Freight car numbers

J

johnndeanna

New member
Hello all,

I am about to pull the plug on buying Trainz 2019 and wondered if there is a way in the program to create a freight car roster from the included assets so that each car has a different road number so that I can use JMRI operations to operate the railroad. Probably won't change me buying it but wondered if it was possible.

John
 
I use ShipIt model railroading system and use the "car numbers" that the game assigns. They show up with Control-N in Driver.

shipit_1.jpg


The numbers can be changed in the "?" mark function in Surveyor but isn't worth the effort.

Since you are new and don't understand any of that, the game can function with an outside forwarding system.

Trainz is the only train-sim that works because of the ability to control time.

Harold
 
Last edited:
hminky said:
I use ShipIt model railroading system and use the "car numbers" that the game assigns. They show up with Control-N in Driver.

shipit_1.jpg


The numbers can be changed in the "?" mark function in Surveyor but isn't worth the effort.

Since you are new and don't understand any of that, the game can function with an outside forwarding system.

Trainz is the only train-sim that works because of the ability to control time.

Harold
Click to expand...

So say you create a session with a train in "staging" and place cars in the train. The software will automatically assign a number to it?

Also, say during the session you drop of car A at an industry per the switchlist. once you are done I'd assume you save the session so that next time that same car is still there but now empty/full depending on industry?

John
 
johnndeanna said:
So say you create a session with a train in "staging" and place cars in the train. The software will automatically assign a number to it?

Also, say during the session you drop of car A at an industry per the switchlist. once you are done I'd assume you save the session so that next time that same car is still there but now empty/full depending on industry?

John
Click to expand...

Yes, the game works with a outside generated switchlist, endlessly "day after day".

Harold
 
Seems much like having a physical model railroad. I've been looking at it for some time but never pulled the plug. Lack of space for a physical layout at this point and the desire to get completely out of debt in 2 years is pushing me to go virtual. I'll probably be purchasing the software tonight to start messing with it. Thanks for the help.

John
 
johnndeanna said:
Seems much like having a physical model railroad. I've been looking at it for some time but never pulled the plug. Lack of space for a physical layout at this point and the desire to get completely out of debt in 2 years is pushing me to go virtual. I'll probably be purchasing the software tonight to start messing with it. Thanks for the help.

John
Click to expand...

Be prepared to spend endless hours... I was so "un-knowing" when I bought TRS19.... It is a very "deep" product... you can create and run sessions, you can create routes (some people work for years and years on prototypical routes), you can create assets (content), it is endless. Just read thru some of the threads here... it also gets highly technical. I think my biggest frustration is hard to find documentation. I have found the best way to search is to do a google site search on the wiki and the forums. And some important info is hidden under other topics... etc... Good Luck! (By the way... "Pulling the plug" means you are giving up... You instead, are "Firing up the generator!") :)
 
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The problem with Destination Data and CMTM is they are difficult to set up and don't work as well as an outside switchlist generator.

CMTM barely works in TS2019 if you are using Portals.

Destination Database is truly lame and not really a car forwarding system.

The in-game programs are also up to the whims of the programmers in the next release. Poof! they are gone like CarTagger.

With outside programs the game can be saved at any point and multiple sessions can be run on the same route with no worry about a meltdown.

shipit_0002.jpg


None of the in-game programs are worth the effort.

Harold
 
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Harold,

I was briefly browsing Ship It and see that the program generates the required car movements based on shipper and consignee needs. Given this information, do you then go into Trainz and set up the "staging" to include the cars Ship It is asking for?

I guess I see it asking for say 15 cars of various types. You walk over to the shelf and add them to the train in staging, filling out the switchlist with the car numbers based on which ones you placed on the tracks if not coming from an industry already on the layout that has the same type available. I would then start the session and off I go? Seems fairly straightforward and gives you access to unlimited cars. Just a bit of setup between operating sessions. Lots to learn for sure.

John
 
johnndeanna said:
Harold,

I was briefly browsing Ship It and see that the program generates the required car movements based on shipper and consignee needs. Given this information, do you then go into Trainz and set up the "staging" to include the cars Ship It is asking for?

I guess I see it asking for say 15 cars of various types. You walk over to the shelf and add them to the train in staging, filling out the switchlist with the car numbers based on which ones you placed on the tracks if not coming from an industry already on the layout that has the same type available. I would then start the session and off I go? Seems fairly straightforward and gives you access to unlimited cars. Just a bit of setup between operating sessions. Lots to learn for sure.

John
Click to expand...

The cars are added to ShipIt car database.

The initial session is run on the program and the cars are moved to their track locations. All the switchlist generators work that way.

Harold
 
johnndeanna said:
So say you create a session with a train in "staging" and place cars in the train. The software will automatically assign a number to it?

Also, say during the session you drop of car A at an industry per the switchlist. once you are done I'd assume you save the session so that next time that same car is still there but now empty/full depending on industry?

John
Click to expand...

I ran across an issue almost a year ago with some cars not retaining their assigned auto number after a session save. They essentially were assigned a new number upon loading the save. This made it hard to use external car routing programs that rely on a set number for each car. I have not tested it lately, as I started using the CMTM system exclusively and it accounts for this issue. It might be something to check out as you decide to dive deeper into Trainz and freight forwarding. Be prepared to give up the rest of your life, but have fun!!
 
jbaxter1964 said:
I ran across an issue almost a year ago with some cars not retaining their assigned auto number after a session save. They essentially were assigned a new number upon loading the save. This made it hard to use external car routing programs that rely on a set number for each car. I have not tested it lately, as I started using the CMTM system exclusively and it accounts for this issue. It might be something to check out as you decide to dive deeper into Trainz and freight forwarding. Be prepared to give up the rest of your life, but have fun!!
Click to expand...
Numbers can be assigned with the Edit Properties "?" in Surveyor.

shipit_0003.jpg


Those won't change even going through portals and returning. Control-N will bring them up in the game.

shipit_1.jpg


The Control-N numbers make it easier to find the cars with the Trainz cameras lack of a walking mode.

Harold
 
Hmmm... Although this might be a daunting task if you have a lot of cars to number, it looks like a good workaround. If you do it once for all the cars on the route, it may be a one and done.
 
Discovered the Control-N keyboard shortcut at the beginning of this year. Don't remember where it came up.

Before that I had abandoned all hopes of using ShipIt for Trainz. Also had the car renumbering themselves problem.

There was a way of fixing the cars in the config but that seemed too daunting.

Now outside generated switchlists can be used. Love the feel of paper in the hand.

Harold
 
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