Maine Maritime

[ChrisOnline]

Rick, so sorry that you're having all these problems, especially after all the hard work you have put in. Please be aware that we all appreciate your efforts both with this and your other many creations.

I agree with the idea of running with a "re-fixed" route even if some scenarios get broken. The "infrastructure" is more important, scenarios are standalone items that can be addressed separately or worst case, abandoned, with no impact on the base route. As long as, of course, there is not a problem preventing any scenario creation for parts of the route

However unless I missed something, you have the turntable working correctly in the latest version, don't you? For me, that is important, not necessarily for everyone.

One question I have, which may be a silly one. Is it not posiible to simply revert to the original Portland Terminal tracks.bin file (I think you mentioned somewhere that it was the same file, at least when first released)?

[dphorton]

I appreciate all the work also. It is maddening when things don't work as planned.

[mindenjohn]

I agree with Chris, the route is the important piece. Scenarios are written around the route not the route built around the scenarios. Your generosity in putting a Maine Maritime in the public realm is appreciated, it is unfortunate that relatively minor problems have been such a nuisance.

[buzz456]

Agree. After wasting most of the morning by substituting a bunch of stuff I'm sure it's something in the tracks bin file that's causing the problem. The turntable worked fine in the PT route. Stick that model into the MM route and it has the same problem. Stick in the track tile from the PT route and it still has the same issue. I think the only thing left is something in the track.bin. After I get my eyes uncrossed from this morning work I might try and compare the track bin from the two routes but there are a bunch of references to this turntable so good luck to me.

[AmericanSteam]

Rick, I much appreciate all your efforts for this route, but the adage of "no good deed goes unpunished" comes to mind. Keep it up I know that you with the help of others will correct these nagging issues.

[ricksan]

Thanks for your support, guys.

I put a link to patch v0.2.2 on the G-TraX web site. The patch consists of Tracks.bin, all the Track tiles, and a few Terrain tiles that were adjusted to match the track elevations.

Consider this a beta and please report here about anything I might have missed. Once we're confident the track layout is valid I'll upload a general release to the file library.

Meanwhile, Wayne Campbell has found some potential anomalies in the scenario files that show some promise, so maybe there's hope for the scenarios as well!

[AmericanSteam]

Confirmation: turntable works. When Marine Maritime starts up I keep getting "Installing Workshop Items" when in Free Roam "Rigby Yard Outbound". Installed are MarineMaritime_v0.2, MarineMaritime_patch0.2.1, MarineMaritime_patch0.2.2

[mindenjohn]

Rick,
turntable works as reported by "American Steam". I haven't run all scenarios but if the track is right in one it should be in all and all I have found is 2 bumpers out of place - One at the south end of Scarborough Sand and Gravel where there is an extra. I highlighted the North one of the 2 and deleted it (then F2). The other is a at the back half of Sprague Energy 3 spur. Here I moved the track behind it then brought it back and rejoined it. The bumper went (again F2). I came out of the game, re-entered and both have gone. I have "flown" over the whole layout and all looks good all the way (to Boston!).
I may have missed something so suggest you get further confirmation but seems to me - you've cracked it!!
Thanks for all the time and effort.

[mindenjohn]

Sorry, spoke(wrote) too soon. Went to use the turntable and it turns but derails when driven onto. It appears we can have the turntable working but with bumpers as above (the one at Scarborough doesn't affect operation, only aesthetics, the one at Sprague could be a nuisance) or we can have no surplus bumpers but not the turntable. Something in deleting the bumpers wrecked the turntable - we're narrowing it down......

[buzz456]

The turntable is working properly here now.

Screenshot_Maine Maritime_43.62558--70.29576_11-03-36.jpg

[ChrisOnline]

Thank you Rick, great job!

