For A Limited Time: The Ozark Northern route...

[kennyeaton]

Hi Andre,

Thank you for making this one available. I love the work in this one. Great little route. Considering the location, I just couldn't resist repainting a few of your passenger cars and another old steam locomotive to run on this one.

HVCB4.jpg

HVCB1.jpg

HVCB2.jpg

HVCB3.jpg

Kenny

Homer Bedloe, "I hate that little train"

[Coonskin]

kennyeaton

Hello Kenny!

You're welcome. I'm glad you're having fun with my Ozark Northern!

Ah yes, the John Fowlis steam engine (and equipment).

When I created my first early rail MSTS route project, the St. Louis & North Arkansas, I had zero equipment to use. I contacted John Fowlis and asked him if it would be okay to repaint his equipment, upload the repainted equipment here at Trainsim. Pursuing this path, would allow me to use his models for the activities that I would include with my StL&NA project. (Which comes with nearly 40 hrs worth of activities.)

He graciously gave me license to do that very thing. SO, I sold the StL&NA pack, and the end-user would download the St.L&NA Equipment Pack from Trainsim, install the consists/trainsets/paths/services, and they were in business! It was clumsy, but it worked. Shortly after the release of the StL&NA, I contacted Jon Davis about commissioning an equipment pack for the St.L&NA. He agreed, and I was off and running with a dedicated custom pack producer that assisted me with my projects. Jon ended up doing three packs for me: The North Aransas Pack, the Colorado Midland Pack, and the Ozark Northern equipment. In addition, he supplied some bonus models, as I recall.

I had some more Jon Davis stuff in the pipeline, but Jon began to get busy with life and moved on to other things and soon left MSTS behind. Later, I contacted him about transferring the source files to me (which I should have done a long time ago, but just didn't think to), only to learn that his computer with the MSTS stuff thereon had crashed and all of his MSTS stuff was gone. I was sick. Oh well!

Anyway, I hope you receive hours of enjoyment on the Ozark Northern!

Andre

[NW 2156]

Hi Andre,

I report no issues on my end.

Looking forward to the A&O sub!

Thanks.

Robert

[l.k.]

Hi fellow virtual link-and-pin railroaders,

Over the last week I had plenty of fun with the Ozark Northern - thanks again, Andre 🙂.

With a few little workarounds and one path modification I was able to successfully complete every included activity in Open Rails. Here's what I found:

(01) Intro Ride 1
Works as is, but the AI train at the start of the activity will not spawn because it is blocked by the player path. Workaround if you want to see the AI train: At the start of the activity, change to manual mode (ctrl-M) and throw the switch in front of your locomotive. Wait until the AI train has arrived in the siding next to you, change back to automatic mode (ctrl-M) and start your journey.

(02) Intro Ride 2
Works as is (change to manual mode and complete the activity in manual mode). Static Consists in Open Rails need their air brakes charged up from zero before the brakes work. This takes some time. Be extremely careful with the loaded cars otherwise your train will run away (don't ask me how I know...).

(03) Passenger Run 1
Works as is (activating the passenger stop at Zinc City is a little difficult, you need to stop exactly in the right spot...).

(04) Helper Run 1
For #5 and #10 to move, change to manual mode at the start of the activity and change the opposing switch in front of your locomotive (use the switch window F8 for that). After #10 (the second locomotive) starts backing towards the station, change the switch back and start your work. Remain in manual mode and manually throw the switches for taking on water and coupling to the rear of the train in the AR&N yard. Switch back to automatic mode on the fly after leaving Turners Bend. Turning around at Fly Gap and the return trip happens in manual mode.

(05) Helper Run 2
For this to work, you need to modify the path "AI_Elam_South.pat". Otherwise the train you are supposed to help will not stop for you to couple to the back of it: Open the route in Open Rails Track Viewer and load the path in the Path-Editor (click "Enable editing"). Now place a waiting point on the path at the south end of Zinc City Siding (right-click - "place wait point"). Set the waiting time to 10min. Save the path before exiting track viewer ("Path-Editor"- "save path" - allow overwriting). Now everything should work as intended. Run the act in manual mode.

(06) Extra North 1
For Extra 10 North to leave ahead of you, change to manual mode and change the opposing switch in front of your locomotive (F8, same as in act 4). After Extra 10 has left, throw the switch back and switch the way cars as instructed. Switch back to automatic mode after leaving town. Do not remain in manual mode, otherwise the meet with Extra 7 South at Fly Gap will not work. The pick ups and drop offs at Fly Gap, Zinc City and St Paul need to be done in manual mode with manually thrown switches.

This one was my favorite: Following Extra 10 up the hill, judging the distance to it and seeing it going up the grade in the distance above is really neat (very cool simulation of time based train separation without block signals).

(07) ON_TransferRun1
Works as is. Run it in manual mode and manually throw the switches.

Hope this is helpful to some. If something is still unclear, don't hesitate to ask.

Lukas

[SD40-2]

Hi Andre,

Thank you for making this one available. I love the work in this one. Great little route. Considering the location, I just couldn't resist repainting a few of your passenger cars and another old steam locomotive to run on this one.

Kenny

Homer Bedloe, "I hate that little train"

Very cute, got a good giggle out of me. Petticoat Junction is one of my dad's favorite TV shows.

Though might I suggest using one of the Ozark Northern Ten-Wheelers? They're Rogers 4-6-0s, same type of locomotive as C&FW 3.

