Canadian Pacific Ac4400 Dpu Setup In Scenarios

Discussion in 'General Discussion' started by cwf.green, Oct 18, 2020.

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  1. cwf.green

    cwf.green Well-Known Member

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    I'm trying to build a scenario using the CP AC4400 from Searchlight simulations (steam version) but I can't get the DPUs to work correctly.

    My consist is Lead-Trail-Trail (3x traction at the head) and then 80 grain hoppers from Jointed Rail (the manual says JR or Searchlight cars are the only ones supported) and then DPU1 after the last car and DPU2 at the rear (2x DPU).

    When I start the scenario I have the yellow MFD message ETD Emergency Disabled and the rear brake pipe reading is *** as if there is no connection to the ETD.

    Should I use a ETD car at the end even if I use DPUs?
     
  2. aeterna

    aeterna New Member

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    You shouldn’t need to, can you try again replacing consist with the coal wagons comes with the original dlc? I think the culprit is the grain hoppers not sending correct signal to the dpus.
     
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  3. cwf.green

    cwf.green Well-Known Member

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    Thanks for the suggestion! It worked. My JR freight cars were about a year old so perhaps there are updates to make them compatible with the AC4400, I will try to redownload them.
     
  4. breblimator

    breblimator Guest

    If I remember correctly, there is a whole chapter about it in the manual :)
     
  5. cwf.green

    cwf.green Well-Known Member

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    Yeah, I read that part and followed it (in terms of DPU setup) but the freight cars were the culprit ;)
     
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  6. cwf.green

    cwf.green Well-Known Member

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    Hmmmm. I encountered some weird issues in (a modified version of) Scenario 3 (going down the grade, can't remember the name off the top of my head). I noticed that the freight cars used were the default well cars that come with the route. Due to this the ETD doesn't seem to work, so I went in to the editor and swapped out the freight cars for the free Jointed Rail well cars and all the readings on the MFD worked.

    However, about an hour into the scenario after stopping for the meeting train I lost rear brake pipe reading (red indication). I've had this issue before with the JR wellcars but usually the connection is recovered after a while. This time it didn't and when going down a shallow grade a few miles after the siding I needed to apply the brakes but even going into emergency gave no brake effort.

    Is this just a case of incompatibility with the freight cars or can the problem be solved without restarting the scenario? I haven't finished the scenario in it's default setup but it seems weird that the Milepost freight cars would be used if they aren't supported.
     
  7. aeterna

    aeterna New Member

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    It’s nothing you do wrong, there was a bug in air pipe simulation that has been fixed after steam release. You can find the patch on their website, ac4400cw page under downloads tab, 1.1.0.6 or something. They will send the fix to DTG eventually but for now you can download from there.

    same thing was happening to me also but after the patch, i never had that problem.
     
  8. anthony.wood

    anthony.wood Active Member

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    Periodically losing comms with the ETD is a simulated feature. As for DP setup, you should only use one "DP" unit per consist. A consist is a single or multiple unit set of locomotives. So in the case you want to run 2x2, you should arrange your consist Lead-Trail/train/DP1-Trail. Using DP1-DP2 in the same engine consist would confuse the air brake simulation into thinking it's got 3 active locomotives in train contributing to brake pipe pressure changes.

    The only time one should use DP1 and DP2 in the same train (not consist) is if say you were running 1x1x1. Lead/Train/DP1/Train/DP2.

    Anywho, it sounds like it was sorted with a version update from our website, glad it's working for you!

    For those of you wanting the train communication continuity with unsupported cars, it takes a bit of editing of a cars' bin file to add the scriptcomponent to them, but be aware to not expect the correct braking/weight physics with them as loadable cars physics are known to be wonky at best.
     
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  9. cwf.green

    cwf.green Well-Known Member

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    Thanks Anthony. Maybe that's what I was doing wrong in my initial scenario, I used Lead+Trail+Trail-car...-DP1+DP2.

    Do you have any ideas to why I got the red (empty, not ***) rear brake pipe pressure indication on the MFD and loss of brakes?
    Also, are the Milepost well cars modified such that they are compatible (if using the steam version)?
    Lastly, since I'm using the Steam version, I presume this update will take some time to get to Steam?
     
  10. anthony.wood

    anthony.wood Active Member

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    Red normally would indicate emergency or low BP pressure, but it sounds like you ran across the bug that we squashed with 1.1.0.6.
     
