Switches and the 9 key

[blastpop]

Hi everyone,

I've been playing RW2 since the sale in October, but recently I've really been putting some time into it.

I was playing an easy scenario from the Barstow to San Bernadino line with the BNSF pack - Cement Snoot.

I was enjoying it immensly and made my approach to Barstow entrance 1. I proceeded along thinking the switches had been set by the designer. I think Barstow yard 10 was the destination. As it turns out it sent me down another track. I slowly backed up to get to a different line to get to my destination yard and derailed?! First question, Why? I was proceeding under 5 MPH at the time.

The second and more important question. When in the yard map (9 key) at the Barstow yard (its huge) its next to impossible to follow the track all the way back to the switch buttons (the map track markers are almost all the way down the other end of the yard) to set them properly to get to yard 10. I had to magnify to find the correct line- there are so many of them, and trying to work back down the track- you can't help but loose your place. Very annoying. I was showing this to my wife as I was playing and she couldn't believe this aspect of the user interface was so user UNfriendly. The question is, is there a way to select or highlight a line of track so one doesn't lose their place scrolling along a line looking for a switch? Or is there some other "trick" to do so that I am not aware?

Thanks!

Blastpop

[micaelcorleone]

Welcome to the forums.

Unfortunately you'll have to deal with this. There is no possibility in a Scenario to mark a track.
I know the problem you talk about very well myself, but well it is how it is.

[blastpop]

Hi,

Thanks for the input- not the answer I wanted to hear... as it causes me to

Any ideas about the derailment? Why that may have occurred?

Thanks!

[Mark]

Lose your place? as in how? if you mean from your train then all you have to do is zoom out to get back to your train or click on the follow train Icon at the top of the 2d map
If you find the track you are supposed to get to left click and you will see a box appear when you move the mouse, the larger you make the box the less zoom there is as it is fitting all your highlighted part into the zoom box

When you say that you got directed down a different line and reversed back up and got derailed at 5mph it is possible as the track has changed automatically into the siding or to another track depending where the crossover is, even goin g at 0.1mph you derail as you are trying to pass a changed track from how your wheels are situated, remember train wheels have the largest part that keeps them stable on the inside of the track, if the points are changed to take you down to a siding and you try to cross over it in reverse you are jumping the train off the tracks hence the derailment


Unfortunately I havent done this scenario as I am more of a passenger service fan than freight, but could it be that you have to go so far down the track then reverse back into the siding, if the dispatcher has set ytou up for the rest of the scenario I don't understand why it isnt doing it for the siding, it seems thats what you have to do with your description of reversing and derailing.

easy thing to do to check is on the approach to your final destination look at the 2 d map and zoom out, if you can see your blue line then you are being directed in the right direction, if you only have a short peice then you have to change the points yourself. if that is the case stop your train dead and zoom into the part where the blue line ends (usually found at a point ) change the points if you can and you will be good to go again

[blastpop]

Kind of lose my place- my eyes with so many lines tend to jump so its hard to follow and tell which line I need to switch. So the answer would be yes.

Last night I was playing a scenario and without my realizing it I went off into a siding on the San Bernadino route. The scenario said I was wrong and would end the game in 30 seconds. I quickly kept going and it returned me to the target line so I wasn't kicked out of the game. This was at approx a half mile prior to my destination so I was looking at the switch near the delivery yard. Again looking at the map sometimes things are not obvious to me.

Consequently I think a improved in game system to identify track and mark them during scrolling on the 2D map would be very helpful and I think would not be overly difficult to implement or at least give those who want them the tools they need to do so. I have 50 year old eyes so from a usability standpoint it is desirable for me to have visual improvements. From a simulation PoV, I don't think it harms it much, because in reality you might have a map, radio info and the ability to read some of the switches, which on the 3D normal view can be difficult to see and you are working through a computer interface.

Blastpop

[Toripony]

A couple of ideas that might help a little bit......

When I'm playing Engineer (when I'm driving), I also play Brakeman. I use the #8 camera a lot, freeing myself from the cab to "fly" ahead (or back) and check/set switches. When I'm driving through a manual switch, right before I reach the switch I "jump off" the loco to stand by the switch like a brakeman would do.

