Hi Steve!

I just wanted to stop by and thank you for a most enjoyable six hours that I spent yesterday and today working the Havre - Great Falls leg of this route (I actually just went to Ft Benton). Very nice!

I did have one head-scratching occurrence at Ft Benton. As I entered Ft Benton from the East, the switch into Ft Benton Elevator 3 was set for the through path (correctly) and I proceeded on into the town. A few minutes later, I backed up through this same switch, and when I moved forward again, it had become set to the diverging path (into the siding) and I couldn't pull forward because one of the cars was tangled in the switch. I had to back up until the entire train was clear of the switch, and then reset it. No problems after that.

I'm familiar with the "spring switch" problem of moving through a switch from the diverging side and then trying to back up, but this is the first time I've encountered this situation. Since I couldn't have operated the switch from the side that I was on, and the "dispatcher" would have had no reason to operate it, I'm at a loss as to how it got changed.

Anyway, good job (again)! Thanks for your efforts.

One of the quirks of MSTS. Anytime the engine is separated from the rest of the train, the switches are reset to their normal positions. If possible, never uncouple a train where the remaining section is left over any switches that you have thrown. If you do leave them over switches, the cars will hang up over them if you try a reverse move. The basic rule with stopping on a spring switch, always keep moving in the original direction you were heading. Never do a reverse move if you stop a train over a spring switch. The same rule modified to say any switch that was thown from its normal position in MSTS.

Jim

Jim gave a great answer to the switch question.

Thanks for the compliments regarding the template activities. Steve worked hard on the AG4 software and on this template, with the express purpose of increasing everyone's enjoyment of the sim. It is good to get feed back from others such as yourself and Jim so that we know that our efforts are not in vain.

Hi Jim!

Thanks for the reply. Actually, I'm familiar with the situation that you describe -- that's not what happened. The switch was set for the through path, and I never changed it (in fact, I couldn't have changed it if I wanted to -- after I passed through it, I was on the wrong side of it to be able to change it manually). After I passed through it, it changed to the diverging path.

I can think if two more ways it can change. That must have been an AI dispatcher controlled switch. Normally, even for manually controlled switches, they will normally reset to their normal position after you pass. If you left cars on the other side, you would have to use AG to change all the switches over to manual so you can get back over. Another way is the based on the traffic and AI dispatcher. Taking into consideration the timing and how many reverse moves you have made, the dispatcher sometimes looses the location of the player. That can change the position of switches and signal indications for the player. That usually comes into play if you are on a route with passing sidings or you are switching mains.

Jim

I think that's exactly what must have happened. I have the player path through the siding I believe so the sidings can be worked. I don't have any reverse points or switch throws in there or anything like that.

Thanks for the kind words and helpful advice!

Best,

Steve

Click to view attachment

I've spent some more time with the problem, and now I see what's happening. I'm not new to MSTS, but this is a new one on me. The siding switches don't perform the way I thought they did. I'll explain the situation here in case anyone else runs into a similar situation.

The basic situation is depicted in the picture. You're moving on the main line, from A to B. You stop between A and B to make a pickup from the siding. You leave your train between A and B, and move your locomotive to the left, beyond B, so that you can throw the switch and back into the siding.

You now have your locomotive stopped beyond B, ready to throw the switch and back into the siding. When you throw the switch at B, the switch at A remains set for the through path. As soon as the rear of your power lashup enters the switch at B, the switch at A moves to the diverging path (into the siding). The switch at A remains turned into the siding while you are on the siding.

When you move your power back onto the main at B, and reset the switch at B to the through path, the switch at A remains turned into the siding. When you back onto the B switch (backing on the main to your train), the switch at A resets to the through path. The switch stands have their own little routine that I won't go into here, other than to say that they don't necessarily match what the switch is doing.

This interconnection between the switches was a surprise for me. I had always thought that if you backed into the siding at B, the switch at A wouldn't change unless you backed right up to it. So I guess the moral of the story is don't stop your train on top of the A switch if you're in this situation.

Good job describing this issue, it should be helpful to others. I have seen this same thing happen myself. It is all part of MSTS trying to make things easy by throwing switches for the user so you don't run a switch thrown the wrong way, like you can with a model railroad or the real thing. But the thing is, once a switch has been operated manually, if the path has already passed that switch, the AI dispatcher will usually not reset it.

If there is AI traffic though and this is a "dispatcher controlled" switch then the switch will be thrown back when that AI train comes through. Then again, another MSTS issue, if this was a MANUAL switch you had better throw it back yourself (I realize it wasn't in this case) OR any AI traffic will be stopped at it or take the diverging path. The AI dispatcher WILL throw "manual" switches UNTIL the player throws one and then the player position takes priority.

This stuff is too weird to make up, that's the way it works though. Let's hope MSTS-X behaves a little better!

Thanks,

Steve