Train refuses to move for no apparent reason

[JackSmith]

I have a loop route under construction which is simple but quite long. I have sent a train completely around the loop on autopilot driving to a schedule with no problems. I then created a second train with an identical route to the first. Everything is fine until it tries to drive away from the third station to the fourth. After loading passengers the DCC control pops up & it refuses to move, even though the signal in front of it & several more are all green. I query the train & it says "awaiting track clearance". The train in front is several signals away,well past the next destination of the stuck train & driving to it's schedule as it should. There are no junctions between the stuck train & it's intended destination, just level crossings. I've triple checked the track & it is all fine. I have issued the commands "stop train" & "continue schedule" & it still refuses to budge. I manually drove the train forward but no matter how far I drive it as soon as I hand it back to the AI it stops dead, permanently. I tried placing trackmarks at various places between the stuck train & it's destination & ordering the train to drive via these, but this has had absolutely no effect. Has anybody come across this before & know what causes it? I have been trying to sort this issue for days now & it is incredibly frustrating. Edit - I have just read a post that suggests that sometimes the AI, instead of obeying the signals it should, incorrectly obeys signals far down the track which are showing red. Could this be what is happening here? & if so, am I right in thinking there is absolutely nothing I can do about it? I am using 2006 & was considering 2010 but after this episode I don't think I'll bother.

 

[AndrewH]

I have seen something similar to this, but in tc3 rather than 2006. Does the DCC control lock as the engine passes the track spline at the end of the platform?

As far as I remember the problem was with a particular station (I forget which) when it was aligned exactly N-S or E-W. The problem was cured by a very small rotation of the station.

 

[JackSmith]

I have seen something similar to this, but in tc3 rather than 2006. Does the DCC control lock as the engine passes the track spline at the end of the platform?

As far as I remember the problem was with a particular station (I forget which) when it was aligned exactly N-S or E-W. The problem was cured by a very small rotation of the station.

Thanks Andrew. I will give it a try.

 

[JackSmith]

Nope, that wasn't it, but thanks for trying. Having been stuck with this bug for a week now & no closer to a solution I think it's time to give up & take the game back for a refund. I'll give anything by Auran a wide berth in future.:n:

 

[4ndylloyd]

Jack,

Dont rush to conclusions and think that the game is at fault. Is it patched to the latest version ?? It seems that this is happening with a route that you have done yourself so are you satisfied that there are no 'broken' splines in the track and that signalling is correct?? AI will look 2 signals into the distance and sometimes you need to put signals in which aren't prototypically placed to get AI to respond. It sometimes help if you use invisible signals in between the visible ones to increase the signalling on the route

If you can post as much information as you can we may be able to help you to find a solution

Andy

 

[roymac]

Nope, that wasn't it, but thanks for trying. Having been stuck with this bug for a week now & no closer to a solution I think it's time to give up & take the game back for a refund. I'll give anything by Auran a wide berth in future.:n:

...I am not going to say that this will work however, listening to your problem it smacks of a similar one I have with TRS04. Mine (train) will come to a stop just before a junction which shows green. It won't move - this is all with AI. The message states "awaiting clearance at Junction #...) which is immediately in front of the train and as I stated, shows green. I have connected and disconnected this juction switch many times to make sure all is well. No problem further down the track either, as there are 4 other signals in a green state ahead of it, yet it will not move. I decided to leave it and see how long it took before it decided (itself) that the track is really clear. Approximately 5 minutes went by and then it decided to move. Each train that approaches this junction reacts the very same way. They stop, wait (what seems like a very long time) then proceed. My suggestion (in case you haven't already done this) is to leave it. See how long it takes to move - if it does.

For me, this creates a back-up as there are other trains running on their schedules behind it. Not seeing any way to correct this problem without re-doing sections of track - which I don't want to do - I just leave it and adjust the schedules of the other trains by having them wait a certain points for an extra couple of minutes.

If yours does not proceed on its own after a lengthy wait then you may have no choice but to rework some track or adjust the other trains schdule somehow.

