[roeter]

Today I 'jumped' from X1914 to X1939, and now find my little trams on the San Diego tramway no longer want to run(route Surfliner2 - slightly adapted to run these trams). They ran quite allright upto X1914. Sorry I can't be more specific as to which version this was introduced, but a little too busy to try all inbetween versions.

Now, I can understand the problems running electric trains on diesel routes can bring - but I cannot understand why this should bring loads of trace warnings about invalid objects related to pantographs (see log-file).

And - yes - pantographs can exist on Diesel trains - there are such things as multi-system engines (electric engine with secondary diesel power to cover short sections of unelectrified lines, e.g. for shunting).

Log-file :  OpenRailsLog_ElectricTrains.zip (4.98K)
Number of downloads: 242

Regards,
Rob Roeterdink

[Matej Pacha]

Hi Rob,
I can react on the following warning: "Warning: The route is not electrified. Electric driven trains will not run!" This warning just says that the route is not suitable for electric locomotives and will pop up for electric locomotives only (see MSTSElectricLocomotive.cs). You can override this warning in the Options window (Simulation tab: Override non-electrified route line-voltage).
The other warning (System.IO.FileLoadException) is probably connected with some ENG definition mismatch (diesel defined as electric loco or similar). If this is a MSTS incompatibility, we should reconsider the ORTS physics structure. Anyway, pantographs are a part of MSTSWagon, thus they are a part of any inherited classes as MSTSLocomotive, MSTSDieselLocomotive, MSTSElectricLocomotive and even MSTSSteamLocomotive.

PS: a link to your locomotives would be appreciated.

Matej

[roeter]

Matej Pacha, on 17 January 2014 - 08:40 AM, said:

PS: a link to your locomotives would be appreciated.

Ahhh - :sign_thanks: - that's a bit tricky.
I rename all my rolling stock in a particular system to keep some sort of order, and generally loose every link to wherever I got that piece of equipment in the first place.
And a lot has been around for so long that the sites from where I picked them up have long since gone.

Anyway, the thing is a tram named 'flexity', and has three wagons.
Now, the odd thing is that both end wagons are electric, the middle wagon is diesel - and that happens to be the one with the pantograph. The middle wagon powers the whole lot (hence it is classified as diesel to run on Surfliner2), but the end wagons must also be classified as engines otherwise the player would not be able to run this unit.

So - with the end wagons classified as electric, a 'raise pantograph' is automatically send (even though these units do not have a pantograph) - and that causes the crashes. The system seems to expect every electric engine to have a pantograph - which in case of multiple units certainly is not true.

Regards,
Rob Roeterdink

[Csantucci]

roeter, on 17 January 2014 - 11:48 AM, said:

... The system seems to expect every electric engine to have a pantograph - which in case of multiple units certainly is not true.

I don't believe this is the problem of the crash. In push-pull trains the wagon with the cab (how are they called in railway english?) that stays within the consist at the opposite side of the loco does not have a panto, is defined as an electric .eng file and does not crash if you press the P key from within its cab. I think the cause of the crash is the intermediate diesel unit with the panto. Some time ago I saw a comment within the OR code that stated that pantos could be raised on any trainset (my first thought is at some old swiss restaurant wagons), and maybed it is this part of the code that fails.

[roeter]

In the UK, these coaches are called "Driving Trailers" (in case of MU), or "Driving Coach" (in case of push-pull).
In the USA/CAN, these are called "Cab cars".

As for the error, it is reported on engine "101Shuttle" - and that is the end car.
It is the error "null object", and the function in which it crashes is "SetFirstPantograph".
Which makes sense : the program tries to set the pantograph on an electric engine but in this case it doesn't exist.

Warning: System.IO.FileLoadException: D:\TrainSim\Org\trains\trainset\TA_Flexity_Classic\101Shuttle.eng ---> System.NullReferenceException: De objectverwijzing is niet op een exemplaar van een object ingesteld.
   bij ORTS.MSTSElectricLocomotive.SetPantographFirst(Boolean up) in D:\OpenRail\testversion\trunk\Source\RunActivity\RollingStock\MSTSElectricLocomotive.cs:regel

Regards,
Rob Roeterdink

[Sid P.]

Hi-
I am running X1944, and the trolleys supplied with Surfliner (1) run OK in both Surfliner and Surfliner2, but I had turned on the Electrified bit in the .trk file earlier. If I set the override bit in the "Options", I get a little message when I raise the pantograph about "Overridden", but it seems to run OK.

[Genma Saotome]

Is there any reason at all to even check whether the route is or is not marked as for electrics? It's not like the overhead wires are actually electrified... and there are routes that have all types of locomotives in use. The early versions of OR didn't bother and I thought that was an improvement over MSTS.

[Csantucci]

Rob,
I made a consist with an electric driving coach at both ends of it, so no pantos (neither hidden pantos in the .s file). I pressed both P and Shift-P and got no crash.

[roeter]

But is your route Diesel or Electric?
That seems to makes the difference.

I agree with Dave, though, that it should not really make any difference. There are allready a number of routes which have both (including main unelectrified lines but with local electric tramways or 3rd-rail subsurban networks).

Regards,
Rob Roeterdink

[Csantucci]

I have added a Dash 9 within the consist and run the standard Marias Pass route. When I press P or Shift-P I get the message: "Warning - No power line!" but no crash.