Trainz - Christmas Holidays entertainment, ‘How not to run a Railroad’.

[K3JohnHO]

For your entertainment, operations on the 'Aussie C&O', TRS23+, v117669 will be posted to this thread daily where possible.

But first, a brief description of the layout. (Currently there are no ‘Faulty ‘ or ‘Missing’ dependencies shown in ‘Content Manager’.

Design is 'Portal to Portal' with mostly dual track. 5 Portals serve a 'Fiddle Yard'. Round trip durations are between ~15 min. and ~1 Hour. There is no clocked schedule. Load/Unloading is governed by resource levels at animated Industries.

Animated industries are an Oilfield serving a Refinery serving a Coal Mine serving 2 separate Power Stations, one of which supplies power to the Coal Mine. There is also an animated Container Terminal and two animated Goods Depots. There are 10 trains active on the layout, serving 6 major industries and 1 major passenger station although some maybe held on Triggers in the ‘Fiddle Yard’ or at Industries etc.

 

[K3JohnHO]

23/12/2023 operations. First Report.

6 minutes after operations commenced, a 22 wagon double headed coal train bound for the Bulimba Power Station entered the 'West Case' Portal from the 'Fiddle Yard'. 2 minutes later, a single loco emerged.

No simulated lives lost as the second loco was not manned and there was no guard’s van.

Investigations are underway as there has not been a similar incident at this portal since it opened. (Trainz 2004 or earlier)

Drivers and guardsmen are agitating for greater workplace safety thru updated infrastructure.



1 hour and 6 minutes after restart, the same Double Header emerged from the 'Bulimba' return portal. It then ran a RED signal protecting the main line at the Bulimba spur. This triggered an operations alert, (Signal Passed at Danger).

Operations attempted to contact the driver without success. (Does not appear in the Driver pop-up list nor can it be clicked on for manual control).

Operations suspect the driver has either left the train or is incapacitated. Remember the film 'Unstoppable’?

Driver’s Union is agitating for better maintenance as the incapacitated/missing driver 'Fail-Safe' appears to have failed.

 

[PhilChorusch01]

TRS23+, v117669

TRS23? You must be in the future with technology like that mate

 

[JCitron]

Your issue of the train running the signals and switches is indicative of the switch being too close to the portal.

There are some intermittent issues with the small Portal Basic. Try one of the other portals such as the large-size Portal Basic which works fine from what we can tell.

 

[K3JohnHO]

24/12/2023 Operations.

Due to a serve thunderstorm warning from the Weather Bureau, operations have been suspended for the day. (Mains powered desktop). 2 Hours 14 Minutes run time with no incidents. However, a clash of the ‘Just in Time’ scheduling used, a three train halt occurred at the Bulimba Hill to Sandfly Creek single track section. The inhouse interlock functioned perfectly and the snarl was cleared in orderly fashion.

Your issue of the train running the signals and switches is indicative of the switch being too close to the portal.

There are some intermittent issues with the small Portal Basic. Try one of the other portals such as the large-size Portal Basic which works fine from what we can tell.

Thanks for the comment JCitron. All portals have at least one and a half times the length of the longest train separating portals and switches on portal exits. (Experience . The two portals are AURAN long Portals and are not marked 'Faulty' or 'Missing Dependances'.

 

[JCitron]

24/12/2023 Operations.

Due to a serve thunderstorm warning from the Weather Bureau, operations have been suspended for the day. (Mains powered desktop). 2 Hours 14 Minutes run time with no incidents. However, a clash of the ‘Just in Time’ scheduling used, a three train halt occurred at the Bulimba Hill to Sandfly Creek single track section. The inhouse interlock functioned perfectly and the snarl was cleared in orderly fashion.

Thanks for the comment JCitron. All portals have at least one and a half times the length of the longest train separating portals and switches on portal exits. (Experience . The two portals are AURAN long Portals and are not marked 'Faulty' or 'Missing Dependances'.

It appears these portals too are borked. There was an issue with TRS19 and TRS22 (and Plus too) with portals derailing consists, endings derailing but the rest of the train going on, and zombie trains. The issue was "fixed" but apparently has reared its head again. Sometimes replacing portals seems to help but not always, at least that's what I did in the past to get this to work.

 

[K3JohnHO]

TRS23+ - Probably because Trainz has been testing my sanity since 1.3

 

[K3JohnHO]

25/12/2023 Operations. Merry Christmas.

Operations is short staffed today and only monitoring on an occasional basis. At 3 Hours and 4 minutes, Operations noticed a situation at the single-track, Keith River bridge. An east bound ‘Crude & Co’ train was halted at a red signal protecting the bridge while 3 west bound trains were halted at a red signal also protecting the bridge. The first west bound Driver exited his train, (Changed control mode to Manual). The east bound train then proceeded. When clear, the west bound Driver reboarded his train and all traffic cleared the bridge. The reason for this signal failure is being investigated.

 

[MasterTracklayer]

I enjoyed reading this thread just now. Excellent humorous writing style. Why did you stop?

 

[EdisonBis]

Hey there! Your Aussie C&O layout sounds absolutely fascinating! I'm intrigued by the intricate design with dual tracks, multiple portals, and a variety of animated industries. The concept of a 'Portal to Portal' layout adds a unique dimension, and the absence of a clocked schedule, relying on resource levels at animated industries, adds a realistic touch.
The inclusion of an Oilfield, Refinery, Coal Mine, Power Stations, Container Terminal, and Goods Depots creates a dynamic environment. It's interesting how the power supply loop connects the Power Station to the Coal Mine, adding a layer of complexity.
I'm curious about the operational aspects and how the 10 active trains navigate this diverse landscape. The idea of some trains being held on Triggers in the 'Fiddle Yard' or at Industries adds an element of strategy to the operation.
Looking forward to hearing more about the daily operations on the Aussie C&O, TRS23+, v117669. It seems like a layout that provides both visual appeal and a challenging operational experience. If you have any videos or pictures, I'd love to see them!