Why Even Bother Saving Sessions in Driver?

[dricketts]

Some background info.

I've been using TRS2004 since 2004 and have gotten plenty hours of enjoyment out of it. I've created my own routes, downloaded some fantastic routes from other creators, and currently working on a prototypical route of my home area using DEM and TIGER data. Most of the routes I've created or downloaded I prefer to run in AI mode and have made signal adjustments accordingly.

But I have to seriously laugh when I read forum posts about people using 15, 25, or even more AI trains at one time. I have never came remotely close to running that many trains at one time. It's a shame not to able to run more than 6 trains at a time on a large route. It doesn't matter what route or what rolling stock I'm using. If never fails when I get to 5, 6, or more trains TRS2004 crashes with a fatal error or simply locks up.

To the title of my thread - I'd love to be able to save a session for a route after 30 to 60 minutes of game play and return to it at a latter time to play. But why bother? As soon as it gets interesting and I give my 5th or 6th driver orders the game crashes.

I guess I'm looking for some acknowledgment from other users that they have the same issue and it's a limitation of the game. Seriously do people really run more than 8 or 10 trains at a time?

Here are my computer specs but I'm confident that's not an issue. My game performance otherwise is great. Just don't try running more than 6 AI trains at a time.

Thanks for any input...

 

[American_Connections]

AI Trains

At one time, I had 13 trains running from three diifferent sources in my senario, but after the first cycle, if I was not on top of it, the trains would block each other. Since the PC crash, I have not gotten all the trains and driver oreders set back to it.

 

[axe1970]

I'am able to run 7+ AI consists for hours without a crash. Sometimes I go away to do some chores and when I return Trainz is still running away. Ok, so I sometimes have to help the AI along when they get to adventurous, but I hardly ever get crashes.

However I haven't used TRS2004 since TRS2006 came out. Now I use TS2009

Regards

 

[mitch456yui]

I run AI trains ok. Like, 10-12 at a time without a crash.
But the problem I have with saving sessions is in TC3 (like, Thames Clyde Express) the 'session-info' (the thing that has your orders on it that pops up when starting the session) is no longer openable (is that a word?:hehe: ) after saving then re-opening.
Problem or one of Trainz many features?

 

[Euphod]

Using Regional Passenger Transit I am able to run 10 or more consists for 24 hours or more. Six of those would be passenger rakes running the length of the route, making station stops, entering and exiting the terminus stations. The remainder would be freights running the length of the route from portal to portal.

 

[dricketts]

Thanks for the input.

I guess its me. I would be so thrilled if I could run a session for just 2 hours and then save it.

I've read that crashes are usually caused by a faulty asset. How does one begin to find out what might be the bad asset? I'm thinking it could be some of my rolling stock or locos. Everything looks and performs normal for the 1st 45 minutes or so and then a random crash. It's so hard to pinpoint what could be causing it.

I should make some additional clarifications:

• I might have 12 - 15 locos in my session. Trainz automatically assigns a driver to each if I'm correct.
• Once I give orders to 5, 6, or more drivers is when I start seeing crashes.
• I also enjoy changing the view from driver to driver from time to time to check the progress of the trains.
• I use the tracking view quite a bit

For testing purposes I wonder if it would help to assign orders to 6 or more drivers and let it run without touching anything? Then see how long it takes for a possible crash.

 

[JCitron]

A bad asset or assets will definitely cause problems like this particularly if a train has come into view where there's a bad asset resides. Try running TO on your downloaded assets and see what errors the program finds.

Another issue is TRS2004 is running out of memory. The program wasn't as robust as the newer versions with its memory handling and messaging queues. This can cause the program to crash.

Also, I almost forgot, is your machine properly ventilated, and have you run some memory diagnostics on it? This is your summertime, when things get very warm. Right now we freeze to death up here in New England, but in July and August, we get the sultry sticky humidity plus high temperatures. They're not quite as high as yours, but the humidity makes machines operate at less than their stellar capabilities.

The reason why I say this is because ages ago, I did in fact have a similar issue. I could run Trainz for exactly 1/2 hour before the program crashed to the desktop. I went crazy looking for bad assets, deleting objects to free up the load because of the stuttering, etc.

What my problem turned out to be was hardware. I had a dodgy memory stick. The DIMM would overheat by this time, and crash the program. I found this out by running MemTest86 on my system after I had an odd crash while using another program.

So having said that latter point, check the memory, and perhaps your power supply. If the power is inadaquate, due to air conditioning units, fans, etc., this can wreak havoc on your PCs power supply, and cause all kinds of weirdness, and even kill memory and disks.

I hope this gives you something to work on.

John

 

[Euphod]

John has given very good advice up there.
If you get no joy by examining those issues be aware that a scripted item is more likely to cause issues than a non scripted one. What content are the consists interacting with? Industries, portals, commands...all could be suspect.

 

[dricketts]

Thanks John. Good advice.

By the way I'm in KC MO (2nd most rail freight traffic to Chicago). It's snowing, windy, and 20 degrees right now.

I've ran TO to check for errors. My machine is well ventilated and it's only about 9 months old. I'm not familiar with MemTest86 but I'll google it. Maybe I can find some free apps to test memory.

Thanks again and I'll keep you posted....

 

[JCitron]

Here's a link to the updated MemTest86 program

http://www.memtest.org/#ml

@dricketts - I didn't know you were in the middle of the US. I must've looked at someone else's location while posting to yours. I'll be out in OK and KS in mid April to chase storms with Roger Hill.

