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IzMeBee (10 posts)
Jul-07-01, 05:59 PM (EST) "Front Coupler question" On the switcher, I assume there isnt a front coupler because all I see to be able to do is shoce cars off the track. Any advice? Also is there a tutorial about how to install Activitites and Routes made by other people?Thanks in advance. Alert Edit | Reply | Reply With Quote | Top
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Subject Author Message Date ID RE: Front Coupler question tpw71 Jul-09-01 1 RE: Front Coupler question jimmccarthy Jul-09-01 2 RE: Front Coupler question ergobob Jul-10-01 3 RE: Front Coupler question jimmccarthy Jul-10-01 4 RE: Front Coupler question ergobob Jul-10-01 5 RE: Front Coupler question jimmccarthy Jul-10-01 6 RE: Front Coupler question ergobob Jul-11-01 7 RE: Front Coupler question Denisky Jul-15-01 8 RE: Front Coupler question JohnLindaT Jul-16-01 9 RE: Front Coupler question sniper297 Jul-22-01 10 RE: Front Coupler question Denisky Jul-23-01 11 RE: Front Coupler question sniper297 Jul-23-01 12

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tpw71 (43 posts)
Jul-09-01, 11:41 AM (EST) 1. "RE: Front Coupler question" I haven't had any success using any of the locomotives to push trains. You probably want to avoid using the front coupler of any locomotive you're driving. Remove | Alert Edit | Reply | Reply With Quote | Top
jimmccarthy (88 posts)
Jul-09-01, 05:26 PM (EST) 2. "RE: Front Coupler question" I've made up an activity where I have an underpowered train leave Columbia Falls for Shelby and it picks up a helper engine at Essex at the foot of the steep climb to the Summit. It connects the helper to the rear end and off it goes to the summit where it drops the helper and continues on to Shelby. There doesn't seem to be any trouble connecting the helper engine to the rear of the train and the extra power is immediately noticeable. Remove | Alert Edit | Reply | Reply With Quote | Top
ergobob (217 posts)
Jul-10-01, 10:54 PM (EST) 3. "RE: Front Coupler question" Is that activity available for distribution?bob Remove | Alert Edit | Reply | Reply With Quote | Top
jimmccarthy (88 posts)
Jul-10-01, 11:02 PM (EST) 4. "RE: Front Coupler question" No Bob, I consider myself just a Greenhorn at this stuff and not as yet well versed enough to upload anything and take a chance on screwing up other people's equipment. Remove | Alert Edit | Reply | Reply With Quote | Top
ergobob (217 posts)
Jul-10-01, 11:07 PM (EST) 5. "RE: Front Coupler question" Darn, well when you are ready let me know.bob Remove | Alert Edit | Reply | Reply With Quote | Top
jimmccarthy (88 posts)
Jul-10-01, 11:34 PM (EST) 6. "RE: Front Coupler question" I'd be happy to share my limited knowledge with you to help you set up this activity for yourself.. Just hit Activity, then new, then name it something different from anything already there. Go to player and fill in the Briefing and the description, you only need a few words since it will be just for your own use. Then hit edit and the service editor will open. Under consist hit new and select a consist. I picked my newly downloaded SD90MAC which I have buggered up to its 6000HP and 15 full log cars. Then go to path and hit new. A screen will come up. Fill in the start and the destination, hit highlight and go to work on the map plotting your starting point and your destination. and setting the switches approaching Essex to put you onto #1 siding. Then proceed to the top of the hill. Set the switch at the top of the hill to put you on the right track and a couple miles further set another switch to put you on the siding on the right so you can drop the helper there. (I'll get to the helper later). Go on to Shelby, making sure the green line that shows your route is OK at Shelby I switched off on the first siding on the left. I picked a spot 3/4 of the way down and set a location action there. I posted a note saying "Drop Log cars here and proceed slowly. Just before going back on the main track, I put another location action ending the activity successfully. Now go back to Essex and on #2 siding (next to #1 where you have your train coming), pick a spot and choose "Place consist". Oh yes, I forgot you have to make the consist first. I chose 1 SD90MAC and faced it to the rear by right clicking on it in the consist screen. I have tried it facing forward and it works too, but i figure if I face it aft it will be set to return to Essex when it uncouples at the summit.
