Editing Mideast UK Activities

tony25 · Post by **tony25** » Mon Sep 23, 2002 9:37 pm

I've been going through all my default and downloaded activities for MideastUK, and tweaking them in Activity Analyser for my own personal preference. I've edited all the activities that use 20187 as the driven engine to either 20043 or 20161, simply because i personally prefer those models. However, i find that all the activities that use my new double header consists (be they 20043/20043 or 20161/20161) keep applying the emergency break every few hundred yards! Anyone know what the problem is, and is there a solution? Cheers.

asalmon · Post by **asalmon** » Mon Sep 23, 2002 9:41 pm

Do your 20's use the same type of brakes and couplers as the ones supplied? (187 is auto couplings, air brakes - if yours are vacuum that could cause a problem)

Also, the ENG file can specify a max speed before the brakes are applied, and/or to brake if you exceed the line speed - does it happen whatever speed you are doing?

-Alan

tony25 · Post by **tony25** » Mon Sep 23, 2002 10:29 pm

I checked the brake details in the ENG files of 20043 and 20161 and they were indeed Vacuum_single_pipe, so i changed all instances to Air_single_pipe. The couplers were Automatic, the same as 95% of my other locos, so i left them alone.
I ran MSTS again, and the problem remained. As an example, in the Jolly Fisherman Activity, when i reach 27mph, the emergency brakes kick in. Ususually just after passing the 75mph speed limit sign, and approaching milepost 57 (about 30 seconds into the activity.)

asalmon · Post by **asalmon** » Tue Sep 24, 2002 6:28 am

OK, as a test run the engine on its own - does it still do that? If so theres a problem in the ENG file with the max speed. (look for "overspeed monitor")

Geoffwright · Post by **Geoffwright** » Tue Sep 24, 2002 4:20 pm

I expect it's my installation yet again, but is anyone else having trouble using AE on Mideast activities ?
I find I can edit the timetables OK, but attempts to edit paths ( necessary because ME_March shift 1_1 is reported as having a broken path) just result in a crash, report to MS, etc, etc.

dilflat · Post by **dilflat** » Tue Sep 24, 2002 6:32 pm

I am currently putting together a bit of a "scenic tour" activity but for some reason all the AI traffic is bunching up behind one particular set of lights. I think however that this is a glitch in the sim and not the route as I have experienced similar problems with the default S&C. I shall see if the activity can be re-designed around this problem.

One thing I have noticed is that a measure of the vastness of the route is how slow it makes the Activity editor on my lowly 'pooter. I am even getting "frame rate issues" when moving the map around.

Fantastic route though.

Dave

asalmon · Post by **asalmon** » Tue Sep 24, 2002 8:32 pm

Geoffwright wrote:... but attempts to edit paths ( necessary because ME_March shift 1_1 is reported as having a broken path) just result in a crash, report to MS, etc, etc.

Sounds very much like you are using v1.1 activities without having applied the 1.1 patch to the route - or you've applied the patch, and then installed the activity pack off the CD. (re)apply the 1.1 route update and that should fix the paths.

-Alan

Geoffwright · Post by **Geoffwright** » Tue Sep 24, 2002 8:52 pm

Thanks, Alan - I'll try that.

Geoffwright · Post by **Geoffwright** » Tue Sep 24, 2002 9:12 pm

Well, that fixed the broken paths OK, Alan.
The missing activities & services have appeared & no broken paths show up.
Unfortunately, AE still crashes if I try to edit a service, so something else is wrong.

B*gg*r.

Jonnie1972 · Post by **Jonnie1972** » Tue Sep 24, 2002 9:29 pm

Hi

I have tried editing the activities for the Mideast and must admit crashed once editing the services, but restarted and was fine from then. Even had this on my own activites.

As for anyone who uses Activity Analyser to change stock etc, I have no sympathy with you at all if all goes wrong. Im sick of people mailing me saying there is a problem with my activity, but when truth is known they have replaced stock etc and if all goes wrong it aint the authors fault.

asalmon · Post by **asalmon** » Tue Sep 24, 2002 9:58 pm

Goeff, Does it crash if you "use as template" and edit that?

Have you made any changes (sucessful or not) since installing the route, activity pack, and update? (you may need to do all three again, in that order! If you do i suggest deleting the UK1 folder, and all consists named ME_* first)

-Alan

Geoffwright · Post by **Geoffwright** » Wed Sep 25, 2002 9:48 am

It still crashes even if I select the use as template option.

I think what I'm going to do is completely reinstall MSTS with only a few routes, add Mid-East & its extras, & check all works as it should.

The trouble is that with an old installation, one has hundreds of old & possibly faulty consists & trains clogging up the works, I think.

On with the icepack, back in a week or two, or something .....

Geoffwright · Post by **Geoffwright** » Wed Sep 25, 2002 10:44 pm

Strewth !
Didn't take a week.
Found out lots of interesting things. (I know all you experts will sigh 'cos I'm sure you know it all already, but for the benefit of some, maybe, here goes ...)
Firstly, using uninstall of UKTS (after copying and pasting all the old consists & trainset files ) does NOT remove everything to allow a clean reinstall. You've got to go back to ...\Program Files and amazingly you will see some remnants still there ! I deleted the complete vestigial Trainsim folder still there and after a second uninstall no traces remained.
Then installed UKTS with default selections all made, checked everything out with Route Control, ConBuilder, AE etc etc. & everything hunky-dory. Everything worked (including AE fully) & no crashes.
Great.
Installed Mideast again, added the activities & bonus stock.
With trembling hand & fevered brow checked out the new set of consists & train stock.

Aaaargh ! Conbuilder says errors !

Slog through & find some minor sound file syntax errors in the supplied locos - namely 44002, 45060, 44008 & Voyager class 220.

Actually only very minor defects (a gp38cab.sms copied to them is in each case calling up a few wav files without the " " around them).

The actual functionality of TS & AE were not impaired by these defects, but it's nice to have an error free installation - makes future troubleshooting a little easier.

Bunged in v1.1 again & rechecked everything. No problems.

Mopped brow & went off to find large drink.

Am now wondering on the wisdom of putting some of the general sounds improvements I had previously put into my MSTS. Would really like them back in, as they are a tremendous improvement. ( Particularly the UKSteamtrack carriage sounds & the English s_perm wavs for the guards whistle & the dispatchers messages). Having learned that sound files can have unexpected influences upon matters such as coupling, maybe, is this really wise ?
Can some kind expert reassure me ? I really don't want to go through all this again. ( "Huh - neither do we" I hear you all say ! )

Timcourt1 · Post by **Timcourt1** » Wed Sep 25, 2002 10:54 pm

After editing the odd sound files copied over from the gp38 etc you will now find that some of the included loco's will now have american horns, american aws etc.

The odd files that were not aliased were special ones for UK loco's and you will find they are names such as GP_horn, GP_Deadman etc.

Might be worth installing the activity pack again or manually editing the files.

you will need to re - install those to bting the sounds back though - they were there for a reason.

asalmon · Post by **asalmon** » Thu Sep 26, 2002 7:01 am

Don't forget to re-apply the "tsunpack" fix now you've reinstalled MSTS. That's one step I usually forget. You will also need to reinstall the official patch from Microsoft.

Are you sure the voyager 220 was part of mideast?

If you have enough disk space, you may want to zip up your msts directory now, and keep it safe - then if something goes wrong again you can just delete the whole msts folder, and unzip this backup rather than install from disc and apply the patches etc.

-Alan