Scenario Fueling America Part 2: permanent red signal?

[OldProf]

Having completed Fueling America Part 1, I decided to move on to Part 2. All went well until I was on my way to Sandpatch and encountered a red signal. Here's the situation I faced:


I'm on the middle of the three tracks toward Sandpatch and those 3 tracks are about to merge into 2. All Switches are automatic. Facing me (barely visible in image, but it's there) is a train headed toward me, also stopped at a red light. That train has a switch in front of it set to put it onto the track to my left, so what should happen is that the train facing me should proceed to pass me, after which I should get a green signal and be able to proceed.

After a couple of minutes with the other train not moving, I saved the scenario and quit the sim. I'm not sure at this point whether to resume the scenario and wait out this stand-off (well, eat lunch in the real world hoping that the simulated world will sort itself out), but instead I've decided to ask whether anyone else has reached this point and what he did next.

[_o_OOOO_oo-Kanawha]

It seems that you arrived early.

I've run that scenario a couple of times, and always arrived at that location with the opposing train already moving past me on track #2.
I did notice that the ETOD was on the front and the crew in the back locomotive.

You took the HUD out of your screenshot, so there is no clock showing the time of your meet.

[OldProf]

Ed: Thanks for this information. I'll go back and wait, but I drove at or below the speed limits and it seems odd that the oncoming train is just sitting there. I thought that the HUD didn't show up in screenshots. I'll let you and the gang know what happens.

[artimrj]

If you take screenshots with the F12 using Steam everything shows up. If you use CNTRL F12 then only the scenery is shown.

[_o_OOOO_oo-Kanawha]

Thanks, Bob for the screenshot tip. Without a HUD is sometimes better for instructive purposes, like for the additions to the TSW manual.

Tom: we do not yet know if the scenarios are purely timetable driven or event triggered. Since I am still learning the route and usually drive carefully anyway, I usually more often than not arrive on the late side at scenario objectives.

It is a nice scenario, with a surprise element at the crest. But you need to pay close attention to the procession of signals in order not to collide head on. It happened to me and ended the scenario, note that you can still run into/strife cars, but running into a locomotive ended the game in my case.

But I don't know how to earn the green tick. I've arrived and made the stop in Cumberland yard, then proceeded to the southern end to stop in front of the signal and got off the train. The train left without me, but no green tick earned?
Do I need to walk back to the office and punch out for the day?
Objectives aren't always clear, and only those completed are shown ...

[OldProf]

I hope that no one minds my returning this thread to its original topic.

Having stayed away from Fueling America through several betas and into version 3, I returned to it and arrived without too much trouble at the north end of Cumberland Yard*.

What follows here contains a few hints/spoilers: pulling toward and into the yard, the 2D map seems to show that the switches leading to the train's final destination are set correctly. However, there's some confusion because several destination markers are visible in the HUD and it turns out that how one crucial switch is set is very difficult to see on the 2D map. In fact, I ran past it at the first try, had to reverse, set the points in the other direction, try moving forward again only to have those points change themselves back to the wrong position, etc. As I drove on, I could still see several destination markers in the 3D world -- the secret lies in the fact that only one of these shows up on the 2D map. Why the others are visible is beyond me.

Let me also mention that part of the journey involves a long, steep downhill section. Once it became obvious that the automatic brake would not control my speed, I saved the scenario, quit TSW, and searched both available manuals for instructions on using the GE AC4400CW's dynamic brake: no luck. So I resumed the scenario and just started experimenting, discovering that the power handle also controls the dynamic brake. And that's all I'm going to reveal about that.

As I ran this scenario, fps rates jumped through their limited green-yellow-red rainbow, but the on-screen action remained smooth, except when interrupted for very brief instants by white flashes or pauses.

I encourage others to take on this scenario, which offers challenges and puzzles during its 2-hour duration.

[AmericanSteam]

I found this out as well. The ES44AC uses a combined throttle/dynamic brake. To activate the dynamics one needs to back step beyond neutral to activate/increase the dynamic brake apply. This is usually my first action on a long down hill run and then I add the automatics as needed. Usually B8 will hold it to speed. I have not experienced he permanent red signal. I believe that this has been corrected in build 52. BTW the save function used during any scenario/services has been known to create issues upon resume.

[OldProf]

Surely, I cannot be the only TSW player who has not encountered any problems after resuming a saved scenario or session? In fact, I have at times discovered that pesky red signals are green after resuming.

I just noticed yesterday that the TSW team has added a new option to the main menu. Called something like Last Checkpoint, it resumes the last-played scenario just past the last task accomplished, which is usually a go-via instruction. Last Checkpoint appears immediately below the resume option and it certainly helped me get through Fueling America Part II.

[rninrvr]

There is a known save bug in TSW so if you save any scenario it tends to break the game. You may have noticed that the list of completed tasks which you can see when hitting escape will loose any previous tasks to the save. Another suggestion, if you are stopped at a red and wait awhile, then go into the 2D map, '9' key, and look to see if there either a train coming at you or stopped ahead of you on the same track.

[OldProf]

There is a known save bug in TSW so if you save any scenario it tends to break the game. You may have noticed that the list of completed tasks which you can see when hitting escape will loose any previous tasks to the save. Another suggestion, if you are stopped at a red and wait awhile, then go into the 2D map, '9' key, and look to see if there either a train coming at you or stopped ahead of you on the same track.

Well, I have to ask: "known" to whom? Lots of folks these days cite "known" this and that -- it's a habit that is all too easy to acquire. Being a scholar and a retired university professor, my response is, cite your sources, please.

[AmericanSteam]

Posted numerous times on Heavy Haul forums on Steam. And if I am not mistaken on various threads related to TSW on RWA.

[artimrj]

This is from the update notice.


Known Issues
At the end of the Cumberland Charge scenario, extra vigilance should be paid to ensure your train is following the light blue line indicated on the 2D Map, as your enter Cumberland Yard. This may require more switches than those indicated, to be changed in order to reach the correct destination.

There are still some instances where Saved sessions fail to initialise properly on reloading. We are working to resolve all remaining instances. We would advise you avoid using the Save/Load feature for the time-being.

[rninrvr]

There is a known save bug in TSW so if you save any scenario it tends to break the game. You may have noticed that the list of completed tasks which you can see when hitting escape will loose any previous tasks to the save. Another suggestion, if you are stopped at a red and wait awhile, then go into the 2D map, '9' key, and look to see if there either a train coming at you or stopped ahead of you on the same track.

Well, I have to ask: "known" to whom? Lots of folks these days cite "known" this and that -- it's a habit that is all too easy to acquire. Being a scholar and a retired university professor, my response is, cite your sources, please.

This bug is well documented in the Steam TSW forum and has been acknowledged there by DTG. They are working on finding out why it is happening so can be corrected in an update.

[OldProf]

There is a known save bug in TSW so if you save any scenario it tends to break the game. You may have noticed that the list of completed tasks which you can see when hitting escape will loose any previous tasks to the save. Another suggestion, if you are stopped at a red and wait awhile, then go into the 2D map, '9' key, and look to see if there either a train coming at you or stopped ahead of you on the same track.

Well, I have to ask: "known" to whom? Lots of folks these days cite "known" this and that -- it's a habit that is all too easy to acquire. Being a scholar and a retired university professor, my response is, cite your sources, please.

This bug is well documented in the Steam TSW forum and has been acknowledged there by DTG. They are working on finding out why it is happening so can be corrected in an update.

That's exactly what I wanted to know -- thanks. If I am overly picky, it comes from years of putting up with students who made up their own "facts", hoping to avoid both research and detection.

[trev123]

I have finished that scenario.