[mirekkr]

(Sorry if this is already on the bug/wish list.)
I love OR and its new features very much. So I'm trying to create new activities with more traffic in both directions. I've come to a situation which I cannot overcome:

Let's have a Player train and an AI train, both going east, on the same track (except start point), starting approx. at the same time. Both paths have "standard" passing paths (main=default, siding=passing). OR options are: Enhanced MSTS comp = off, Location linked passing = on, Extended AI shunting = off.
When the activity starts, one of the trains (player) takes precedence and the other follows. This is OK. But what happens if the player train stops inside a passing area? Wow - the other train overtakes! This is wonderful!
Up till next signal :-( It shows red which never clears. Dispatch Info shows # for both trains.

To demonstrate this behavior, I've created a test activity on the default Marias Pass route. In case it is a bug, I can upload OR log file and/or OR SavePack, or anything else.

Best wishes to OR team,
mirekkr

[roeter]

What would help is a screenshot of the F5 - dispatcher hud, taken at the moment you are stuck at the signal.

Regards,
Rob Roeterdink

[mirekkr]

Okay Rob, here you are (see attachment). OR log also included.

Regards,
mirekkr

Attached File(s)

•  Dispatch_Info.zip (218.27K)
  Number of downloads: 158

[mirekkr]

I've slightly modified the scenario from my last post: Let the player train be a heavy freight which accelereates and goes slow comparing to the AI train behind. This leads to that the AI follows the player at minimum available distance - Restricting or TrainAhead auth. When approaching the passing area (Coram, Marias Pass in my case), the player train has full green and main path (see Before_Coram.png in the attachment). But - as soon as the player passes the switch - the situation turns to a horror for the player engineer: the next signal turns to red (!) and the AI train is set path through the siding (see After_Entering_Coram.png).
I'd be glad if these tests would help to find what's wrong with the algorithm which executes the "Location Linked Pass Mode", which in MANY situations works excellent.

Thanks,
mirekkr

Attached File(s)

•  Test2.ZIP (3.42MB)
  Number of downloads: 158

[roeter]

The problem seems to be that the second train 'steals' the exit from the area from the first train, even though the first train has a clear path through the area. Because the first train has a clear path 2 signals down, and the second train only 'steals' the path upto the first signal, things get deadlocked when the second train reaches that first signal.
I will have to look into this and will put it on my list, but it may be a little while before I get down to this - there are a few more problems on that list, and none of those look very easy, either.

Thanks for reporting this in detail.

Regards,
Rob Roeterdink

[mirekkr]

Many thanks in advance, Rob.
Meanwhile, I'm going to study the TimeTable concept which looks very interesting.

Regards,
mirekkr

[roeter]

Did a test run at Coram with passing paths (location based paths), but could not get it to fail.
Can you please try if this still fails in version 2806?

Regards,
Rob Roeterdink

[mirekkr]

Rob, thanks for your effort and interest. Unfortunately, the situation still repeats in X2811.
Steps to reproduce:
1- with the default USA2 route, install files from the attachment (act,paths,services,consist).
2- set OR Experimental options to Enhanced Comp MSTS = off, Location Linked Pass = on, Extended Shunting = off
3- start the activity: you can use Autopilot and go as far as about one half mile before Coram
4- here switch off the Autopilot and slow down
5- at low speed (10 mph or so), continue through Coram Main; watch the Dispatch window untill the AI train's front of red line (path claim I guess) reaches your location (you are still on the Coram main)
6- ... and this is the point when it happens (see picture in the attachment).
(Of course, there's a "more natural" scenario which leads to the same result: just don't use Autopilot /because he is too skilled/ and drive the train by yourself. You probably would be much slower and the AI would follow you at TAH auth.)

Regards,
mirekkr

Attached File(s)

•  MiK_test_OR.ZIP (18.65K)
  Number of downloads: 167

[roeter]

This was a 'double whammy' - which made it hard to find.
First of all, there was an error when 'Auto Pilot' mode was enabled, in that the setting for LocationBased passing paths was not checked, and ofcourse the data was not set up correctly either.
So, when enabling 'Auto Pilot' (regardless of actually using or not), you were actually using the 'old' path-based passing paths.
And that was were the second problem was - in the PathBased passing path logic, the signal was not properly reset which led to incorrect path selection.
As I tested without the 'Auto Pilot', I used the LocationBased processing and that did work correct.

Anyway, all should be correct now in version 2818.

Regards,
Rob Roeterdink

[mirekkr]

Rob,
I can see you succeeded to kill two birds with one stone - and in such a short time!
I'm looking forward to the friday's release to enjoy the fix.
And - once more: MANY THANKS to you and to all the guys of OR Team for building such an excellent Sim for us!

Regards,
mirekkr