Atomic Systems

Hi all,

During a break in modelling over the weekend, I knocked up an activity for Ffestiniog Alpha 1.1. It is based on the Up Train activity supplied with the route patch.

The premise is that it is a Bank Holiday, so there is a little extra traffic on the line. The only differences from the default activity are that you drive David Lloyd George and start by the water tower at Porthmadog. You run around the train, reverse on to it and then run up to Blaneau.

There is a little extra passenger traffic en-route, but other than that it is the same as the default Up Train activity (i.e. you stop at the same stations with the same timetable).

If there is enough interest, I can finish testing it properly and upload it, but I would have to get permission from Batroost as it is only a modification of the activity supplied. You shouldn't need any additional stock as it uses mostly consists supplied with the patch. There are a couple of new paths, a modified traffic pattern and a couple of modified consists (but they are based on those supplied, just additional ones to allow you to run around the train).

If you folks are interested, I was thinking of doing a return journey, where you run around the train again at Blanaeu and run back down the line to Porthmadog. That would be a bit more novel in that I'd try to make it fit in with this activity so you don't pass a train parked at Blaneau that you passed on the way up at Minnfordd...

Paul

Go ahead It's a great idea!
Just make sure the player don't get stuck at Port >,<

The Port bit seems to work OK. In my original version, you started coupled to the rear of the train as though you had just arrived on a down train, un-coupled, reversed, ran around the train, etc.

The problem with that was two fold, the double Fairlies don't take too well to starting activities in reverse, you end up driving the dummy engine, so the steam from the whistle ends up in the wrong place for a start, and the can view doesn't work properly. Not a fault with the models, just a feature.

Secondly, of course, you end up coupling with the front coupler (as far as MSTS is concerned) which gives the slow / imposssible to pull away problems and I also found it lead to broken couplings on several occasions trying to maintain a decent speed on the steeper sections of the route.

Thats way, as it now stands, you start off by the water tower behind the train, but are facing forwards, which solves both problems. It removes a little interest from the activity, but the benefits outweigh that drawback.

Paul

What if someone very "new" to this gets started iun that activity thinks "Hey I have to REVERSE" and falls of the dock >,<

But no one has done that "unknowingly" yet ...well...except for that one time

Two things I guess:

1. Next time they'll read the activity briefing properly (yeah yeah, real men don't read activity briefings any more than they read instruction manuals )
2. We'll all have a good chortle and think of whichever Rev. Awdry story contained a similar event (even if only with the trucks)

Actually, so far I have done that twice. First when I didn't realise how poweful DLG is (and shot off like a rocket in reverse), second time when I ran the revised version of the activity for the first time and tried to start out the same way I did before !

Hitting the escape key is quicker than calling out a crane and handing in your resignation !

Paul

lol...
"Cranky can you pull David Loiyd out of the pond again??"

XD

hmm...I wonder if I should do a Duke and Stuart activity "You Can't Win" where Stuart has to save Duke
that would be good! Pull him from TYB to Port!

Yep. I agree the more activities the better. The activities I included were only a starting point.

A few things that might help me keep track of everything:

- If you could stick to naming conists in a similar way i.e. 'FR (engine) (stock) (up/down)'? - though you may have to abbreviate a bit
- Paths/Services are better with a bit of detail in the name i.e. 'Up Train from Minffordd' is better than just 'Up Train' - particularly important for AI trains.
- When you decide if an activity is finished let me know if you'd be happy to distribute it with the next patch, and of course I'd put a credit in teh readme.

I did think that I might put some generic paths/services together - say Up/Down from each station and running to the terminus. This would make AIs easier and save duplication. I'll have a go later and try to post something.

Cheers,

Batroost

I fell off the side too, in a Salte Train Act...with ME on the end, didn't realise we where going about 50, I had around 35 slate trucks and ME's brakes couldn't do much! I nearly slammed into Blanche too .

LOL
I'll try to make that activity up today Shouldn't be too hard. Is it ok that I use some stock that is only available from UKTS?

Hi,

I've just uploaded a set of Paths for the Ffestiniog Aplha 1.1 patched route. You'll have to wait for th upload to be approved I suspect - this is the first file I've uploaded!

These paths will allow you to start 'Explore Route' from any station/yard on the FR and travel up or down the line. These Paths should also be used (where possible) when writing activities, as this will avoid confusion/duplication of paths.

Could I just add that although I said I might include other people's activities in a future patch, I'd prefer it if any activities written for this purpose were restricted to using stock available from teh FR website. This means that all alpha testers can enjoy them, not just those involved with UKtrainsim. But, of course I still don't object to you posting other activities on UKtrainsim.

Best wishes,

Batroost (:evilbat:)

I'll take a look at those new paths before uploading (10:0 is good enough for me!).

There are currently only 2 new paths, one modified Porthmadog to Blaneau path to allow running around the train at Port, and one modified Blaneau (platform 2) to Port for an additional down train.

If I can, I'll use any of your new paths, if not I'll make sure the new ones follow the same naming convention.

I'll probably have a crack at part 2 of the activity (the corresponsing down train) and upload them as a pair.

Both activities use only stock available from the FR web site.

And if you want to include them with the next patch, I'd be delighted (honored in fact)!

Paul

My activity is complete Just missing one engine Then I can test it a bit, try it out and send it to you Batroost
Ok?

*EDIT*
Tested and perfected! The activity is fool proof, now to make it "evan" proof...
The stock is cut right down the middle at nearly 50% being stock on UKTS and 50% being stock on the Ffestiniog Rly site

The bank holiday up special activity is pretty much done. I'll check it against the new paths tonight, but I haven't managed tobreak it in testing yet...

The down special is coming along OK and it up to the testing stage. So far everything looks OK, but I was nodding off last night so I'll finish it up tonight.

Paul

I have found a problem with teh activity I made but I don't know how to solve this
I keep running out of water whil driving Stuart before reaching the station before T-y-B The only water towers that work along that path are the one at Port and the one at T-y-B The one at Minffordd doesn't work at all...could this be solved in the next patch?

Maybe add a couple extra water towers here and there I guess (j/k)
But I don't think 400 gallons of water can get me much farther than I have already gotten

Stuart needs a drink every now and then

That's weird. On my install the ones at Port and Minnfordd work fine, but the one at TYB doesn't show up at all in the Activity Editor.

You have to set the level in the ones at Port or Minnfordd in the Activity Editor as they default to empty, but they both work fine if you do this for me...

Paul