WAL - Coal Empties Return

[eholly]

Good Morning

Here's one for you Ged. SDJR - pick up Goods - lots of light engines etc., etc.

Enjoy

Eric

[slipperman12]

Hi Eric,
Thank you very much

It'll be a little while before I get back to you, but promise I will!

Cheers,
Ged

[dforrest]

Eric, after completing the shunt at Pool I am running wrong-line and collide with a light engine coming towards me. I have run this section a few times always with the same result. I have made sure that I am tripping all the reversing points. I am running Open Rails.

[slipperman12]

Hi Eric,
Thank you for another excellent activity for a fantastic route (thanks Clive!)
I ran it in MSTS, of course!! No problems were encountered, although it took rather longer (about 2 1/2 hours) than I usually like.

As many members can't (or don't want to) use MSTS, I thought I'd try it in Open Rails. Oh dear ...!!

I MUST point out that Eric's activities are specified as only for MSTS, so the following are not directed at him, in any way.

I had the same problem as David, but maybe I can flesh it out a bit - I realise that this should really be in the OR Forum!

1. Uncoupling from the original rake and collecting the first pick-up - no problems.
2. Reversing on to the original rake, the RP (under the original rake) doesn't trigger.
3. After pulling both rakes out of the loop, as soon as the loco has gained the main line, all the wagons "jumped" over to the main line, ie without going through the points.
4. As David as posted, the Player is on the "wrong" line and the F4 display shows 'No Path' - this is obviously because the original rake RP wasn't triggered.
5. Continuing on, 3205, which is trundling along, minding its own business, suddenly finds itself the pilot loco for the Player!!
Additionally, while reversing to couple to the original rake, two or three "extra" RPs appeared on the F4 display and disappeared in turn.

Another OR quirk I found was that after coupling to the unfitted wagons, <Shift+/> needs to be pressed to release the brakes! This must also be done after the brakes have been applied as part of normal running, before being able to continue.

Cheers,
Ged

[dforrest]

Hi Eric,
Thank you for another excellent activity for a fantastic route (thanks Clive!)
I ran it in MSTS, of course!! No problems were encountered, although it took rather longer (about 2 1/2 hours) than I usually like.

As many members can't (or don't want to) use MSTS, I thought I'd try it in Open Rails. Oh dear ...!!

I MUST point out that Eric's activities are specified as only for MSTS, so the following are not directed at him, in any way.

I had the same problem as David, but maybe I can flesh it out a bit - I realise that this should really be in the OR Forum!

1. Uncoupling from the original rake and collecting the first pick-up - no problems.
2. Reversing on to the original rake, the RP (under the original rake) doesn't trigger.
3. After pulling both rakes out of the loop, as soon as the loco has gained the main line, all the wagons "jumped" over to the main line, ie without going through the points.
4. As David as posted, the Player is on the "wrong" line and the F4 display shows 'No Path' - this is obviously because the original rake RP wasn't triggered.
5. Continuing on, 3205, which is trundling along, minding its own business, suddenly finds itself the pilot loco for the Player!!
Additionally, while reversing to couple to the original rake, two or three "extra" RPs appeared on the F4 display and disappeared in turn.

Another OR quirk I found was that after coupling to the unfitted wagons, <Shift+/> needs to be pressed to release the brakes! This must also be done after the brakes have been applied as part of normal running, before being able to continue.

Cheers,
Ged

Ged, to answer your numbered "fleshing out":

1. OK
2. The RP did trigger for me.
3. I experience no jumping.
4. OK, but in my case the original RP was triggered.
5. No extra RP's appears for me.

______________
David

[slipperman12]

Hi David,
If the "original rake RP" triggered for you, then there's an even bigger problem in that it didn't change the crossover points to put the Player on to the correct line!!

I feel that if OR can't run a straight forward activity like this one correctly, I'm sorry to say, there's not much hope for its future. This is nothing to do with fancy physics or "realistic" operations!

I believe that the "jumping" from one track to another is caused by trailing points being incorrectly set. These will be the points from the loop to the main line; none of the Player RPs would have changed them, so the only possibility is the Collett light engine (3205) whose path it was, but it was about 5 minutes away.

On the bright side, I found that the S&D 2-8-0 runs very well under OR (maybe too well because she was running away at one point!).

Cheers,
Ged

[slipperman12]

Hi David,
I found that I had to keep reversing after the two rakes had coupled for about 50yds to trigger another RP - this one was virtually at the red signal which is behind the train, protecting the main line. Then, I was able to pull forward and gain the correct main line.

