Through trains with work, Through trains with work Options

[SurvivorSean]

Hello All:

I've recently begun creating activities for traffic connecting to the GTA route by MLT. In doing so one of my first attempts is to run a train on the Niagara Corridor. Now I've created switching templates before for NC with no issues. This attempt however I've modified the Niagara Corridor template in the library to suit my needs.

Unlike switching activities, this is an activity for a through manifest train that happens to work at a couple of yards on it's way. The problem I'm having is AG wants to always dump all it's original consist on any of the yards that are worked. Now I want to be able to retain most of my original consist, while setting off and picking up a few along the way. I'm using 4.20 at the moment just in case there is an issue.

The other trick that I haven't come to yet is being able to have a train at the end of the Niagara Corridor route show up as another activity on the GTA route. Now I know I can assume what the train is supposed to look like and that is fine. The plan is if any further switching is required in the GTA that I'll modify the created activity and add in the cars manually to the consist enroute.

Any ideas would be appreciated.

Thanks

Sean

[sgdavis]

Hello All:

I've recently begun creating activities for traffic connecting to the GTA route by MLT. In doing so one of my first attempts is to run a train on the Niagara Corridor. Now I've created switching templates before for NC with no issues. This attempt however I've modified the Niagara Corridor template in the library to suit my needs.

Unlike switching activities, this is an activity for a through manifest train that happens to work at a couple of yards on it's way. The problem I'm having is AG wants to always dump all it's original consist on any of the yards that are worked. Now I want to be able to retain most of my original consist, while setting off and picking up a few along the way. I'm using 4.20 at the moment just in case there is an issue.

The other trick that I haven't come to yet is being able to have a train at the end of the Niagara Corridor route show up as another activity on the GTA route. Now I know I can assume what the train is supposed to look like and that is fine. The plan is if any further switching is required in the GTA that I'll modify the created activity and add in the cars manually to the consist enroute.

Any ideas would be appreciated.

Thanks

Sean

Sean,

You should be able to get exactly what you want by setting those yard tracks as "Industry" tracks and set the "number of pickups and setouts at industry tracks" to a lower number, like 3, 4 or 5. Then you'll never dump the whole train (and may pick some up). DO NOT USE ANY "Destination tracks". Now the activity will end after your last pickup, so be sure to schedule one at or near the very end of the route, preferably in a yard. Another idea is to use the "assemble train" ending and the activity won't end until you put your train in a certain order, which you can do whenever you'd like to end the activity (assuming of course you've made all your pickups and setouts correctly).

There is no way in MSTS to have a train end on one route and show up on another route though.

Thanks,

Steve

[SurvivorSean]

Yeah I used that assemble train option and that worked pretty well too. Because Aldershot is part of the GTA route as well I've been setting destinations of Aldershot and basically taking it out of the workorder. Not sure if you could tinker with the Excel file to create dummy tracks (sort of like staging areas in model railroads).

Never thought of changing them to industry tracks though. That should work quite well.

Now if I can only get the double reverse points to work the way I want them too.

Thanks for your help

Sean

p.s. I'm actually creating 2 activities, 1 for each route (GTA & Niagara Corridor). Of course having a work order that knows what is happening between 2 templates is not possible. The good part is Aldershot is represented on both routes and can reduce the need to only require 1 template for a 2 part activity.

Sean,

You should be able to get exactly what you want by setting those yard tracks as "Industry" tracks and set the "number of pickups and setouts at industry tracks" to a lower number, like 3, 4 or 5. Then you'll never dump the whole train (and may pick some up). DO NOT USE ANY "Destination tracks". Now the activity will end after your last pickup, so be sure to schedule one at or near the very end of the route, preferably in a yard. Another idea is to use the "assemble train" ending and the activity won't end until you put your train in a certain order, which you can do whenever you'd like to end the activity (assuming of course you've made all your pickups and setouts correctly).

There is no way in MSTS to have a train end on one route and show up on another route though.

Thanks,

Steve