Hi I thought I'd try this service with the F7, to start off the Mastery challenge of loading 60 coal wagons. The loading is in two parts. The first went OK; I had to wait about 10 minutes for a path out of the loading siding (red stop board), but I could see from the map that a train was going to pass so I was happy to wait. I then shunted over to the run-round siding, dumped the 3 loaded wagons and went back over to load the other 3. Again all OK, except this time I could not get permission to leave the loading siding. Denied! I looked at the map to see if anything was coming; nothing was. I waited 30 minutes, trying every so often. Nope. Saved and re-loaded. Nope. In the end I gave up! I don't know if this was just a quirk at my end, or whether it's a bug that everyone will get. Guess it needs a few more of you to try it out and let us know
I managed to get through this service no issues, my requests for passing signals were always good (aside from waiting for that passing service). The only issue I had was I only got a silver medal (no speeding or hard coupling and it took about 47 minutes) I wonder what the gold medal value is on this service.
Try sneaking up to the board when asking for permission, I was having the same issue until I tried this.
Got the message that I was off path. It may be that I did not properly ask for permission one time. I will try it again. EDIT: I tried again and it works fine now. It is important to watch carefully for all signals, and you may have to wait a long time for passing express trains. Taking that into account it is a nice service to play.
If the light signal on the other track next to the mine is showing green then there is another train using that section and you do not have permission to pass. If it is red then I think you can go even if you get permission denied message/see a red on the HUD/map. This is odd because normally this means a SPAD in TSW. Played Berta Coal Loading a few times now and it has been the same result each time. I can pass the red board thing with no SPAD despite the signaller denying permission and the HUD signal showing red.
I did try that. It worked, but when I stopped the other side of the tunnel to reverse the signal wouldn't clear. When I tabbed the dispatcher denied me because I was off-path, so I was scuppered!
Same problem "Your train appears to be off path." Nonsense! I went exactly where I was told and stopped on the marker. Has anyone solved this issue?
There is a bug that allow you procced to mainline when you uncouple first 3 loaded cars. You should wait till southbound train clear the path.
I don't quite understand. This bug doesn't let me get to the point where I uncouple the first 3 loaded cars: it gives me a permanent red on the other side of the tunnel.
Maybe it's timing in case. I uncouple cars and stuck "off path" with second hopper trio and can't procced to Berta Mine. Southbound signal was clear so I somehow took over the AI manifest path.
IMHO this is why switching activities need to be free roam and not tied to triggers or go to specific markers. As I said in another thread, my train, my yard let me shunt as I see fit.
Problem with that is that the switches are necessarily automatically controlled, not manual, because you keep venturing onto the main line and they can't have you blocking traffic. What's needed here is a fix for the fatally bugged signals.
How? The signaller when contacted at the red stop-and-ask sign (after loading the first hoppers) responds with "Denied. Wait for signal to change," which is ridiculous because it's a painted board. And if you drive through anyway there is no SPAD. But then, after you get to the reversal point on the other side of the tunnel, the signal is red and will not change at all. Ditto
This service took me a couple times because of these same issues, and then I took a look at the map b/c I noticed the mainline signal had gone green. There's another train heading south on the mainline that has priority but there's no instruction to wait for it (weird b/c the train that passes at the start does). After loading the first 3 cars, you have to wait like 10 minutes for the train to make it to you and then about another 5 before it clears the signal about 2 miles south, then you can complete the scenario and the dispatcher works as it should. No idea why you're still able to leave the siding despite getting denied. IMO that sitting for ~15 minutes is a really bad player experience. It may be prototypical for the real world, but I don't wanna just sit around and do nothing when I'm trying to play the game. Small waits are fine (2-3 minutes), but 15 is a bit excessive
I guess in reality you would be doing maintenance on the machine or something useful, but in a computer game, sitting for 15 minutes with nothing to do, is a little crazy!
Not completely ridiculous. There is an express train that reserves the block. I agree a real dispatch might grant you access, because you have enough time to clear the track, but this is a game limitation. The wait for signal to change is technically correct. You might argue about how the simulation is build.
Fresh from my eventual success with Limited Power, I decided to try this again and was successful I think the 'don't save / resume' advice was the key thing that helped me. There was also a sneaky 'stop at' marker right on the buffer of the loading siding after loading the second (3 car) cut. I ended up having to re-reverse to get that one. I suspect skipping that would cause problems further on, but luckily I spotted it. Anyway. onwards and upwards!
All right- got it. The problem was that there is a train coming through- but you have to wait nearly twenty minutes for it to show up, roll by and then clear the signal block a mile and a half on. Wait for it, then the signaler gives you a 'proceed restricted' and all is good. My problem the first time was lack of patience, and assuming a bug where there was none.
Same here, Guess it's a bug as I have practically gold one everything else (I actually made a thread about this issue)
Lose-lose situation for DTG? Some want maximum realism and "immersion" while others want easy "play" and what might be called "submersion" (in awards and goodies). I understand both of these positions without adhering to either of them and without labeling every challenge a "bug" or everything that annoys or puzzles me "broken". My goal is to enjoy rather than to be annoyed.
Exactly. The point of playing Clinchfield is experiencing railroading on the Clinchfield- including the vagaries of a single-track line with its attendant delays. You want easy and quick, play SKA.
2½ years on and I've just started playing Clinchfield, having picked it up in the TSW3 Humble Bundle. I wondered if it was a known issue and found this thread, thanks. It's still buggy (if you're slow?) - after filling the end 3 and before dumping them in the siding, the southbound express freight follows you into the loop you're in, west of the tunnel and prevents you doing anything other than proceeding west/southbound ahead of it. It obviously thinks it's royalty. After that first failed run, realising that the points were all set correctly and understanding the movements, I was able to proceed through it again quickly and completed it with a silver.
