[dforrest]

It is my understanding that the purpose of a BAR coupling is that it cannot be disconnected in normal operation. This is so in MSTS where such a coupling cannot be uncoupled. It is not so in Open Rails where a loco can be disconnected from its tender and run without it!

[dforrest]

I gave an incorrect title to this thread. It should be "BAR Coupling Connections".

[vince]

dforrest, on 28 November 2018 - 06:15 AM, said:

I gave an incorrect title to this thread. It should be "BAR Coupling Connections".

This is also true in the real world altough it's somewhat more complicated than simply pulling the pin. But in reality you can run a loco for a limited distance disconnected from it's tender on a yard track to run the lock without tender into the shop.

I had an Uncle Harold, long passed now, that used to take me on tours of the Morris Park Engine shops of the Long Island Rail Road where I saw this being done. Disconnect water, air brake and stoker, drop the bar and away you go. This is very simplified in OR operations but thankfully it's there and can be used.

Seems you've found another example of incorrect operation in MSTS where you are prevented from running a prototypical operation due to the horrible programming (witness the screwed up engine files!) that KUJU / Microsoft fostered upon the masses.
Thank you Opern Rails developers for getting it right.
regards,
vince

[dforrest]

It is not right or prototypical that you cam disconnect between the loco and tender while the train is running. Perhaps KUJU should have made it possible to disconnect while stationary.

[copperpen]

dforrest, on 28 November 2018 - 11:29 AM, said:

It is not right or prototypical that you cam disconnect between the loco and tender while the train is running. Perhaps KUJU should have made it possible to disconnect while stationary.

More work needs to be done on the coupling code, it is rather simple as it stands. There is no difference in coupling types in OR so you can couple any coupler type to any other coupler type at present. The code even adds a coupler where none is required in the case of some activities that use an invisocar to carry a scenic item for a particular activity, which makes those activities unplayable in OR. Nothing spoils the illusion more than a MOW truck keeping pace in reverse with your locomotive.

[dforrest]

Another, somewhat associated issue, which could possibly be addressed, is the F9 display jumping from displaying the train in one direction to the opposite direction when the direction of movement of the actual train changed. I found that I could disconnect at a BAR coupling because of this. I set up the F9 display to disconnect the rear brakevan but when I actually made the disconnection, the direction had changed and I uncoupled between the loco and tender!