Engine swapping in an activity.

Hi Folks,

I just thought you guys might find this interesting:

I had been working on an activity where the intention was that you drive a train to a particular station, uncouple the engine, shunt the train engine and pick up the replacement engine and continue on the trip.

Now knowing full well that the BIN patch allows "cab swapping", it got me wondering if a full loco swap was possible.
So I set up a quick activity to try this out. Unfortunatly when you couple up to the replacement engine, it "runs out off fuel" within a few seconds of the switch. If the loco is already in the train, then the only issues are (for a steam loco): low boiler pressure which cannot be raised, no steam generation rate and bad brake pressures. If you are swapping locomotive types (ie steam to diesel) the sim crashes.

Justin

Justin,

I have written a couple of these, one for the now-unavailable BATS LMS CD and one for Making Tracks' Scottish Capital Express (originally released on UKTS). If you're interested I can send them to you (assuming I can find them).

I used my invisible engine (available from trainsim.com) to get from train to train, so the activity had to be planned so the invisible engine didn't get stuck in a siding behind something. The procedure was basically to couple the invisible engine up to a train, swap into the real loco cab and drive for a while, uncouple the invisible engine and move it to another train, etc. I remember the "new" loco being low on water but I think the invisible engine does at least some of the work. I did find that if I planned the train-swaps carefully, I could fill up the "new" loco with water at a convenient water crane. They certainly had more than a few seconds before they ran out of water.

Bob.

Hi Bob,

Well that explains where things went wrong, I was just doing a straight engine to engine swap without the invisible engine.
If that is the case, I might send you the activity (when I get everything sorted) to see if you can sort itout for me.
It is my version of the Southcoast Daylght Express for the Main Illawarra v3, using my new 3801.

Justin

Hi Gentlemen,
Apologies for being a little late joining this thread
It certainly is possible to switch to an AI or Loose Consist loco and continue your journey without running out of water! I raised this at this time last year on UKTS. The problem is with the EngineVariables in the eng file. Rather than repeat everything here, may I refer you to these :
http://forums.uktrainsim.com/viewtopic.php?f=238&t=123050#p1526007
http://forums.uktrainsim.com/viewtopic.php?f=238&t=123095&hilit=+EngineVariables#p1526615

If you can't see them, please come back!

I have just carried out another test with a BATS loco on the Watersnake route :
Without amending the EngineVariables, the loco lasted just over 18 minutes, until it ran out of water.
After amendment, the loco was still going at 30 minutes.
Using F5, the water and coal capacity can be checked.

I did have two problems with the loco I switched to this time : one was that the boiler pressure never changed, irrespective of how hard it was driven, and the other was that the tender brakes were permanently on. These may be due to the original Player loco, but are subject to more investigation!

Cheers,
Ged

EDIT : I have since discovered that my two problems with the switched-to loco were caused, somehow, by the original Player loco; changed the latter and everything worked as it should!

Thanks Ged,

Fortuantly the engines in question are my own 38's so they will be fixed before upload.
I had a look there was only 9 entrys but the 2 needed entrys were set to 0. No wonder it died so quickly.

I will give the modifications at run and report back.

Justin

edit: It worked! all my 38's have been updated inlight of this new information.

Hi Justin,
I'm pleased it worked for you

However, I am disappointed that virtually all steam locos still being uploaded to UKTS have the 10-value EngineVariables
I suppose it's because it only affects locos which start off being in a Loose Consist or in an AI train and are subsequently used as a Player!

Cheers,
Ged

Hi Ged,

I think the problem comes from not may people even knowing about the BIN enabled loco swap feature.
Cab swapping on "double ended" consist would be expected but to acutally change a loco during an activity is virtually unheard of (Straight loco to loco, no invisible engine). I for one did not know it was possible until I tried (my mental reasoning was if a cab swap was possible is a full loco swap possible, lets test to see...), but I think now that the cat is out of the bag, hopefully we should seem more unique things happening. I for one am always willing to test the limits of MSTS's capabilities. Perhaps now we could start a "standardised" eng file requirement list (I know that may sound redundant, but at least all new models could be all on the same standard with ideas).

Justin