Anyone use "Switchlist" generator software?

[hminky]

Anyone use one of the "model" train switchlist generator programs: Shipit, JMRI operations or Railops.

I am using "Shipit". I have the software from my "solid" model train days to develop prototype oriented operations. It should really work well in a virtual expanded world duplicating a prototype environment.

I have set it up the "Shipit" Example 1 railroad in Trainz. I use Trainz for the 1870's, the only worthwhile thing in Trainz. Trainz has stub switches and 1870's equipment.



So far the generated sessions work really well. Railworks should be easier because it has car numbers.

Will be setting up the "Shipit" Example 1 in Railworks to take advantage of the later eras.

Harold

[hminky]

Finished the Example railroad this afternoon in Railworks. Ready to start the first session.

Nice to have numbers on the cars.

Harold

[harryadkins]

I have explored several switchlist generator packages and am excited to see your work. My question was how to get around the auto-number feature of Railworks. I guess you will only be able to use an asset once per session. Another feature that I want to model is sequential sessions where each operating sessions takes up with the cars located where they were set-out in the previous session. Back in the MSTS days, I talked with Steve Davis of Skyline Computing to add this feature to his Activity Generator program. BTW, I would love to see a RW version of Activity Generator.

[hminky]

Don't know the limitations of Railworks, since it is based on MSTS linear operating concept. Railworks doesn't seem to favor "sandbox" activity. The "Activity Generator" for MSTS is more like a model train car card system, it just randomly generates traffic. I want traffic generated by "outside" forces, shippers.

If you ever do a train simulator look at Trainz, the power of it's scenario system is amazing. One of the posters uses Shipit and had a session lasting five months. Trainz has portals that can emit trains on a weekly schedule so there can be a real time world.

Too bad most of the Trainz community is still building 2 "baseboard" model train platforms and except for the 1870's and modern equipment the content is dreadful.

Hopefully something will come out of operating sessions in Railworks.

Harold

[Trainguy76]

My question was how to get around the auto-number feature of Railworks. I guess you will only be able to use an asset once per session. Another feature that I want to model is sequential sessions where each operating sessions takes up with the cars located where they were set-out in the previous session.

I'm not sure what you mean, you can have rolling stock of the same type repeated if they have auto-numbers set up. When you build a scenario you can save consists so you can load them easily in a different scenario.

[hminky]

I'm not sure what you mean, you can have rolling stock of the same type repeated if they have auto-numbers set up. When you build a scenario you can save consists so you can load them easily in a different scenario.

Even if they don't have auto-numbers the cars will have a number assigned to them in Railworks, press F7.

Harold

[Trainguy76]

Hiya, I don't think this is relate-able to scenarios though. I've read that if you have two of the same locos without auto-numbers the scenario editor doesn't like it.

[render2017]

As my route buiilding has stagnated due to waiting for the eventual release of distance viewing and block assets as well as bettewr reliability, I had to find something else to keep me occupied.
The facilities in RW are OK to run a train but if you want to head more to running a railroad are too limited.

I have looked at JMRI, Ship-IT, Interchange, PRR in detail and dismissed EMRI, IndMan, Minirail and Railop as either too crude, too limited or too strongly attached to modle railroad limitations.

The most promising in my opinion are
JMRI - Runs OK, but scheduling flawed with cars in switchlist just disappearing from list. It does currently not recognise the concept of divisions, not has the ability to have a realistic timetable as part of the switchlist. The package is also more oriented to the electronic control of modle railroads. However, as an open source project it does have promise and each new release (and they are regular) makes it better nad better, so in time it may become more suited to us as the operations modules are undergoing constant development, with a recent addition of individual loads by car type.
Interchange - The manual indicates very promising, but I could not get it to run in WIN 7. The author is looking at it but no progress to date.
Ship-It - I have reliability issues with the program randomly shutting down in WIN 7 64 bit ultimate. I have queried the author as I am running the demo version (V6) whereas the production version is V8 so that mat be why, I also found some of the concepts around Division handling hard to get clear and found the learning curve a bit heavy, but it should do the job OK. If it ruins it is probably the best I have played with so far, but Interchabge looks even better if I can get it running.
PRR from Decapod Systems - Have not been able to get it working as the author is currently away on vacation but it has some interesting alternative views on how to handle switchlists

I am not sure why the issue of RW auto numbers came up as a hindrance, as that is what makes switchlists feasible in a trainsim as it is then easy to identify a car in a consist, makes numbering easy and almost eliminates danger of duplicate numbers on cars.

To me the ability to run a railroad more realistic is what I find attractive, and is far more to my liking than just running a train to a mindless list of instructions for no apparent purpose except to pick up passengers or move cars around in a yard. Or even worse running a train around in circles like a toy train set.

I just wish portals were more intelligent, and currently the concept of a fiddle yard does not go well in the scenario concept. Also staging yards and/or interchange yards should be easily implemented in Railworks. I have managed to have a single scenario run for about 12 hours of varying work using the output from JMRI which gave very varied opportunities to run a railroad scanario rathere than just a train scenario. "Despite the habit of JMRI misplacing cars a bit too often". This wa done by saving the scernario each time a switchlist was finished then generating a new switchlist for the next scheduled train and so on. I even managed to interweave a few AI trains into it to enhance the realism.

Has anyone made any further with a switch generator. Anyone else researching this direction?

Colin R





What have others achieved.

[hminky]

I am running Shipit on Win7 64. I haven't had a chance to run Ver 8 but Ver 7 ran great. Ver 8 just has a the "Train Balancer" built in. I "built" the first demo "layout" and even that small railroad is fun to run.

Shipit appears to be the major player and has a YahooGroup for support.

Harold

[flatbush71]

Let me ask, as I'm not following very clearly. Is there a generator for RW-2 ? If so, where is it located ?

[hminky]

Let me ask, as I'm not following very clearly. Is there a generator for RW-2 ? If so, where is it located ?

There is no generator in Railworks, we are talking about third party software used by the "solid" model train people.

Harold

[flatbush71]

Ok, thanks. I didn't know if something new had come out while I was gone or not.

[Shortliner]

Hmmm, I know RSC.com will implement Multiplayer, a Switchlist generator would be great for Mulitplayer. It could even be set up so that there's always something to do on the route 24/7. A person could set up a persistent world multiplayer using RW and a Switchlist generator.

[render2017]

To:HMINKY,
From your experience with SHIP-IT have you worked out if you can have more than one load type on a specific numbered car(Not Car Type) , it implies in the documentation and in the Ship-It Yahoo group only one load per car is mandatory because of limitations in the scheduling process.
That means a box car can only handle say general freight and not all the other load types that a box normally can handle like Clean lading, LCL etc. So you would have to have heaps of box cars which would be specialised to a particular load, rather unprototypical. Do you know if this is correct?
Colin R

[hminky]

To:HMINKY,
From your experience with SHIP-IT have you worked out if you can have more than one load type on a specific numbered car(Not Car Type) , it implies in the documentation and in the Ship-It Yahoo group only one load per car is mandatory because of limitations in the scheduling process.
That means a box car can only handle say general freight and not all the other load types that a box normally can handle like Clean lading, LCL etc. So you would have to have heaps of box cars which would be specialised to a particular load, rather unprototypical. Do you know if this is correct?
Colin R

The way I understand Shipit is that it is industry driven and the industry specifies the car with no specialization.

Harold