While this may not help, you will at least know you are not alone with such problems.

roymac

 

[JackSmith]

Jack,

Dont rush to conclusions and think that the game is at fault. Is it patched to the latest version ?? It seems that this is happening with a route that you have done yourself so are you satisfied that there are no 'broken' splines in the track and that signalling is correct?? AI will look 2 signals into the distance and sometimes you need to put signals in which aren't prototypically placed to get AI to respond. It sometimes help if you use invisible signals in between the visible ones to increase the signalling on the route

If you can post as much information as you can we may be able to help you to find a solution

Andy

I tried installing extra signals. I have re-laid all the track from scratch. I removed the third station & relaid the track between the second & fourth station. The train refuses to move after loading at the second. I removed the fourth station & re-laid the track between the third & fifth stations. The train refuses to move after loading at the third. I removed both the third and fourth stations & relaid all the track between the second & the fifth stations. I have removed all the track after the sixth station. None of this has made the slightest difference.
What also puzzles me is that Alastair never notifies that he is stuck. I can only see "awaiting track clearance" when I query the train. I have left it for over an hour several times. No joy. I have tried to patch the game several times but it refuses to update ("missing file" - patch fails after about 5 mins & 1% completed)

 

[JackSmith]

Here is the track setup:
*
--------------------/----S1-->--S2-->--S3-->--S4-->--S5--->---S6->--]
T1^ *
------------------- / -------------------------------------------------]
T2^

T1 & T2 - Train's starting position.
S1 -S6 - Stations
> - Track direction markers
* - Signals
Track loops around after S6 passing through the second platform of each station before completing the loop before S1.
There are signals (not shown) before each station both on the out & return legs. Signals are UK 3 aspect on the left of the track.
There are also track direction markers between each station on the return leg and a final one before the return track merges before S1
Train 1 always goes first & does a complete loop as it should. Train 2 unloads then loads at S3 & then stops.
All track was laid in the direction the trains will be travelling. Signals were added last (No more track was laid after signals were placed).

 

[JackSmith]

Well, at least one thing is solved. The reason I can't update is that I already have SP1 in build 3337. If only the rest of the issues were that simple to remedy.

 

[fran1]

What message are you getting from the signal, (hover mouse over red light)

 

[JackSmith]

The light in front of the train is green, not red. The next signal is green too. I get no message since it is green.

 

[fran1]

Have you altered any settings in the trainzoptions, auto????signal distance maybe.

 

[trev999]

Here is the track setup:
*
--------------------/----S1-->--S2-->--S3-->--S4-->--S5--->---S6->--]
T1^ *
------------------- / -------------------------------------------------]
T2^

T1 & T2 - Train's starting position.
S1 -S6 - Stations
> - Track direction markers
* - Signals
QUOTE]

Jack- Are there any junctions at all in your loop? I find that even if the signals are green, if the path ahead has a train in it, no matter how far away, your train will see it unless there is a junction inbetween which is set to diverge.

When your train reaches the junction it will change it and proceed, and it should return to its original position after the train leaves. You should add a few junctions to break the path at intervals, say between S2 and S3 and between S5 and S5. Lead the spurs out and stop them:

          -------]
S2 ------/ ---- S3 -------- S4 ---------

If you are using double track then interrupt it and use some single track.

Trevor

 

[JackSmith]

Here is the track setup:
*
--------------------/----S1-->--S2-->--S3-->--S4-->--S5--->---S6->--]
T1^ *
------------------- / -------------------------------------------------]
T2^

T1 & T2 - Train's starting position.
S1 -S6 - Stations
> - Track direction markers
* - Signals
QUOTE]

Jack- Are there any junctions at all in your loop? I find that even if the signals are green, if the path ahead has a train in it, no matter how far away, your train will see it unless there is a junction inbetween which is set to diverge.

When your train reaches the junction it will change it and proceed, and it should return to its original position after the train leaves. You should add a few junctions to break the path at intervals, say between S2 and S3 and between S5 and S5. Lead the spurs out and stop them:

          -------]
S2 ------/ ---- S3 -------- S4 ---------

If you are using double track then interrupt it and use some single track.

Trevor

Thanks Trevor. The only junctions are at the start where the two trains meet originally. Obviously, the trains never cross these junctions again. I think you may have cracked it as I can see the logic in what you say.. I'll give it a go.

 

[JackSmith]

Trevor. That was it! Worked like a charm. Thank you so much. I thought I would make it as simple as possible for the AI by having as few junctions as possible but obviously I was wrong. I am going to put junctions absolutely everywhere now. :Y: & Thanks to you all for your replies.

 

[fran1]

Trevor. That was it! Worked like a charm. Thank you so much. I thought I would make it as simple as possible for the AI by having as few junctions as possible but obviously I was wrong. I am going to put junctions absolutely everywhere now. :Y: & Thanks to you all for your replies.

If you dont want to change the look of the route too much you could use invisble junctions.

 

[JackSmith]

If you dont want to change the look of the route too much you could use invisble junctions.

Thanks Fran. I don't mind having unused visible branches. I'll just use rusty overgrown leading to a track end or engine shed. It will add to the scenery I suppose. But I may use the invisible ones somewhere.