Hello everyone, After watching on Mattpeddlesden YouTube channel his very helpful series tutorials on TSW (thanks Mr. Matt), I ask this question how to do to setup the lights from the lead MU (Multiple Unit) and the rear end loco MU on a consist when these MU rear end are with the radios linked. Does it possible to command the lights on the rear end loco MU from the lead front MU loco itself ? By the way the Mr. Mattpeddlesden video demonstration focus on only a single Multiple Unit with 4 locos coupled but when we have a consist with MU locos on front then frets cars and also MU locos on the rear I wished to know if the demonstration is the same to be applied. I doubt because the rear end locos are commanded with radios and we must set the lead loco MU at the rear as drivable like it was a second real driver into them. Any suggestion appreciated or at the best a short video how to do. And yes I read the entire TSW manual, watched many videos on TSW Youtubers but never saw what I'm asking for. Thanks for the help and advices. Cheers Gerard
With the older EMDs (GP38-2, SD40-2 GP40-2) there is actually no way to send any MU commands over radio to rear DPUs...not without some absurd setups that CP tried before radio MU got standardized. The radio control of EMD DPUs in TSW is simulated as if there is another crew member in the rear set of locomotives that you are talking to over the radio (which is what would be done in real life) by having controls in the rear of train locomotives being moved as you move the same controls up front. Headlights are the one thing that can't be controlled in the back from the front at all. You have to manually go into the cabs of the rear units in order to do anything with trailing headlights. A special thing to note with the EMDs is that one of the rear units has to be set up as if it were a lead unit (all other rear DPUs set to trailing as usual though); that means leaving the radio on, leaving all the control switches on, leaving brakes cut in. If another crew member is back there, they would need to be able to control everything, after all, since the control can't come from up front. The AC4400CW is a totally different story. Those can transmit power and lighting commands across radio distances. In those cases, just set up the unit's headlights as usual, acting as if the train cars are not even there: lead unit switch set to lead, the very last unit switch set to trailing, all others set to middle unit. Only thing to note is that the lead unit and at least one rear DPU have to have the radio turned on for anything to work, while all other radios should be off to avoid problems. And a bit of headlight etiquette for you: Number board lights are only turned on in the front of the leading locomotive, so leave those off mostly. Also, trailing headlight setup is always dim lights with ditch lights off...DTG seems to think it is headlights off but ditchlights on, which is very wrong. And don't set up a locomotive to be trailing headlights if it is in the middle of the train. DTG also does that wrong.
Oh many thanks for these accuracies and overall how to setup the loco rear end set about the dim lights on. Ok for the different behaviour between the GP38/GP40/SD40 and the AC4400CW. For example if I use a set of GP38 and GP40 as a rear set MU of locos, and also a set of GP38/GP40 as a set of lead MU, saying radio controlled for the rear set MU, I must to setup the front end loco as a drivable loco = DPU (like if it is a driver on board controlling this loco) setting the switch front head lights to off and the rear lights switch to on (Dim) then MU lights to "controlling from loco coupled at the long hood" if it is the case obviously, then on the end rear set MU loco the lights controlled switch MU set to "controlled by either short or long hood ? If I understand well the logic how the lights are controlled that does be the right setup... By DPU you means Drivable Power Unit right ? Anyway many thanks for your interest and your response that will help me to understand better how to set the switch lights. Cheers Gerard
By DPU I mean distributed power unit. That's the term for any locomotive that is not connected to the lead locomotive directly. (So the engines up front are not DPUs, but any sets of engines at the end of the train or in between train cars are DPUs) But yes, the rear one would need to be set up as driveable, and as for what you should set the light switches to, that depends, but remember that the rear ones don't respond to what happens up front. So in the front, you'd probably leave it at controlling with one coupled to the long hood, but in the back, I would leave both locomotives set up as single units, get in the cab of the very last locomotive, and turn on the headlights in that cab instead of messing about.
Ok thank you very much. I learned something I was not aware with => distributed not drivable. Sorry for my poor English. yes well understood if I wish to light up the rear end loco, I'm just to go on board of this loco and set the light switch as needed. I simply was thinking of too complicated setup while it is so simple to do to make the right setup. Thank you very much for your help and have a very good nice time on TSW. May be if I don't come back here before the new Year, I wish you and yours a very Happy New Year. All the best Cheers Gerard
Hello yes indeed very instructive informations about the lights setup and the others informations. I tested on the scenario "Fully Fuelled" with two set MU's of GP38's and I believe GP40's (I can be wrong as I don't know really the aspect difference apart the power motors and some others stuff)... and considering these two set MU's as a separate set of MU's when I get on board the rear set MU's on the lead loco, I set the loco as driveable and for the lights I switch on the dashboard the front lights and the ditch lights aswell to off then set the rear lights switch to Dim and on the back wall from the seat driver I switch the MU control lights to "controlling from the long hood"; obviously I don't miss to set the radio control to on and switch the number lights front and rear to off. After that I go to the end rear loco and switch all the lights on the dashboard to off then switch the MU control lights on the wall to " controlled from either the short or long hood. Finally I can walk to the lead front MU loco's of the consist get on board to the lead loco and switch on the dashboard the front lights and ditch lights to on, the rear light to off then on the back wall switch the rear number light to off the front number light to on and set the radio to active then going back to the rear directly coupled loco setup the brakes systems to cut out and controlled by the lead loco and for the lights I switch on the dashboard all switches to off and on the back wall switch off the radio all the numbers lights to off and set the lights MU to "Single or Middle". Now I'm ready to start, and all the lights are working as expected from the up front to the back rear. I wish you all a very good evening and Happy New Year 2018. Thanks for the help. Cheers Gerard
There you go, running just as the real railroads would do it. If only we could drive these big trains that we build without the game getting upset. Maybe bigger and more complicated trains will come in 2018.
I do it like this on PC. If you hold Ctrl then + or - you can sit in each successive loco cab. It will say 'Sitting' at top right/ If the consist is very long (mine currently almost 15,000 tons and well nearly 6,000 feet long) moving takes a few seconds. Once in the back loco I turn on the headlights. This can be tricky in the dark, and the moving can be hit and miss, but it DOES work, and still works in TSW4. Good luck
