Dispatch Mode Operation on Big Routes

Hello everyone,

I've only been using TRS2019 for a couple of months, and this sim has become my go-to! My favorite are the bigger routes (i.e. Canadian Rocky Mountains) running in dispatch mode. I've made quite a few modifications to the default dispatch modes, and now enjoy the full gambit of dispatching lots of different AI trains (generating and disappearing at the portals), running locals (some AI, some manually), and yard switching - all in one session. To me, this is what running a train sim is all about!

Knowing that the C&O Hinton Division was another large scale route (and being my favorite RR), I downloaded it and am looking forward to creating a dispatch mode session similar to what was done for CRM. I was wondering if anyone has already created a session like this?

Welcome to the forums flyndive! I agree this is what a train sim is all about and this one in particular is quite addicting.

I'm not sure if there's anything like that already created for that route, but that doesn't mean you can't do that yourself. This takes a bit of sleuthing around and pretty much getting out the screwdriver, wire cutters, and pliers to see how things are made. The good news is you can't really break anything because as soon as you open up something for editing, whether it's a route or session that belongs to someone else, a clone is made automatically. This means you'll be working on your own copy which you can delete if you want, or keep for yourself to continue to modify.

What you want to look at how the session is put together by choosing edit session on the Routes and sessions menu where you choose a session for running. Once opened up, you'll be in what appears to be Surveyor, choose Edit session. I can't remember where this is found on the base version of TRS2019 since I've gone to Trainz-Plus, which is the same but different with menu-items moved around.

Anyway... Once you've found the edit session in the Surveyor Session editor, take a look at the various items on the menu. You'll see how drives are assigned their commands, how some of the triggers are setup for various events, and lots of other stuff.

I know this sounds a bit daunting if not outright overpowering, but once you go in and poke around, you'll get the gist on how to do stuff. Since you're working with a clone, you can't break anything anyway.

With that said, this is the true power of this train simulator. The Surveyor module is about the most powerful part of the program, and by far the most addicting. I started this route, no pun intended, back in December 2003 and have been building routes ever since. I did this by opening up an existing route and poking around to see how others did things then continued on without ever stopping!

Thanks for the welcome, John. I've had some experience building DLC for VSF (Vehicle Simulator Framework), and looking forward to doing the same in TRS.

- Mark

Maybe slightly off at a tangent, but one thing Trainz might benefit from is some sort of dispatcher (despatcher?) board/signalbox panel feature similar to the one you call up in Run 8 to control your trains.