[niknak]

Hi fellow virtual link-and-pin railroaders,

Over the last week I had plenty of fun with the Ozark Northern - thanks again, Andre 🙂.

With a few little workarounds and one path modification I was able to successfully complete every included activity in Open Rails. Here's what I found:

(01) Intro Ride 1
Works as is, but the AI train at the start of the activity will not spawn because it is blocked by the player path. Workaround if you want to see the AI train: At the start of the activity, change to manual mode (ctrl-M) and throw the switch in front of your locomotive. Wait until the AI train has arrived in the siding next to you, change back to automatic mode (ctrl-M) and start your journey.

(02) Intro Ride 2
Works as is (change to manual mode and complete the activity in manual mode). Static Consists in Open Rails need their air brakes charged up from zero before the brakes work. This takes some time. Be extremely careful with the loaded cars otherwise your train will run away (don't ask me how I know...).

(03) Passenger Run 1
Works as is (activating the passenger stop at Zinc City is a little difficult, you need to stop exactly in the right spot...).

(04) Helper Run 1
For #5 and #10 to move, change to manual mode at the start of the activity and change the opposing switch in front of your locomotive (use the switch window F8 for that). After #10 (the second locomotive) starts backing towards the station, change the switch back and start your work. Remain in manual mode and manually throw the switches for taking on water and coupling to the rear of the train in the AR&N yard. Switch back to automatic mode on the fly after leaving Turners Bend. Turning around at Fly Gap and the return trip happens in manual mode.

(05) Helper Run 2
For this to work, you need to modify the path "AI_Elam_South.pat". Otherwise the train you are supposed to help will not stop for you to couple to the back of it: Open the route in Open Rails Track Viewer and load the path in the Path-Editor (click "Enable editing"). Now place a waiting point on the path at the south end of Zinc City Siding (right-click - "place wait point"). Set the waiting time to 10min. Save the path before exiting track viewer ("Path-Editor"- "save path" - allow overwriting). Now everything should work as intended. Run the act in manual mode.

(06) Extra North 1
For Extra 10 North to leave ahead of you, change to manual mode and change the opposing switch in front of your locomotive (F8, same as in act 4). After Extra 10 has left, throw the switch back and switch the way cars as instructed. Switch back to automatic mode after leaving town. Do not remain in manual mode, otherwise the meet with Extra 7 South at Fly Gap will not work. The pick ups and drop offs at Fly Gap, Zinc City and St Paul need to be done in manual mode with manually thrown switches.

This one was my favorite: Following Extra 10 up the hill, judging the distance to it and seeing it going up the grade in the distance above is really neat (very cool simulation of time based train separation without block signals).

(07) ON_TransferRun1
Works as is. Run it in manual mode and manually throw the switches.

Hope this is helpful to some. If something is still unclear, don't hesitate to ask.

Lukas

That was very useful Lukas, many thanks. I cheated a little with the loaded zinc cars and increased the MaxHandbrakeForce from 4kN to 30kN. .

Any chance you could upload the amended path for 'Helper Run 2' ? I doubt my skills at amending it myself especially as 'Enable Editing' is greyed out on Track Viewer for me.

[l.k.]

Any chance you could upload the amended path for 'Helper Run 2' ? I doubt my skills at amending it myself especially as 'Enable Editing' is greyed out on Track Viewer for me.

Here it is: AI_Elam_South.zip

It works for me, but I can't guarantee that it will for anyone else. I strongly advise to back up the original pat file ("AI_Elam_South.pat" in the route's "Paths" folder), so you can revert to it, should the new one not work as intended (e.g. by renaming it or copying it somewhere else for safekeeping). After that, copy the pat file attached above into the route's "Paths" folder, overwriting the original. Now the activity should work. If problems occur, delete the new pat file and revert to the backed up old one (by renaming it back to "AI_Elam_South.pat" or copying it back into the Paths folder).

Lukas

[niknak]

Many thanks Lukas. btw Did you manage to get up the hill just after Mountain Creek in the 'Helper Run 1' activity? I've tried it a few times and stall out on the 3.9% gradient each time. I guess I have 2 alternatives - either leave some cars at Mt Creek and come back for them later or try the act with 2 helper locos by coupling up the player loco to 4-4-0 No1 at the start of the act.

Update: With 2 helpers on the back I'm still stalling just before milepost 3.

[l.k.]

Did you manage to get up the hill just after Mountain Creek in the 'Helper Run 1' activity?

I did, barely... Needed several tries as well: Johnson Bar fully forward, full throttle and maximum boiler pressure (160psi, I think?)... Another way to make it a bit easier, is to disable "Advanced Adhesion". There's a key combination to turn it off in game that I don't remember off the top of my head (have a look in the F1 window, should be in there - "toggle advanced adhesion" or something similar). Turning it off restores a more MSTS-like behavior (it helps with this activity, I tried it).

It's the gradient combined with the curve resistance that's the killer here (just like in real life...). I believe it could be made easier, even with advanced adhesion active, if the rolling stock would be amended with Open Rails specific parameters for calculating the curve resistance (number of axles and bogies, rigid wheelbase, length information with and without couplers etc.). But that's a bigger undertaking... Perhaps I will look at it in future, if I can find accurate prototype data. Haven't much time for it at the moment though...

[Coonskin]

l.k.

Thank you Lukas for that detailed run-down on the Ozark Northern activities in Open Rails. I have copied that and put it in a text file within my Ozark Northern folder.

Andre