[atsf37l]

Csantucci, on 04 July 2015 - 09:09 PM, said:

Hi Herb,
before I answer you, I need some info also on the ideal shunting that generated the initial train composition.

I'm not sure I understand the question. The consist was made using ConBuilder utility. It was then inserted into the game at the Cima Summit path for the purposes of this demonstration. I had to do several unprototypical run throughs on the siding to set up the screenshots.

What I attempted to show was how it should work. Making the hop from the road engine to the connected helper is easy. Making the hop from the disconnected helper to the road engine to do the back up move is not possible with the current state of the sim. Likewise the hop back to the helper to clear the siding and the hop back to the road engine to proceed to Mancos. All of those had to be created by running back and forth through the siding to get the helper engine ahead of the train. :sign_sorry:

[Csantucci]

Hi Herb,
sorry if I was a bit obscure.
Here what I meant:
I assume that the activity you would like to play doesn't start with the train arriving at Cima summit with the helper in between. Instead, I assume that at the start of the activity you would like to play there would be separated player train and helper, and that they would shunt to form a single train with the composition as it arrives at Cima. So what I am asking you is how do you imagine this first part of the future activity (pictures are not needed at the moment, words should be enough). This, because the join and split feature requires that both phases (join and split) are present in the activity. And in your description in the above post you describe only the "split" phase (where one train is split in two trains).
I hope I was clearer now.

[atsf37l]

OK Carlo, just one pic this time:

Although this train is a 1941 operation and West Durango was closed down about that time, my normal operation is to have the RGS locomotives and caboose at the West Durango engine terminal at the left side of the map. The cut that will be the train is set up by the D&RGW switch crew on one of the long sidings in the Rio Grande's South yard, near the roundhouse and turntable at the right of the picture. The helper, road engine and caboose are assembled at West Durango, run to the Durango yards, the caboose is tacked on the rear of the cut - usually the helper remains there behind the caboose but it can be put anywhere in the train or run on the front. The road engine then runs around to the North end of the train and backs on. Once the air is pumped the whole shooting match backs out of the South yard then pulls forward through the Rio Grande engine leads and onto RGS track, Thence running up the 2.5% continuous grade to Cima.

In all probability the train out of Durango would have eight or so empty high side gondolas which would be exchanged for loads at Hesperus along the way, taking a few loads North and leaving the rest to pick up on the return trip. I run two and three day scenarios with lots of switching along the way.

Now if there were a way to easily switch from one unconnected loco to another it would change completely the way I cut the power into the train at Durango. The helper, road engine and caboose would run to Durango where they would split up with the helper putting the caboose on the rear of the train and the road engine would run to the front of the train. As it is now under MSTS and ORTS, the road engine has to shunt the helper to it's location as though it were without a crew. Unprototypical to the max but what we are saddled with in the software.

An even better scenario, if hopping cabs were possible, would be for the road engine to go to Durango and pick up the cut then hook in the helper at West Durango where the grade starts in earnest. That too is a "not possible" with the current software, unless you use the road engine to go to the helper instead of the other way around. :sign_thanks:


Ps: For the purists among us, I erred with the previous set of screenshots. That train should have been labeled Extra 20 East. Even though it travels ordinally West out of Durango as far as Dolores, it turns North and East at that point and is "timetable East."

[atsf37l]

Man, that got him thinking. :rotfl: :blush2:

[Csantucci]

Hi Herb,
no, I was walking in the mountains :blush2:
I understand that the ideal situation is the one where you can switch the driven train. Well, I'm working on it, but I don't know how long I will need...

[atsf37l]

Sounds like a better thing to do than tinker with software! :rotfl:

Take your time, Carlo. We've been waiting since 2001 to be able to do that... :) :blush2:

[Csantucci]

This evening I was able to perform the first player train switch. There are still a good number of problems to solve, but the basic mechanism works.
Here how it works (in activity mode and with autopilot option selected).
A new window has been created: the TrainListWindow (opened with Alt-F9). It contains the list of all AI trains plus the player train.
Here the initial situation

The actual player train is shown in red. The star at the end of the line indicates that the cameras are linked to that train.
AI trains whose loco(s) has at least a cab are shown in green. They are eligible for player train switch.
Other AI trains are shown in white.
By clicking a first time on an AI train, the cameras become linked to that train. A red star appears at the end of the line. This is equivalent to clicking on Alt-9, but here the desired train can be selected.
Here the intermediate situation

By clicking a second time on the AI train (usually when it has completely appeared on the screen - if it is far away from the player train this can require seconds to load tiles etc) the switch occurs. The AI train string now becomes red and is moved to the first position.
The train can be driven, or passed to autopilot mode. The former player train becomes an AI train.
Here the final situation

[Csantucci]

James, I'm not able to change fields in the blueprint, except for the Whiteboard, so I'm not able to set myself as assignee.

[James Ross]

Csantucci, on 08 July 2015 - 09:43 AM, said:

James, I'm not able to change fields in the blueprint, except for the Whiteboard, so I'm not able to set myself as assignee.

I've updated a few fields; can you change the Implementation field now that I've assigned you to it?

[Csantucci]

Yes, I can. Thank you.