  11. JustWentSouth

    JustWentSouth Well-Known Member

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    There is also a patch on the Searchlight Simulations website for the Steam DLC version of the engine. Just click on this link and go to the downloads section.

    https://www.store.searchlight-simulations.com/ss-ac4400-cp-gb
     
  12. cwf.green

    cwf.green Well-Known Member

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    Thanks, everyone, for the help! The patch fixed my issues.

    I have slightly off topic question: I'm almost done with the CMP scenarios and while trying the AC4400 in some homemade scenarios I noticed that at least both of Pacific Surfliner and Soldier Summit has pretty major signaling issues (for example only Approach and now Advance Approach aspect on PS even though the track speed was 55mph and signaling distance about 0.6 mile = SPAD).

    Does anyone have recommendations for NA routes with realistic signaling that are appropriate for the AC4400 (doesn't have to be a CP route specifically)?

    EDIT: For those that want to edit freight cars according to Anthony's instructions and also want realistic braking physics, this might help.

    NA freight cars have loaded net braking ratios between 8.5% and 13% and tare NBR of up to 38%.
    The MaxBrakeForceByWeight value in the .bin file is the retarding force as a percentage of the mass of the car. Since the NBR is the force acting on the wheel tread you need to multiply it by the coefficient of friction and g (9.81m/s^2). The AC4400 doesn't model tread brake physics (the force is constant vs speed) so an average value has to be used, this would be around 0.35.

    As an example for a freight car with a NBR of 11% the MaxBrakeForceByWeight value would then be: (11% * 9.81 * 0.35) = 38. Basically this value could realistically vary between 29 and 45.
     
    Last edited: Oct 20, 2020
  13. JustWentSouth

    JustWentSouth Well-Known Member

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    Thanks for the physics recommendations. I’m not that far into the weeds… Yet!

    As for routes, I love running the AC 4400 on Montana Hi-Line. There aren’t many workshop scenarios for the Hi-Line. However, High Iron Simulations has a nice scenario pack that is currently on sale from DTG.

    If you can’t purchase that route, Sherman Hill is also excellent with many scenarios that the 4400 easily subs into.
     
  14. cwf.green

    cwf.green Well-Known Member

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    Wow, I didn't know that route existed! I have the old Marias Pass, is it a completely new route?

    I was looking at the other Milepost routes (Yellowhead Pass and Peace River specifically) since their routes seems to hold a high quality.
     
  15. Blacknred81

    Blacknred81 Well-Known Member

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    The Montana Hi Line was released last December
     
  16. JustWentSouth

    JustWentSouth Well-Known Member

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    It picks up where Marias Pass ends. In the workshop, someone has merged the two routes.

    There are some excellent reviews and I think they are all well deserved. It’s fast, scenic, and challenging. Searchlight Simulations BN SD40-2s fit in well here along with the CP unit

    https://store.steampowered.com/app/1055338/Train_Simulator_Montana_HiLine_Shelby__Havre_Route_AddOn/
     
  17. treid09

    treid09 Guest

    I would recommend the Livonia Division: Monroe Sub from Skyhook Games. This route offers a good chance to run the unit oil trains to south Louisiana. These often have Canadian power on them (CP or CN). A great chance to use the AC44. The route itself is extremely high quality, (great scenery, details, 150 miles of track, KCS yard and Vicksburg Sub traffic in Monroe, La). The JR tanks and 4730 PS covered hoppers from SS website would be a perfect fit.

    https://store.dovetailgames.com/us/...onia-division-monroe-subdivision-route-add-on
     
  18. cwf.green

    cwf.green Well-Known Member

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    Oh, right. Shelby to Havre, not Shelby to Whitefish.

    I noticed a scenario pack was made for this route, have you tried it?

    Very interesting! I love me some tank trains :D
     
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  19. JustWentSouth

    JustWentSouth Well-Known Member

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    I can’t remember which scenarios came with the route and which were from the High Iron Sims pack, but they were all good!
    “Chester Westbound” by Daniel Higginz is on the Workshop and is also very good.
     
  20. JustWentSouth

    JustWentSouth Well-Known Member

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    Also, quick drives on the Hi Line have a reasonable amount of AI that sometimes requires you to stop.
     
  21. cwf.green

    cwf.green Well-Known Member

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    Do you have any knowledge about how these unit oil trains would run? By that I mean start point/end point or crew change point on the route and perhaps if they commonly have to stop? Not being from the area (or the continent) I am clueless about the operations there but I'd love to try to create some interesting scenarios with the AC4400 and oil tank cars.
     
  22. treid09

    treid09 Guest

    Sorry, can't help you there, man. That AC44 is pretty amazing though, isn't it? I look forward to using it one day.
     

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