Using Active Industries VS. Pretend the Industries are Active

davesnow

Crabby Old Geezer
I was just wondering how many Trainzers only use the industries that are "Industrial Active" OR just run their routes and go about pretending the industries are working. I'm not talking about STATIONS. Most of them ARE working stations. I'm referring to the Trainz game player who will only use Industrial Active industries or the player who couldn't care less about whether an industry actually works or not.

Seems to me, in the long run, we're only pretending anyhow, because I have seen very few working industries that you can watch actually LOAD a railcar or wagon with product. Most of them, the railcar sits there and the product "magically" appears loaded into the wagon or railcar.

I realize it would take a ton of scripting and animations to create an ACTUAL "working" industry, where the player can sit there and visually watch the product being loaded. On the other hand, it's fairly easy to create a "working" industry whereby the product just "magically" materializes into the railcar or wagon.

These days, we have shadows, reflections, moving trees & such. Isn't it time someone at N3V (or Jointed Rail or someone else) started producing new industries that at least APPEAR to be actually loading the cars or wagons? I mean, if the player is into that sort of thing. Me, I don't care whether an industry works or not. I like running consists and blowing the horn at crossings and such.

And oh yeah. The traffic really needs to be fixed, too.
 
If a product is not visible, I feel it doesn't matter whether the industry is active or not. For the visible products, I usually just load/unload them "manually" since the frustration of trying to get them to work reliably is more than I am interested in. I use either the edit trains or my instantLoadatFocus and the unload version driver commands. Of course, I love the animations of some of the industries, such as the lumber facilities.
 
I try to use active industry, if I can't, I add the MIN track to a plain industry. The animated industries are pretty cool though.
 
I spent a lot of time with Ben Dorsey a few years back writing scripts for him so his ore wagons would load or unload correctly at interactive industries such as coal. Sometimes I had to tweak the industries so they would have enough coal to load into his wagons.

Ben was always keen to build an industry where the unloading grabbed a wagon from the consist (uncoupled) and then turned it upside down to empty his load. He said that such facilities existed in the past. The concept in Trainz seemed reasonable but it would require hiding/showing the wagon and reproducing the same wagon as part of the industry mesh and animation. TBH I don't know if it would work.

The other option I would like to see is visible transfers of containers from a traincar to an industry where the same container is used. Conceptually it would work but the industry would have to know about every container available in Trainz - I think.

Anyway, Trainz could do better with industries considering it is the reason we have railways in the first place.
 
There is an unloader as you describe. I am pretty sure Bendorsy made it. Philskene used it in many of his routes.
I use them a lot and also set them up to handle different products.
I prefer active industry and use the multi industry 10m. I also use a lot of non active industries with these. Often I will place a multi over an existing industry track to give more options
This loads/unloads one car at a time. I also like to use the PL tracks as you leave the wagon at a site and unloads, then you come back and pickup the empty.
using an active industry track is a lot more realistic than dumping a whole train at once.
JR has proven that you can have realistic handling, with their American Intermodal. I use the units from this in all my routes. This still works ok in Tane SP4.
My preference in Trainz is to run as a despatcher, with the whole operation running automatically, with many consists working together.
I find driving trains puts me to sleep. If I have trouble getting to sleep, I just start Trainz and within 10 minutes I am drowsy. Go to bed and get a good nights sleep.
Cheers,
Mike
 
I also like to use the PL tracks as you leave the wagon at a site and unloads, then you come back and pickup the empty.


What is this? Is there also a "PL track" whereby you can leave empties and come back later and they are full? Sounds interesting...
 
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.
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Cheers Mick.:)
 
I used to fill my routes with interactive stuff but many (particularly logging camps or coal mines) don't really fit the location or prototype - usually too big. We have also seen in TRS2019 particularly, many interactives are only one N3V code change away from becoming broken, so my policy now is to keep them to a minimum - even passenger stations. Personally I would like to see N3V move to a track marker or "zoned" area similar to how MSTS or DTG-TS specify loading and unloading areas. this would be much more flexible, particularly where the geometry of the location is far from being on straight and level track.
 
Dave,
The PL track is very short and you just have to place the middle of one wagon over it and the rest is automatic. You set how long before it starts loading/unloading, then the time between unloading/loading each wagon. You can clone them to handle any product you choose. You can unload, then load with a different product at the same track.The other thing is they can be raised and lowered, this allows you to place them in buildings at different levels above or below the normal fixed ground level There is also another track called Protolars, works the same way I'm pretty sure Phil had a how to use these tracks many moons ago. I agree with Phil that you can load/unload in driver, but I find that tedious.
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
 
I only use those interactive industries I can see load and unload such as coal mines and power plants, lumber industries, and container ports. All other industries such as warehouses, chemical plants, and general goods factories, make "stuff" so I leave the boxcars and other sealed freight cars on the sidings until I can pick them up whenever, and I'll use an instant load command to give them some weight.
 
Dave,
The PL track is very short and you just have to place the middle of one wagon over it and the rest is automatic. You set how long before it starts loading/unloading, then the time between unloading/loading each wagon. You can clone them to handle any product you choose. You can unload, then load with a different product at the same track.The other thing is they can be raised and lowered, this allows you to place them in buildings at different levels above or below the normal fixed ground level There is also another track called Protolars, works the same way I'm pretty sure Phil had a how to use these tracks many moons ago. I agree with Phil that you can load/unload in driver, but I find that tedious.
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




Kuid number or name to search in CMP would be appreciated :).

Dave
 
Kuid number or name to search in CMP would be appreciated :).

Dave

PL = ProtoLars, search under Name = pl and category = industry, I have 60 installed.

Bi and Bi2 advanced form of the PL tracks, I have 62 of those installed.

There also a large number of Multi Industries chief among them
<kuid:-25:73> Multiple Industry by Auran
<kuid2:45324:400001:2> JR Multi Industry by norfolksouthern37
<kuid:121794:60100> Multi Industry short by hupfgeign

Currently my favorites are <kuid:-25:1090> Multiple Industry New by Auran and <kuid2:458053:101007:1> Multiple_Industry_New (short track) by vincentrh (a fairly steep learning curve but worth it) for use with just about any non-industry industry. :D
 
PL = ProtoLars, search under Name = pl and category = industry, I have 60 installed.

Bi and Bi2 advanced form of the PL tracks, I have 62 of those installed.

There also a large number of Multi Industries chief among them
<kuid:-25:73> Multiple Industry by Auran
<kuid2:45324:400001:2> JR Multi Industry by norfolksouthern37
<kuid:121794:60100> Multi Industry short by hupfgeign

Currently my favorites are <kuid:-25:1090> Multiple Industry New by Auran and <kuid2:458053:101007:1> Multiple_Industry_New (short track) by vincentrh (a fairly steep learning curve but worth it) for use with just about any non-industry industry. :D




I know about these assets, but I wasn't aware you could leave an empty consist on these tracks, and come back later to find them loaded.
 
I know about these assets, but I wasn't aware you could leave an empty consist on these tracks, and come back later to find them loaded.

Oh. Yeah. That, as best I remembered PL tracks require that an engine be coupled to the consist. I did some testing and could not get a consist to load in TANE using PL tracks. With or without an engine. More testing when I find time. :D
 
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
 
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