BN and CB&Q GP7 Set: a problem and a peculiarity

[shilton2437]

I have a problem and a peculiarity with the BN and CB&Q GP7 set that I downloaded working in Railworks 3. Apologies if these have been addressed elsewhere, but I scanned this forum and did not see them raised.

The peculiarity is that when I swap in one of the GP7s (e.g., CBQ1) into a scenario using RW Tools, I am given three choices: GP7 CBQ1 Lead, GP7 CBQ1 Simp and GP7 CBQ1 Trail. Only with Simp am I able to control the engine, although the engine appears in the scenario in all three cases. If I swap in either Lead or Trail I cannot manipulate the break or forward/reverse controls. What exactly is the difference between these three options, and does it suggest a problem that only the Simp option seems to work?

The problem is that while I can drive the GP7 Simp version, there is no horn or bell noise.

Any advice appreciated. Thanks.

[arizonachris]

Hi, Shilton, and

Couple of things to try. First, clear blueprint cache from the "Tools and Docs" tab on the first TS2012 screen, before you hit the "Start" button. Then, what controls are you using? "Simp" means simple controls. The other loco is more than likely expert controls. I don't know that you can even control the trailing loco. Try chainging to expert controls in the options menu on that same TS launch page, before you press start.

[shilton2437]

Thanks Arizonachris,

I tried those suggests with a somewhat surprising result. Pressing the clear cache I did, and that is something I do fairly regularly based on advice I have read in several threads, but to no effect in this case. I have been using the so-called expert controls; that is, I was not using the option of simple controls. But I thought that I would see what would happen if I did select the simple controls option. When I did so, I was not able to control either the GP7 Lead or GP7 Simp engines. (I could move around the controls inside the cab; however, I don't have any experience actually controlling an engine using just the controls inside the cab, other than the horn, so I just may not know what I'm doing). But the surprising thing was that when I selected the simple controls option, I could sound the horn on the GP7 Lead (but not the GP7 Simp). Go figure. Thanks for the suggestions.

[arizonachris]

In edit mode, have you tried double clicking on the engine? That should allow you to drive it. But, there is still simple or expert modes. You using keyboard/ mouse?

[Hawk]

I'm probably not the one to offer any advice on this, but are you talking about Mike (MadMike1024) Calvin's GP7 Re-Paints http://railworksamerica.com/FileLibrary ... BQ_GP7_Set of David (davveb) Brindley's original SAL EMD GP7 http://railworksamerica.com/FileLibrary ... AL_EMD_GP7 ?

If so, it might be that David's GP7 may not work right in TS-2012, since it was created for RW2, but I can't say for sure.

If I'm wrong in the above, just ignore this post.

[shilton2437]

Arizonachris,
I tried entering the scenario via editor mode, but no dice (I did this both trying to run GP7 Lead in exert and both GP7 Simp in simple mode). I use both keyboard and mouse to operate the dashboard controls.

Hawk,
The GP7 downloads you link to are indeed the ones I am talking about. The download website says that these are compatible with TS2012, but given you say they were originally designed for RW2, I wonder.

It's not as if I can't use the GP7s in TS2012, I can, at least the GP7 Simp versions (running in expert mode, which is fine by me). But I just can't honk the horn, and I like to honk the horn, a lot.

Thanks all for your suggestions.

[Hawk]

The download website says...

I'm not sure what website you're talking about there, but David's original GP7 is in the RW2 section of the library here.

I'm not saying that David's GP7 will not work right in TS-2012. I was just pointing it out that it was in the RW2 section, and as it says at the top of every page in that section:

RW2.jpg

Granted, Mike's re-paints are in the TS-2012 section, but they do require a file from the RW2 section.

Then again, that may have nothing to do with your problem.

It would be nice if someone could verify that David's original GP7 functions properly in TS-2012.

[PapaXpress]

The TS2012 GP7s should be self contained RWPs.

[shilton2437]

I am far from an expert in the whole topic of repainting, so I could easily imagine messing up in the application of downloaded files. In the Read Me file for the BN and CB&Q Set, instructions are provided for loading in the locomotives via Scenario Editor. I swapped in the GP7s using RW Tools, which I am more comfortable using, so perhaps that has something to do with it. I'll try the approach laid out in the accompanying Read Me file.

Also, in the Read Me file for the SAL GP7, which I had not fully read before, the differences between the Lead, Trail, and Simp variants are explained.

Thanks for your help. I learn more every time I delve further into TS2012, but I still have a long way to go.

[arizonachris]

Thanks for your help. I learn more every time I delve further into TS2012, but I still have a long way to go.

I have been at it since 2009, still I learn something new every day. But it is a lot of fun, and I love to learn. Yeah, you do have a long way to go.

(I joined the Steam Railworks Forum before here which explains the different dates)

[Chacal]

Just for the record:
It is important to read the instructions provided with the SAL GP7, because there is a conflict of vocabulary.
What David Brindley calls "simple" controls are what RSC calls "expert" controls.
David's default controls are even more advanced - you have to close the engine run breaker, the fuel pump breaker, etc.
Also the "A" and "D" keys are inversed; they are used like in MSTS.

[LionelDave]

For a good explanation of what is happening look at the thread "Driving GP7s in 2012." (In this section) espically the comment about how the "SIMP" engine is the same as the sd-40 in the game's expert mode.

That's how I figured out what was happening.

Dave

[shilton2437]

I did some further experimenting, read the Read Me files more closely, and read the Driving GP7 thread in this forum, so I do think I now understand the whole SIMP/LEAD/Trail variants for the engines. Yes, I was confused about what SIMP meant, but now I see the SIMP engine variant is what RW3 calls expert (and what I call normal) control. And with the LEAD variant, the so-called Fisher-Price controls do not operate at all, so one must control the engine from within the cab. That is a bit beyond me right now, so I'll stick with the Fisher-Price controls for the time being.

I'm still not able to get the horn to work when operating the GP7 SIMP engines for any of the BN or CB&Q skins, whether I try activating it from inside the cab or using the external control panel. But strangely, the horn does work for the SAL GP7 version of the engine. I thought that the BN and CB&Q skins represented just a cosmetic overly over this engine.

[MadMike1024]

I did some further experimenting, read the Read Me files more closely, and read the Driving GP7 thread in this forum, so I do think I now understand the whole SIMP/LEAD/Trail variants for the engines. Yes, I was confused about what SIMP meant, but now I see the SIMP engine variant is what RW3 calls expert (and what I call normal) control. And with the LEAD variant, the so-called Fisher-Price controls do not operate at all, so one must control the engine from within the cab. That is a bit beyond me right now, so I'll stick with the Fisher-Price controls for the time being.

I'm still not able to get the horn to work when operating the GP7 SIMP engines for any of the BN or CB&Q skins, whether I try activating it from inside the cab or using the external control panel. But strangely, the horn does work for the SAL GP7 version of the engine. I thought that the BN and CB&Q skins represented just a cosmetic overly over this engine.

Actually, to get the lights and so on to work properly in TS2012 there was a lot of reconfiguring of the .bin files and so on. The horn and bell are from the default SD40, so it is odd they don't work.