Ghost Train

[dennisat]

I've read about and experienced rolling stock suddenly changing position in trains in motion but I can't find an explanation for this.

I hate admitting defeat.

The act is ch_07:35_Temple to Bmouth Slow, trying to couple to the static consist. The loco goes on and will couple up to the loco waiting in the platform. Someone will now shame me by pointing out the well-known solution / error.

Dennis

[dennisat]

I've just tried this act in Open Rails - coupling up works OK.

Dennis

[douglee]

Hi Dennis,
Started the Act. in MSTS. No problem coupling at around 2.5 MPH to the rake or the banking engine.

Did get the SPAD issue using tSection 41 though, when leaving Templecombe.

But the coupling works fine. I noticed the Damping Values are missing the 's' from the coupling line in the 3MT engine file 'Damping ( 0.2e7N/m 0.2e7N/m )' as opposed to 'Damping ( 0.2e7N/m/s 0.2e7N/m/s )'

Good luck
Doug

[dennisat]

Having the loco bounce off or derail, etc, I can deal with. Seeing the loco slide straight through the rake of coaches as though they're not there is a new one for me. If I run AE's "video player" it does exactly the same thing!

Dennis

[douglee]

Hi Dennis,

If I run AE's "video player" it does exactly the same thing!

Dennis

That is perfectly normal the AE does not recognise loose stock.

I have just run the start of the act again all coupling worked fine.

Good luck
Doug

[slipperman12]

Hi Dennis & Doug,
I've had exactly the same problem!

The main thing is that, as downloaded, the 3MTs have Automatic couplings - these must be changed to Chain. The loco will then connect OK.
However, you would think that if the couplings didn't match, the loco would just bounce off, wouldn't you? It went through the coaches because the Bounding Box of all the coaches is not full height. Correct this and (if the couplings don't match) the loco doesn't couple and doesn't pass through!

It's not my own solution, but something I read a long time ago that stayed in the brainbox

Cheers,
Ged

[ianmacmillan]

The problem is with the bounding box on the coaches.

ESD_Bounding_Box ( -1.37 1.884 -10.1 1.37 1.884 10.1 )

The second number is the bottom of the BB and is the same as the fifth number which is the top.
The BB is therefore too thin and a loco will pass over or under it unless you are lucky.

Change the ESD_Bounding_Box line is the .sd file to read....

ESD_Bounding_Box ( -1.37 0.1 -10.1 1.37 1.884 10.1 )

You will probably have to do this with all the green coaches.

[dennisat]

Thanks for the solution guys. I knew someone somewhere would know - I imagine there's no quirk of MSTS that hasn't been found already. I had noticed the bounding box was apparently half height but when Open Rails worked OK I thought that wasn't the problem.

Dennis

[slipperman12]

Hi Guys,
Thanks Ian, that's what I did! However, the main problem is caused because the couplings on the 3MT hadn't been changed to Chain. Also, if the instructions to 'standardise' the couplings haven't been followed, the coaches will not couple to the 5MT tender as the activity writer has used the Automatic version.

You will probably have to do this with all the green coaches.

Yes, that's true and also applies to the red & cream and maroon Mk1 coaches, although if they are not used for coupling to, the problem doesn't arise.

Cheers,
Ged

[eholly]

Hi Ged

Eric here. I've just had the same non-coupling problem on the Burnham to Templecombe, where the Mach BR Green 2260 front coupling refuses to connect to the waiting rake. Is this same problem? That is, the wrong coupling issue?

Eric

[eholly]

Hi Ged

I've just looked again at Clive Heards readme for the Bath BR 3MT's V2, which states quite clearly that "Locos included are: 82004, 82030 (automatic coupling) and 82044 (chain coupling)." Now 82044 is the loco we're having trouble with in the Templecombe activity - where she ghosts through the rake! So, can you remind me of exactly what I have to do to change this coupling to automatic?

Many thanks

Eric in North Wales

[eholly]

Hi Again Chaps

I've just suffered the same non-coupling event on the Wells to Glastonbury Shuttle where the Pannier Tank refuses to couple with the rake in the bay platform?

Eric

[slipperman12]

Hi Eric,

I've just had the same non-coupling problem on the Burnham to Templecombe, where the Mach BR Green 2260 front coupling refuses to connect to the waiting rake. Is this same problem? That is, the wrong coupling issue?

You foxed me there! The loco in that activity is 3210 from the SDJR Class 2251folder, and is black! And, yes, the coupling should be changed to 'chain'.

've just looked again at Clive Heards readme for the Bath BR 3MT's V2, which states quite clearly that "Locos included are: 82004, 82030 (automatic coupling) and 82044 (chain coupling)." Now 82044 is the loco we're having trouble with in the Templecombe activity - where she ghosts through the rake! So, can you remind me of exactly what I have to do to change this coupling to automatic?

It's loco 82030, not 82044, which is used in this activity, and the coupling must be changed to Chain.

To change couplings,
Backup the eng file somewhere safe,
Use WordPad or ConText to open the eng file.
Near the top of the listing you'll see the Coupling ( entry, followed, usually on the next line, by Type ( xxxxxx ) where xxxxxx is Chain or Automatic; may be Bar, but don't touch that one !
Change the word Chain to Automatic, or vice versa, but make sure there is one space between the word you've entered and the bracket at each end.
Some locos have two Coupling entries, if so, the first is for the rear and the other, the front - BUT don't touch Bar couplings
Save the file and close the program.
Test within MSTS

Hope that's clear!

Cheers,
Ged

EDIT :

I've just suffered the same non-coupling event on the Wells to Glastonbury Shuttle where the Pannier Tank refuses to couple with the rake in the bay platform?

Yes, I had the same problem, but it's not the type of coupling, this time! I actually made two changes - one was to the bounding boxes of the coaches (see earlier in this thread), the other was to change the r0 entry under each of the two coupling entries in the eng file as follows : replace r0 ( 0cm 0.78m ) with r0 ( 20cm 30cm ) - I have a feeling that changing the bounding box wouldn't have had any effect!

[eholly]

Hi Ged

Great - did that as well - it ran a treat!

Things are looking up.

Eric

[slipperman12]

Well done, Eric

Ged