Turntable works for me, and everything seems to be good in terms of trackwork

But I added the fix to my "virgin" installation which was the original download EXCLUDING the original patch 01 (that came with it). I wonder if patch 01 was the main problem? Especially as mindenjohn now reports the turntable broken for him? (I have double checked after a complete reboot of the computer to make sure, and mine definitely works perfectly)

Contructive feedback:

1. There is a broken rail in the middle of Rigby 219 (the spur between the roundhouse and the main line). It was there before, but I didn't mention it because the turntable issue blew up. It welds fine, and there are two blocks standing over the rails to remove

2. I notice 7 or 8 spots around the route (all crossovers, I think) where a rail extends too far into the frog of the opposing turnout, making it look like a malformed frog. I have fixed all of these for myself, it only affects the tracks.bin file. I can let you have the revised tracks.bin file (including the Rigby 219 fix) if you wish, but I realize it is no use if you have made further changes since your 0.2.2 patch

3. Without wishing to get too deep into the weeds, I started checking markers that show in the Scenario Editor dropdown list. All seem to work (in a fresh test scenario) except Shurtleff Chemicals 2 (it does not have access via a manual turnout, and the routing doesn't find it), plus a whole raft of Rigby markers which I don't see on the map (though they appear in the dropdown list): Rigby 155 thru' 191 (the odd numbers), plus Rigby 43, Rigby 75, and Rigby 77

4. However there are quite a few markers that have become extremely tiny, so it is very difficult to come to a stop on them accuratley without failing the instruction. Many are around the turntable (presumably a result of sorting the turntable out), also Rigby 219, Pine Point Main, and some others. I suspect most are where you have fixed the floating track, in addition to the turntable area.

5. I have tried loading all the scenarios provided with the route. 8 load OK, 6 fail - all with blocked routes or missing markers/destinations. Most of them do exist in the revised route but are not identifed by the scenario, and they work in a newly created test scenario, so I am sure they can be fixed in the existing scenarios without too much trouble (I have found in the past that a single bad marker being fixed can resolve several other knock-on problems in a scenario). One marker defintely missing completely is Rigby 3 (in the scenario "Switching 4"), not sure where that should be located. There may be others but I identified that one specifically

6. When the Maine Maritime route was launched, I also converted the BLXT 10-scenario pack wriitten for the Portland Terminal route (issued on UKTS as file ID 37377), with all loading OK at the time, on Maritime Maine. Testing them on the revised route after this fix, 5 load OK, 5 fail - again with blocked route or missing markers/destination errors. Three of them are only missing Rigby 43 and Rigby 75. Again, I don't think there will be much difficulty fixing these if those markers are added back, but not sure where they should be located


I hope that's helpful. But the mystery continues . . .

Chris

[mindenjohn]

Tired and confused, yeh me too. I shut down early yesterday for some thinking time and to unfrazzle. Checking RW Tools today I found that I had 2 versions of Maine Maritime showing so I went into Routes and deleted both. Then I installed v0 and patch 0.2.2. Scenario 4 "Track Improvements" came up with the messages Chris reported but I over ruled them and after re-fuelling drove onto the turntable in hope. It worked perfectly. I drove just clear of the TT and stopped. Going into World Editor, welding Rigby 219, removing the blocks, putting in a marker at Rigby 3 caused no problems, the TT still worked. Flying down to Scarborough then up to Sprague Energy 3 showed no extraneous bumpers. Checking the TT again - all good. Shutdown and rebooted, scenario 4 loaded and the turntable worked.
Some markers are a bit short but these are easily adjusted and missing markers inserted (if in the "wrong" place the game will tell us - it won't work as expected!). This chappie is a happy chappie (but then I may still be a bit confused?).

[dphorton]

mindenjohn thanks for your update. I guess I am going to have to learn how to do some of the things in the Route, like welding Track and etc. I have made Scenarios before but never messed with the Route. When you make changes to the Route are you using 32 or the 64 version?

[mindenjohn]

I have used 32 bit as I understand that the 64 bit editor is less stable. There are loads of you tube videos showing how to.... I used them to learn when I started to “ build” last year as I could not get track to function. Once you see someone else do it the curtain lifts and it’s like “of course how simple”. Most things are once you know!
My advice is to experiment on a “clone”. If all works then the clone can become the main route by just renaming. If it is a disaster you still have the original and you can do another clone and try again.
John

[dphorton]

Thank you mindenjohn. I will have cloned the Route. Looking at You Tube stuff now.