Train control

A vehicle control system, wherein said vehicle travels along a single, first trackway, defining a first route, which thereafter diverges to form a plurality of second trackways, defining a plurality of alternate routes, comprising;

• a plurality of transponders or beacons disposed adjacent said first trackway in advance of the point of divergence of said second trackways, equal in number to the number of said second trackways and each adapted to be triggered to emit a signal containing information peculiar to the operating characteristics along one of said second trackways;
• transmitter means disposed adjacent said second trackways and adapted to emit a plurality of individual signals equal in number to the number of said second trackways and each identifying a particular one of said second trackways;
• receiver means mounted on said vehicle and adapted to operatively communicate with said transmitter and receive said trackway identifying signals when said vehicle is at a location along said first trackway adjacent said transponders;
• control equipment mounted on said vehicle, operatively coupled to said receiver to receive the output signal thereof and adapted to operatively communicate with said transponders, when said vehicle is at said location along said first trackway adjacent said transponders, to receive an identifying signal, identifying the one of said second trackways said vehicle is to travel along, from said receiver, to send a triggering signal to the one of said transponders which emits a matching signal and a signal containing information peculiar to the operating characteristics along said identified one of said second trackways and to compare said identifying signal with said matching signal, and to utilize the information peculiar to the operating characteristics along said identified one of said second trackways received from said triggered transponder.