Railworks America

I've had this happen a few times in the last couple of months. Tonight I happen to be playing the UP SD45 scenario "Emergency to Sherman". I was coasting (no throttle) down the slight grade east of the tunnels on Sherman Hill. About halfway down to Sherman, for some reason my last unit (an ES44AC) and the rest of my train just broke off for no apparent reason...leaving the lead SD45 and SD70M just trudging along on their own. I was in cab view and didn't notice anything for awhile until I just happen to glance down at the bottom of my HUD and noticed only 2 locos on it and my 3rd loco and cars were missing. A quick look at the map showed they broke off a couple miles back.

In the past, I noticed some of them quicker than tonight's uncoupling cuz I had the throttle on and the sudden increase in speed tipped me off that my load had suddenly lightened.

Anybody else having this random issue?

Hello,

This has been reported before, on other routes and with other equipment too. I recall Marias Pass, Stevens Pass and Donner Pass being mentioned, though I can't remember if a conclusion or even a workaround / fix were suggested. Possibly an issue with mountain routes and/or long stretches or track? It reminds me a bit of an old MSTS bug ("breaking coupler after running on a long stretch of track without a switch in it")

Cheers
Michael

Which couplers do you use? Default Kuju's or some 3rd party's? Was the train fully loaded? Many scenarios say "yes", but you'll have to make sure in the scenario editor or with RW_Tools.

Couplers have a limited strength, but since the default Kuju's physics is way off, it is hard to tell wether the couplers actually "break" because of overload or because of some physics/core engine bug.

The train didn't go into emergency after the break-in-two? Now that is a serious core engine bug that entirely rules out TS2015 as a railroad simulator IMO.

I did not modify anything pertaining to the locos or trains used other than sound mods. The train went into emergency in the sense that the breakaway 3rd loco and the cars came to a complete stop once they were no longer attached to the loco I was controlling. The last time I had this happen, it uncoupled about 10-15 cars back into my train on a different route.

I don't play the sim a ton, but I play it enough. Either TS2015 had this random bug all along or it appeared in an update since 2015's release. I don't recall having this issue in TS2014 or earlier versions.

If the train uncouples while you are running ( I have never had this happen), than the emergency brakes should apply on both parts of the train, because the brake pipe loses all pressure.

I've had it on long trains on occasion , but never been able to reproduce in consistently.
Its not the cars, coupler or route. But a KuJu hard code bug thats always been there.
Like Michael says, a long stretch of track with no junctions.
I just stop back up and go get them.

Now, I have read, there is a guy ( some kind of stone cutter I think) who has a secret computer code running that can disconnect another players cars at any time during a scenario. This would probably be a good place to start looking.

GSkid wrote:I did not modify anything pertaining to the locos or trains used other than sound mods. The train went into emergency in the sense that the breakaway 3rd loco and the cars came to a complete stop once they were no longer attached to the loco I was controlling. The last time I had this happen, it uncoupled about 10-15 cars back into my train on a different route.

I don't play the sim a ton, but I play it enough. Either TS2015 had this random bug all along or it appeared in an update since 2015's release. I don't recall having this issue in TS2014 or earlier versions.

It's been there forever. It is actually much less frequent nowadays than it was back at RW2.

As I mentioned somewhere else, this has happened to me a couple of times. Once on Cajon and once on Ohio Rails and maybe on Sherman (I really don't recall). The first time I didn't notice it for a long time and then had to go back and find my cars. In all cases, recoupled to the train and finished the scenario with no problem.

buzz456 wrote:It's been there forever. It is actually much less frequent nowadays than it was back at RW2.

Thanks Buzz. I honestly had never heard of the bug. It just started recently for me. Apparently it was just luck and circumstances that had it not happening to me up until recently. Part of it must be that I've recently started to knock off some scenarios on my list that I've put off for a couple years and have been neglecting for a long time. They must be setting up the conditions that allow the possibility of this to happen.

I usually do a lot of quick drives and free roams in short bursts. So I must not have been playing long enough to allow me the possibility of the bug happening. Plus a lot of luck in the past scenarios I played. That and the fact I'm just now finally playing these neglected scenarios, I think logically explains why I'm just now discovering this bug.

What is cool about it is that it unintentionally allows random, unexpected breakaways like in real life.... minus the alerter and going into emergency in your lead loco.

I've never had this problem except with Sherman hill, which is why I installed Dicks couplers in those cars and engines.
I've got his couplers installed in the Cajon Pass stock too, but the trains there never broke in two.

Adds a bit of interest, IMHO, much like breaking a knuckle while pulling on a grade.

Hack wrote:Adds a bit of interest, IMHO, much like breaking a knuckle while pulling on a grade.

Except it happens too often and causes a person to have a DNF if it happens during a career scenario.

What is too often?

This video is my take of a classic line from the old Folgers coffee commercials from the 70s and 80s...

"We are here at Tehachapi Loop, where we've secretly replaced the locomotive software they usually serve with DTG's. Let's see if anyone can tell the difference!" ....aka BNSF demonstrates the Railworks uncouple bug!


BTW.... I went back to the resumed save of the same scenario and AGAIN ....eventually the train split dead in the middle this time. Now I save every 5 min so I can complete it. Whatever works!

I had this on a scenario on Cajon. When I backed up to re-connect the disconnected part exploded into the air as I approached at a couple of miles and hour.