Suddenly, track missing at random!

[rhovak]

Hi.

I woke up to play some Train Simulator, loaded my world and found that much of my track has randomly disappeared and gives me consist errors for rolling stock that is on the missing track.

No track at all appears in RWInfo for my route.
Stupid me last backed up my world in July 2017...
If I copy my track tiles into my backup world, all of my track shows up in RWInfo but is still randomly missing in game.
The missing track is not selectable in the world editor.
I need help if there is anything that can be done!
I can copy my scenery changes into my backup but I really don't want to loose a year and half of track work if I can avoid it.
Does anyone have any ideas?

Thank you all in advance!
Ken -aka- Rhovak

[gwgardner]

I'll ask a perhaps dumb question: are those missing sections perhaps lower, have you pushed your viewpoint below the ground level to see if you can see the missing track below?

If you place the cursor over missing track, hold left mouse button, and drag out a small circle, does it pick up any object that you can raise, lower, etc?

Hit the 9 key, does the missing track show up there? And get the freeware rwinfo program, see what shows up with it?

[rhovak]

Hi gwgardner!

Thanks for the reply! Any suggestion is a good suggestion and there are no dumb questions. Any help I can get is appreciated!
I've tried your suggestions to no avail.
Nothing at all shows up in RWInfo... no track whatsoever.
In the game, the missing track is missing from my 2D route map aswell...


And just to provide a little more information: In windows, many of the track tiles that are missing track show that the last modified date is long (months and years) before the problem occurred but when I copy those old tiles into a copy of my old working backup, the track on the said tiles goes missing in game but at least appear in RWInfo.

Cheers!

[rhovak]

I believe that there is a relationship between the Tracks.bin file and the track tiles that I don't fully understand. Just looking at the files, I see any problems... Is there anywhere that I can read more about this?

[minerman146]

There most certainly is a relationship. The track.bin contains the table of all track at a fixed place in time, your last save while in editor. Those gaps can represent one of 2 things. 1. Your track.bin file was replaced (from backup) before those tracks were laid) 2. Corruption of Networks/Track Tiles, which now your track.bin file is reflecting.

Resolution: (sorry obvious) Restore from backup.
Resolution 2: (this is weird but can work) The track might be invisible to your eye, but a ghost of it is still there. In track editor, mouse over the area and see if the outline of the track is there. Then, using the cut tool, bisect the track, and see if it reappears. Reconnect the 2 parts and continue.
Resolution 3: Follow directions in #2, but delete the bad track, then save. After removal of the track, you can relay again. I would also recommend a clearing of the cache after you remove the errant track.

Note: I presume you are using 1 type of track from a single DLC, no 3rd party track, and no multiple track types from different DLC.

Root Cause: Mutilple relaying of track at the same spot, repeating cutting and relaying of switches, correcting the issue as noted in #2 and continuing to lay track off of potentially corrupt track. Also, as you noted, restoration of track in the track tiles folder, without having the correct tracks.bin file from that time.

[rhovak]

Hi minerman146!

Thanks for the reply!
The more I test... It is definitely corruption of track.bin file and the track tiles. There is no ghost track... I believe the corruption may have occurred while saving and closing too fast for the program to handle correctly. I was repainting some stuff... (repaint, test, repaint, test...)
And I knew I was asking for trouble back in 2012 when I started using all kinds of track with all kinds of track rules from all sorts of 3rd party developers including ones modded by myself for my purposes. Just my track.bin file has over 2.4 million lines of code in it! lol

Anyhoo, I believe that the only solution at this point is to work with my backup and simply copy over all of the stuff I've done since the backup was made, excluding the track files of course.
This issues would take a serious coding professional to sift through these files and find whatever inconsistencies may lie between the tracks.bin and the coinciding track tiles. Unfortunately I do not possess the skill level nor the tools probably needed to identify the said inconsistencies.

Well... Let that be a lesson for ya kids: backup often! I didn't back up often enough... don't be like me!!!

Thanks again!
Cheers!

[ChrisOnline]

There has also been quite a bit of discussion about editing routes in 64-bit, which seems to have caused some problems to some people, whereas 32-bit has not had the same problem.

The final recommendation has been to edit routes in 32-bit until DTG identify and fix the problem.

It may be too late fro you now if you don't have a backup, but worth bearing in mind.

[RailWanderer]

This is even happening in instances of the simulator other than in the Steam folders and newest versions. I never had this happen before, and this presents a problem for we who model using super elevation, which in all reality, no matter what anyone says, is a biatch to repair. Myself, I am not so sure what the connection is between each different version of the simulator, but since the last update this has been the norm within any version or instance.

[rhovak]

Thanks ChrisOnline for the insight... I just read it now. I'll be using the 32-bit version as of this instant.
And RailWanderer... With my attempts to add some in my world, all I can say about fixing super elevated track is... holly crap! You succeeded! I have some serious respect for you sir.
Anyhoo..
I came back to this thread because my recovery route started crashing out and I tracked the problem down to my tracks.bin file which seems to be the culprit this time. If I can fix this problem... it may help me with my original route. The xml Syntax is okay but I wanted to verify it in notepad++ which leads to my question... where do I find the xml schema? I know where it is referenced in the file but how can I download it?

Thanks again everyone!
...And HaPpY NeW YeAr!!!

[RailWanderer]

The only Schema.xml file I know of is in the Temp folder, "BlueprintSchema.xml" and If the file is missing it will be rewritten during the initial startup sequence. So I am not too sure why you would be missing this file, and that is if its the file you are referring to.