Railworks America

What is involved in changing the 'load' on a piece of rolling stock?

It has just dawned on me that while we have some great selection of TOFC, and Doublestack Intermodal cars & loads, we don't have any representation of the 'conventional' container on flatcar loads that enjoyed a brief 'time in the sun' in the 80's and early 90's. What would be involved in taking an existing container asset and referencing it on say the ubiquitous RTTX90 flatcar from the RSDL?

BF, there are a few COFC files over at TrainSim.... That's where I got mine. They are old, but they work.

BoostedFridge wrote:What is involved in changing the 'load' on a piece of rolling stock?

It has just dawned on me that while we have some great selection of TOFC, and Doublestack Intermodal cars & loads, we don't have any representation of the 'conventional' container on flatcar loads that enjoyed a brief 'time in the sun' in the 80's and early 90's. What would be involved in taking an existing container asset and referencing it on say the ubiquitous RTTX90 flatcar from the RSDL?

What 89' flatcar do you have in mind? There are several of them in different pieces of DLC. Marias Pass has one, the SD75 pack has one?

You can swap containers for trailers in the <CargoComponent> of the blueprint (.bin) file. You probably have to fiddle with the position matrix to fit two, three or four containers onto the deck without gaps showing. There are 16 lines, the 3rd to last is the z-offset (the height above the flatcar's centre), the 2nd to last is the x-offset along the length, calculated from the flatcar's centre. When the flatcar is properly textured, there should be markings on the side sill where the fitting hardware is, otherwise you'll have to eyeball it. Start with z-offset set to zero, and add one container at x-offset zero. Move that container to its proper place by changing the x-offset, plus or minus. half of 20 foot is 3,05 meters, right?

My question: should/must the containers come from the same Provider as the flatcar carrying them?

_o_OOOO_oo-Kanawha wrote:

BoostedFridge wrote:What is involved in changing the 'load' on a piece of rolling stock?

It has just dawned on me that while we have some great selection of TOFC, and Doublestack Intermodal cars & loads, we don't have any representation of the 'conventional' container on flatcar loads that enjoyed a brief 'time in the sun' in the 80's and early 90's. What would be involved in taking an existing container asset and referencing it on say the ubiquitous RTTX90 flatcar from the RSDL?

What 89' flatcar do you have in mind? There are several of them in different pieces of DLC. Marias Pass has one, the SD75 pack has one?

You can swap containers for trailers in the <CargoComponent> of the blueprint (.bin) file. You probably have to fiddle with the position matrix to fit two, three or four containers onto the deck without gaps showing. There are 16 lines, the 3rd to last is the z-offset (the height above the flatcar's centre), the 2nd to last is the x-offset along the length, calculated from the flatcar's centre. When the flatcar is properly textured, there should be markings on the side sill where the fitting hardware is, otherwise you'll have to eyeball it. Start with z-offset set to zero, and add one container at x-offset zero. Move that container to its proper place by changing the x-offset, plus or minus. half of 20 foot is 3,05 meters, right?

My question: should/must the containers come from the same Provider as the flatcar carrying them?

Great info, thank you!

I'll use the RTTX90 from the US Loco & Asset Pack, as it should be the most widely owned one.

The scenery asset doesn't have to come from the same provider, but if it isn't I don't think you can make the stock 'loaded' for quick drive purposes. I'll play around with this after work and report back.

I cannot seem to find 20' and 40' containers. Only double stacked loads from MP or SH routes.

I there a separate container load freeware DLC available? Preferable in a few variations, as also refrigerated and tank containers exits, even open top gondola types.

#1: Search the File library here
#2: Search Digi-Rails
#3: Search TrainSim
#4: Search "containers" in this forum

You should find what you need.

_o_OOOO_oo-Kanawha wrote:I cannot seem to find 20' and 40' containers. Only double stacked loads from MP or SH routes.

Donner Pass has single "40 foot" container loads, but their scaling looks a little suspect. There are three single container loads from the G-Trax articulated pack which should work nicely though.

BoostedFridge wrote:

_o_OOOO_oo-Kanawha wrote:I cannot seem to find 20' and 40' containers. Only double stacked loads from MP or SH routes.

Donner Pass has single "40 foot" container loads, but their scaling looks a little suspect. There are three single container loads from the G-Trax articulated pack which should work nicely though.

I tried G-Trax's 40' containers, and it doesn't work out. Two 40' containers end-to-end still leave the pedestals visible, useless also.
Two 45' containers will probably overhang the 89' deck?
Other than that, the RTTX flatcar is very coarsely textured, doesn't have reporting marks, and it exactly the same model in RSDL, MP and probably other DLC packs as well.


So here goes my plea to our creative freeware model builders again: please provide us with new and updated standard US freight cars. The limited stock that DTG uses over and over again in every route and locomotive DLC needs improvement and/or replacement.

You made that look easy! From what I recall and the pics I can find with 40' cans, each container is aligned near the ends of the flatcar, with an ~8' gap in between. That would cover the tofc hitches at least.

I agree, a fresh model would be ideal, but unlikely

Alas, no, putting the containers near the end doesn't work either for that flatcar has a pedestal in the middle.
Useless piece of DLC with 20' or 40' container also. And back in those years, 45' containers weren't around yet.


Are there shorter trailers to fit on the car, using all three pedestals?

Thank you for trying!

I didn't expect anyone to take this on. There is a nice set of 28' trailers in the file library as a load in this flatcar already. I was just hoping to 'kitbash' something together from existing assets to help complement them for period scenarios.

BoostedFridge wrote:Thank you for trying!

I didn't expect anyone to take this on. There is a nice set of 28' trailers in the file library as a load in this flatcar already. I was just hoping to 'kitbash' something together from existing assets to help complement them for period scenarios.

You mean this one?


Doesn't look entirely right either, the fifth wheels don't rest on the hitches/pedestals. So old RSDL probably thought this car up w/o proper research and RSC/DTG has used it ever since without giving it a single thought.

That covers about all of the intermodal DLC, for I don't know about any other modern (70/80's till 2015) TOFC cars.

I have checked the offerings on UKTS and Klemund.de, and couldn't find any 45 foot containers.
Perhaps with three 20' containers, one can cover up all the pedestals but it will look odd with those large gaps. The deck is long enough to fit 4 20' containers, even to the uninitiated.

You guys are getting old...

There are 3-4 COFC Packs under the railsimulator (not railworks) Tab on Train sim.

Here are the packs:

http://www.trainsim.com/vbts/tslib.php?searchid=5566875

The top 5 are what im talking about.

Couldn't we port those containers to the RTTX 89footer?

BNOV2 wrote:You guys are getting old...

There are 3-4 COFC Packs under the railsimulator (not railworks) Tab on Train sim.

Here are the packs:

http://www.trainsim.com/vbts/tslib.php?searchid=5566875

The top 5 are what im talking about.

Couldn't we port those containers to the RTTX 89footer?

Look up hommie. ^

Not being able to hide or 'bury' the trailer 5th wheel hitches is the issue at hand now.