Xtracks causing/contributing to lockup

This is very odd. I've used the Xtracks 3d modular points to make a few crossovers, but switching them in the game (hitting G) causes MSTS to lock up. The 'stock' points (5d/10d) all work fine. I've been hunting in forums all day looking for a possible cause, but no luck.
I'm using the latest release of Xtracks (3.10), but I can't imagine the problem is with Xtracks itself, there must be something I've done that is interacting with it in a bad way...Any ideas?Bob

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RE: Xtracks causing/contributing to lockup, Roman, Jun-01-04, 05:50 PM, (1) RE: Xtracks causing/contributing to lockup, tooltroll, Jun-02-04, 02:14 AM, (2) RE: Xtracks causing/contributing to lockup, Roman, Jun-02-04, 02:37 AM, (3) RE: Xtracks causing/contributing to lockup, tooltroll, Jun-02-04, 03:30 AM, (4) RE: Xtracks causing/contributing to lockup, OkrasaGhia, Jun-02-04, 12:21 PM, (6) RE: Xtracks causing/contributing to lockup, tooltroll, Jun-03-04, 01:41 AM, (10) RE: Xtracks causing/contributing to lockup, OTTODAD, Jun-02-04, 11:48 AM, (5) RE: Xtracks causing/contributing to lockup, OkrasaGhia, Jun-02-04, 12:28 PM, (7) RE: Xtracks causing/contributing to lockup, Roman, Jun-02-04, 01:09 PM, (8) RE: Xtracks causing/contributing to lockup, OkrasaGhia, Jun-02-04, 01:47 PM, (9) RE: Xtracks causing/contributing to lockup, OkrasaGhia, Jun-03-04, 12:12 PM, (11) RE: Xtracks causing/contributing to lockup, Roman, Jun-03-04, 12:33 PM, (12) RE: Xtracks causing/contributing to lockup, OTTODAD, Jun-03-04, 05:17 PM, (13)

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Don't forget to place a standard Trackpiece at b o t h ends for testing new switches. Violating this rule freezes the screen when switching.Roman

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Thanks Roman,By 'standard trackpiece' you mean one of the stock MSTS sections? Other than the 3d mod trackpieces (A1tEndPnt3d, etc.) all the adjacent pieces are standard straights and curves. I'll double check, but I'm pretty sure it's all stock except for the actual point pieces.Bob

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LAST EDITED ON Jun-02-04 AT 02:39 AM (EDT)

standard track-piece means 'no switch', to avoid orphaned ends at switches, either point-side or frog-side. which is the common cause for your explained phenomenon.

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OK, Gotcha. I didn't think RE would even let you place switches end to end. When I started out, I ran into that one, so I've always got at least an A1t1mstrt when I need to place two switches together.Would MSTS lock up if the switches were aligned in such a way as to send the train in a loop? I know this can be a problem in AE if you try to set a path in a loop, and I think I might have buggered up my track plan and included a loop.Bob

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Bob, your problem is not with the switch used but with the overall layout of your track plan. If throwing that switch leads to a loop it sounds very likely that is your problem.
One loop is okay (as in Marias Pass at summit) but two loops connected together to form a continous running MSTS does not like and want to phone Bill. Likewise a circular layout is not something MSTS likes. Dog-bones and circular layouts can be made to work but involves some complicated signalling to fool MSTS.
Another cause for this problem is if when throwing the switch and following the resulting path you end in a switch with the point end of the switch as the last section of that path (you have a red pole at the end of track in RE instead of the usual blue pole). If this is the case place any non-switch track section after it and the problem will be solved (as stated above).


//Okrasa
Chief Engineer
okrasa @ xtracks.tk
http://www.geocities.com/okrasaghia
http://www.xtracks.tk

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Hi Okrasa,
Thanks for the info, and thanks for Xtracks. I reconfigured my track, and the problem went away, both in RE and AE. Turns out I did have a track connected one switch further south than it should have, so instead of a switchback, I had a %$#@ loop.Bob

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Hi Roman !I was working on a friend's route just now and noticed two switches end-to-end and remembered the rule about not doing that.But using your Y-Switches in LADDERS, one after the other, is it the separate Frog (Herz) piece which supplies a substitute for a "No Switch" piece of track ?O t t o

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If the frog sections work like the frog sections in XTracks the answer is yes. Actually in ladders you can place any number of switches after each other without sections in between. The problem is when you place two switches point-end to point-end (that is the end with the red pole).
Romans advice of having track sections all sides of a switch is not quite true, the end that needs to be connected is the point-end (red pole) and it must not be with another switches point end but can be with the frog end of another switch section.Capite?


//Okrasa
Chief Engineer
okrasa @ xtracks.tk
http://www.geocities.com/okrasaghia
http://www.xtracks.tk

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Okrasa,if the switch is the last piece of track in a given trunk of your layout you can explore the route, but if you throw that last switch RE will freeze immediatly if there is no track piece following the switch at the frog-end. Try it Roman

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Thought I had tried that a houndred times developing all XTracks switches but I will try it again.Take care,


//Okrasa
Chief Engineer
okrasa @ xtracks.tk
http://www.geocities.com/okrasaghia
http://www.xtracks.tk

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Roman, I tried it again with switch as the last section of a path.
Had no look-up either way the switch was thrown.
I maintain, point end needs to be connected, frog end not!
Then it does not hurt to put track sections at all ends.
There's no point with points if you don't have tracks after them!


//Okrasa
Chief Engineer
okrasa @ xtracks.tk
http://www.geocities.com/okrasaghia
http://www.xtracks.tk

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Okrasa,
Ok, accepted. There are some threads about this in the forum, one of the last answered by BNSF Lady. In the moment I'm not affected and it seems that there are some additional circumstances causing this. Next time when I am in need I will try it systematically. Thank you for your effortsRoman

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And THANKS to both of you, OKI and ROMAN !Without your creations and advice on how to use them I would not be interested in Train Sims at all ! First you need realistic tracks which work like the real thing before you can run trains on them ! Keep them coming !!! Take Care, O t t o.

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