PC Tsw 2 Distributed Power Not Working Correctly

Hi there,

I would like to report a bug regarding Distributed power while multiple locomotives are attached and have freight cars in between. I have a screenshot attached for refrence.

I first noticed this while running the "Fully Fueled" scenario on sand patch grade route. To start with, after attaching the 2 locomotives to the back of the train, the scenario promts you to set the MU-2A Valve to "Trail-6 or 26" (in TSW 2020 it left you in the "Lead or Dead" position as it should be following the instuctions mentioned in the wiki).

So qurious after attaching the 2 locomotives to the back of the train, i applied locomotive break to 100% in the lead locomotive at the front of the consist, and moved with outside camera to the rear of the train to see if there was any reading to the rear locomotive's amp meter. There wasn't. restarting the mission and manually selecting values according to wiki didn't have any effect

I run the scenario that puts you in a free yard and tried to replicate it. See screenshot attached.

So the correct setup should be (according to the wiki): https://train-sim-world.fandom.com/wiki/Driving_the_SD40-2,_GP38-2_and_GP40-2

Locomotive 1 (LEAD):
MU-2A valve -> Lead or Dead
Cutoff Valve -> Freight
Engine Run , Generator Field ,Control & Fuel Pump: ON
Radio -> On

Locomotive 2 (TRAIL):
MU-2A valve -> TRAIL 6 OR 26
Cutoff Valve -> Cutout
Engine Run , Generator Field ,Control & Fuel Pump: OFF
Radio -> Off

Locomotive 3 (Should be setup as a lead train):
MU-2A valve -> Lead or Dead
Cutoff Valve -> Freight
Engine Run , Generator Field ,Control & Fuel Pump: ON
Radio -> On

Locomotive 4 (TRAIL):
MU-2A valve -> TRAIL 6 OR 26
Cutoff Valve -> Cutout
Engine Run , Generator Field ,Control & Fuel Pump: OFF
Radio -> Off

I tried many combinations in the MU-2A valve in the Locomotive 3, can't get it to mimic the controls applied from the front leading locomotive.

So at this point, since this is reprodusable by anyone, I thought i should contact you guys and try to figure this out.

**EDIT just to have all the info in top post**
Compairing to TSW 2020, turning on the Banking COMMS only handles the throttle, not the breaks. It auto-configures the banking loco's cut-off valve to out and breaks to handle off. On the other hand, in TSW 2020 you can see locomotive's independent break apply on the banking loco aswell.

 

Try turning the radio on in the lead loco and activating the banking comm. I spent half hour or so yesterday with the same problem until I turned on the banking comm. it activates locos on the same train that are not directly connected to the lead loco.

 

Is there a banking comm button on the loco? I know there is one on the german lines with heavy freight services, but i cant find such button on the sand patch grade freight trains.

 

Holy smokes i found the button! It is marked as "DISP" Making it a whole lot confusing. It works properly now.

 

...a couple of things for you to try (I have some experience setting up fully-functional DPU trains in Oakville Sub, and they work as they should):

First sit in the seat of the lead unit up front, then use the in-game camera and place it near the rear loco pair- verify that you hear them both throttle up and down in sync with the lead pair up front (check out both exhausts if you can). If they don’t, I’d suggest you turn off the radio in the lead unit in the rear set, then head back to the lead unit up front and cycle the radio off then back on- then repeat your throttle sync test.

In addition, I ran into an issue in Oakville Sub where both lead units (the lead unit in the front pair and the lead unit in the DPU pair) must be the same type of loco. Is this the case in your train?

Keep me posted... I’ll help out as best I can. Note your loco configs look fine (except for the radio being on in the lead DPU unit). And you can ignore the fact that the controls aren’t moved in sync with the lead unit up front- it’s this same way in Oakville Sub... just focus on what the locos are actually doing.

(I see you actually got this up and running... congrats! I have to idea why that button on the banking radio in the sim functions as the banking on/off switch- IRL this button is related to contacting the Dispatcher (hence DISP written on the button). Who knows, DTG must’ve had a reason for it.)

(Edited 8/30/20: modified info in last paragraph related to DISP button on banking radio)

 

I tried mixing and matching trains a bunch of different locos now, and it works properly. It was just that pesky little "banking comm" button. Cheers for the reply.

 

No worries. Glad I could help

 

Does the 'banking comm' need to be on or off ?
IF 'on' in which Loco must it be on ?

 

On the lead locos, so the front lead and the rear lead, make sure you properly setup the lead/trail pair at the front and at the rear as well!

EDIT:
Yeah it needs to be on, and make sure the radio fuses on both lead locos are on as well!

 

Lead loco and first helper should be set the same. Second loco and second helper should be set the same. Hope that helps.

 

For timetable services where you spawn in the cab you only need to set up the loco you are driving, the rest will automatically be set up correctly when you turn the banking comm on, even if when you look in the cabs of the other locos some controls look like they are set wrongly.

