Issues with the cattle feedlot loading.

I use cattle feedlot,<kuid2:50567:10027:2> by idiotbuoy.

The description is that "cattle feedlot industry will produce LARS visible cattle and features an animated load queue".

I use this car, 40ft Stockcar Cattle Ant,<kuid2:56063:104020:1> by majekear.

The description is that "Chicken Neck Foundry presents a work in progress of a 40ft see through Stockcar with loading and unloading dust clouds, opening and closing doors. Auran Industry and Lars and ProtoLARS industry track interactive Stockcar with LARS product loads of 20 cattle. Works with the animated Cattle Feedlot (kuid2:50567:10027:2) and non-animated LARS Bl and ProtoLARS PL Livestock industries. Thanks to Wiley4 (aka Ray) for providing sound files. Created from the rails up with gmax Trainz Asset Creation Studio and Jasc Paint Shop Pro. WARNING: If you change load via rolling stock ? button to pigs, sheep, etc., they will make strange cattle sounds."

The only way I can get cows to load in the cars is to drive the cattle train past it manually one car at a time. When the car side door is stopped at or near the loading ramp, the car door opens, cows appear inside, they moo and there is a cloud of dust. The door then shuts and that is it. I cannot use this for AI mode with a schedule of commands to get this very same loading effect. Using a Drive To (track mark) command will only get the car to stop at the loading ramp but there will be no loading action UNLESS the Drive To command has no other commands following it such as Wait For.


Is there a trick to automate this cattle loading by AI so the desired loading effects do occur, one car at a time? Otherwise the only way I can get the cars loaded on a schedule is to use the InstantLoad command which loads all the cars with no fun sounds, opening doors or dust effect.

What speed limit are you using?

5 mph or less will work.

You might want to setup a track mark before and have the AI stop and wait a the track mark for 20 secs. then continue on at 5 mph. This usually gives the AI a chance to settle down and then move on to load and unload at an industry.

I was using 10 MPH on the cattle customer siding. Another thing I have discovered is that one should slow a road-switching train down to about 4 MPH that is pushing cars to a bumper to park there otherwise the cars may get pushed through the bumper. Also, before giving the uncouple command, the train must come to a complete stop. If I have a Drive To track mark (parking spot at a bumper) right ahead of any uncouple command, the consist may continue to roll on away from the engine. The freight cars could still move on after being cut loose from the engine. I don't have a hump yard with retarders by the way. I now make sure there is a Wait For in between a track mark and an uncouple command. I also have to have a section of invisible track with two invisible signals on it beyond the end of a siding with a bumper so the train can actually drive to the bumper. AI will get a red indication when it gets too close to the termination of a track otherwise. I need the invisible "tail" with signals to coax the AI to the bumper. This hidden tail section also prevents derailment should the train be shoved just past the bumper and visible track termination. Under AI, coupling operations are not very gentle. It uses a robust 5 mph for coupling approach speed instead of a gentle 1 MPH.

I'm now working on getting my RR district freight customer pickup and delivery schedules fully automated. I'm learning the intricacies of proper track mark placement and train speeds for cutting trains and moving rolling stock in and out of sidings. I'm also automating the yard at Thompson Sawmill with a SP SW-1500 switch engine there that moves rolling stock about for unloading lumber as well as loading woodchips gondolas and center beam cars with lumber. I don't know if the fictitious Mr. Thompson owns his switch engine or if the RR leased it to him.