North American V-Scale: Soo Line GP-7 Pack 1 available

[R. Steele]

How do make a consist using the .engine files,Conbuilder won't let you make a viable consist?

Use Goku's Consist Editor - part of his TSRE program, or write up the consist manually...( i just have a consist template I use for that ).

Here's the link for Goku's TSRE ( the CE is run with a bat file...make a shortcut on the desktop)

http://koniec.org/tsre5/

[conductorchris]

Can anyone suggest railroads that had GP7's with similar details as these SOO units? I have no interest in SOO, but I do have an interest in Erick's work.
Christopher

[Erick_Cantu]

I've seen CNW, MoPac, and CRIP units that have fairly similar features, if anyone painted them up that way. You can alpha out anything and replace it with freight shapes, too, although the caveat is that it won't show up in the 3D cab. The current plan is to finish the matching cabooses I have in the works, as well as the second GP7 set (Soo had 7 units on their roster, and I have unfinished models of the other three), then see what I feel like doing next, which is a whole other ball of wax (there are a few things I've been wanting to do, a new GP20, the CNW Baldwin rebuilds with Geep hoods, the SWBLW, some FRVR Geeps, the MoPac/WC "Whirlybird" GP35m, Some GE critters, and possibly the Soo Line's U30Cs).

I've been trying to find out how feasible it would be to hire a programmer to write an app to merge freight shapes into the 3D cab model, so that I can produce what amounts to a kit that people can build mods for. Kits are my real goal, because people could purchase the kit, which would come with a mod package for a particular road, then other users could produce more mod packages for it, and I could make a few down the line as well. It would save everyone a lot of effort, and ensure maximum flexibility, I think. This gets around one of my bigger problems: UP, CSX, and NS do absolutely nothing for me. The problem is, those are the roads that are popular. My tendencies are towards the fallen flags of the upper Midwest, especially the Soo Line and the CNW (and the shortlines that ended up with their surplus units). I'd considered building a model like Dick Cowen used to, where it came with a bunch of parts you could alpha out, but the real units are way too diverse.

Of course, if they'd just add a parameter so that certain freight shapes could be visible in the 3D cab, then there's no problem. Obviously, we wouldn't want all shapes (such as crew) visible, but static freight shapes already have additional parameters, so I don't think it'd be a huge chore to add one, say, "Cabview ( 1 )," for the purpose. Especially since freight shapes are already visible in passenger views.

[ebnertra000]

Quite honestly, Erick, if you build it, they will come. I wouldn't worry too much about what railroad you built the original for. If someone wants it to work for another road enough, they'll find a way. The upper midwest is a bit under-represented anyway. I know I've seen enough of the US Class 1s to last me a lifetime, so anything, especially older, will probably do pretty well, regardless of the base model's peculiarities

[conductorchris]

Erick, it has crossed my mind before that hiring a programmer from India (or another cheap place) might make sense for the open rails project. Perhaps you could do this. I know there is more and more content coming from India, perhaps there is some programming talent in the Indian Open Rails community? Or maybe you just go for the Indian programmer community. Do you know how to submit jobs for bid in that world?
Christopher

[demando]

Some GE critters, and possibly the Soo Line's U30Cs).

Oh? Which critters would these be?

[Erick_Cantu]

I've been sorta considering a 25-ton because it's so delightfully simple and they're always for sale, which means there are always lots of photos (that aren't roster shots) for reference. Maybe a 44-tonner. I'd probably do them at the same resolution as the Geeps, so they wouldn't be terribly complicated.

[demando]

A new 25 ton switcher might be a neat addition to my fictional. I got a little excited when you said GE critter, because I was thinking of 45 and 50 tonners myself (the fallen flag Yolo Shortline leased a 50 tonner, hence my interest). And the prospect of potential 44 tonners is also intriguing, as many California railroads had or have a few. But back to topic, I have bought your Gp9's and have yet to play with them, but will get around to that (and working on repaints) shortly. Nice work from what I've seen so far.

[Erick_Cantu]

I don't think it'd be too hard to go from model to model. Those locomotives are all basically built on the same platform and share a lot of common parts, plus, the models I'd be building would be really simple. It's a possibility. I've always really liked switchers and funky little diesels. The sounds for Cummins-powered models would be ridiculously simple because Cummins engines all sound the same. Since I live right in the middle of "I work in an office but wear camo and drive a truck so I can pretend to be country" land, it wouldn't take much to offer up $20 on craigslist to record someone's pickup. Add traction motor sounds and we're gold.

[R. Steele]

I'm with demando on the tonners. We need new 44, 70, and other, and some switchers and little diesels would be wonderful.

[MMSS]

I'm with demando on the tonners. We need new 44, 70, and other, and some switchers and little diesels would be wonderful.

I concur with you on this Gerry. Nice 70 Tonners would be nice to see. More so for the Rahway Valley route I been trying to work on in my spare time.

[burgerbern]

Ok, i finally found the time to put the set into the sim, love the 3D cabview, and i had fun for a while just pottering about, but then something strange happened, as soon as i put any of the four engines into 75% throttle ORTS crashes, i managed to work out that it is sound related so i disabled the sound by simply changing "../../ to "../ so ORTS could not find it and all the engines went to 100% throttle no problem.

just in case anyone thinks this is because of my master_Trainset arrangement, yes it first did it while in there but just to make sure it was nothing i had done i installed a vanilla copy of the set straight out of the downloaded files untouched into a route and the same prob existed, that meant it was nothing i had done, it also is not the testing version of ORTS as the problem exists in the stable 1.2.3766 as well as the testing X4168 version.

i tested it on all 4 numbers as each engine uses a different set of SMS files but it happens in all of them and it does it wether inside the cab or outside views.

is any one else having this prob or has no one gone past 63% on the throttle yet?

i have tried other different engines on the same route and all get to 100% throttle with no probs

OR log file attached, i tried to get a OpenRailsDump.csv but it does not record anything at all despite all boxes being ticked, the OR log file is the only file that shows anything at all in regard to the prob and it makes no sense to me other than it relates to sound.
OpenRailsLog.zip

[ebnertra000]

I tested them and had no trouble putting the hammer down. In fact, I had them above Run 6 for most of the trip and they did just fine, though they seemed a bit underpowered. That's probably the bug in the tractive effort curves talking

[Erick_Cantu]

This is the first time that anyone has reported this problem. Does your OR log report any issues, maybe with bad paths or something? Nothing special, sound-wise, happens at those throttle settings, except that the last three throttle changes use a different transition clip. But that's no different from what happens between the other notches, it's just a different clip being used. I can't really think of anything beyond a problem with your sound card. Have you tried temporarily disabling it and using your onboard card?

[burgerbern]

Thanks Definately not paths, have altered the path to test and ORTS immediately flagged up the files as missing in the log, but the engine ran up to 100% with the sound not present, i will try altering the sound card back to on board, but i cannot see the Audigy being the prob as i have no other engines and i have 1000,s of them that has a sound prob.

i have run all of the sound files on Goldwave that have the 835 on the end and all work as they should so its not those

It looks as if its related to my machine alone which is good in a way because it means the problem is at my end and not the SOO set as no one else has the prob just me, now i just have to work out what it is, this is the only engine set running on include files so i may find the answer somewhere in those and how they relate to my particular way of doing things on the PC.