Sandpatch - Disappointing

Discussion in 'TSW General Discussion' started by OldVern, Nov 20, 2020.

  1. Jonsutt1

    Jonsutt1 Active Member

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    Just done a test in Cumberland Yard using four locos. Using Geloxo's excellent table, I configured the first two locos as a leading group and the rear two as a banking group (with imaginary wagons between the groups). The brakes worked correctly in all locos and all locos provided power. I was able to use Ctrl+ to toggle between the cabs of a group and Ctrl- to toggle between groups. So could check events in every cab.

    In the Fully Fuelled scenario, you have to attach a pair of locos to the back of a train to act as bankers. There is already a pair of locos at the front. Unfortunately, Ctrl- doesn't seem to work in this scenario so can only use Ctrl+ to toggle between cabs within whichever group you happen to be in. Only way to move between groups seems to be to run the half mile length of the train. I guess this is a bug in the scenario.
     
  2. anthony.wood

    anthony.wood Active Member

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    Jesus christ. None of these complaints with setting up DPU would exist if they had followed how actual DP setup works.
     
  3. ivan19

    ivan19 Member

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    bo, day, I come to buy it on November 1, I find it good

    But when I get to scenario 5 feed america 1

    it bug and I send multiple messages so that it can be repaired

    other than blah, it looks like they don't want to fix it the bug in the base games

    I find it a bit ashamed to have paid 30 euros and that it is buggy and impossible to advance in the games

    other than that, he's good
     
  4. geloxo

    geloxo Well-Known Member

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    Sorry to bump this old discussion but I just noticed than in some train consists the rear groups engines are not always started (no sound no smoke). For example in "Powering America Part 2" the rear AC4400 engine is turned off upon start and player is not instructed to turn it on, so that engine goes dead. This could be also the case in other scenarios and services.

    Unless the engine is intentionally turned off due to a failure simulated, be sure to check that all engines are running in addition to use the correct setup for remote controlling the banking groups as well. The best is to make a quick check before starting using the external cameras. When everything is working you should hear the engine as you increase power, see its smoke and also see the throttle and reverser controls being moved in the banking groups leading engines (not on the slaves) when you operate your main leading engine. If not then something is wrong.

    As said above you can aslo quick jump to the cabs using the Ctrl+- and Ctrl+0 to come back to main cab if you were on foot.

    Cheers
     
    Last edited: Dec 30, 2020
  5. Callum B.

    Callum B. Well-Known Member

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    I wonder if we've scared off breblimator... I was hoping he would get back to me to see if he can reproduce the braking issues I was experiencing. Hope he's doing well.

    Yep. I've just got in the habit of setting all locomotives in my consist up correctly and not just the lead unit. Thankfully I know the whole procedure from having done it countless times outside of TSW, but it is definitely hit or miss for anyone who just wants to grab the throttle and go. An instruction to use the Banking Comm in a tutorial somewhere would probably go a long way. ;)
     
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  6. Anthony Pecoraro

    Anthony Pecoraro Well-Known Member

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    It is running, but the sounds aren't working for some reason. It does contribute power.
     
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  7. LeadCatcher

    LeadCatcher Well-Known Member

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    Probably because “action points” really are not my thing and the medals that mean something to me I earned in the military ( :) ) - I always go through a start-up check off list on the locomotives before starting out. Especially on Sand Patch Grade, this insures that the DPUs and MUs are set up correctly and feels like the proper thing to do as a driver.

    By doing this, I eliminate the problems most report on this route.
     
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  8. Anthony Pecoraro

    Anthony Pecoraro Well-Known Member

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    I do that too.
     
  9. geloxo

    geloxo Well-Known Member

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    Ok, thanks for the clarification Anthony.

    Yeap me too. I like to follow the procedures, even if it´s just to check that all systems are fine. Indeed I prefer that things need to be manually set prior to services. I always do a traction and brakes test at all services in all routes. Having so many systems to check is one of the best features american engines have compared to others.

    Cheers
     
  10. Crosstie

    Crosstie Well-Known Member

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    I agree. SPG is still my favorite route, partially because of the loco setup. I would not enjoy it anywhere near as much if it were simply "jump in the cab and go".
     
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  11. breblimator

    breblimator Guest

    Oh, that's very nice, thank You!
    I hope all of you are doing well in these strange times.
    What's the question? I fell out of circulation a bit - did they break something again? Eh, DTG... :)
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Dec 30, 2020
  12. LeadCatcher

    LeadCatcher Well-Known Member

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    No - nothing broken other than needing to set-up the locomotives correctly as in RL :)
     
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  13. Stockton Rails

    Stockton Rails Well-Known Member

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    ...this is exactly what I do as well- set up the locos per the DPU procedure used IRL (leaving nothing to chance):

    - set up (or ‘condition’ as they call it) the DPU units first, setting them up as a standard MU pair (except with the brakes set to Cut-out on both locos)... note the radio circuit breaker should also be set to On in the lead unit
    - set up the lead units at the front of the train next, as a standard MU pair (brakes set to Freight on lead, and set to Cut-out on trailing unit)... note the radio circuit breaker should also be set to On in the lead unit
    - finally, turn on the banking radio *only* in the lead unit at the front of the train which should then enable sync between the lead locos and the DPU locos

    This is about as simplified as I can make it... and this order of operations mimics what they do in real life (for folks interested in following that procedure). Three easy steps to follow and anyone should be good to go.
     
