[jpmackay]

Few minutes ago I ran the route of Powder River Basin -- The Orin Line and use one of the activity, HT_Alliance to Donkey Creek Empties that I got from the file library of trainsim. Anyway I don't know if that is a bug or part of an activity problem for this route. No problem to run at the beginning of the route but came into all of a sudden stop few miles down the track. I look at Track Monitor and noticed something that I am not sure what it is? Anyway here is below:

Speed: NaN mph
Projected 0.0 mph
Limit 20 mph

Node: Manual or Loop when I hit the key with CTRL + M and can't get into Automatic for some reasons. Also with two vertical lines are solid red showed in Track Monitor. Can't continue to run this activity on the route so I opt out of the program.

John

[That Genset Foamer]

I've had the NaN MPH bug back with one of the later X2000 builds, seems to have disappeared since.

[markus_GE]

I think I recall from another thread, that it has something to do with the curve resistance and curve speed limit option. Try turning them off, maybe that will temporarily solve the problem.

X2205 seems to be quite up to date, however, the latest weekly X release being 2194...

Cheers, Markus

[dennisat]

This is not the previous problem with NaN appearing in the Track Monitor, the patch for that is definitely still in place. I have also had the problem whereby you get into mode Manual or Loop and cannot get back to Auto-Signal.

The scenario was that a train runs into a terminal platform, is supposed to hit a reverse point, and then when the time comes, head back the way it came.

When entering the platform, the reverse point did not activate and mode went to Loop. You could then only switch between Manual and Loop. In Manual, you could get out of the platform and on to the return path when the reverse point would, somewhat belatedly, activate. However, you could not switch to Auto Signal because the dispatcher kept reporting you were not back on the original path - which, however, it was. In addition, I was getting a message when trying to switch to Auto Signal that the dispatcher could not "see" the next section of the onward path.

On examining the activity, I found that on the return path out of the platform there was a Waiting Point. I surmised that when the train ran in, the dispatcher could not "see" past the waiting point, did not know what to do and threw it in the Loop bucket. When in the platform, the dispatcher also could not "see" the exit signal either and I presume that was because the Waiting Point was in front of it.

I dodged the problem by removing the Waiting Point and the activity then worked. Until this post appeared I'd forgotten the problem because I'd dodged it. The symptom of not being able to get back from Loop to anything sensible has jogged my memory. I'll try and recreate the problem with a lot more diagnostics to try and help find a solution.

Dennis

[jpmackay]

I did turn off the curve resistance and curve speed limit option which was suggested by Markus aka markus_GE. The other thing about the diesel smoke for BN C36-7 is coming out very heavy and black too. I am not sure if that is the problem but realized after read dennisat's message about waiting point now. Hope that will solve the problem with this.

John

[roeter]

For the combination of a reversal point immediately followed by a waiting point I can just about imagine what would happen - and what would cause the loop. Solving that problem (without causing new problems elsewhere) is a different matter, though.
What probably happens here is that on creating the train's route, the route is 'broken' at both the reversal point and the waiting point, and subroutes are created for the three separate sections (upto reversal, between reversal and waiting point, beyond waiting point).
When a subroute is created, the start section is obviously added first, and when all is done, the final section is added as last. But - when there is noting in between, it means the subroute consists of the first and the final section, which in this case is the same!
So, the subroute has a section which occurs twice - and that is a loop.
A major point here is, though - what is that waiting point doing there, especially in a platform?
Probably it was placed there because MSTS could not handle departure time correctly with a reversal point in a platform. OR has no problems with that, and in this position the waiting point is completely unnecesarry.
Waiting points were often used in MSTS activities to 'mask' train control errors. But, due to the different train control used in OR, the reverse is true here as waiting points often cause problems with the train control in OR.
Waiting points have to be maintained for compatibility with MSTS but admittedly I would very much like to ban them from path definitions and, instead, link them to the train itself where they can be handled much better.

Regards,
Rob Roeterdink

[dennisat]

roeter, on 01 May 2014 - 04:55 AM, said:

A major point here is, though - what is that waiting point doing there, especially in a platform?

From an examination of the activity, it was there to allow a train on an adjoining platform to depart along the return route ahead of the Player train. As you know, getting AI trains to cross ahead of a Player train within a minute or so, or even more, was very difficult to arrange with MSTS. Often ploys such as this that worked for one conflict would not work for a practically identical situation elsewhere. In OR, I often come across the opposite problem - a Player train is held for a long time while a succession of AIs crosses / runs ahead of its path.

Dennis

[roeter]

OR is 'neutral' when it comes to allocating paths to trains - there is no priority for the player train.
Generally, it is 'first come, first serve' - the only exception is when there are multiple trains waiting for the same route behind a stationary train - in that situation, which train is allowed first is a bit random.
As for the situation above : if the departure times for both player and AI are set correctly, it should work properly in OR, allthough reversal points can sometimes cause some deviation from the normal rules.

Regards,
Rob Roeterdink