C&O Alleghany Scenario creation Questions

[Beakie]

Hi,

I'm trying to make a simple Scenario for this fine route.

I'm trying to a take an already loaded Limestone 5-car train from the Fraizer Yard 2 to the Anderson Asphalt Limestone Unloader.

1, My first step was making the train and adding the 3 bay Hoppers, (that would be unloaded).

2. I made a Drive Via command through Snowflake #2 East Bound to get me through an Automatic Switch on to the Mainline. (keeping me from having to stay on a speed restricted siding any longer then I had too).

Now here is where I have a problem I was going to put down the Final Destination Instruction. (Just to Test the Drive once before sticking in the Unload Instruction). When I go to set the Final Destination in the DropDown Box there is NO Anderson_Asphalt_Limestone_Unload (as it is listed on the map). There is only AndersonAsphalt listed in the DropDown Box (which by the way is the ONLY THING listed for Anderson). Anderson Asphalt is a marker right after the switch into the Anderson yard but, before the unloader. I have tried clicking on the Blue button next to the DropDown Box then clicking on the little Gas Pump Transfer Icon. But, the box stays empty and I get the little Red Exclamation points that means an error. What am I doing wrong?

BTW, I have tried to add the Unload Instruction but, Anderson_Asphalt_Limestone_Unload is not there either.

My second Question, In the Scenario above is there something I have to check/uncheck so that the Hoppers are already loaded with Limestone on the siding before taking them to the Unloader?

Beakie

[Terry]

Hi Beakie,

The drop-down menu shows only what sidings are defined in the route or that you created in your scenario. The maps may show names but what counts is what the author of the route put into it: that is, if the author did not name a siding in the actual route, the maps make no difference. The 2D map in the scenario editor or world editor will show the name of sidings (yellow line), destinations (orange line), and platforms (green line) that the author created.

You probably need to place your own siding marker where you want to drop the cars. That's done by selecting the little sempahore icon on the left side of the scenario menu (middle group). Select the marker and then click on the track where you want it. The little colored blocks on the end can be dragged to extend the length of your marker but it cannot overlap another one. Double-click the CENTER block to change the name of your marker to something more meaningful than "siding67" or whatever RW wants to call it.

Cars can be loaded at the start in one of two ways:

- To load a single cars, double-click on it and check the little box in the flyout on the right side (you will have to move your mouse over to the middle right side for the flyout to show up).

- To load an entire group of cars, double-click the first car in the string and check the box in the flyout that shows up.

Hope this helps.

[Beakie]

Thanks Terry,

That Siding Marker did the trick. Now at least the player Train is running right.... On to the AI Trains...

Thanks again, for all your help

Beakie

[Toripony]

Sorry for the difficulties, Beakie. I just found this and took a look at the route. The loader is named correctly on mine so I would assume it would show up in the list of available loaders??? Perhaps I had not named it when I released that beta. I'll tackle a scenario tomorrow and see what I see in my editor screen.

Tori

[Toldrabald]

I have two more hints for you:
- you can not set a destination to a loading point, this only works for the (un)load instruction, but you already worked that out with your additional marker I guess
- some loaders are only defined to accept coal as freight and can only be used with wagons that are loaded with coal. I don't know which one exactly is used on the route, but might be worth a try.

[OldProf]

Please note also that any kind of interactive "loader", including fuel points, must be located along a track marker. If this is not the case, the loader will not function. Ideally, the marker that allows a loader to function should be laid down by the route builder. I think that a marker placed by a scenario writer will also do the job, but I'm not completely sure about this.

Tom Pallen

[Toripony]

Please note also that any kind of interactive "loader", including fuel points, must be located along a track marker. If this is not the case, the loader will not function. Ideally, the marker that allows a loader to function should be laid down by the route builder. I think that a marker placed by a scenario writer will also do the job, but I'm not completely sure about this.

Tom Pallen

To clarify, do you mean a siding marker must extend across the length of the loader? If so, I need to make some minor modifications to my design plan.

Tori

[Toripony]

From my work and research today, I've concluded that I need to add/extend Siding Markers to a length long enough to allow the drop of x number of cars within that length. I was previously under the belief that the Siding Marker length did not matter because Wayside Markers could be placed there instead. Now I believe that was false. Can anyone confirm that I have this right now, please?

Also, I think I've learned that a Siding or Destination Marker must accompany any [un]loader in order to involve that loader in a Standard Scenario. Can anyone confirm, please?

I have not researched the picking up passengers problem yet. There are Platform Markers present; are they not long enough? Does the entire passenger train need to fit inside the Platform Marker length in order to function?

Thanks all!

Tori

[artimrj]

I took a different route on my route. Instead of placing siding markers, I just placed short destination markers everywhere. The destination marker lets you name the siding, but then it requires the scenario writer to actually place siding markers in the scenario. This train of thought is so you can have more than one siding marler on a siding. Like if you had two industries on one length of a siding and you wanted to make each one a stop spot. In the scenerio editor you would place 2 siding markers to the length of the car you were going to spot there. You could also give each siding it's own name, or just use the default number it was assigned. Or maybe you wanted to block sets of cars in a transfer yard, you could then divide a track section up into 3 or 4 designated spots of your desired length, for you to work in.

Doing this the scenario writer must know where he/she wants to go and has to place a siding marker there before trying to use it in Timetable Mode editing. So you have to do a little more work by placing your own markers, but you can refine the senario much more.

[Toripony]

When you say "In the scenerio editor you would place 2 siding markers....." are you referring to the Wayside Markers in the Timetable Edit screen? What you described is what I was shooting for, I think (maybe I read a previous post of yours). But if the scenario writer has to go into World Editor mode to place the usual yellow Siding Markers, I would rather do that myself.

I am yet to see how the Wayside Marker works. I select it, click on a track... nothing happens (yea, I read the manuals).

Tori

[artimrj]

No Tori, thats not it. When you are creating a scenario, you can place 3 types of markers that will only apply to that scenario, much like you can place scenery objects for that scenario only. You can place, siding markers, destination markers and platform markers all from the scenario editor. The scenario writer does not use WOrld Edit mode, only scenario edit mode. You have to place destination markers as the route developer to give the scenario writer an idea of where they are at on the route. I use a very short destination marker to name each track or siding, this gives the scenario writer a reference to use.

To use the waypoint/wayside markers you are referring to you have to place them on another marker. So while your creating the scenario, you place a destination or siding markers on the track where you want the waypoint first, then go to timetable mode, choose the waypoint icon and then choose your destination or siding marker from the drop down list and look for the one you created. The waypoint markers are intended to control AI traffic.

[Toripony]

Yayyy, that clears up a LOT! Thanks, Bob. The missing "link" in my case was I did not know about placing markers in Scenario Edit mode. I was getting the impression that I was supposed to place the markers using that special 2D map while editing the Instructions and Timetable.

Bob, I see the light! Thank you, again, for getting me back on track.

Tori

[artimrj]

Glad to help Tori.

[Terry]

I found out quite by accident that a siding marker does not have to cover the entire cut of cars - at least for a dropoff.

The scenario editor allows you to create three types of markers:

- Destination marker (I use this for wayside / "go via" / "stop at" instructions)
- Siding marker (one track in a yard or on a siding)
- Platform marker (presumably as in "passenger platform") - I have seen them but never used one or placed one

[micaelcorleone]

It is better that most of the siding/platform markers are included int the route (world editor markers).