American Intermodal

Hi here's hoping somene can help.

I cannot get the MiJack's to operate as in loading/unloading.

I have one loaded train with SEMI + Trailer arriving as per original BASIC SESSION.

I have one unloaded train with loaded SEMI + Trailer as per instruction sheet from JR.

On starting the session the message window declares that loading/unloading will commence in one minute.

A minute later another message appears saying loading/unload started for train consist xx followed immediately by another saying load/unload finshed for consist xx.

I have read mention that the wellcars supplied by JR must be used; JR supply several wellcars can someone be more specific with kuid #'s

Same with containers; the ones I have seem to be able to accept 40'; 53; TOFC etc.

I have:

American Intermodal: 348207:101058
Session: 348207:101059

MiJacks: All by kuid 45324:

Mijack Translift 1200R 123100:2

Any toughts anyone.
 
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The search function of the forums is poor, at best, so good luck finding them, but there were posts about those issues, and fixes, if I recall.

Unless changed and reuploaded by JR, I recall that only the wellcars that come in the AI content pack are configured correctly (the 48 foot wells), and the only container "load" that all three parts of the process (wellcar, crane, container chassis) have in common are the 40 foot high-cube containers. There were clean and weathered, (now superseded by "loaded" and "empty" container variants), of the 40 foot standard cube and 40 foot high-cube containers that can be used, if you want to fiddle with the Config file of each, in Explorer, not CCP.

You have to remove all but those 40 foot containers from the loads of the cars and crane, and add the other 40 variants to both, as well as to the 40 foot "Cheetah Chassis" (which should already only list 40 foot containers).

Basiclly, the Cheetah Chassis trailer can only accept certain 40 foot containers currently, so if a train rolls up with a 20 foot or 53 foot container, the crane has nowhere to unload the container to. The script "taps out" and jumps to the finished messege.

Also, other well cars can be configured to be loaded and unloaded by the JR script, you just need to add a few bits of info in to the config of the new car. A name, and a "load height" value. A search might find the last bit with correct height values, or copy the bits from the supplied 48 foot well cars.
 
KingConrail76

Yes, I have been searching and found snippets here and there, putting it all together it seems to coincide with what you have outlined.

I have AI working after a fashion, one train loading and another unloading, the unloading seems to leave containers behind, always the uppermost one. Seems I have to look closer at exactly what is being left behind.

Many thanks for the info and taking the time to reply, it clarifies things a lot for me.
 
The containers used for the route are from JR and made by socalwb909. Only the HC containers are used.
The wellcars are made by norfolksouthern37 and all his 48 stack, 53 stack and Maxi IV , A,B,C, will work with the route.
No changes are needed to the containers or the crane to use 53 ft containers.
The only change is you need to add the 53s to the Cheetah Chassis, as 48 and 53 use the same pickup points. I found it better to clone the Cheetah and set it up for 53s.
The container fouls the semi sleeper but it works ok.
You can have 53s toploaded on 48s and unload with no problem. Loading is a bit more of a problem.
53 Double stack will load ok but Top Loading requires you to load one or the other manually.
I have ported the route to Tane and this allows me to use the flyout to load the truck with a container manually.
If you are using TS12 then you would not be able to load a mixed load.
If you have problems, you can PM me.
Cheers,
Mike
 
mikeaust

Thanks for the reply. I learnt that HC containers are the preferred option, so far I haven't found that all the well cars by Norfolk southern work with the crane, loading and unloading. If I can get it to work consistently with the 40' containers I may look into adding some others.

Richarde57

Thanks for the reply. Yes, first thing I looked at when it didn't work as expected! :)
 
Did you read the pdf that comes with the package?


I surely missed that ... (or lost it in the pc-jungle) ... so if someone can send me, I'll be very gratefull ...
thanks mikeaust and KingConrail76 for the suggestions ...
@CoachMan888 : success and have fun ...

dave
 
Speaking of American Intermodal are their any plans to update the module or once we purchase it can we update it ourselves? Can someone from JR jump in on this.
 
I surely missed that ... (or lost it in the pc-jungle) ... so if someone can send me, I'll be very gratefull ...
thanks mikeaust and KingConrail76 for the suggestions ...
@CoachMan888 : success and have fun ...

dave

If you bought the route from JR you have unlimited downloads of bought items.

In your own JR account you can download the PDF again.

 
Hi

I've managed to get it working, loading and unloading using Wellcars and 40' containers.

When I next time for a session I shall try some of the things Mike suggested.

But for now all is working OK and many thanks for the replys and assistance.

Regards
Roger
 
Well worth the effort.
I have one setup where a train with 60 wagons pulls into arrival and is split up with a switcher, onto tracks with three separate cranes working at the same.
When unloaded, the semi trucks are changed and the wagons are reloaded. The train is then reformed by the switcher in departure.This all happens under AI.
Cheers,
Mike
 
I was thinking of something similar using the third currently unused track. Time permitting should be done by Christmas. Which Christmas is not yet known.

Bit it like an N3V update ��

Regards
Roger
 
OK, after reading this thread, I found again long time installed American Intermodal. I used a train with 7 wellcars included in AI pack from JR. All cars were loaded with 40ft HC containers. I stopped my train right in the middle of unloading are.