The RP which, I think. should have triggered when the rakes coupled had a yellow background - what does that mean? Also, the additional RPs I mentioned had yellow backgrounds, too.

With this additional information, I'm going to try again tomorrow, but, I think, with the extra time it takes to manoeuvre in OR, number 3205 will be on us before we have time to clear the points!!

Cheers,
Ged

[dforrest]

Ged, I found the reversing point near the red and used it but still went onto the wrong track.

I will do some research on RP backgrounds.

Added later - I did some (research). The yellow background is probably the symbol for "train ahead" (does it have two "buffers" at the bottom?)

______________
David

[dforrest]

And even later. I waited for the oncoming train to pass before leaving the siding and was then routed onto the correct track.

________________
David

[slipperman12]

Hi David,
Sorry, but I didn't notice the "two buffers"! The "yellow backed" RP didn't change the crossover points, but the one, which appeared to be at the ground signal, was a "normal" RP, and did.

I have now successfully completed the Poole rake collection and am on my way to Bailey Gate for the next one. I was about 1 min. down on MSTS timings leaving Poole, but was clear some time before the light engine got to the area.

Cheers,
Ged

[slipperman12]

Hi David,
(NOTE : all these comments only apply when running the activity in Open Rails)
At Bailey Gate, two yellow-backed RPs were triggered correctly.

At Blandford Forum, the rake to be picked up showed a yellow-backed RP and, when the loco coupled, was replaced by a "normal" RP, 2yds further on. After this was tripped, the activity continued as with MSTS.
At this point, I was about 6 mins down on my MSTS timings and was held by the platform starter signal, awaiting 34042.

Q1, 33020, is in the yard with a milk tanker consist; its tender is missing!

Cheers,
Ged

[MikeandDi]

Hi Ged and David

I am also running this activity in Open Rails and have just left Bailey Gate, down about two minutes.

I have tweaked the loco brakes so that they apply and release at a faster rate, which helps a lot with the shunting, etc.

I had to do the extra reversing at Poole, and so far the activity has been running well.

The yellow in the display depicts rolling stock in the same section of line - in the cases here, it is the wagons to be collected.

I have puzzled for a long time about the Q1 tenders not displaying, but have not been able to see any reason for this in the wag file. I'm confident that you will be able to solve this one for us!

Thanks for another great activity Eric.

Mike

[slipperman12]

Hi Mike,
Thanks
To complete the picture, I've run the remainder of the activity without any further dramas, being about 7 minutes down on my MSTS timings. This could be due, in part, because I haven't tweaked the brakes - could you tell me what you did, please?

I've had a quick look at the Q1's tender, but couldn't see anything wrong; it needs an in-depth investigation!!

Cheers,
Ged

[MikeandDi]

Hi Ged

My adjusted brake settings are as follows -

MaxReleaseRate( 35 )
MaxApplicationRate( 35 )
MaxAuxilaryChargingRate( 40 )

Brake_Train ( 0 0.99 0.1 0.65
NumNotches( 4
Notch( 0 0 TrainBrakesControllerReleaseStart )
Notch( 0.1 0 TrainBrakesControllerRunningStart )
Notch( 0.2 0 TrainBrakesControllerSelfLapStart )
Notch( 0.3 1 TrainBrakesControllerApplyStart )
)
)

These have been picked up from the forums somewhere, so I cannot claim any credit for them.

The original settings were -

MaxReleaseRate( 10 )
MaxApplicationRate( 10 )
MaxAuxilaryChargingRate( 10 )

Brake_Train ( 0 0.99 0.0475 0.65
NumNotches( 4
Notch( 0 0 TrainBrakesControllerReleaseStart )
Notch( 0.05 0 TrainBrakesControllerRunningStart )
Notch( 0.2 0 TrainBrakesControllerSelfLapStart )
Notch( 0.3 1 TrainBrakesControllerApplyStart )
)
)

Probably not very realistic, but it makes things a lot easier in Open Rails when shunting, stopping at stations, restarting, etc.

Regards
Mike

[slipperman12]

Hi Mike,
Thanks

Regarding the Q1 tender : There appears to be something in the shape file that Open Rails objects to; this applies to the Q1s in UKTS file ID 25614 Eastleigh Q1s, as used in this activity. Other downloads, 19965 (Flying Dustbins) and 29307 (Tonbridge Q1s) show correctly in OR. I don't think the shape files can be interchanged because they use different .ace file names, but I need to confirm that!
Also, OR objects to the locos from the Eastleigh pack when they are used as Player, but I'm still trying to determine why! The locos from the other packs work OK.

Cheers,
Ged