashes yellow (or, for emergency, red).
• With the Radio Stack, dispatchers can text chat with their neighboring dispatcher. So, if UP DS-254 wants to line a train toward Sanborn, he/she can click the "BNSF DS-113 Chat" button. Then, type a message in the lower-right corner of the screen. This will cause the "UP DS-254" button to flash yellow on the BNSF dispatchers screen. They can click the button to see the request from the UP dispatcher and type a reply.

• Added unique color scheme for Z-Train labels.
• Adding the ability to "fleet lock" a signal. When a signal is fleet locked, it will set itself back up after a train has passed it.
• Adding the ability to "fleet lock" a signal for a specified number of trains. After that number of trains has passed, the signal will stay at red.
• Dispatcher will now be notified when a train runs through a red signal.
• Lock out switch (cannot be thrown).
• Lock out signal (cannot be aligned).
• Add signal stacking.
• Add fast routes.
• Once we have entered signal stack or fast route, don't allow another signal to be selected until the route is confirmed or the request is canceled.
• Bug Fix: Throwing crossover from switch with nothing aligned still throws crossover if opposite switch has something aligned.
• Bug Fix: When a signal in fleet lock repaints, it clear the route of the following train up to the signal.
• Bug Fix: When setting up a signal, sometimes the flashing yellow "set up" indication on the tracks does not appear.

• Revamped the TSCAD dispatcher layouts to represent dispatcher territories rather than Run 8 routes. For example, BNSF DS-13 runs from BNSF Jct at Mojave to Minneola, through Barstow.
• Adding the ability for a dispatcher to see signals/switches that they cannot control (as another dispatcher controls them). Signals will appear as plain triangles that cannot be clicked. Examples of this would be at Minneola (on the Needles Sub) for the BNSF Mojave Sub dispatcher.
• Adding train weight and HPT as options to the train labels.
• Continuing with various bug fixes that were the result of the new Run 8 format.

• Integrating support for merged territories so TSCAD can reflect occupancies from multiple routes. For example, the main tracks at Barstow will show occupancies for trains on the Mojave route or the Needles route. This was a huge undertaking that included rewriting much of the TSCAD logic. This is why it took seven months!

• Change the way cleared blocks are detected for trains to ensure train labels are colored properly. There were problems in 0.3.0a.
• With the above change, knocking a signal down will now work properly.
• Added the ability to see how long each train has been within their current block by pressing shortcut key "B" on the keyboard.
• Added the ability to see how long each train has been sitting without a crew.
• Fixed a few issues found relating to occupancies.
• Changed the way TSCAD detects routes at start-up.

• Signal/switch set up and time running now configured at the component level. Each switch/signal can have a different time specified.
• Fixed several issues where the dispatcher attempts to set up a route in which an occupancy/route lock already exists along the route.
• Fixed an issue where knocking down a signal behind a train would cause the direction indication for the train / ahead of the train to be lost.
• Fixed train labels so they can appear in interlockings with switches.
• Signals that protect interlockings coming from "dark" track (no occupancy, such as yard leads) will correctly be knocked down when a train enters the interlocking. Previously, the signal would stay set up.
• If a train appears in a block (spawned, for example), TSCAD will not know which direction it is initially going. As soon as it moves in one direction, TSCAD will detect that and set the display accordingly.
• Added location information throughout the route for the benefit of the Train Sheet.
• Fixed missing signal maps at north Caliente.
• Fixed bad signal mapping at Bena.
• If the dispatcher takes away (knocks down) a signal that was previously aligned and there is not a train within two blocks of the signal, then the signal will not run time. However, if there is a train within two blocks, the dispatcher will be warned and confirm they wish to take away the signal. If they do, the signal will subsequently run time.
• If a train leaves the main (and an aligned route on the display), the route will "clear up" if there was not a route cleared behind the train that left the main. For example, if a train is headed (and aligned) west and stoped to switch and leaves the main track, the clear indication westbound ahead of the train will disappear.
• RabbitMQ Comm Bridge will be auto-started by TSCAD when TSCAD starts.
• If a switch is thrown on an aligned route (route-locked) using the Run 8 dispatcher or the External Dispatcher and TSCAD is running, TSCAD will knock down the signal that set up the route-lock. This must be done because TSCAD does not support throwing a switch on an aligned route.
• Train labels will now change color schemes based on number of blocks cleared ahead. If the train only has one block of clearance (beyond the current block), then the label will display black text on a yellow background. If the train is in its last block of clearance, then the label will display black text on a red background.
• Ability to "transport" to a switch has been added via a right mouse click on the switch.

• TSCAD now connects to Run 8 using RabbitMQ.
• "External Dispatcher Allowed" flag respected from Run 8.
• If connection to Run 8 is lost (5 second timeout), TSCAD will clear the display and notify the user.
• Re-designed the layout to remove annoying dog leg between Caliente and Allard.
• Found some errors in blocks and mappings. Made corrections to so all blocks on the route are properly displayed.
• Train label color schemes have been implemented (basic schemes for now, more to come):
  • Standard Trains - White text on black background
  • "Free Agent" (No crew) Trains - Black text on white background
  • Amtrak - Blue text on gray background
• If a train is headed east/south, the train label will move to the right side of the block instead of the left.
• Fixed an issue with occupancies in interlockings that contain more than one switch (such as north and south Caliente).
• Added free agent train labels to the display.
• Added the ability to quickly change the information displayed in train label via a single key press on the keyboard:
  • "U" - Train's Lead Unit Number
  • "S" - Train Symbol
  • "L" - Train Length
• Added the ability to quickly change the zoom for the dispatcher display via a single key press on the keyboard:
  • "1" - Zoom out (75%)
  • "2" - Normal zoom (100%)
  • "3" - Zoom in (150%)
  • "4" - Detailed zoom (200%)
• Initial version of the Train Sheet is included. Very basic and not "pretty".

• Initial Release!
• Emulator used to simulate Run 8 Comm as Comm is still in development (RabbitMQ).
• Inital version of Mojave layout.
• Dispatcher board correctly controls signals and switches.
  • TSCAD will simulate a "set up" period for a route. Switches will flash while throwing and a route will flash yellow while waiting for it to be successfully aligned.
  • Clicking a signal that has been set up will cause it to knock down.
  • A signal knocked down by the dispatcher will "run time". While running time, the dispatcher cannot change that signal, any switch within the interlocking it protects, or align opposing trains toward that interlocking until the signal is done running time.
  • Signal/switch set up time and running time defined globally at the route level.
  • Clicking a switch that has a route aligned over it will produce an error. (Route locked) -- Signal must first be taken down and, if necessary, run time before the switch can then be thrown and a new route aligned.
  • Clicking a switch that is occupied will produce an error.
• Train labels for active trains displayed.
• Occupancies correctly indicate train positions.
• "Dark" track (no occupancy) is respected.
• Cannot align a route against the flow of traffic. So the dispatcher cannot align a route north from Cameron on Main 1 or south from Cameron on Main 2. Likewise, the dispatcher cannot align a route south on the north siding at Caliente or north on the south siding.