In the 2D screen, try counting the tracks in the yard you're in at the moment. Then when you move your view up or down the yard, count the tracks from one side or the other to find your track. The number is usually less than 10 so there isn't that much counting to do; I can usually find my track in about 10 seconds on the 2D (but sometimes I still mis-count, lol)

As far as the backing up goes, some scenarios don't allow it; going in reverse will end your game. I've also seen instances where your mistake, such as going down the wrong siding, isn't detected by the game until you stop or reverse your train. I can't tell you how many times I've failed that run to Victorville where the siding is set to a dead-end track, lol.

Tori

[blastpop]

A couple of ideas that might help a little bit......

When I'm playing Engineer (when I'm driving), I also play Brakeman. I use the #8 camera a lot, freeing myself from the cab to "fly" ahead (or back) and check/set switches. When I'm driving through a manual switch, right before I reach the switch I "jump off" the loco to stand by the switch like a brakeman would do.

In the 2D screen, try counting the tracks in the yard you're in at the moment. Then when you move your view up or down the yard, count the tracks from one side or the other to find your track. The number is usually less than 10 so there isn't that much counting to do; I can usually find my track in about 10 seconds on the 2D (but sometimes I still mis-count, lol)

As far as the backing up goes, some scenarios don't allow it; going in reverse will end your game. I've also seen instances where your mistake, such as going down the wrong siding, isn't detected by the game until you stop or reverse your train. I can't tell you how many times I've failed that run to Victorville where the siding is set to a dead-end track, lol.

Tori

Thanks Tori!

Some good ideas, especially counting the tracks- so obvious...

Victorville is where I had the problem where it wanted to end and kick me out. I was also not aware the reverse would end a scenario too- just one of the many things that are either undocumented or not well known- until you do them in this game. There seems to be a lot of little things on the the various forums and online videos that were left for the player to find out... guess it mimics real life in that regard...

Still, I am enjoying myself.

Thanks!

Blastpop

[fraserm]

Hi. Just joined the forum. Been playing RW2 for a month or so and I've had similar problems with the Cement Snoot scenario. I've tried it several times and it always derails when I get to Barstow Yard 10, and I know it's the correct track. The last time it gave me an "AI error", so I expect a code glitch. The summary after the failure said "box crash" and I don't know how that's different. There are NO switches or other stock on the line when the "derail" occurs.
Very frustrating scenario, but I LOVE this simulator!!!
Any help or comments are very much appreciated.
Thanks!

UPDATE!!!
I successfully completed the Cement Snoot scenario and here is how I did it:
I saved the scenario when the consist is stopped just outside Barstow Yard Gate 01 so it's easy to revert if I get derailed without making the entire (easy) trip to that point. I've run this from this point successfully about 8 times, slightly changing speeds each time. Releasing the brakes, I throttle up one click (13%) until I achieve 10 MPH or so, then kill the throttle and use only the brakes to regulate the speed down to Yard 10. Only one switch needs to be set to connect to the right yard track. As soon as the last hopper is on the straight section of the track, stop the train and your engines are around the level of the caboose and adjacent hopper on Yard 9 to your left. Uncouple the engines and wait about 2 minutes before advancing. Interesting aside, twice while waiting to move, I heard what sounded like a collision. It was completely separate from the uncoupling sound. At this point, release the brakes. Advance the throttle one click to achieve a speed of 2.5 to 2.8 MPH, then return the throttle to 0%. Let the speed trail off to less than 2.0 MPH and then continue this up-and-down throttle action, not exceeding 3.0 MPH, until you pass the entire line of white hoppers on Yard 9. (This takes FOREVER, but it's worth it.) Now you can accelerate to 10 - 12 MPH without problems. All the switches are set to get you to Barstow East Yard 1 without any further changes. I've tried speeds up to 5 MPH and it seems to like to fail if the speed is more than 3 MPH while you're still adjacent to the hoppers on Yard 9.

Now, I realize there are only 16 days till TS2012 is available (yay!!), but I wonder if anyone would be interested in trying this method to successfully complete the scenario. I'd be very interested to see if it works for anyone else. Being an Engineer (not the train type), my analytical discipline encouraged me to hunt this anomaly down and defeat it. I think I've succeeded and if someone is willing to confirm this I'd be interested to find that out.

Can't wait for the new suite! I installed a new 2GB GFX card just for this and the change is amazing! Terrain details are awesome, and train motion is now much smoother with fewer "hiccups" in the view.

Thanks again!