Manual switches/signals

[R. Steele]

There are three modes for the player to be in, (single player here, don't know about multiplayer) One is for explore and that is engaged when you choose explore for a route, essentially everything is under your control.

The other two player modes, automatic and manual are used in activites. If this is the same activity you mentioned in previous posts with no AI traffic and you made the activity, then you could leave the player in manual mode, Control+M, throw all switches yourself, either with keyboard G or Shift+G or use the mouse.

You do not need to keep switching back and forth from auto to manual, if that is what you mean in your posts.

Zip up the log as suggested and attach to a post, that will provide a lot of information to folks wanting to help.
Believe me OR works great and is very realistic, the new braking implementations are wonderful, also coupling/uncoupling,

[prr4ever]

Manual Mode

Okay, yes same route, activity is a little different in that it has a different path. No AI trains involved. What I want to do is run the whole activity in Manual mode. I do the CTRL/M before I start up. This works fine for a few moves, that is it allows me, the engineer, to throw all switches in the activity in front or behind as I please. That is exactly what I wish as I have loose consists in industries and yards which require some running off the path generated for the activity in order to pick up or drop cars. No need to get complicated here. So far I like OR! What I am trying to say is simple... I set up for manual and, as I proceed with switching manually as I wish, the sim goes into automatic again and I have to stop the train and do CTRL/M again. This happens quite frequently. I have altered nothing and use only brakes and throttle, plus couple and uncouple. I tried to attach the log text, in an earlier post. did not load. Will try to attach to this one.

Hmmm. Log file is too large to attach. Okay, I will delete this log and run another short run on Sunday or Monday and post that one. Hang in there!!

Dave

[R. Steele]

... I set up for manual and, as I proceed with switching manually as I wish, the sim goes into automatic again and I have to stop the train and do CTRL/M again. This happens quite frequently. Dave

I have never had OR switch from manual to auto by itself..., except you could be running through a signal or a switch and that will cause OR to hit the emergency brakes, you have to use Control+M to regain control. Of course, the brakes have to reset, also. I am really guessing here, because I have never had that happen, except, when I caused it by improper procedure.

Concerning deleting the log...not necessary, each time you run OR it will replace the log with the current session. Of course you can make copies of the log and store them. But OR will automatically replace the desktop log each time you load and run a route.

Do you have WinRAR to make a zip file of the log, that can be attached to your post. Any zip program will achieve this.

When you uncouple, you have to close the air cocks or you will release all the air and that will cause problems.
Coupling is simpler, just use the forward slash to connect the air hoses and begin charging the system. I'm really a beginner with brakes, still learning here...but it is very realistic.

You should use the F9 key when uncoupling to select the correct wagons to close the air cocks on before uncoupling.
There is an extensive Car Operation Menu that appears when you click on the car number in the Train Operations Window - F9.

No worries here, I am happy to help, I have only have just about 2 years experience in train simming....I'm a novice when compared to all others here in the forum, but I love OR. I hope others will download the log and provide assistance, like I said the braking is something I'm still learning.

[baldwin]

Hmmm. Log file is too large to attach. Okay, I will delete this log and run another short run on Sunday or Monday and post that one. Hang in there!!

Dave

Zip it before attaching.

One thing about running an activity in manual mode, you have to keep an eagle eye on the location of ALL signals, that includes dwarf. If you run past one set at red the train drops into emergency and you have to reset everything including manual mode.

[prr4ever]

Manual Mode

I do have winzip so will run another act and zip the log if it is too large. As to operation, I understand about the red signals. I tab for permission but I could have missed a dwarf. They are normally in a yard where I could have missed one. I will run another act tomorrow and be carefull about the signals and hope that is the problem. I have used MSTS since it's release so am not a novice to train simming. However I am a total novice with OR. Personally I do not like to set angle cocks as I operated RW with brakemen and/or conductors. Maybe someday OR will give us a choice, or perhaps it does already. I discovered the pump up the brakes on a loose consist when I coupled as in MSTS and tried to move 30 cars with t he brakes still set. That is very realistic. For my test here I am not coupling or uncoupleing, I do use F9 for that however. I am just running light engines with the trial at manual mode. However I am trying to get them in and out of industries and yards.

Hope I am not getting too wordy here. Just trying to giveas much info as possible to you folks.

Dave

[prr4ever]

manual control mode

Okay, short run here. Careful with signals. Toggled for permission, got ok and yellow. Last move, back into siding from main. In manual mode. Clear of rear switch and signal. set up to reverse engines. Switch behind me switches into siding ok. Signal behind me and forward of switch will not clear but dispatch says ok. Stays red. Start reverse, engines moving, tab signal, get message ok to proceed (in reverse). Signal stays red. Back through red signal into siding, loose manual mode.

[R. Steele]

Hi Dave, say where are you at on the Bodiddly ( Ohio River&WR RR)? I have the route and would like to try to duplicate the problem. See what is going on. Someone may understand the problem from your description but it's not me.

Looked at the log and saw the train at danger entries, which I think means some switches or signals were run through (I don't think that's the correct term, but you get my meaning?)
Thanks.

[prr4ever]

Manual mode

Thanks for the reply Gerry.

