AI runaround of brake van on branchline

Hello All
Its been a long time between posts but I'm getting back into Trainz with the 2019 version. I'm trying to run a consist around a brake van. Ive set up a sandpit with simple passing loop. The consist (loco-tender-wagon 1-wagon 2-wagon 3-brake van) comes into the loop and stops at a track marker. The loco and tender run around consist (Run Around Ex), grab the brake van, decouple it from the consist and shift it out to the main to a track marker. The loco and tender then decouple from brake van and rejoin the back of the consist, now attached to wagon 3. That string of AI commands works no problem and results as expected with the loco-tender and wagons on the loop and the brake van on the main. I tried to put a screenshot in but it didnt work so I hope my descritpion suffices


I can't seem however to make the last step work. How do I using an AI command get the last wagon and the brake van to couple to complete the turn around?

The final config i need is loco-tender (reversed)-wagon 3-wagon 2-wagon 1-brake van (reversed) on the main ready for the journey back from whence it came. If someone could explain or point me to a thread or tutorial Id be grateful

many thanks
Mat

For the final step have you considered using the Couple At Trackmark driver command? (details are at http://online.ts2009.com/mediaWiki/index.php/Driver_Commands_List#Couple_At_Trackmark).

You would need to pull the loco plus wagons onto the main line in front of the brake van. Use a track mark placed at the right position.
Then, with another track mark placed between the consist and brake van but close to the brake van, use the Couple At Trackmark command with the second trackmark as the destination.

pware said:

For the final step have you considered using the Couple At Trackmark driver command? (details are at http://online.ts2009.com/mediaWiki/index.php/Driver_Commands_List#Couple_At_Trackmark).

You would need to pull the loco plus wagons onto the main line in front of the brake van. Use a track mark placed at the right position.
Then, with another track mark placed between the consist and brake van but close to the brake van, use the Couple At Trackmark command with the second trackmark as the destination.

Click to expand...

I'll second that, just been using it, works a treat!

It just occurred to me that an even simpler solution, the basic Couple command, should also work (unless I am missing something). It does not need trackmarks BUT it will be restricted to always coupling to the same wagon (in this case the same brake van) every time because the Couple command must have the name (ID) of the target wagon.

Working on paper a shunter further up the line could couple the brake van for you, looks good on paper....

Thanks pware and Ghost. that worked and I could replicate it multiple times

the basic couple brake van id was what I was using before my post. AI being AI did one of two things. Either run to the branch terminus then reverse back and couple the brake van with tender eg Wagon 1 -Wagon 2 - Wagon 3 - Loco - Tender - Brake Van or just to confuse me more run all the way back along the branch to the main and sit there, then display "is stuck and is awaiting new instructions". I figured if the driver was stuck I was stuck and came here for new instructions. many thanks

jedimastermat said:

Thanks pware and Ghost. that worked and I could replicate it multiple times

the basic couple brake van id was what I was using before my post. AI being AI did one of two things. Either run to the branch terminus then reverse back and couple the brake van with tender eg Wagon 1 -Wagon 2 - Wagon 3 - Loco - Tender - Brake Van or just to confuse me more run all the way back along the branch to the main and sit there, then display "is stuck and is awaiting new instructions". I figured if the driver was stuck I was stuck and came here for new instructions. many thanks

Click to expand...

I found the engineer was too idle to get out of his warm cab to operate the shunter so after much experimentation I got the couple to brake van working.
I'll put the cdp on my website and post a link for you to check it out.
http://rog.pynguins.com/article/item/Trainz
Look for runaround route and session.
I love a challenge