Automatic Fireman - Generi-Script available?

[ckthomson]

I am trying to make myself a mixed-gauge route (probably NG2/NG3, maybe a SG line as well). After fighting a few of the "bugs" with the dual NG2/3 track, it looks like I'm well on my way to actually getting things working.

One thing that's causing me operation difficulties in the early going is maintaining boiler pressure, especially when double-heading the bulk of the available (and cab-mode enabled) steam engines.

I have the Uintah locos #20,#21, and #51 by bdaneal, and I absolutely love the automatic fireman script - lets me keep my hands free for when I need to schmack Allistair around for driving drunk and parking a double-headed 12-string of logs 1/2-way up the side of Mount Froodletoot.

Now for my question : is there a generic scriptlet that can be applied to a loco's config to enable it to have an automatic fireman, or am I stuck struggling like mad to keep my boilers up to pressure on double-headers?

Cheers,
Craig.

 

[nwhitney]

Thanks to RPearson there is a way, and the added benefit is that you can make non-cab locos cab controlled. Check this post here. Email me if you need the scripts.
Norm

 

[RPearson]

Ben's locos use an older version of the firenam script. Current version uses a custom script for the cab interior, another for the loco and a third common to both. The shovel coal function is only available thru the cab interior script and because the way Auran handles interiors it's only active when the loco as the focus. If you leave, the cab object disappears and gets be recreated when you come back. This presents some problems keeping the fire hot. For multi heading or helper locos you still have to periodically visit every cab in the consist for a couple seconds which will restart the fireman thread.

The latest "generic" version of the scripts is floating around. I keep saying I'll post it when I get them cleaned up someday soon maybe but I keep adding stuff. I think Alex23 is using them in the updated steam locos he's been uploading to the dls. The scripts themselves are for anyone to use and/or modify in any freeware content. They're not too difficult to add if the loco doesn't have a custom script. Norm's link to the other post shows the basics. If the loco uses a custom script then it's not so easy and the 2 loco scripts have to be merged which usually requires some programming ability.

Bob Pearson

 

[kin3]

I never did understand why I have to do both jobs. I like to be the engineer and not have to do the fireman's job. I read somewhere that a crew would sometime swap duties but not very often until the diesel electrics came along.

 

[ckthomson]

If you leave, the cab object disappears and gets be recreated when you come back.

I'm asssuming that this statement applies only to locos using the automatic fireman, as I have been working my loco from exterior view and hit the spacebar, and actually noticed approximately the same increase in boiler pressure as I get from within the cab.

It's either that or there's a bug in my copy of TRS2006.

Cheers,
Craig.

 

[ckthomson]

I never did understand why I have to do both jobs. I like to be the engineer and not have to do the fireman's job. I read somewhere that a crew would sometime swap duties but not very often until the diesel electrics came along.

I don't normally find tendingo the fire to be that annoying - moreso I am annoyed that we can't start the fires manually. It's be rather neat to have the option, at least - might be nice especially for yard maps.

Cheers,
Craig.

 

[RPearson]

I'm asssuming that this statement applies only to locos using the automatic fireman, as I have been working my loco from exterior view and hit the spacebar, and actually noticed approximately the same increase in boiler pressure as I get from within the cab.

Craig, that's because the loco still had the focus - you don't actually have to be in the cab. However if you switch to another loco that cab object is destroyed and the fireman thread is stopped by the game - you and the script no longer have access to the cab and engine controls. Data necessary to restore the cab details that aren't available thru engine parameters are stored with the loco object - an instance of the cabindata class is created by the loco script and a ref is returned to the cabs interior when it requests it. When the loco regains the focus the game creates the cab interior again and it requests the cabindata from the loco to restore itself - you and the script can now control the loco as before.

In TRS2004 this data was never saved with the loco object when you saved a session - probably an oversight. Steam loco cabs always stated a saved session just like they were 1st set out in the initial session. One of the reasons I added the custom loco script was to make the cabin data persistent between session saves.

Bob Pearson

 

[ckthomson]

Craig, that's because the loco still had the focus - you don't actually have to be in the cab. However if you switch to another loco that cab object is destroyed and the fireman thread is stopped by the game - you and the script no longer have access to the cab and engine controls. Data necessary to restore the cab details that aren't available thru engine parameters are stored with the loco object - an instance of the cabindata class is created by the loco script and a ref is returned to the cabs interior when it requests it. When the loco regains the focus the game creates the cab interior again and it requests the cabindata from the loco to restore itself - you and the script can now control the loco as before.
Bob Pearson

Mmm yeah, my bad - I was assuming that you meant that the fireman thread was specifically related to the cab, and that leaving cab mode killed the fireman thread, rather than all of it being tied to the loco.