Thats about it. Hit file then save as and give the activity a name and exit and go try it out. If you're like me, you will have to go back a few times to the editor and correct errors you made. If you post your problem, I'll be glad to help and I'm sure there are many people more qualified than me that are willing to help. Good Luck Bob Remove | Alert Edit | Reply | Reply With Quote | Top
ergobob (217 posts)
Jul-11-01, 01:19 AM (EST) 7. "RE: Front Coupler question" Thanks Jim. That could motivate me to do one.bob Remove | Alert Edit | Reply | Reply With Quote | Top
Denisky (8 posts)
Jul-15-01, 08:38 PM (EST) 8. "RE: Front Coupler question" I think I missed somthing, but the question with the front couplers, on the switcher, did'nt seem to be answered. I too have found it un-usable, when trying to pick up cars, with the 'F' (front) of the switcher.
Thanks for all the great and intresting bits of information
Denisky Remove | Alert Edit | Reply | Reply With Quote | Top
JohnLindaT (1 posts)
Jul-16-01, 10:21 AM (EST) 9. "RE: Front Coupler question" I was able to drop off a car and run around it and couple on front. This was on Marias Pass with GP38. However it seems that the brakes are stuck on because I have to put it in run 8 to get about 20 mph and run 0 comes to a stop in about 10 seconds without braking. The car shows up in the F9 display. Uncoupling it again was a bit tricky, from a standstill when I tried to back away it would recouple and I had to uncouple while rolling. Anyway coupling to the front works, just not quit as expected. Remove | Alert Edit | Reply | Reply With Quote | Top
sniper297 (50 posts)
Jul-22-01, 00:48 AM (EST) 10. "RE: Front Coupler question" There have been previous posts on this, it is a bug. Like the manual switch problem, apparently the unimaginative geeks that programmed this thaought everyone was going to be happy playing their oversimplified activities forever (pickup one car, drop off one car, drive 3 miles, CONGRATULATIONS! YOU HAVE SUCESSFULLY COMPLETED THIS ACTIVITY! BFD.), so they did.nt think about stuff like run arounds, trailing and facing spurs, etc. I'm gonna paste in part of what I wrote in a previous post, so you can check it out yourself.
Try this. Explore route, Marias pass, starting at Whitefish. Single geep38, 3 boxcars. First notch gives 13% power, easily pulls the cars out of the power house spur. There is a passing track right behind as you pull out, so back into it. Again, first notch in reverse gives 13% power, easily pushing the three boxcars. Uncouple. Run around the cut and come up behind it - it may take backing and pushing a few times to get the game to understand that you're trying to use the front coupler on the loco, so be patient. Once you're coupled, try pushing and pulling the three boxcars. 75% power? straight and level? 75% of 2000 is 1,500 horsepower! To move three boxcars? Somebody has to fix this. Try the same thing with the dash 9, and it's not as obvious because of the increased power available, but it's still there. Then it takes a half dozen tries to uncouple, because every time you try to back away it re-couples. Makes it real difficult to make realistic facing spur operations.
Somebody suggested setting the train brakes to emergency before bailing off, but that didn't work for me - and again, it takes several tries to uncouple the doggone thing after shoving the cars into the siding one at a time. I feel your pain, as slick willie would say, but we can only hope it's on the first patch.
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Denisky (8 posts)
Jul-23-01, 05:54 PM (EST) 11. "RE: Front Coupler question" Thanks for the very intresting reply. When trying to back out of a siding with 3 empty log cars, it felt I was pulling 20 loaded heavy weights. I soon broke a coupler, and as you know, game over. This is a real problem for me, as my favorite mode is industrial switching. About the manual switches, I've almost given up trying to set them (need some advise). I've also set car in some spurs, that I can't get into to pick them up. Am I the only one with this problem?PS. for the most part, the sim is great.
Denisky Remove | Alert Edit | Reply | Reply With Quote | Top
sniper297 (50 posts)
Jul-23-01, 10:05 PM (EST) 12. "RE: Front Coupler question" Yeah, unless you're into wayfreight activities. As far as the switches, the only thing you can do with an existing route is go into the route editor and try to change them to manual switches. trouble is, a lot of them are linked to signals which then have to be deleted, and the paths and services for the AI trains have to be redone, and the AI trains run into each other or stop altogether when they don't have their signals. I gave up on existing routes and am currently creating my own while I wait for the front coupler patch. Remove | Alert Edit | Reply | Reply With Quote | Top

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