EMD FL9

[JohnTrainHead]

The best news for me is that the ditch lights are child objects...

I suppose that's also good news for those who were hoping to run this on the VNHRR.

[buzz456]

The best news for me is that the ditch lights are child objects...

I suppose that's also good news for those who were hoping to run this on the VNHRR.

And that is because?

[FanRailer]

Anyone else having this problem? When I throttle up everything is fine but when I throttle back down it seems to stay at notch two on the sound even though the engine rpm goes back to idle.

No it's not just you haha. I've experienced this issue when running double headed consists. The first locomotive spools back down to idle sound, but the second locomotive stays in notch 8 (sound wise). I find that cycling through the cabs (CTRL & +) before running the train fixes the issue.

Could the sound thing Buzz be because when in diesel mode it supplied head end power?

No lol; the sound thing is a minor bug issue. The FL9s were delivered with Steam Heating. Some units were retrofitted with separate CAT HEP generators later in their lives, but there is nothing in the sound folder that indicates that DTG included this as a functional feature.

[FanRailer]

I've released my comprehensive sound and physics mod for the FL9. More details here: viewtopic.php?f=30&t=13315

[crocs4022]

The best news for me is that the ditch lights are child objects...

I suppose that's also good news for those who were hoping to run this on the VNHRR.

And that is because?

Just a thought considering that you mentioned that they were "child objects", is the possibility there that they can be removed then? That would definitely make them fit the NH/PC/CR era. Even Amtrak for that matter.

Could the sound thing Buzz be because when in diesel mode it supplied head end power?

No lol; the sound thing is a minor bug issue. The FL9s were delivered with Steam Heating. Some units were retrofitted with separate CAT HEP generators later in their lives, but there is nothing in the sound folder that indicates that DTG included this as a functional feature.

All of the FL9's that were rebuilt and lasted into the MN/CDOT/Amtrak era (except for the FL9AC, that's a whole other beast) were fitted with separate HEP units which would be exactly the same as what's used in the F59PHI for example. Now with that said, is there any way to "transplant" the sounds from the F59 to the FL9? Or is that a massive job?

And I just have to say this about the comments of "rivet-counting". There are a few things that can be nit-picked about the model that are obvious with a little research and could have easily been corrected. With the era that they have chose to model the FL9 in, the units McGinnis scheme were/are owned by the Connecticut DOT. They received 10 units total that had been rebuilt and that's what you see modeled. The numbering for the DTG units ranges from 2000-2059 which were from the original order of FL9's when they were built for the New Haven. A quick search brings up this site which clearly lists the 10 CDOT units:
http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/locolist.aspx?id=CDOT&mid=369
I don't know if anyone would be willing to post a fix on this; I would love to, but time is not on my side these days. Life is always getting in the way.

In regards to the third-rail; towards the end of their life, the third rail capability was disabled due to constant issues with it and a few fires that had started when they began to age (it was never a fool-proof design for the units to begin with). Before it was disabled on the units, they all had 2 third rail beams per axle (one on each side). Again, another item that can easily be seen in photos.

The HEP issue (or lack thereof) is another one that could have easily been avoided. The plentiful amount of videos on YouTube clearly indicate a separate HEP unit.

And I can't remember if the model does or not, but the FL9's weren't equipped with dynamic brakes. The fan was kept in place but it was used to cool the resistors for the third rail equipment instead.

Taking those things out of the equation, the model itself is quite well done. It really does capture the oddball feel of the FL9. I grew up around these things and couldn't wait since the day they announced them. Im grateful that they created this model and cant wait for someone to tackle repainting this beast (if it isn't a jumbled mess)!


*Just a small disclaimer to anyone who might want to make the "rivet counter" argument towards me. I did take the time to email DTG a long time ago when they first announced the model offering any help I could with research, etc on the FL9. I personally know 3 engineers off the top of my head that ran these things for years right up until they were retired and were willing to offer their knowledge, which is another thing I mentioned to them in the email. I myself, had many, many opportunities to ride in the cab of these while they were still around and am forever grateful because its something that only a few people got the opportunity to. Sadly I was younger so I only have one recording of one of the trips and its on a micro-cassette which would deem it unusable to gather sounds from. Anyway, what i'm trying to say is that we offered to help DTG with the model but never heard back so the mistakes are on them.
Don't get me wrong though, it is a great model! And a big thanks to FanRailer for improving on that!

[FanRailer]

The best news for me is that the ditch lights are child objects...

I suppose that's also good news for those who were hoping to run this on the VNHRR.

And that is because?

Just a thought considering that you mentioned that they were "child objects", is the possibility there that they can be removed then? That would definitely make them fit the NH/PC/CR era. Even Amtrak for that matter.

Could the sound thing Buzz be because when in diesel mode it supplied head end power?

No lol; the sound thing is a minor bug issue. The FL9s were delivered with Steam Heating. Some units were retrofitted with separate CAT HEP generators later in their lives, but there is nothing in the sound folder that indicates that DTG included this as a functional feature.

