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Cars won't couple

Started by bootednancy 7 posts 7 min read

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bootednancyMember since Jun-8-03 · 118 posts

Hi guys.I'm running a Sim where I changed a number of cars, and the activity requires picking up several blocks of freight cars. I have run into a problem with one of the pick-ups in that one of the cars I have will not couple to the rest of the train. I have tried several attempts to couple at speeds of 4-7mph and the coupler on the Stack car (see below) doesn't "appear" to compress like coupling other cars.At the beginning of the activity, you're required to couple the engines to one of the cars I am trying to couple another block of cars to now, so I know that car appears to work. The car in the 3rd pick-up is an AP-well container car (1st WAG file) the other is an ARCO ACF-Center Flow hopper (2nd WAG file). I have included the WAG files for the 2 cars as I am not sure what line/text has to be changed so I can get them to couple.Any help greatly appreciated.MAERSK CONTAINER CAR.WAG
Wagon ( mrsksealndcont
Type ( Freight )
name ( TTX08 US container car )
WagonShape ( mrsksealndcont.s )
Size ( 3m 7.4m 21.2m)
comment( 21.0 empty, 82.0 full )
Mass ( 80.0t )
WheelRadius ( 0.46m )
InertiaTensor ( Box (3m 7.4m 21.2m) )
Coupling (
Type ( Automatic )
Spring (
Stiffness ( 1e6N/m 5e6N/m )
Damping ( 1e6N/m 1e6N/m )
Break ( 1.1e7N 1.1e7N )
r0 ( 20cm 30cm )
)
Velocity ( 0.1m/s )
)
Buffers (
Spring (
Stiffness ( 1e6N/m 5e6N/m )
Damping ( 1e6N/m/s 1e6N/m/s )
r0 ( 0m 1e9 )
)
Centre ( 0.5 )
Radius ( 1 )
Angle ( 0.5deg )
)
Adheasion ( 0.2 0.4 2 0 )
DerailRailHeight ( 4cm )
DerailRailForce ( 2.5N/kg*70t )
DerailBufferForce ( 400kN )
NumWheels ( 8 )
Friction (
100N/m/s 1 -1mph 0 1
5.1N/rad/s 1 -1rad/s 0 1
) Lights ( 2

