Blackfoot sub v2 upcoming route, upcoming template Options

[dgionet]

Hi to all,

Following an invitation last week from Dan (naspa) to consider construction of a template for the upcoming Blackfoot sub v2 template. I have confirmed today to Dan its future construction but am waiting for final clearance from Ted Kocyla (alcoted) to use the rolling stock I have which will become available in a single executable file. Have received the route and rolling stock files that will be part of the route's activities. Both Dan and Ted have been working hard to bring this updated version and am impressed of its results.

So that's the news so far.

Will update of its progress once it starts

[dgionet]

Hi to all,

Here some update so far about its construction. Two of the 4 templates are now finished, one for the Carlton Trail Railway (CTRW). This one is in reality a return trip from the Blaine lake sub to North battleford, close to 15 miles away, and return trip. The player engines are CTRW GP10's. Also made one for the Lloydminster CP and CN yards. Two GP9's downloaded from the CPR official site will be the main engines to work with. Both are the smallest of the four that will be made. The remaining one are the bigger WB and EB from the CN locos along the main line. Normally the CTRW freight brings loads of lumber and grain into the North Battleford yards to be picked up by CN. For playability reasons, pickups and setouts will be allowed along the path, including Denholm. Also the CP Geeps will be allowed some work onto the CN yards at Lloydminster and surroundings. Both templates have AI traffic. Although small in size, both will be lots of fun to work with. Have already ran AG-generated activities.

Here are some teaser shots of both templates to give you an idea.











More developments later

[naspa]

Wow. Looks excellent. Well done. I look forward to running it. Keep us updated on the template.

[dgionet]

Hi to all,

The Blackfoot template is finished and testing has been done since and is about ready for release. Such release will be done only once the route has been uploaded as well as the rolling stock. In the meantine I am doing more extensive testing in the route, Both routes and stock files are each on an auto-executable file. So for the templates only two downloads needed, both freeware. Ted Kocyla had provided an addition to his rolling stock. He added two CP GP38's into the roster following a request of mine to be used in the CP Template, so I'll be changing my CP Geeps to Ted's repaints. Thanks Ted, they are excellent pieces of work!

So four templates will be part of the package, the CTRW, the CP, the CN WB and EB templates.

One thing to note,and may need Steve or anyone else here for a feedback. For the CTRW template, It is a return trip from point A to B and return. Two regions are part of the template, Here the regions 1 and 2. The player path starts in region 1 and goes to destination which is region 2 and back to region 1. Here's the typical sequence for the CTRW: Region 1 to start with some cars to bring to region 2 for setouts. Then, pickups in the same region 2 and to bring to region 1 and with possible pickups or setouts in Region 1.

In the .PRO file which determines the regions and the sequence,AG4 writes the following:

Blaine Lake Sub to North Battleford and return,12,1,2

Here you see the Path name, the maximum numbers of cars at starting point and the work sequence, (1,2)

The last two numbers are the one we discuss here.


However, when asking AG to Generate the work including the final destination in Region 1, the departure point, here what AG replies to such request (Look at the first screenshot)



To solve the problem a change has been done to the .PRO file manually to include the remaining sequence of the work which looks like this after the manual change.

Blaine Lake Sub to North Battleford and return,12,1,2,2,1

(changes are in bold and italic)

Following the change and when re-generating the same workload AG4 finally includes the ignored siding, as seen in the second

screenshot.



As seen in the shot, the WB pickup at Denholm is the first task, ( the first "1" in the PRO file) the setout at NB yard 3 siding is the "2". The pickup at the same NB yard 3 siding becomes the second "2" and the final setout at Denholm is the last "1".


The same has been done to the CP Template to include works in both CN and CP yards and with the exact situation

Is it the proper way to handle such a situation? Or is there something simpler.

Your comments are welcome

[sgdavis]

To solve the problem a change has been done to the .PRO file manually to include the remaining sequence of the work which looks like this after the manual change.

Blaine Lake Sub to North Battleford and return,12,1,2,2,1

(changes are in bold and italic)

Denis,

You don't need to do that. But if the path will be a turn, you should set it up with region 1 twice directly in the pro file. What you did by editing the .pro file basically accomplished the same thing (except, you don't need to add '2' twice). If the player can visit region 1, then 2, then 1, then when you are telling AG the order in which the regions are worked, you need to enter region 1 into the list first, then region 2, then region 1 again, since, that's the order in which the regions are visited.

If on the other hand this were a "through" train going in only one direction and not reversing, you would just tell AG the regions in the path were region 1 and region 2.

Very creative solution though!

Thanks,

Steve

[dgionet]

Denis,

You don't need to do that. But if the path will be a turn, you should set it up with region 1 twice directly in the pro file. What you did by editing the .pro file basically accomplished the same thing (except, you don't need to add '2' twice). If the player can visit region 1, then 2, then 1, then when you are telling AG the order in which the regions are worked, you need to enter region 1 into the list first, then region 2, then region 1 again, since, that's the order in which the regions are visited.

If on the other hand this were a "through" train going in only one direction and not reversing, you would just tell AG the regions in the path were region 1 and region 2.

Very creative solution though!

Thanks,

Steve

Hi Steve,

Thanks for the info. Well understood.I was able to define in the same way the region paths with AG with the oncoming Western Cape template. The Blackfoot template will be modified the same way and there may be one change to the GEXR template made last year. One of the paths is a return one and think it has the same problem that explained on the post.

Thanks Steve

Denis

[dgionet]

Hi to all,

Just to say that I have received the final copy of the route and have tested the templates with the route re-installed. Looks Ok to be uploaded and the route's release is expected soon. Be on the lookout for the template package after its release.

[dgionet]

Following the official release of the Blackfoot 2 route, stock and activities today at the MLT Downloads-Mophouse site ( route only at TS), I have sent to Steve the template package for uploading to the templates page.

[sgdavis]

Following the official release of the Blackfoot 2 route, stock and activities today at the MLT Downloads-Mophouse site ( route only at TS), I have sent to Steve the template package for uploading to the templates page.

The template has now been posted to our templates page. Get it there or directly from http://www.skylinecomputing.com/downloads/...ot2Template.zip

Enjoy!