All of the FL9's that were rebuilt and lasted into the MN/CDOT/Amtrak era (except for the FL9AC, that's a whole other beast) were fitted with separate HEP units which would be exactly the same as what's used in the F59PHI for example. Now with that said, is there any way to "transplant" the sounds from the F59 to the FL9? Or is that a massive job?

And I just have to say this about the comments of "rivet-counting". There are a few things that can be nit-picked about the model that are obvious with a little research and could have easily been corrected. With the era that they have chose to model the FL9 in, the units McGinnis scheme were/are owned by the Connecticut DOT. They received 10 units total that had been rebuilt and that's what you see modeled. The numbering for the DTG units ranges from 2000-2059 which were from the original order of FL9's when they were built for the New Haven. A quick search brings up this site which clearly lists the 10 CDOT units:
http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/locolist.aspx?id=CDOT&mid=369
I don't know if anyone would be willing to post a fix on this; I would love to, but time is not on my side these days. Life is always getting in the way.

In regards to the third-rail; towards the end of their life, the third rail capability was disabled due to constant issues with it and a few fires that had started when they began to age (it was never a fool-proof design for the units to begin with). Before it was disabled on the units, they all had 2 third rail beams per axle (one on each side). Again, another item that can easily be seen in photos.

The HEP issue (or lack thereof) is another one that could have easily been avoided. The plentiful amount of videos on YouTube clearly indicate a separate HEP unit.

And I can't remember if the model does or not, but the FL9's weren't equipped with dynamic brakes. The fan was kept in place but it was used to cool the resistors for the third rail equipment instead.

Taking those things out of the equation, the model itself is quite well done. It really does capture the oddball feel of the FL9. I grew up around these things and couldn't wait since the day they announced them. Im grateful that they created this model and cant wait for someone to tackle repainting this beast (if it isn't a jumbled mess)!


*Just a small disclaimer to anyone who might want to make the "rivet counter" argument towards me. I did take the time to email DTG a long time ago when they first announced the model offering any help I could with research, etc on the FL9. I personally know 3 engineers off the top of my head that ran these things for years right up until they were retired and were willing to offer their knowledge, which is another thing I mentioned to them in the email. I myself, had many, many opportunities to ride in the cab of these while they were still around and am forever grateful because its something that only a few people got the opportunity to. Sadly I was younger so I only have one recording of one of the trips and its on a micro-cassette which would deem it unusable to gather sounds from. Anyway, what i'm trying to say is that we offered to help DTG with the model but never heard back so the mistakes are on them.
Don't get me wrong though, it is a great model! And a big thanks to FanRailer for improving on that!

Thanks for your vote of confidence

I don't think it would be terribly difficult to transplant the F59 710 prime mover sounds into the FL9 for use as part of the FL9AC physics pack. It would just be a bit time consuming. Even so, I think if I sat down and just worked from start to finish, it would take about 3-5 hours (that is, to transplant the sounds, modify the proxyxml codes and xml codes, and test for verification of success). I think I could get around to it either this weekend, or next weekend, the latest.

[OpenRailer90]

I can rename the .dav files of the F59 EMD 710 sounds to correspond (same file name) with the original 567 sounds.

[BNSFdude]

I can rename the .dav files of the F59 EMD 710 sounds to correspond (same file name) with the original 567 sounds.

Doesn't work that way. Why not just change the XML file in the sound folder to point to the F59 engine sound proxyxml in the Surfliner folder? That way you get all the engine sounds, but keep the accessory sounds, cab sounds, and horn/bell of your current configuration.

[buzz456]

I can rename the .dav files of the F59 EMD 710 sounds to correspond (same file name) with the original 567 sounds.

Yes you can.

[ErikGorbiHamilton]

There no mention of this yet but is the Fl9 Easy to repaint. I'm pretty sure a lot of us on here would like the see some Metro North and Amtrak reskins.

[JohnTrainHead]

The best news for me is that the ditch lights are child objects...

I suppose that's also good news for those who were hoping to run this on the VNHRR.

And that is because?

Just a thought considering that you mentioned that they were "child objects", is the possibility there that they can be removed then? That would definitely make them fit the NH/PC/CR era. Even Amtrak for that matter.

Exactly what I was thinking.

[FanRailer]

I can rename the .dav files of the F59 EMD 710 sounds to correspond (same file name) with the original 567 sounds.

Doesn't work that way. Why not just change the XML file in the sound folder to point to the F59 engine sound proxyxml in the Surfliner folder? That way you get all the engine sounds, but keep the accessory sounds, cab sounds, and horn/bell of your current configuration.

It's not as simple as you make it sound. A quick inspection of the F59 sound folders reveals that there are 3 different proxyxml files associated with the prime mover sounds. The FL9 only uses one proxyxml file. There's no avoiding it; in order to transplant the sounds, there is going to be some sort of code rewrite that needs to take place, specially since there are other sounds included in the engine proxyxml other than the prime mover sounds, ie, brake sounds, compressor sounds. In short, a simple copy and paste won't do.