Light (
comment( Rear red light flashing dim )
Type ( 0 )
Conditions (
Headlight ( 2 )
Unit ( 3 )
)
FadeIn ( 0.5 )
FadeOut ( 0.5 )
Cycle ( 0 )
States ( 2
State (
Duration ( 0.4 )
LightColour ( 80ff0000 )
Position ( 1.0 1.4 -9.15 )
Azimuth ( -180 -180 -180 )
Transition ( 1 )
Radius ( 0.6 )
)
State (
Duration ( 0.4 )
LightColour ( 80ff0000 )
Position ( 1.0 1.4 -9.15 )
Azimuth ( -180 -180 -180 )
Transition ( 1 )
Radius ( 0.1 )
)
)
)
Light (
comment( Rear red light flashing bright )
Type ( 0 )
Conditions (
Headlight ( 3 )
Unit ( 3 )
)
FadeIn ( 0.5 )
FadeOut ( 0.5 )
Cycle ( 0 )
States ( 2
State (
Duration ( 0.4 )
LightColour ( 80ff0000 )
Position ( 1.0 1.4 -9.1 )
Azimuth ( -180 -180 -180 )
Transition ( 1 )
Radius ( 0.6 )
)
State (
Duration ( 0.4 )
LightColour ( 80ff0000 )
Position ( 1.0 1.4 -9.1 )
Azimuth ( -180 -180 -180 )
Transition ( 1 )
Radius ( 0.1 )
) )
)
)
BrakeEquipmentType( "Handbrake, Triple_valve, Auxilary_reservoir, Emergency_brake_reservoir" )
BrakeSystemType( "Air_single_pipe" )
MaxBrakeForce( 50kN ) MaxHandbrakeForce( 35kN )
NumberOfHandbrakeLeverSteps( 100 ) TripleValveRatio( 2.5 )
MaxReleaseRate( 15 )
MaxApplicationRate( 25 )
MaxAuxilaryChargingRate( 5 )
EmergencyResCapacity( 7 )
EmergencyResChargingRate( 5 )
EmergencyBrakeResMaxPressure( 90 )
BrakeCylinderPressureForMaxBrakeBrakeForce( 50 ) Sound ( "GenFreightWag3.sms" )
)
CENTER FLOW HOPPER WAGWagon ( arco-acf
Name ( "ARCO #102 CtrFloHop4" )
Type ( Freight )
WagonShape ( arco-acf.s )
Size ( 3.32m 4.78m 17.7m )
comment( 39.19t empty, 66.81t full )
Mass ( 35.00t )
WheelRadius ( 36in/2 )
InertiaTensor ( Box (3.32m 4.78m 17.7m) )
Coupling (
Type ( Automatic )
Spring (
Stiffness ( 1e6N/m 5e6N/m )
Damping ( 1e6N/m 1e6N/m )
Break ( 1.1e7N 1.1e7N )
r0 ( 20cm 30cm )
)
Velocity ( 0.1m/s )
)
Buffers (
Spring (
Stiffness ( 1e6N/m 5e6N/m )
Damping ( 1e6N/m/s 1e6N/m/s )
r0 ( 0m 1e9 )
)
Centre ( 0.5 )
Radius ( 1 )
Angle ( 0.5deg )
)
Adheasion ( 0.2 0.4 2 0 )
DerailRailHeight ( 4cm )
DerailRailForce ( 2.5*66t )
DerailBufferForce ( 400kN )
NumWheels ( 8 )
Friction (
100N/m/s 1 -1mph 0 1
5.1N/rad/s 1 -1rad/s 0 1
)
Lights ( 1
Light (
comment( FRED Light )
Type ( 0 )
Conditions (
Headlight ( 0 )
Unit ( 3 )
)
FadeIn ( 0.5 )
FadeOut ( 0.5 )
Cycle ( 0 )
States ( 2
State (
Duration ( 0.1 )
LightColour ( ffff0000 )
Position ( -.108 1.432 -9.065 )
Azimuth ( -180 -180 -180 )
Transition ( 0 )
Radius ( .95 )
)
State (
Duration ( 0.9 )
LightColour ( 00000000 )
Position ( -.108 1.432 -9.065 )
Azimuth ( -180 -180 -180 )
Transition ( 0 )
Radius ( .1 )
) )
) ) BrakeEquipmentType( "Handbrake, Triple_valve, Auxilary_reservoir, Emergency_brake_reservoir" )
BrakeSystemType( "Air_single_pipe" )
MaxBrakeForce( 50kN ) MaxHandbrakeForce( 35kN )
NumberOfHandbrakeLeverSteps( 100 ) TripleValveRatio( 2.5 )
MaxReleaseRate( 15 )
MaxApplicationRate( 25 )
MaxAuxilaryChargingRate( 5 )
EmergencyResCapacity( 7 )
EmergencyResChargingRate( 5 )
EmergencyBrakeResMaxPressure( 90 )
BrakeCylinderPressureForMaxBrakeBrakeForce( 50 )

Sound ( "GenFreightWag1.sms" )
)
ThanksDoug

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RE: Cars won't couple, Mark_Blum, Nov-22-04, 07:29 PM, (1) RE: Cars won't couple, bootednancy, Nov-22-04, 07:52 PM, (2) RE: Cars won't couple, Coonskin, Nov-22-04, 11:51 PM, (3) RE: Cars won't couple, bootednancy, Nov-23-04, 07:44 PM, (4) RE: Cars won't couple, Coonskin, Nov-24-04, 00:15 AM, (5) RE: Cars won't couple, frankgi, Nov-25-04, 07:34 AM, (6)

