Steam Locomotive start then slowly stopping issue…on its own!

[Srobertson1956]

I have downloaded a few narrow gauge steam locomotives, some from the DSL and some from third party freeware. I am designing relatively small routes (IE model railroads in large rooms). In the beginning of these designs when the detail (structure assets, people, trees, veg, etc.) is light certain locos work just fine. However, after detail increases in the route (more assets added), some of these locos (mainly third party locos) start to run, but then slowly decrease in speed and stop, even though I am not adjusting the speed.

Is this happening because my route is too detail / memory extensive? Hard to believe given that I see routes that are literally hundreds of miles long and locos run fine. Is there a way to trouble shoot this?

My Mac computer is not the latest version (2017 model) and I am unable to upgrade to the latest TS2019 version because my OS is too old and I cannot upgrade to the latest OS version. I assume my computer performance is a part of the issue, but it still works ( although graphic reproduction is a bit slow compared to others videos I have seen) and other locomotives from the DSL run just fine. I do not even have the shadows on.

Any thoughts? Thanks in advance.

 

[meatloaf747]

I'm a great Steam NG 3ft fan. (I'm right into anything that's 36in gauge). Post the details of which steam loco's you are talking about. I've possibly/probably have them and can try and run them to see if I get the same problem/s you are having.

Cheers, Mac...

 

[Srobertson1956]

I'm a great Steam NG 3ft fan. (I'm right into anything that's 36in gauge). Post the details of which steam loco's you are talking about. I've possibly/probably have them and can try and run them to see if I get the same problem/s you are having.

Cheers, Mac...

I will check and get you the info. Again, it seems to only happen as the route becomes more and more detatiled (memory intensive?) watch this post in the next day. Thanks.

 

[Forester1]

Just to be clear, are you running these in cab mode or DCC mode? Cab mode would add a lot of parameters as far as coal, water, steam pressure, etc. I assume DCC mode should just work.

 

[Srobertson1956]

Just to be clear, are you running these in cab mode or DCC mode? Cab mode would add a lot of parameters as far as coal, water, steam pressure, etc. I assume DCC mode should just work.

If DCC is the basic, just increase speed and stop mode, then DCC.

 

[Srobertson1956]

I'm a great Steam NG 3ft fan. (I'm right into anything that's 36in gauge). Post the details of which steam loco's you are talking about. I've possibly/probably have them and can try and run them to see if I get the same problem/s you are having.

Cheers, Mac...

It is any of the locomotives downloaded from the San Juan Trainz Workz, http://www.steammachine.com/prowler/. I was real excited when I found these locos on the internet, but some were missing assets (even after loading all dependencies) that kept them from opening and the others (like the yellow bumble bee), only run correctly when the route is basically very plain Jane. Hopefully, you can test and give input. They do look nice just sitting in the yard or at the roundhouse, LOL.

 

[JCitron]

How large is the route and how many drivers and consists do you have on the route?

I have an issue with a very large route with a very complex operating session. The drivers will drive fine for about 30 minutes then after that they stop moving unless I press the pause key and wait a few minutes before un-pausing. They'll then run for about another half hour then get totally weird. Saving the session, quitting completely and coming back works for the first time, then after that that becomes totally messed up with drivers blowing through red signals, or signals no longer showing aspects, and worse. There are times when the drivers also ignore track marks and direction markers and can't even be stopped.

I submitted a bug report and was told that the issue is due to the underlying very old code used and it's badly in need of a total rewrite and of course there's no timeframe when that will occur due to many, many other complex things and implications the rewrite will cause. Now, with the new TLR system coming out and other changes, I wonder if the total rewrite is occurring without anything being said. One hopes, right!

 

[Srobertson1956]

JCitron…..the route is scaled for an HO scale railroad in a 28’x28’ room. Not very large at all. I did another test today, with a similar but different locomotive from the same provider. It ran for about 3-minutes then just slowly shut down, like it was running out of steam. I got to wondering if AI is taking over with the loco thinking it is out of water or coal, but I do not know what to look for. I am not using any type of AI operational control on the route ( I do not understand all that). I even flipped over to the cab control to see if I could see something odd, like everything dialed down, but nothing unusual. Once stopped it will not start again. I swapped out the loco for another I downloaded from the DLS and it works every time. It is even a 30” gauge loco running on 36” gauge track……..but it works! But the detail is not as nice as these other locos.

 

[JCitron]

JCitron…..the route is scaled for an HO scale railroad in a 28’x28’ room. Not very large at all. I did another test today, with a similar but different locomotive from the same provider. It ran for about 3-minutes then just slowly shut down, like it was running out of steam. I got to wondering if AI is taking over with the loco thinking it is out of water or coal, but I do not know what to look for. I am not using any type of AI operational control on the route ( I do not understand all that). I even flipped over to the cab control to see if I could see something odd, like everything dialed down, but nothing unusual. Once stopped it will not start again. I swapped out the loco for another I downloaded from the DLS and it works every time. It is even a 30” gauge loco running on 36” gauge track……..but it works! But the detail is not as nice as these other locos.

The DLS locomotive is very different then the nicer ones you are using in many ways including the engine-spec and the scripts that control the water, steam, fuel, sand and everything else. What I do find odd though is the AI drivers running into the same issue that a human would if they run out of steam, water, and fuel. Usually, they will continue on because those minor details don't bother them. Check the water and steam levels of the locomotives. I think you can do that by CTRL+right-clicking on the locomotive in the external view. This will bring up information about the locomotive and consist attached.

What kind of messages are being put up on the screen?

These can be seen in the lower left-hand corner just above the driver image. You have to click on the gear to enable history, otherwise the messages will scroll off the screen before you notice them.