EDIT: You know what? Strike everything I just said... It didn't take long to transplant the proper code at all. I should be able to update the mod pack later this evening.

[crocs4022]

I can rename the .dav files of the F59 EMD 710 sounds to correspond (same file name) with the original 567 sounds.

Doesn't work that way. Why not just change the XML file in the sound folder to point to the F59 engine sound proxyxml in the Surfliner folder? That way you get all the engine sounds, but keep the accessory sounds, cab sounds, and horn/bell of your current configuration.

It's not as simple as you make it sound. A quick inspection of the F59 sound folders reveals that there are 3 different proxyxml files associated with the prime mover sounds. The FL9 only uses one proxyxml file. There's no avoiding it; in order to transplant the sounds, there is going to be some sort of code rewrite that needs to take place, specially since there are other sounds included in the engine proxyxml other than the prime mover sounds, ie, brake sounds, compressor sounds. In short, a simple copy and paste won't do.

EDIT: You know what? Strike everything I just said... It didn't take long to transplant the proper code at all. I should be able to update the mod pack later this evening.

To reply to another comment from earlier, if it wasn't for you and all the other people that work to improve this simulator, it wouldn't be as much fun to use! I do appreciate all that everyone does for the sim, because I know I couldn't do it.

Ok, so with the entire sound swap, I wasn't even thinking of creating the FL9AC out of it especially being they have the same prime mover. This brings on a whole new set of possibilities. If this can be repainted with ease, the 10 AC's could be created (7 MN, 3 LIRR). One difference between the AC's when compared to the run of the mill FL9 (and there's many) is that they are set up the same way as the P32 when it comes to auxiliary power. There isn't a separate HEP unit, it is taken from the prime mover through an inverter like the Genesis. I'm not sure what rpm the prime mover is set to, but I sent a message to one of the engineers I know so I'll let you know when I know.

Now my other question, is there a simple method of transplanting just the HEP sound set from the F59 to the FL9?

*Update to earlier; just heard back from him and the FL9ACs had to run at a constant 900rpm while in HEP mode to provide the hotel power. So it's similar to the F40 in that aspect.

[FanRailer]

I can rename the .dav files of the F59 EMD 710 sounds to correspond (same file name) with the original 567 sounds.

Doesn't work that way. Why not just change the XML file in the sound folder to point to the F59 engine sound proxyxml in the Surfliner folder? That way you get all the engine sounds, but keep the accessory sounds, cab sounds, and horn/bell of your current configuration.

It's not as simple as you make it sound. A quick inspection of the F59 sound folders reveals that there are 3 different proxyxml files associated with the prime mover sounds. The FL9 only uses one proxyxml file. There's no avoiding it; in order to transplant the sounds, there is going to be some sort of code rewrite that needs to take place, specially since there are other sounds included in the engine proxyxml other than the prime mover sounds, ie, brake sounds, compressor sounds. In short, a simple copy and paste won't do.

EDIT: You know what? Strike everything I just said... It didn't take long to transplant the proper code at all. I should be able to update the mod pack later this evening.

To reply to another comment from earlier, if it wasn't for you and all the other people that work to improve this simulator, it wouldn't be as much fun to use! I do appreciate all that everyone does for the sim, because I know I couldn't do it.

Ok, so with the entire sound swap, I wasn't even thinking of creating the FL9AC out of it especially being they have the same prime mover. This brings on a whole new set of possibilities. If this can be repainted with ease, the 10 AC's could be created (7 MN, 3 LIRR). One difference between the AC's when compared to the run of the mill FL9 (and there's many) is that they are set up the same way as the P32 when it comes to auxiliary power. There isn't a separate HEP unit, it is taken from the prime mover through an inverter like the Genesis. I'm not sure what rpm the prime mover is set to, but I sent a message to one of the engineers I know so I'll let you know when I know.

Now my other question, is there a simple method of transplanting just the HEP sound set from the F59 to the FL9?

*Update to earlier; just heard back from him and the FL9ACs had to run at a constant 900rpm while in HEP mode to provide the hotel power. So it's similar to the F40 in that aspect.

I just updated the mod pack to V2.0. I was able to properly transplant the EMD 710 sounds into the FL9AC, as well as generate two different versions of the AC unit; one operating at a constant 900 RPM for HEP mode and the other operating in the normal range (315-900 rpm). The FL9 retains the EMD 567D1 sounds. The video is rendering now.

As for the HEP sound set transplant, I would think that there is MUCH more that needs to be done than just simply copying the sound code over. You would need to modify the cab control code (located in the engine.bin files) to allow the player to activate the HEP sounds using the same commands as you would in the Surfliner F59PHI. I mean, I could try to see if that would work and then incorporate it into a V3.0 update to the mod pack.

[FanRailer]

V2.0 pack is out:

Same link as before for more info: viewtopic.php?f=30&t=13315