Using Active Industries VS. Pretend the Industries are Active

I use John's scheme. It's more realistic - cars are delivered to the customer and loaded at the customer's pace. They won't normally be picked up until the next session, say eight hours later, and I load 'em (or unload 'em) by hand when creating the session. Had to make up a spread sheet to keep track of it all for the Fond du Lac route. Interactive bulk loaders are fun and prototypic and I use a few of those as appropriate.

Used to go down to Newport News and watch the N&W run strings of open-top coal hoppers up the ramp onto the yuuge rotary dumper at the dock, ten or twelve cars at a time were dumped into the waiting ship. That was just a few decades ago, don't know if they still do that.

:B~)
 
Mick,
Your loader works well with a multi industry under it, specially the JR one that can be setup to unload/load one or the full train.
Cheers,
Mike

Thanks for that Mike I do not remember even trying it that way so I'll have to give it a crack.
Cheers Mick.
 
If you slow the train to 5mph the track will work like a real flood loader. It does still stop but for a really short time.
Cheers,
Mike
 
I prefer the active types. I would like more industries that are multi load though. Example is Aurans lumber mill. Need to bring and drop off logs to get it to make lumber, then swing the train over to pick up. (side note) these assets would be more enjoyable if the total loads were MUCH larger. Bringing 40 something logs to make 50 something lumber is too small and requires multiple trips to fill my consist. I'd like to drop about 600ish logs and drive off with 200 lumber in one trip...
I usually have to fake in a MIN to pull this off, but the animations are lost due to no loads coming or going. I'd ultimately want to string the Auran industries and knock them out with 1 large manifest train in one trip...
 
I use John's scheme. It's more realistic - cars are delivered to the customer and loaded at the customer's pace. They won't normally be picked up until the next session, say eight hours later, and I load 'em (or unload 'em) by hand when creating the session. Had to make up a spread sheet to keep track of it all for the Fond du Lac route. Interactive bulk loaders are fun and prototypic and I use a few of those as appropriate.

Used to go down to Newport News and watch the N&W run strings of open-top coal hoppers up the ramp onto the yuuge rotary dumper at the dock, ten or twelve cars at a time were dumped into the waiting ship. That was just a few decades ago, don't know if they still do that.

:B~)

Instead of a spreedsheet try <kuid:160293:10029> ExTrainz Manager-TANE SP2. I use it all the time to make sure the industries are set up right.
 
Hi Norm,
I have them working ok in Tane. Most of my routes were brought over from TS10 and TS12. You don't need a loco, you can leave to load or unload, depends how you set it up.
By the way thanks for showing that Pulp Mill, I have been looking for one for my Legacy of BN route modifications.
Cheers,
Mike

Oh yes. They do work nicely if you set them up right.

My-Trainz-Screenshot-Image.jpg


After spotting the rail cars (forklift marks the track) and decoupling the track loaded 96 auto engines into the 6 boxcars. I had the delay set for 1 minute but I can see that it can be increased with some fiddling. :D
 
Awhile ago i made a nicely detailed coal flood loader and put it on the DLS it was meant to be industry active or have animated loading but that was a bit above my paygrade so i left it as is and kind of just pretend it loads coal hoppers plus i figured who would actually want to sit and watch this thing load a hundred or so cars at a few minutes each car you would be there for age's.
Cheers Mick.:)

Mick:

A few years ago I uploaded <kuid2:439337:101033:1> Coal_Loader_Interactive_with_effects to the DLS. It was designed for coal structures like yours.

kuid2_439337_101033_1.jpg


Description: Interactive coal loading industry track with smoke and sound effects to be used with coal producing industries, mines or other structures that were not designed to be interactive or are just scenery only. This 21-1/2 meter long track will load hoppers and other similar bulk loading cars when moving over the track at 5KPH/3MPH or less. You will not be able to see where this item is in Driver so either make certain you remember where you put it or place a sign (unload perhaps) off to the side at the center point of the section of track. This is a modified version of the original Coal Loading Dummy by Ben Dorsey (AKA bendorsey) where the attached track has been made longer.

I suppose a PL version of this could be made to load all cars at once but where would the realism/fun be in that if you enjoy prototypical operations? In the real world you load one car at a time. Of course my coal loader will load moving cars at 3MPH or less so you really don't have to stop them.

