Random loco failures now?

[GaryG]

Hi

Don't know if this is new but I think there is new code that can be added to an engine bin file that appears to cause a random loco failure. I'm encountering this in a Donner Pass scenario. The locos that failed are not the driven loco and there is not enough power to move the train.

The loco failure seems to occur randomly. The problem I'm having is I can't find a way to reset the locos so they will again provide power to continue the scenario. If this is something new, it's being emphasized severely in the scenario with four of the six locos failing!

I don't want to give too much away about this but does anyone know if the failed loco(s) can be reset? If not, it's a scenario that probably can't be completed most times you run it if the failure occurs before you reach the summit. I don't think a ten mile backing move would have been allowed to reach the nearest location that might have had replacement locos.

GaryG

[NDORFN]

How can you tell if a loco has failed?

[Kali]

It was a feature that was talked about being added with RW3 at some point - given nobody's mentioned it before I thought it was one of those ideas that just got quietly put aside. I guess it's time for an exploration of the BPE again.

[micaelcorleone]

I noticed the same in some Donner Pass scenarios.

In the scenario editor, you can see that there are now two versions of every SP loco (except the SW1500) coming with the pack: a normal and one that randomly fails
You can identify a failed loco when there's no exhaust anymore. To me, it seems that these locos are just shut down for a certain time because I sometimes heard the ring and engine starting sound throughout the scenario.

My comment: I don't like it. It's too exagerrated and happens way too often.
A fix for the issues with this type of loco would be to place only one or two in one consist, but it seems that in some DP scenarios there are nearly only locos of this type.

[styckx]

I have put my positive outlook hat back on, found it under the couch. Darn dogs! :)

Sounds like an experiment. One of those things even if beta tested you couldn't get a full sense of how it will be recieved. It is something we talked about in detail before here. They obviously took note and gave it a whirl based off what I'm reading here.

Are these fail locos in every scenario or just one or two?

[Machinist]

I remember RSDerek talking about scenarios would have some random features (signals failures etc) but, of course, this must have to be under the control of scenario creator... this is so obvious! I thought, as I've already seen in other traimsim, it would be something like designer creating a scenario with variations (signal failure, wheather, late/early AI, diferent shuntings tasks, even controlled loco failure etc.) and giving the user an option to choice a surprising version (A, B, C, D....) or letting one among the versions run randomly at the time. Sorry to say, but scenario's creation options/commands are too much poor yet (missing at least a path trigger, including sound triggers), even the stop point is not so relevant at all, just a hotfix to the not that inteligent AI Train.

[MadMike1024]

I remember RSDerek talking about scenarios would have some random features (signals failures etc) but, of course, this must have to be under the control of scenario creator... this is so obvious! I thought, as I've already seen in other traimsim, it would be something like designer creating a scenario with variations (signal failure, wheather, late/early AI, diferent shuntings tasks, even controlled loco failure etc.) and giving the user an option to choice a surprising version (A, B, C, D....) or letting one among the versions run randomly at the time. Sorry to say, but scenario's creation options/commands are too much poor yet (missing at least a path trigger, including sound triggers), even the stop point is not so relevant at all, just a hotfix to the not that inteligent AI Train.

If you look in the Engine folders, there are two .lua files. One is normal, the other has the word dodgy in it. If you open the dodgy file, you'll find the settings for the "random" failures. I've not experimented, but it does appear you can change things.

[GaryG]

Mike, thanks for pointing out the lua file, I'd missed that.

It looks like once failed, it's permanent (as written). I might attempt to try a reset with an engine stop and restart, although I don't know if it's possible. If we can, we have a chance to complete an activity even with most of the locos having failures enabled - just extra stopping the train (if actually moving), then shut down, restart and hope you get some decent running time before another failure.

I actually like this concept now, possible variations each time an activity is run, impacting meets, schedules and effectively driving a dispatcher around the bend. I would think that for the points activities random failures like these would not work.

GaryG (at the other Vancouver)

[BNSFdude]

If they do this, why not make it possible in the F4 view to right click the locomotive in the "consist" section, and click "attempt restart" or some thing versus stopping it, seperating it from the rest of the train, double clicking it, going in, press Z to start, etc.

[GaryG]

Hi BNSFdude,

Have a look the the "Donner Pass scenario 5] Grade crossing (bad weather)" thread in the Problems and... forum and you'll see more info about these failing locos. I feel they screwed up the code and the chance a loco will fail is pretty well guaranteed to occur within twenty minutes. In that scenario with one test, all four of four potential failing locos failed within ninteen minutes which means there is no way to get up the big hill which isn't reached until well after one hour has passed. I think it's just a coding error in the lua file and is probably fixable, still leaving it random but with much higher odds of when (or if) it will happen.

There may be a way to reset the loco via the lua script but for now, a more random occurrence is probably much more important.

GaryG

[Machinist]

If you look in the Engine folders, there are two .lua files. One is normal, the other has the word dodgy in it. If you open the dodgy file, you'll find the settings for the "random" failures. I've not experimented, but it does appear you can change things.

Hi MIke,

How to look into the lua files? This is just out of curiosity cuz so far I don't have money do acquire a computer to run at least satisfactorily the new TS2012 (TSX On) and its new hog frames routes.

[NDORFN]

Random failures are jumping the gun a bit. First we need functional radio communications so we can deal with the failures realistically. The only way I see failures working in with scenarios is when they a written in at a set time or distance and the whole scenario is built around the fact.

[Kali]

Hi BNSFdude,

There may be a way to reset the loco via the lua script but for now, a more random occurrence is probably much more important.

GaryG

The control name is "Startup", and it's good to know you can shut engines down in a script and the actually shut down. Now just to figure out how to remote-operate that.

LUA is plain text, file extension is .lua if you want to search the install.

[MadMike1024]

The control name is "Startup", and it's good to know you can shut engines down in a script and they actually shut down. Now just to figure out how to remote-operate that.

LUA is plain text, file extension is .lua if you want to search the install.

I'll have to ask an engineer friend, but my guess is that the conductor would go back to the failed loco, reset whatever caused the trip (low oil, low water, etc.) and attempt a restart. How we could emulate that I really don't know.

@Machinist: Notepad will open and edit .lua files with no issues.

[Machinist]

LUA is plain text, file extension is .lua if you want to search the install.

@Machinist: Notepad will open and edit .lua files with no issues.

That simple!?!?!