Just switch the banking comm on, set your loco’s brakes correctly to ‘Cut-in’ or ‘freight’ and the MU-2A to ‘lead’ and drive off as you would in a single loco. It should all work correctly then. You shouldn’t have to do anything to any of the other locos (they are set to trail by default and controls respond to the banking comm in your loco). It should be like that in scenarios too unless part of the scenario involves you setting it all up. I haven’t done them all yet to check though.

It may not be the case if you’ve started a timetable service from free roam but I never do so I haven’t checked if the auto set up functions in that case, but unless you’ve already been fiddling with the controls in the rear locos it should be the same as spawning in the cab.

 

I am just following the game progression, when I did as the game advised for this scenario, i stalled on the climb as rear engines lead was setup incorrectly by the game, this scenario start is really buggy.

 

Well... sort of. Compairing to TSW 2020, turning on the Banking COMMS only handles the throttle, not the breaks. It auto-configures the banking loco's cut-off valve to out and breaks to handle off. On the other hand, in TSW 2020 you can see locomotive's independent break apply on the banking loco aswell.

 

...just clarifying an important point here- The circuit breakers for the banking radios must be on in the lead unit up front and in the lead unit in the helper pair at the back of the train (they should already be on by default). But the only banking radio that is actually turned on is the radio in the lead unit up front- and it’s only turned on *after* all of the locos have been configured.

 

The AC4400CW does not work as a DPU. Not in Powering America Part 2 anyway. I had all the radio and Distributed Power fuses on, and it still wasn't pushing.

 

TSW 2020 Manual's MU/DPU config works fine in terms of pushing... sometimes (Powering America 2 is a good example) but I have another problem. Using dynamic braking causes DPU power to push instead. And yeah, TSW 2 scenarios are so broken and it looks this is completely random...

 

Does it work in timetable mode?

 

I'm going throu Journeys now, so I play non-scenarios too, but DPU issue is a real nightmare half of the time. Loading checkpoints or saved games makes thing even worse - the game changes dpu's config in some way after that.

EDIT:

A completely different matter, in-game tutorials and the manual are two different things sometimes, as well as individual scenarios with different recommendations, e.g. in the context of an automatic brake - once Full service, sometimes Handle Off. I omit the subject of realism, but just now, trying to do the PA2, probably for the third time in a row, where TSW1 and TSW2020 did not create this type of problems - I set everything up myself, "I don't know how" and it works again... I recommend checking on the external camera, through the glass, whether the DPU responds correctly to commands. DOVETAIL, have mercy: D

 

I did. It wasn't doing anything. I used ctrl - to go to its cab and manually moved the throttle.

 

Are U sure?

My-TSW2-only-working-DPU configuration:

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1o7zeIn-Nshe7_bzqkd7hQg2QrV0G9xNvBevPoxTunA8/edit?usp=sharing

EDIT:

After loading the game save or the last checkpoint some things are rearranged and you have to check all locomotives on foot, at least for me ... "Engine Run Panel" is a real mess usually in such a situation.

 

Where is this Distributed Power Fuse in EMD engines?

 

Been a while since I did this scenario, but I followed breblimators setup in Powering America 2, and the rear loco pushed. I could see the power handle being linked and moved with the power handle in the lead AC4400.

 

I hadn't noticed that. I just played Cumberland Charge yesterday, used dynamic braking to hold speed all the way down the grade, and my EOT accelerometer stayed nicely with the cab one all the way down, meaning that the banking pair were doing their jobs.

 

Thanks for that I finally managed to complete Fully Fuelled. However as someone else mentioned, using dynamic brake on the lead local the DPUs on the rear of the train were pushing, not braking. When I stopped the train and went to uncouple them they were still set to forward reverser and throttle 5, until I climbed aboard and shut them down.

So looks like the dynamic brake is still broken. I didn't try (as only just occurred to me) switching off the banking comms before applying dynamic brake. Idle off and neutral then switch off should do it. Maybe.

 

These consists are ANNOYING AS HELL. Especially as, on XBox at least, the switch cab key combos just cycle me between the first two locos' seats, and I need spend 10 minutes running on foot to the rear of the train and back to set those two up properly.

 

On the trailing units you want the brakes cutout and you disable the circuit breakers for the DPUS so they’ll respond to the headend along turning the radio on and turn BANKING COMM on for the locomotive on the front of the train.

 

Also can report on resuming savegame, all except the lead loco shut down. Had to stop, go through the cabs in order, set things that had changed and then re-enable banking comms. I did find that the #3 camera lest you interact with the locos, for exmaple, I could open the rear cab door and switch on the gauge lights

 

A known bug (among many) with the save function- all locos re-set to their default starting config. Yes, it's a PITA (especially with end-changing reversals).

 

That bug has caused me to give up on some runs out of sheer frustration.

 

Hi there folks! I am new to TSW 2. Looking forward to getting into this sim! I have been working on setting up distributed power for the Sand Patch Grade-"Fully Fuelled " scenario, where we have two locomotives on each end of a long consist. I tried various setting combinations from various sources and here is what I came up with, that seems to work. PLEASE feel free to offer any constructive criticisms more suggestions. The core setup revolves around the power and brake controls with key features being the radio and banking comm. I think I still need refinements on headlight control and status of other lights. Cheers ~ Tom