Bob
 
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ALL:

There is no reason to not make any structure you want an "active" industry with product handling capability. Below are 28 of my BI2 product tracks, all of which are available on the DLS, that can be paired up with any structure you want to make it an "active" product handling industry:

<kuid2:439337:100945:1> BI2 Chemical Expanded
<kuid2:439337:100609:1> BI2 Appliances
<kuid2:439337:100573:2> BI2 Bricks Blocks Stone
<kuid2:439337:100621:2> BI2 Automotive
<kuid2:439337:100483:2> BI2 Bakery
<kuid2:439337:100575:1> BI2 Brewery
<kuid2:439337:100434:3> BI2 Cannery
<kuid2:439337:100498:2> BI2 Container Expanded
<kuid2:439337:100592:1> BI2 Consumer Electronics
<kuid2:439337:100508:2> BI2 Frozen Foods
<kuid2:439337:100572:1> BI2 Copper
<kuid2:439337:100616:2> BI2 Paper
<kuid2:439337:100744:2> BI2 Cotton
<kuid2:439337:100458:1> BI2 Dairy
<kuid2:439337:100448:3> BI2 Equipment
<kuid2:439337:100610:1> BI2 Ethanol and Biodiesel
<kuid2:439337:100591:1> BI2 Farm Supplies
<kuid2:439337:100006:2> BI2 Furniture
<kuid2:439337:100834:1> BI2 Vegetable Oils
<kuid:439337:101474> BI2 Leather
<kuid2:439337:101196:2> BI2 Meat Packing
<kuid2:439337:100620:3> BI2 Livestock Extended
<kuid2:439337:101297:2> BI2 Orchard
<kuid2:439337:100490:1> BI2 Pickle
<kuid2:439337:100571:1> BI2 Plastics
<kuid2:439337:100472:2> BI2 Produce
<kuid2:439337:100486:3> BI2 Railroad
<kuid2:439337:100782:2> BI2 Recycling and Scrap
<kuid2:439337:100419:1> SAP_TPR_Autoplant_Track2

BTW many of these will load or unload cars that are moving 3 MPH or less. The cars don't have to stop in many cases for those of you who get bored easily and don't care about realism.....

Bob
 
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Hi Bob

This 21-1/2 meter long track will load hoppers and other similar bulk loading cars when moving over the track at 5KPH/3MPH or less.

This is just what I've been looking for. Most coal loaders load at much too high a speed to be realistic so I'll be changing the existing ones for yours now. I think it looks ridiculous to have unit trains shooting through a coal loader at 7 mph and coming out fully loaded in just a few seconds.

I only use active industries in my sessions which are fully automated and use variables to allow industries to schedule trains when they require them. Much more realistic than just running them when I think they should run.

Regards

Brian
 
Hi Bob



This is just what I've been looking for. Most coal loaders load at much too high a speed to be realistic so I'll be changing the existing ones for yours now. I think it looks ridiculous to have unit trains shooting through a coal loader at 7 mph and coming out fully loaded in just a few seconds.

I only use active industries in my sessions which are fully automated and use variables to allow industries to schedule trains when they require them. Much more realistic than just running them when I think they should run.

Regards

Brian

Brian:

I have also a <kuid2:439337:101008:2> Coal_Unloader_Interactive_with_effects which operates in the same way for those who need to unload coal instead of loading it.

To back up all my BI2 industries I have 180 products (visible and non-visible types) on the DLS. Just search the DLS White Pages by product category using MSGSapper as the Username to see what is available currently.

Bob
 
Hi Norm,
By the way thanks for showing that Pulp Mill, I have been looking for one for my Legacy of BN route modifications.
Cheers,
Mike

You are welcome, fitz505's pulpmill is pretty interesting, all sorts of possibilities. Dave has done a multi asset pulp mill set. Looks like this assembled on his Cotton Belt route.

My-Trainz-Screenshot-Image.jpg


You could definitely make this interactive with the right industry tracks. :D
 
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Mick:

A few years ago I uploaded
<kuid2:439337:101033:1> Coal_Loader_Interactive_with_effects
to the DLS. It was designed for coal structures like yours.

Thanks heaps for that Bob I'll check it out, I should of gone the extra yards and made my loader work properly but in real life I think the loading shoot actually drops down once the loco's have gone thru so it sit's just above the first hopper to be loaded,
Animation is still a dark art for me amongst other content creation so I took the lazy option. Thanks again mate.
Cheers Mick.
 
ExTrainz Manager
Are there any hints on how to get started and the basic purpose (what does it do). Sounds interesting but the opening page leaves my brain inactive.
 
ExTrainz Manager
Are there any hints on how to get started and the basic purpose (what does it do). Sounds interesting but the opening page leaves my brain inactive.

It list the industries on the route and the products that they produce or consume. If you click on the industry it will take you to it. It will list products and tell you which industry uses or produces it. It will all so list the cars that carry the product. Unfortunately there are some industries it will not recognize. There is the option to have it ignore industries that you do not need listed such as stations or industries you are just using for show.
 
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