Stopping Points: placed, tested, abandoned

[OldProf]

Since I'm working on a 2-part scenario. The first part ends with a drop-off on a yard track, after which the player parks his engine on the next track over. The second part begins with the dropped-off train and the player engine the same positions, so I thought it would be nice to force the player to drop and park at precise spots at the end of Part I. That led me to place 2 Stopping Points and insert Drive To instructions to them.

Big mistake!

Our mythical dispatcher, the scenario writer's friend, went haywire. Apparently, it couldn't find the first Stopping Point, so it picked a track marker at random and header the player train toward it ... this is in an area where all switches are automatic, so there's no way for the player to set the correct path. Moreover, within seconds the dispatcher cut off the player train's path altogether, causing a derailment crash.

Since this is taking place on a German route, I'm guessing that the dispatcher's name is Herr Dan Nandez.

Back to the drawing board!

[BlueLight]

It is not just European routes. I have been haveing the same problem with Rich Garbers Ohio Steel II. AI trains not following markers, going "off the path" ensuring a program shutdown.
Who ever programed the source code must have programed the esscents of a Class 1 dispatcher who failed so badly, that the only job he could find was with the FRA.

[Chacal]

Do stopping points work for the player train or only AI trains?
Also, I assume you can't use short scenario destination markers instead of stopping points, because of existing route destination markers?

[OldProf]

Do stopping points work for the player train or only AI trains?
Also, I assume you can't use short scenario destination markers instead of stopping points, because of existing route destination markers?

In 2011, Derek wrote in a post still available here at RWA [ http://railworksamerica.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=7&t=3420 ] :

Stopping Points
Stopping points allow more precise control over where AI and player trains should stop. This is especially useful on long sidings where previously the trains would stop at the end of the marker.

The stopping point marker is located in the Track Infrastructure filter of the scenario object browser list with the other scenario markers, such as siding and platform markers. It is a track linked item which can be doubled clicked and named in the properties tab. These stopping points show in the simulation as a red arrow on the track profile.

So Stopping Points should work with both player and AI trains.

You're absolutely correct in saying that "you can't use short destination markers instead of stopping points, because of existing route destination markers". Indeed, Stopping Points seem to have been invented to address the lack of precision inherent to overly long track markers, but perhaps they got wiped out in the TS2012 - TS2013 transition?
Or, perhaps, they never worked as intended.
I remember trying to use one in a scenario I wrote for the Horseshoe Curve under TS2012. An AI train was supposed to pull up to a Stopping Point, uncouple its cars there, and then reverse direction and drive to its Final Destination. Instead, it stopped well short of the S.P., dithered around for a while, and then either vanished (yes, literally) or derailed.

[FoggyMorning]

I'm not sure if this is at all applicable, but I have sometimes found that when adding stopping points, markers or in any way adjusting the track properties in the scenario editor that it is necessary to completely exit the program and restart before the dispatcher correctly recognizes them.

[OldProf]

I'm not sure if this is at all applicable, but I have sometimes found that when adding stopping points, markers or in any way adjusting the track properties in the scenario editor that it is necessary to completely exit the program and restart before the dispatcher correctly recognizes them.

Yes, I had read that previously, too, but in the case of this scenario at least, the Stopping Points worked once, just after I added them. After a complete computer reboot, however, the SP no longer worked. Sometimes I think that there's a random event engine built into RW!