[Claude350]

Has anyone been able to complete this activity using open rails? The issues that I have is this. After picking up the empty car at S Parry, I have to tab to get permission to leave the siding after the CP train overtakes me. The CN train never appears to take the crossover on to the CP tracks. No problems with this part in MSTS. Once under it's smooth sailing until I reach Sparrow Lake siding were I have to take the siding and nothing ever appears. I'm unable to tab past the signal after waiting nearly 2 hours. In the MSTS AE it shows that I have the main. If you have been able to complete without any troubles please share what you did. I've tried adjusting times. But that didn't help at all.

[GTADon]

In another post about Bala being compatible with OR we are trying to find some common ground to solve this issue of trains not appearing correstly in Bala 2.0. Join in if you like.

[GTADon]

I have just downloaded the newest Experimental Version today and I am running that same Activity. I ran into the same problem having to get permission to leave the siding, all reds on all signals. The CP AI passed with no issue, but no change in signals or switches even though in the "Switch Points" window the route went green. (The small window that indicates the switch position)

I got the pop-up message about the next two meets, I arrive where I am supposed to get a new message but nothing happens. On the "Route Display" some signals do show a Yellow over Green, then a full Yellow, as though I am either catching up to a train or about to have a meet. After getting to the Full Yellow it turns Green and I carry on, with no meet taking place.

On Seligman 2 in all of Bob Pickering's activities, this same signal scenario appears {green-yellow over green-yellow-green) but there is almost always a rolling meet pending and then happening at the correct place. There has to be something that he is doing when writing these activities that others are not. His activities work in MSTS as well with no issues. The solution is probably something very simple but has to be brought to light so that the people who look after OR and/or MSTS can write a corrective "Band-Aid" for those of us less skilled in this department.

I am going to try and put one of Mr. Pickering's older Activities to the test on Bala 1.5 to see if anything holds up and the act works as designed. He is a prolific activity constructor, he is doing something in his acts that OR likes and MSTS gets along with as well.
 Bob Pickering Act Seligman 2 second Meet.bmp (5.05MB)
Number of downloads: 1

[GTADon]

At this point I am convinced that Bala 2.0 will not operate properly with Open Rails. I am at the waiting point for an opposing AI that is not showing and cannot proceed because of signals. I too am stuck in the Sparrow Lake siding with Reds all around and a switch against my Player Train. Nothing is showing as far as an AI. :sorry2: :)

I am going to check by operating Bala 1.5 and one of Bob's Activities in OR as soon as the opourtunity presents itself, in between life functions. :sign_thanks:

[Metro4001]

GTADon, on 29 January 2014 - 05:37 PM, said:

At this point I am convinced that Bala 2.0 will not operate properly with Open Rails. I am at the waiting point for an opposing AI that is not showing and cannot proceed because of signals. I too am stuck in the Sparrow Lake siding with Reds all around and a switch against my Player Train. Nothing is showing as far as an AI. :sorry2: :)

I am going to check by operating Bala 1.5 and one of Bob's Activities in OR as soon as the opourtunity presents itself, in between life functions. :sign_thanks:

Use manual mode and the dispatcher window to throw switches and ovveride signals.

[R H Steele]

Metro4001, on 29 January 2014 - 06:16 PM, said:

Use manual mode and the dispatcher window to throw switches and ovveride signals.

I agree, with activities that seem to run incorrectly or strangely, I have switched between auto and manual mode in open rails to get thing moving. Watch the AI's in the HUD display when switching from auto to manual mode. In some instances, when switching to manual the AI's will begin moving or start shortly thereafter. Also simply going in the AE and reworking the activity can provide a solution. Afterall this is supposed to be fun, (told to me by a more seasoned Elvas personality when I first joined) - so experiment a little. There is only one route I have found that refuses to work in Open Rails - the DTI - all others I"ve tried work fine. I'm still waiting for my copy of Bala2 by mail - it has been 13 "working" days (ordered on Jan 9th) if it was shipped out on the 10th (I'm not holding my breath on that). I really am interested in what all the commotion is about -- maybe when I run it I'll start :) and :sign_thanks: too.

[markus_GE]

GTADon, on 29 January 2014 - 05:37 PM, said:

I am at the waiting point for an opposing AI that is not showing and cannot proceed because of signals.

Probably that´s the problem, the wainting point, I mean. OpR seems to process them differently than MSTS does and so this could be the thing mucking up the activity... Make a backup of the activity and try removing the waiting point...

Cheers, Markus

[GTADon]

This train sim is fun. :aggressive: It always has been fun, it is just that to enjoy this, one would like to open the route and an activity and participate without a lot of fussing about to do so.

As I stated, Mr. Pickering's activities seem to work flawlessly in OR with Surfliner 2, BNSF Seligman 2, Horseshoe, NEC 4, SLI Mactier and some others. These routes all work great in OR with or without Bob's activities. I am not acquainted with the inner workings of MSTS enough to go in and change things around, nor do I feel I should have to. Some people like to get in and change things around, I like to run trains, that is why I spend money on these routes and not just the freebees.

Regarding "Use manual mode and the dispatcher window to throw switches and override signals." this works only partially with this route (Bala 2.0). I used that and so did Claude350, but at the siding in "Sparrow Lake" the dispatcher will not give a proceed after the switch is aligned even though the signals stay red in all directions, but the switch position changes and is green in the small indicator.

 Signals Bala 2.0 at Sparrow Lake- Red 1.bmp (3.4MB)
Number of downloads: 11
In this shot the switch indicator is green and it stays green when the turnout changes but the disparcher will not let the train proceed, after passing the signal a note comes up saying that the train is not on the proper route and the brakes go into emergency.

The switching from Auto to Manual works fine sometimes, but there always seems to be a place where it does not, either misreading the program instructions or the proper path. I am not deterred and will stick with OR, MSTS is just not the same after using this fine program. There has to be something within the matrix of the Bala 2 Activities that OR just does not like. <_<

[roeter]

Well, it's quite correct that the signal remains at stop : the switch is set "straight", for this train it should be "diverge".
What would help a lot more to find out what is going on is to show the "dispatcher info" : press shift-F5 a couple of times until you see the dispatcher info. A screenshot with that info displayed tells a lot more of what the dispatcher is doing.

Regards,
Rob Roeterdink

[GTADon]

Ok, I now have 13 different screenshots showing the dispatch window up to and including Sparrow Lake where the issue happens.

The 8F proceeds toward my train, by the look of this window, then at 110yd counts down to 0.0 then goes back to 3.4mi still in manual mode. shot #13
 Bala 2.0 issue With Dispatcher Window 13.bmp (3.55MB)
Number of downloads: 21

This is on the approach to Sparrow Lake:Switch is turned to the right, signals are both approach yellow with second one at switch 10mph shot #8

 Bala 2.0 issue With Dispatcher Window 8.bmp (3.72MB)
Number of downloads: 12

This is the approach to Woodward:Signal now shows red over yellow then full red at end of siding to wait for AI that never shows Shot #5

 Bala 2.0 issue With Dispatcher Window 5.bmp (3.57MB)
Number of downloads: 22

Hopefully the information in these three shots can help narrow down this issue. If you want the other shots I can post them as well.