Okay route is Ohio Rail version 10 also known as Bodiddly RR. I have 4 PRR GP30 light engines as the player, no wagons at this time but loose consists in places. Start at approx MP 33, just before Florence yard on the right hand main heading south towards Caldwell. I set up for manual operation and check that it is working in manual ok. (I have gained a lot of experience with all this just from all these posts here!) Switch to center track where it becomes 3 tracks. Tab all red signals and get permission and approach yellow. Proceed down this track past Caldwell grain where I have loose consists in the facility tracks. If I stay on the right track same results. After passing Caldwell Grain it opens up to 4 tracks but all converge to a single at the end of that area. Passing the signal where it converges to one track and clears the switch I stop. Plan is to reverse engines back into Caldwell Grain to pick up wagons. Signal behind me, where tracks converge is red. Still in manual mode here. Set up for reverse, tab signal, dispatcher gives ok. Signal stays red. Attempt to throw switch behind me. Get the message not in manual mode. Set for manual again. Throw switch ok, signal stays red, tab signal, dispatcher says go. Signal stays red. reverse through red signal and reverts to auto again. Now I know going through a red reverts to auto mode. However dispatcher says okay to go, train does go through signal but signal never changed to approach. Thus have to stop and set to manual mode for next switch and or signal. There are no AI trains in this activity. You can approach these sidings, yards, stubs through any of the many switches and signals here but a red is a red and stays red which, of course requires you to stop and set to manual again.
Hope not too confusing.. It is probably as much of my not understanding the sim as anything which is why I started this thread. In the beginning I did run through some reds but only when cleared by dispatch to do so. Seems once I am cleared the sim should stay in manual?? Here is the log for this one.

[baldwin]

Dave
Is it possible to package the activity so we can try and see if we get the same, and if possible find out why it happens. Don't need the stock, can substitute if needed.

I note from the log however that you still seem to be using v0.9.

[prr4ever]

Manual mode.

I can zip it if that will help? Have never tried to package one. Can't locate the version on the sim itself. However I did the update last fFriday, using the green button on the right. (Testing Version). I do not have an unpopulated version of the act but can make one. As you say though you can sub the rolling stock. Won't take long to make one without RS however, just a player. Might be tomorrow before can get to it. The "boss" will be home any min so out goes "playing" with trains!!

Dave

[R. Steele]

Thanks Dave, I am going set up a path and run the route and see what happens. I did forget to ask you to attach the pat file you are using for the player, that would help. Thanks for your patience.

Edit: I just read Baldwins post #24 and then reread the log, it does indeed look like you are still using V0.9, so that pretty much makes all the troubleshooting moot at this point, not really worth the time. This problem likely will not happen if you use the latest test version.
Just download the zip file and extract it into your current OR folder, overwriting everything.

This is what the version reads in my OR log >>> Version = X3068

In your log the version line reads like this >>>>>>>>> Version = 0.9.2969

So you have not installed the most recent testing version, or if you did, something went awry, perhaps a shortcut is pointing to the wrong OR install?
Regardless, I'm still going to run a path in that location and try a manual run, although I suspect everything will be fine.

[prr4ever]

Manual mode

Gerry,

I will update again and run the activity again. As to the path, it starts at MP 33 and runs south to Marietta. Can send if you want or, wait till I see if I can get the OR update installed.

OK downloaded X3068. It shows up in the folder with many updates on May 8. Ran the sim again from approx Florece Yard MP 33 to Caldwell staying on left main which at "Porcelain Goods (out)" turns into single track. Pulling past the signal there onto the single track I stopped, still in manual mode. Reversed direction, tabbed red signal to rear. Dispatacher says permission granted. Tried to switch to the track straight back which goes into the industry area of Caldwell. Switch will not change, signal stays red. Not able to reverse into industry area. If I back past the red, even though given an all clear, the sim resets to automatic mode. Okay different approach. Coming down same track. Just before Porcelein Goods is a switch to back into the industry, still multiple tracks here. Passed this signal and stopped. Revers, switch changes to allow me to back into industry area. Tab signal, dispatcher gives permission, signal stays red. Back into area through red signal, defaults back to automatic mode.

For some reason The Manage attachments is not working. Will send log with next post.

[prr4ever]

Manual Mode

Will try to upload log with Firefox.

OKAY that worked! (Stupid IE)

This is the latest from the above post. OR version X3068, no change from 0.9 as far as this thread is concerned. Note: I am running X3068 even though the log says 0.9. I checked the OR folder, all the X3068 updates are present! I have only one OR folder and it is on my C:\ Why it reports as 0.9 is far beyond me. I just looked at the log on my desktop. It states Version X3068. Let me try again here and make certain the right log was sent. Okay, I am going to attach the "correct" log to a following post. Apparently the old 0.9 log was stored and reposted.

[R. Steele]

I just laid a path through that area, used the default GP38 and ran all over the place. Off path, on the path, no problem with switches or signals ---- with one exception --- some of the switches/signals are close together in the Caldwell Grain area, but otherwise no problems. I stayed in manual the whole time, except for one occasion when I missed a signal and the track monitor window (F4) showed SPAD. This is not an automatic mode, it indicates the train is "Signal Passed At Danger", to reset you have to use Control+M.

I used the dispatch viewer window to control the switches and signals, no problems.
You should make sure the version you are running is the most current testing version, the version number will appear on the Open Rails main window >>>> see red box in attached pix

bandicam 2015-05-11 21-48-13-722.jpg

[prr4ever]

Manual mode

See if this log is ok. Apparently I was sending an older log. This is the latest. Had to zip it due to size restrictions. Darn! This thread is getting long for something simple...0056 AM time for nite nite.