What's happened:
1. Crane started unloading from the rear end of the train. First was unloaded car #7, than #6 and #5.
2. At the car #4 (SP 48 Husky Stack) crane stopped fro VERY LONG 20 minuts with message "Crane is waiting..."
3. After that horrible time crane picked up container from loaded TRUCK and started to LOAD empty wellcars again, from the rear end. Funny and stupid :).
4. It's interesting how crane "choices" truck which will be loaded. Every yardmaster, which has at least a piece of brain in his head, would start to load first truck waiting at the unloading lane (in my case it was JR Semi DRIVE 2). Driver of this truck has command "Wait for fully loaded", so even if loaded all others trucks behind he, he blocks them because he is not loaded at all and it never happened.

So there are my questions:
1. I noticed SP 48 Husky Stack could be loaded on top only with 40ft HC empty container. Is this problem? Is this why crane stopped at this car and waited so long? AI couldn't work with empty containers?
2. Why crane didn't finished unloading whole train although I used only "recommended" cars?
3. Why crane loaded the cars with the same containers he picked up before?
4. How crane decide which truck will be loaded? Why he doesn't start from the first waiting empty truck?

In some previous tries (last week) I tried to release first (empty) truck by deleting command "Wait for fully loaded". He then left the yard and other (loaded) trucks could leave yard too, but there was the problem that also another empty trucks left the yard too, without waiting for load :).

My another experiece: it's probably not good to have too long train there. When I stop incoming train engine too close to xing behind unloaded area, first truck couldn't leave the yard because of message "...wait for clearance" (engine was probably too close).
 
I found that the best way to get the trucks working ok is to stop the first one at the front hold point. Then once it is loaded and the crane moves to pick the next container, let him go manually and the others will usually stop for the crane.If they dont stop then stop it manually and try again. I dont use the wait till load, just use Auto. Not sure about top container problem, mine loads all 40 hc in both positions.
Cheers,
Mike
 
I found that the best way to get the trucks working ok is to stop the first one at the front hold point. Then once it is loaded and the crane moves to pick the next container, let him go manually and the others will usually stop for the crane.If they dont stop then stop it manually and try again. I dont use the wait till load, just use Auto. Not sure about top container problem, mine loads all 40 hc in both positions.Cheers,Mike

That's interesting idea. I will try it, thank you.
 
In addition to what Mike has said, and I'm no expert on this but during my experiments to get it working I had the MiJack picking up from the 'back' of the train, once it has collected the container it would either travel back to the 'front' or just load the closest truck, depending on which was closest.

I solved this by making sure that the direction of travel (red and green arrow orientation) was the same for the train, truck and MiJack. This is in accordance with the instructions from JR. However what they don't tell you is that from the halfway point the direction of travel changes. So in addition to making sure the direction of travel is orientated the same way all the components must be in the same half.

To further confuse things, once loading/unloading commences the orientation doesn't matter. The MiJack will travel the length of the train loading/unloading in its own time.

When loading a train from the Cheetah trailer I set the first loaded Cheetah at the front with Driver Command 'Wait 5 min'/Auto

This I found was enough time for the Mi-Jack to find the Cheetah, unload it, and load the train and look for the next loaded Cheetah. The first Cheetah then departed, leaving the following loaded Cheetahs to find the Mi-Jack, wait to be unloaded and then continue.

So in effect I could load and unload a train.

Having the train too close to the ends seemed to trigger the signal that a train had control of it, preventing the Cheetah from departing. I found that around 38 wellcars was big enough, it would take 40 but had to positioned more precisely.

Incidentally I have this procedure working in both TS12 and T:ANE.

HTH

Regards
Roger
 
Thank you Roger for worth advices. If I understood this well:

However what they don't tell you is that from the halfway point the direction of travel changes. So in addition to making sure the direction of travel is orientated the same way all the components must be in the same half.

It means I must check if arriving train's engine has set green arrow which shows direction of travel (when train will come, from junction to yard). The same is with MiJack and trucks...

In Surveyor I noticed blue arrows <- -> in the middle on loading/unloading area (MiJack operation area). You mean that if arriving train has set right direction of travel, after he cross this point, direction changes and I must to set it corect again? This time by red/greed button in train panel?

Your experiences are very interesting and I see I have too many thing for trying ;-).
 
Thank you Roger for worth advices. If I understood this well:


In Surveyor I noticed blue arrows <- -> in the middle on loading/unloading area (MiJack operation area). You mean that if arriving train has set right direction of travel, after he cross this point, direction changes and I must to set it corect again? This time by red/greed button in train panel?

No that is not what I meant, sorry for the confusion.

I haven't as yet tried it with an arriving train, only static ones in place at the start.

What I have found from my static train is you will load the containers in the train and the front and back of the container will orientate the same way as the well car they are loaded onto.

Now if this orientation is the same as the Mi-Jack and Cheetah all will be well. But if one or other of them is not the same orientation then the container will spin around when placed on the Cheetah if unloading or the well car if loading to the same orientation of the vehicle it is loaded onto. Makes for interesting viewing watching the doors disappear one end only to reappear at the other. This is what happens when the Mi-Jack reaches the other 'half' of the 'Intermodal Industry'

Does that make sense?

Mikeaust has some experience dealing with arriving and departing trains maybe he can confirm whether the train should arrive at the back, travelling in the same direction as the Cheetah, or not.

Regards
Roger
 
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