Double heading

I post this here because the anomaly has been with me at least since 09, and persist even today in TANE:

You run your train, AI or manual. There is a schedule, so in AI, it arrives to a site where a helper is needed to go up a grade. You couple a helper in front of your engine, and manually you go up the grade. When the consist arrives to the top. you uncouple the helper and take it to a siding. Go back to the engine and order the train to continue the schedule. But the schedule is gone! Then you open the command menu and look for a "drive to track mark". Not there! the menu is very small with few basic commands. Way around this? Open the consist tab, find a similar engine and delete the "bad" one, insert the new one and presto! all the commands are there so you can make a new schedule.

As it is now, Trainz does not allow double heading ( it does, but you lose basic functions). I recall long ago someone talking about this. Or I am missing something here, or there is a bug/flaw, and it has been around for too long...

Never really thought how the PRR did it ... Never had a problem with it in TRS2006 ... As from Harrisburg pa to Altoona was a minor grade (much much less @ 0.10%) I assumed they added extra locos front and tail end in the Altoona yard, and made a run at it up the 11 mile grade ... and cut them off in Cresson, at the top of the grade

As I rarely use AI, and drive a train just like a real loco crew would, with hands on the control handles, I presume that is where the main problem lies

As as Trainz really only has one driver, and no other crewmen, I presume the driver stays with the head end loco to the siding, and leaves the rest of the train unmanned

The second loco is unmanned, likewise the rear end pushers are unmanned

People forget Trainz is not a real entity ... It is a cartoon video game simulator

Hi

Have a look at this thread

https://forums.auran.com/trainz/sho...ce-of-train-up-steep-grades&highlight=elstoko

Regards

Brian

Many thanks for the replies and link. But really, my example of a grade is just to illustrate that joining a second loco to a consist has detrimental effects because I lose the list of commands available for the consist to proceed. When I join (couple) a second loco, I drive from the cab normally, and both locos run perfectly. I assume the power available doubles so you can pull more cars. The problem arises when you decouple, and you are left with one loco that has all the command list, but not the other one.

I have done this a lot with no problem. Make sure there is only 1 driver. You have a problem if you connect an engine with a driver in it to another train that also has a driver. In your case drive the train to the start of the hill then move the driver to the extra engine and connect it to the train. Then move the driver back to the main engine.

This can be done with AI easily. Have a spare engine or any driveable asset sitting near by with no driver and a named TM in front of it. When the consist arrives at TM for the banker to be coupled to, use the move to train at TM and put the driver of the consist in the spare train. Do your banking and at a TM that releases the banker uncouple the banker and move off. You now move the driver in the spare back to the consist with the move to train at TM. Example three TM's Banker Bottom and Banker Top and Spare.

You can only have one driver in a consist, by using the move to train at TM allows you to move a driver and keep his commands with him.
Consist commands

Drive to TM Banker Bottom
Move to train at TM - Spare
Post message - Adrian 0
Wait for message and clear - Adrian 1
Move to train at TM - Banker Top


Banker Engine commands

Wait for message and clear - Adrian 0
Couple at TM - Banker Bottom
Drive to TM - Banker Top
Uncouple
Drive to parking location for next instructions. use repeat to do it again for another consist.
Post message - Adrian 1

Lewiscc65 said:

I have done this a lot with no problem. Make sure there is only 1 driver. You have a problem if you connect an engine with a driver in it to another train that also has a driver. In your case drive the train to the start of the hill then move the driver to the extra engine and connect it to the train. Then move the driver back to the main engine.

Click to expand...

What you describe I have done, as you say, easily. It is a controlled situation. But accidents happens, and one good day, a train bumps into another. At this point you have one consist with two engines having two different schedules. Uncouple them and now the schedules are messed plus the command list is a very basic missing all the important commands.

llebrez said:

What you describe I have done, as you say, easily. It is a controlled situation. But accidents happens, and one good day, a train bumps into another. At this point you have one consist with two engines having two different schedules. Uncouple them and now the schedules are messed plus the command list is a very basic missing all the important commands.

Click to expand...

I've had that happen as well. You need to remove and add the drivers back in. This resets the command list back to how it was when the schedule is first setup. The problem, though, is the schedules need to be configured all over again. I used the schedule library which helps, but it means starting the drivers then stopping them so the scheduled commands can be edited.

@ liebrez - The reason why the list is small is that the driver is no longer aboard the train. One of the menu options is to Move to a train. Use that and the list is restored to normal.

Trevor

Thank you all. After so long not using the quick drive and submenus (move to train and others) I overlook it. All is fine now.

Double Heading and Pusher - alternative approach

I use both double headers and pushers in the mountains of BC. Your description of AI challenged me and I tired many approaches. My low risk approach that I use for my steamers is:

I clone the engine and then I change the config file of the new asset. A standard engine uses the engine code of 1. By using an engine code of 0, the engine doesn't show up as a driveable asset. It keeps all of the other engine config attributes. At least this works for the 2-8-0 I use.

I place helper and pusher at bottom of hill and couple to train, and then decouple at top of hill without losing the AI.

My main goal was not to ever loose the AI and I wanted to use standard coupling instructions

What good is a helper loco that has no power drivability ? At the top of the grade it is cut off … then how does it get out of the way, off the mainline ?

UNcoupling Helper and Pusher

cascaderailroad said:

What good is a helper loco that has no power drivability ? At the top of the grade it is cut off … then how does it get out of the way, off the mainline ?

Click to expand...

Your right, the helper and pusher are not driveable with this approach.

At top of the hill, I pull onto a passing siding, stop, reverse onto the pusher track, decouple, forward onto the helper track , decouple, back on to the siding and carry on down the hill.

I used this approach as my AI instructions are long and I was frustrated by losing the AI through the coupling process. The approach guarantees I never lose my AI path.

However if you want to drive the pusher and helper, not a good solution.

A double header in AI is fairly simple and automatic. I operate with the consist, shunter engine and Male pedestrian. Place Male on invisible track near the pushing area with a named TM in front of it (pusher 1 ). You need move to train at TM, post message and wait for message and clear driver commands. Drive to TM for help and add the following RED commands. All the other commands will remain with the consist driver.

The consist
Drive to TM (Help Bottom)
Move to train at TM (pusher 1)
Post message (Adair 0)
Wait for message and clear (Adair 1)
Move to train at TM (Help Top)
Drive to schedule continues


The Helper Engine
Wait for message and clear (Adair 0)
Couple at (Help Bottom)
Drive to TM (Help Top)
Uncouplez
Drive to
Post message (Adair 1)