Resolving AI Issues

[Zakk_Wylde]

I've been doing a lot of experimenting lately setting up automated yard switching operations, as you guys already know, the AI can be an adventure sometimes

There are 2 things in particular I'm trying to figure out.

1. Is there a way to just couple up to a set of cars without knowing the name of the car you are coupling up to? The "Couple" command requires the car name, and I can't just drive to the cut of cars via track marks because the AI will stop short of the cars I want to couple up to to avoid a collision. I realize that prototypically, a yard switcher generally knows exactly what cars he's picking up, but a rule to say, couple up to the first car encountered en route to a track mark would be nice. Does such a thing exist?

2. This issue comes up when the AI is shunting long cuts of cars. Quite often the yard lead won't be long enough for the entire train, and thus the lead end of the train enters the mainline, however the switch that the train passes over still stays set for "through" operations on the mainline. Not surprisingly, as soon as the train changes direction (to back the cut of cars onto another siding), the train derails instantly, since the switch is set for straight through, but the back half of the consist is occupying the diverging track. I hope this description makes sense. Is there any solution to this issue?

 

[leeferr]

I don't believe that you're going to have much luck with number 1, but as I recall, there's a rule to solve number 2. Do a search with 'rule' in the title and/or description and you might find it.
I know that's not much help, but it's about time to call it a night for me.
Mike

 

[segy]

I've been doing a lot of experimenting lately setting up automated yard switching operations, as you guys already know, the AI can be an adventure sometimes

1. Is there a way to just couple up to a set of cars without knowing the name of the car you are coupling up to? The "Couple" command requires the car name, and I can't just drive to the cut of cars via track marks because the AI will stop short of the cars I want to couple up to to avoid a collision. I realize that prototypically, a yard switcher generally knows exactly what cars he's picking up, but a rule to say, couple up to the first car encountered en route to a track mark would be nice. Does such a thing exist?

Couple at Trackmark

Segy

 

[ColPrice2002]

Or couple at singnal

The other rule that's really useful is the Deletr drailed train.

Colin

 

[Dermmy]

(1) Search the DLS for username atilabarut for several rules (including a couple already mentioned) which may help...

(2) If the switch isn't throwing for the train, I would suspect a signal issue....

Andy

 

[Zakk_Wylde]

Thank you guys for the rule suggestions, I'll definitely hunt those down and give them a try. I kinda resolved my second question in that it just "doesn't happen" anymore, so maybe it was a freak thing, but I do have another couple issues that do happen regularly.

1) See the image below for theoretical positioning of say, a Container Station. If I tell the consist to "DriveTo" the industy and then "Load", if I have any number of cars to load, say 7 or more, the front end of the train passes through the switch (as marked in the image). However, the Load command doesn't seem to be "Aware" of the switch, and doesn't set it to the diverging track. After the train is fully loaded, if I back it up down the siding again, it derails instantly because the switch isn't set for the diverging track that the back of the train is still occupying. Is there any way around this?

2) Partially loading a train. I realize that prototypically, a car probably won't pass over an industrial siding unless there is intent to load it, and therefore loading the entire consist is usually the most common want/need. However, there are some situations where I would like a train (or even a car) to be partially loaded. I'm using CN Container Flat1 and CP Container Flat1 (both from the DLS) as rolling stock, and using the built in container station to load them. On intermodal trains around here, every flat isn't completely "full" of containers. Some have 2 20 ft containers, some have 1 40 ft container, some have 3 20 ft containers, or any combination thereof, not to mention tank containers and double and triple stacks. The mentioned rolling stock holds 4 20 ft containers or 2 40 ft containers. Is there a way to load a car, but load it to a point "below" its capacity, such as say, 2 or 3 20 ft containers?

Also, is there any industry that will load tank containers onto suitable flat cars?

 

[fran1]

in surveyor go to each car, you can change the amount of load they will take. but remember this will be for all the session. if you have a derailment portal (useful I've found) cars will revert to original load specifications.
Or drive manually at load point and load the odd car.

 

[Zakk_Wylde]

in surveyor go to each car, you can change the amount of load they will take. but remember this will be for all the session. if you have a derailment portal (useful I've found) cars will revert to original load specifications.
Or drive manually at load point and load the odd car.

Actually your first idea sounds great, I don't know why I didn't think of that.

 

[Zakk_Wylde]

in surveyor go to each car, you can change the amount of load they will take. but remember this will be for all the session. if you have a derailment portal (useful I've found) cars will revert to original load specifications.
Or drive manually at load point and load the odd car.

Maybe I'm blind, but I can't figure out how to do this. I can give a car an initial load, and I can see the maximum amount that the car will take (as designed in the car's script I assume), but I can't figure out how to set the maximum load in surveyor, and I don't want to change the asset's script because that will change the maximum load for every instance of that car on all routes.