can someone remind me about the problem with crossing gates

asalmon · Post by **asalmon** » Wed Apr 30, 2003 8:33 pm

I remember in the dim and distant past there was a problem with crossing gates on the settle/carlisle route working backwards? There was a fix available - but was it also fixed in the official MS 1.1 and 1.2 updates?

(I ask because a couple of people have had problems with this in ruabon-barmouth, but it's always worked fine for me - I always install the 1.2 update on msts before doing anything).

-Alan

jp4712 · Post by **jp4712** » Wed Apr 30, 2003 9:08 pm

The crossing gate fix file ID 747 doesn't work on Cannock branch either - I'm such a numpty, I wish I knew how to fix it as the crossing keeper at Lichfield Trent Valley is getting very stressed about 4Fs and 5MTs taking out his nice gates every time...

Bigant · Post by **Bigant** » Wed Apr 30, 2003 9:29 pm

Hi JP
What trains are you running I haven't noticed any problems here
myself, is it only certain engines?

Don

peteworsley · Post by **peteworsley** » Wed Apr 30, 2003 11:03 pm

I've seen this happen myself when I first compacted FUDE, and it's caused by the modified crossing gate file having the same filename as the faulty (default) version.

Even though your route may have perfectly functioning gates, running it through Route-Riter causes the new gates to be replaced by the faulty default S&C gates when Installme.bat is run.

The easiest way to avoid the problem is to rename the modified gate shape files ( and modify the entry in the ref file)

Hope this helps

PW

mikesimpson · Post by **mikesimpson** » Thu May 01, 2003 12:43 am

peteworsley wrote:I've seen this happen myself when I first compacted FUDE, and it's caused by the modified crossing gate file having the same filename as the faulty (default) version.

Even though your route may have perfectly functioning gates, running it through Route-Riter causes the new gates to be replaced by the faulty default S&C gates when Installme.bat is run.

The easiest way to avoid the problem is to rename the modified gate shape files ( and modify the entry in the ref file)

Hope this helps

PW

Hi Peter,

The latest versions of Route-Riter should not replace the 'fixed' version of the crossing gates with the original default version, as it does a CRC check on each file before adding it to installme.bat

Earlier versions of RR needed the crossing to be added to the 'KeepMe.txt' file in RR to ensure that it was not changed.

However I do agree with you that any time you modify a shape which is in the default files, you really should rename it to avoid confusion.

Thanks

gopher · Post by **gopher** » Thu May 01, 2003 5:26 pm

I don't remember modifying these gates in any way. I just place them across the tracks and not the road and they work as they did in Ruabon Bala. I think this may be the problem as RouteRiter can't tell if they have been placed correctly or not.

Gordon

asalmon · Post by **asalmon** » Thu May 01, 2003 5:30 pm

Well, its very odd - because I wiped all trace of MSTS off my PC, installed MSTS, installed Barmouth, and the crossing gates work fine. I am puzzled why they don't work properly on some people's setup.

-Alan

Fodda · Post by **Fodda** » Thu May 01, 2003 5:36 pm

The original problem on the S&C was that they were placed 90 degrees out of whack.

Now Gordon says he just placed them, and I reckon he placed them properly (unlike Kuju). So the default gates on Ruabon Barmouth work.

Perhaps some people are using the crossing "fix" file (which I've never used) and inadvertantly screwing up Gordon's nicely laid gates?

Just a thought.

asalmon · Post by **asalmon** » Thu May 01, 2003 6:06 pm

Wow, you are (probably) a genius - that does sound a very likely explanation.

Take five bonus points!

-Alan

gopher · Post by **gopher** » Thu May 01, 2003 6:08 pm

Now Gordon says he just placed them, and I reckon he placed them properly (unlike Kuju).

Thats right. Place them across the track and not across the road and they work fine, or maybe until somebody applies the "FIX"

Gordon

BobLatimer · Post by **BobLatimer** » Thu May 01, 2003 11:42 pm

It happened to me.

I applied the fix to all of the UK routes I had on my machine. That meant that some of them then worked the wrong way. Had to drive around a lot on all of the routes looking for a crossing so I could tell which ones needed to be changed back.

Fodda · Post by **Fodda** » Fri May 02, 2003 2:06 pm

asalmon wrote:Wow, you are (probably) a genius

Probably? Only probably?

asalmon wrote:Take five bonus points!

-Alan

Why thank you matey... But wait and see if my hypothesis is in fact the answer.

asalmon · Post by **asalmon** » Sun May 04, 2003 8:08 pm

LOL - you have the anwer yourself - "probably" because it may not be the right answer

-Alan

BobLatimer · Post by **BobLatimer** » Mon May 05, 2003 12:13 am

Eureka!!

The gates in my installation of the Ruabon Barmouth were "wrong". I applied the fix and they were still wrong (.!).

I looked into it and found two versions of the UKcrossgates.s file. An earlier-dated one (the original - May 2001?) and a later-dated one (the fix - August 2001?). (Not sure about the dates, I don't have access to my MSTS machine at the moment.)

I had "fixed" my default S&C using the later file a while ago. When I installed the RB route, it copied that file from the default S&C, making the gates wrong. I then put the original file into the RB and the gatesd are now working correctly.

That's why Alan's set-up worked correctly after the re-install. The RB install would have copied the original file from the S&C because presumably he hadn't fixed that route yet.

It looks like the rule must be - if the route author placed the gates correctly (Ruabon Barmouth etc.), use the earlier file - if the route author placed the gates incorrectly (default S&C etc.) use the later file.

Of course, the best way to check is to drive a train through the gates and see what happens. If it's wrong, change the file to the other one.

asalmon · Post by **asalmon** » Mon May 05, 2003 8:21 am

Thanks Bob - Yes I've not installed the crossing gate "fix" because I rarely drive the S&C route!

I think that confirms Fodda's genius status and 5 points!

You can have a couple too Bob for proving this.

-Alan