@Ed - Howdy and thank you for the support. Had a nice earthquake today, aye?

Good luck,

John

 

[davesnow]

I have a number of routes I created. I use TRS2006.

Here are my two favorite routes:

One route is 90 miles long and I have 18 A.I. Consists, all running at the same time. The trains will run their respective assignments as long as I let them.

Another route is 70 miles total. This one has 17 A.I. Consists, which run on their own. I also have a number of locos and rolling stock which I run myself (non A.I controlled). I have run this session more than 24 hours with not one A.I. train "misbehaving."

HOWEVER, getting these A.I. trains to work this well requires weeks and weeks (sometimes months) of trial and error and countless corrections. And also, countless "Fatal Errors" and "Non-Fatal Errors." It's just a part of TRAINZ.

One thing I have found, when using A.I. consists, Fatal & Non-Fatal Errors seem to be directly linked to the locomotives and rolling stock. I don't use ANY--- repeat ANY--- locos or rolling stock which have errors. And it's damn hard to find very many that don't have errors of one kind or another. I try to fix these errors in CMP, and even then, the loco or piece of rolling stock may still cause a crash. I just don't use them.

Also, another thing that will cause a fatal error (or non-fatal error) crash is having too much going on in one place. My A.I trains always start spaced out throughout my routes, and never all in a yard at the same time. Starting all your A.I. trains in the same yard is just asking for a crash.

One more thing, don't start your session in a yard with other trains close by. I add a "Train Watcher" man on a piece of invisible track well away from a yard. "He" is the first one on the list of A.I.'s. Starting a new session with him allows me to let the session load for a few minutes, then move to a locomotive, either using the roaming view, or clicking on a loco in the list.

As most of us know, TRAINZ is a very sensitive simulator. It's very fickle and unpredictable. You can be going along for hours into a session and decide to move to another locomotive. You pull up your list of available A.I. locos--- click on one--- and WHAM! FATAL ERROR!!!!! Crash to the Desktop!!!

It's just a part of TRAINZ.

But it's still the absolute best rail simulator out there.

 

[ColPrice2002]

Hi,

As stated, it's most likely a faulty asset ...

Couple of points:-

1) I've had 2004 crashes with "Hornz" command. Not every time, but removing the command reduced the number of crashes.

2) Are some of your consists emitted from portals?
If so, run a test scenario where all the rollingstock used in the portals is present when you start the session. If there's a faulty asset, you should find it that way - there's no error checking when you add locos and wagons to the portal creating listing - as the train is created (in the portal) that's when an error happens.
It's also worth checking that the rolling stock used is error free (for 2004 use Trainzobjects.

HTH

Colin

 

[shaneturner12]

Might be worth trying TrainzObjectz (by Tafweb) link: http://www.tafweb-trainz.co.uk/trainzobjectz.html (when asked about the error checking, it is best to choose 'Full' to minimise faulty assets 'getting through the net'

Also, make sure you are running Trainz in admin mode if you have installed it in Program Files/Program Files (x86) (If your version of Vista is 64-bit, Trainz should be installed in Program Files (x86)

Shane

EDIT: A caution if you are using portals - they will start producing as if it was loaded in without using the saved session when the session is loaded in from a saved session (watch out if your consists are set to come out sequentially, you could end up with double the amount)

 

[roger_clark]

In my experience running up to 15 trains on a large layout in TRS2006, crashes have almost invariably been caused by large (4-6-2) steam locos. Changing them for smaller locos has cured the problem. If you have large steam locos on your layout you could, one at a time, change to a smaller loco and see if that identifies the culprit.

 

[dricketts]

Thanks for the advice.

I always have error checking set to full on Trainz Objectz. Again it seems to crash on any route when I get above 8 or more consist.

I could see where steam locos might be an issue but I rarely use them.

I'm thinking it could be the wide variety of rolling stock when I get above 10 or more consist. I might do a test with 12 of the same consist.

 

[stagecoach]

At the end of the day it all comes down to the amount of information your computer needs to read and act on. Every command, rule and script has to be read even if the instruction is not visible on your screen but at the other end of your route. It still has to workout what all those trains are doing, signals and levers set for them. Ive found that the more you ask of it the more likely it is to crash. Running a complicated route for a period of time adds more and more information the computer needs to memorise.

 

[shaneturner12]

What A/V software are you running? Some A/V(anti-virus) software can cause problems when running Trainz. Also check your virtual memory settings.

Shane

 

[paulhobbs]

But I have to seriously laugh when I read forum posts about people using 15, 25, or even more AI trains at one time. I have never came remotely close to running that many trains at one time. It's a shame not to able to run more than 6 trains at a time on a large route. It doesn't matter what route or what rolling stock I'm using. If never fails when I get to 5, 6, or more trains TRS2004 crashes with a fatal error or simply locks up.

Strange, you probably haven't got the TRS2004 'it's not broke so why fix it' version or the TRS2004 'I don't see the need for a new version' version. Unfortunately despite what some people here claim TRS2004 is seriously broken when you push it too hard.

Paul

 

[dricketts]

Maybe I am asking to much of TRS2004. I've read posts of other users running 15 - 20 consist at a time so I get a little disappointed when I have trouble running 8 or more.

I am planning on getting 2010 by the way.