    Last edited: Dec 30, 2020
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  14. breblimator

    breblimator Guest

    I also noticed that some people forget about the radio fuse - the banking comm will not work then. Just by the way :)

    PS: The best, most correct 'tutorial' in the game is the Cumberland Charge mission!
     
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  15. Stockton Rails

    Stockton Rails Well-Known Member

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    ...yep- the radio ‘circuit breakers’ also need to be turned on in the lead unit in the DPU pair, and in the lead unit at the front of the train for banking to work. They are on by default I believe, but should be called out as well. Thanks!
     
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  16. davidh0501

    davidh0501 Well-Known Member

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    "And so one just man will become an army"

    It's a it like the thousand monkeys typing for thousands of years.
    Eventually one will type Newton's Principia.

    So too will a thousand simmers find all of DTG's bugs...
     
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  17. LeadCatcher

    LeadCatcher Well-Known Member

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    While the statement might have a shard of truth - we are not talking about a bug - but how to set-up the DPU's and MU's in the simulation with the MU's being representative of a manned helper --
     
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  18. geloxo

    geloxo Well-Known Member

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    Another topic is the C40-8W. Currently the banking com button is not available in the radio panel (not interactive). Is there any way to use this engine as leader of other groups? I have not tested that yet to be honest.

    Cheers
     
  19. Anthony Pecoraro

    Anthony Pecoraro Well-Known Member

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    Manually control the helpers, ctrl +
     
  20. Crosstie

    Crosstie Well-Known Member

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    You can set up the rear helpers, but without the Radio HOTD and Banking Com switched in, how specifically would you control them?
     
  21. Anthony Pecoraro

    Anthony Pecoraro Well-Known Member

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    As if you were driving it. Move the throttle, then go back to the lead cab.
     
  22. Steve Davis

    Steve Davis New Member

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    Yes - I’ve had this EXACT issue. I had a manifest set up as 2 x 2 (2 locos on the front, 2 on the rear). Released all brakes and confirmed. It was snowing and I couldn’t get the train to move: notch 4 it moved the front end until the slack all pulled out (very realistic/nice touch BTW!) and at notch 5 I started to get wheel slip. Turning on the sand didn’t help.

    How did I figure it out? I could hear the lead 2 locos throttling up and loading as I increased the throttle, but going to the rear view I could immediately tell that those rear locos remained in idle no matter how I adjusted the throttle. So I knew right away that the rear locos were holding the train back.

    I then googled ‘setting up the DPU on TSW2 Sandpatch’ (or something like that) and I immediately found some great text and video tutorials on how to correctly set up each of the locos, and also found the “cheat”. Which is to turn on the “Banking Comm” using the radio in the lead loco (which is not a feature on a real US locomotive). Pushing that basically causes the game to perform all of the setup steps, which is non-trivial. Also, while I called it a ‘cheat’, to be fair, if a train is ready for a crew, the previous crew or whomever assembled the train would have set up all the DPU beforehand so unless you as player are building the train (attaching/coupling the lead locos and attaching the DPUs) you wouldn’t typically have to do any of that.
     
  23. breblimator

    breblimator Guest

    [Ctrl][=] cab change [..A..][..B..].. .. .. .. .. ..
    [Ctrl][-] loco set change [..A..][..A..].. .. .. .. .. ..[..B..][..B..]

    Sometimes it doesn't work, but :)

    Press [1] after [Ctrl][-] combo to 'confirm' heh DTG...

    \o/

    PS and happy new year \o/ \o/ \o/
     
  24. Crosstie

    Crosstie Well-Known Member

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    Banking Com is actually not a "cheat". It's there to mimic the radio communications with the " driver " in the rear helpers. Unfortunately, it's not functional in the C40-8W for unknown reasons. Actually these days, there really are systems that remotely control locos throughout the train. So it's not entirely fictional.
     
    Last edited: Jan 1, 2021
  25. solicitr

    solicitr Well-Known Member

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    Confirmed. The issue is a sound bug (wotta surprise)- the rear pair are running and do provide power/dynamic braking (ran a 50-car consist up the Grade in Notches 6 and 7 with a drag brake for maintaining- plenty of power). You can watch the banking MU lead throttle and reverser move in sync with the train lead. But for whatever reason their engine sound is absent.
     
  26. Crosstie

    Crosstie Well-Known Member

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    Yet, if you get out of the driving cab and walk/run to the back of the train, you can hear the helper engines idling, if I recall correctly.
     
  27. solicitr

    solicitr Well-Known Member

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    Yes. The problem is, the "idle" sound file loops forever, no matter what the engine is actually doing.
     

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