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Mark_BlumCharter Member · 566 posts

RE: Cars won't couple

Hi Doug:Forgive me for asking the obvious, but are you trying to couple with the front coupler or the rear coupler of the engine?MarkA Southern Railway Fan

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bootednancyMember since Jun-8-03 · 118 posts

RE: Cars won't couple

Dear Mark:Not the obvious question..............it's between two CARS, the engine has nothing to do with it.....that's 12 cars away.Doug

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CoonskinMember since Aug-1-02 · 3386 posts

RE: Cars won't couple

LAST EDITED ON Nov-22-04 AT 11:51 PM (EST)

Sounds like the bounding boxes exceed the shape definitions.When in the sim, hit the "Ctrl" and numeric "+" keys. Each bounding box will be displayed via red outlines. Check the cars in question to see if the red outlines overlap. If so, once the cars are uncoupled, the improperly adjusted bounding boxes will prevent them from recoupling. The bounding box defines the "hard zone" of the object. That is, defines what is "solid" and what is not.Andre MingVisit VSC's temporary web page at: http://www.vscalecreations.comVisit VSC's Forum at: http://www.3DTrains.comCars won't couple – image 2

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bootednancyMember since Jun-8-03 · 118 posts

RE: Cars won't couple

Dear Andre:Thanks for the info....screen shots of what is going on included here.The car in question (left) seems to have the BB beyond the face of the coupler???? The other end of the car was coupled to another in a pre-made static consist, this end is to couple to a pick-up which it can't do.What do I have to adjust?????Thanks
Doug

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Cars won't couple – image 3
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Cars won't couple – image 4
http://www.train-sim.com/dcforum/User_files/41a3d9597258c0b2.jpg
Cars won't couple – image 5
http://www.train-sim.com/dcforum/User_files/41a3d97672ba8eea.jpg

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CoonskinMember since Aug-1-02 · 3386 posts

RE: Cars won't couple

LAST EDITED ON Nov-24-04 AT 00:28 AM (EST)

Yup, that's what I thought. The bounding box is too long, thus, once uncoupled, they cannot be recoupled on account hitting solid against solid.The bounding box values are found in the car's .sd file. Like an eng file, you'll need to use Wordpad and "Save" to retain the Unicode. Once inside the simplistic sd file, you'll see something like this:SIMISA@@@@@@@@@@JINX0t1t______
Shape ( AM_C420_410.s
ESD_Detail_Level ( 0 )
ESD_Alternative_Texture ( 0 )
ESD_Bounding_Box ( -1.646889 -0.013846 -8.606229 1.640625 5.005754 8.605287 )
)The bounding box figures that control the length are the third and sixth value. These values are how far from the center of the model the bounding box extends. To shorten, you want to SUBTRACT the same amount from each value.Looking at the screen, it appears that stack car needs about .5 meter subtracted from each end. I like for the bounding box to match the body shape of the car, and NOT stick out past it. When it extends past the coupler, as it does your case, it ain't gonna' recouple.Using the above -.5 meter example, the adjusted 3rd and 6th values of the example car above would read:x.xxx x.xxxx -8.106229 x.xxxxx x.xxxx 8.106229That should fix you up. Oh, and each car so afflicted will have to be fixed. Good luck!
Andre MingVisit VSC's temporary web page at: http://www.vscalecreations.comVisit VSC's Forum at: http://www.3DTrains.comCars won't couple – image 6

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frankgiMember since Aug-7-04 · 90 posts

RE: Cars won't couple

Hi Doug,
Andre hit the nail right on the head, but you may want to check out "BBEdit" in the FL.It is a program that will go in your utilities folder, and makes editing BB a snap.By the way.... nice banner! :-O

FrankG
NJ
MP 9: Vineland Secondary
http://www.sjrail.com/

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