Tehachapi Pass / Es44dc Bnsf [fix Available]

Discussion in 'Technical Reports' started by torfmeister, Nov 10, 2021.

  1. torfmeister

    torfmeister Guest

    Hello. The brakes on this loco need to be fixed. For example if I do a minimum application (6 psi) in the loco display everything seems fine at first sight, but I completely lose braking power. Bringing up the F5 HUD shows very strange things going on. After releasing the brakes the brake cylinder pressure rises to 15 psi. The brake is stuck at 17%. If I brake a little more the brake cylinder pressure rises just to constantly fall down again.

    I played the first Hot Box scenario and couldn't slow down to the first 25mph limit. Runaway!

    Only if you put the brakes on 100%, the cylinder pressure rises without dropping again. Funny thing is you don't get an Emergency Brake Penalty.

    In short the loco is undrivable. And that is a shame. As if you had to invent the wheel over and over again and just make it worse. The old Kuju stock may be outdated. But back then they had quality assurance. The thing worked.

    Please fix this!
     
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  2. sphexi

    sphexi Active Member

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    Unfortunately, this is a known issue (several other threads). Until a fix is provided, one way to enjoy the scenario is to convert it to "standard" and replace the locos.
     
  3. torfmeister

    torfmeister Guest

    Yes I did replace them with the VNHRR ES44DC from Montana Hi-Line (which I had to fix myself because there was a small typo in the InputMapper that caused the Dynamics to fully release everytime).
    But the thing is: DTG/RSC are making train sim content for more than a decade. They should know how a brake works! They should be experts in the meantime. And then they release something that does not work.
     
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  4. sphexi

    sphexi Active Member

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    I can't disagree with the logic.

    As a programmer myself (not DTG), it is easy to have a bug creep into your code. It's harder to catch the obscure ones, but some of the ones that creep into released TS content should be caught by a simple playthrough. Alas, we do not live in a perfect world...
     
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  5. DIFFLOCK

    DIFFLOCK Active Member

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    Someone did post a "workaround" (I think on here, or perhaps Railworks America) I'll have to see if I can find it, but apparently it involved having the brakes applied at 80-88% and then modulating them from there.
    I'd try this out myself except for the fact that I must have mucked up something in my TS setup: The Tehachapi BNSF ES44 no longer responds to any input - I can move the levers and manipulate the HUD, but all to no avail.

    torfmeister - I'm curious: Is the dynamics fault present on the Montana Line, or did it happen once you'd applied the loco to Tehachapi Pass?

    I guess I'll have to verify my game files via steam, but that's a pain because of having to re-install add-ons (SSS 9f sounds and mods & Searchlight Simulations among other things). I've got plenty of other scenarios and routes to play with at the moment courtesy of the recent sales :)
     
  6. sphexi

    sphexi Active Member

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    I can't actually remember if I used the Dynamics much on any of the Montana Hi-Line scenarios. It's mostly rolling hills [makes note to replay one of the Hi-Line scenarios on the weekend] so I will have to check :)
     
  7. torfmeister

    torfmeister Guest

    DIFFLOCK This bug is in the loco asset, it doesn't matter which route you're running it. A bug that's easy to fix. Line 410 of Assets\VNHRR\HiLine\InputMappers\IM_ES44DC_Expert.xml:

    <Name d:type="cDeltaString">DecreaseContolStop</Name>

    A simple 'r' is missing that leads to the dynamic brake releasing completely instead of decreasing only if you press the comma key.

    sphexi: It's not a problem if a bug is in your code. I've been coding myself. It is a problem if you charge money and do not fix it.
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Nov 11, 2021
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  8. sphexi

    sphexi Active Member

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    Thanks torfmeister. That was a quick fix to the Hi-Line ES44DC...

    And yes, if it is a commercial product, patches come with the territory and should be issued in a timely manner.
     
  9. torfmeister

    torfmeister Guest

    Well that is actually a thing I like about TS, it's almost completely made up of xml data you can edit. Back to the Tehachapi ES44DC, I had a look in the engine.bin and found strange stuff like the MinimumReductionPressure set to zero instead of 6. Changed that but to no avail. The problem lies in the compiled ".out" script which can't be edited. And I heard there's only one employee at DTG that's working on TS, the rest all doing TSW development.

    I'd happily apply as a beta tester. No salary but free DLC :-D
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Nov 11, 2021
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  10. sphexi

    sphexi Active Member

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    I'll have to poke around more in the asset trees. Sounds like there is lots of stuff beneath the covers that will be interesting to dig through.

    And yes, the thought has occurred to me too. Beta tester == free DLC :)
     
  11. DIFFLOCK

    DIFFLOCK Active Member

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    Free DLC that would hopefully be fixed depending upon your abilities. :cool:
     
  12. DIFFLOCK

    DIFFLOCK Active Member

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    I've opened my HILine IM_ES44DC_Expert.xml with notepad++ (notepad under win7 was complete garbage for this) and it only has 109 lines, some of which seem to be gobbledegook. Any ideas please?
     
  13. DIFFLOCK

    DIFFLOCK Active Member

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  14. torfmeister

    torfmeister Guest

    To get the xml you have to unSERZ the .bin file. Did you do that?

    The way I do it is having a shortcut to serz.exe on my desktop and copy the files I'm editing there. Then drag the .bin over the serz icon and you'll get the uncompressed xml. After editing be sure to serz it again to have an updated bin file. No need to copy that into the .ap file. Just put it outside by creating the corresponding folder structure there (That means Railworks\Assets\VNHRR\HiLine\InputMappers\IM_ES44DC_Expert.bin)

    Btw. as a file manager I use the 7z file manager. 2 views and it can treat .ap and .rwp like normal folders. Very handy.
     
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  15. torfmeister

    torfmeister Guest

  16. DIFFLOCK

    DIFFLOCK Active Member

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    Considering that I did not know what the heck that was, then... no LOL! :D:D
    This is why I'm not a coder or a programmer :)

    So... the scenario pack won't fix the original Hot Box scenarios the I guess?
     
  17. triznya.andras

    triznya.andras Well-Known Member

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    It may seem completely unrelated, but I randomly have similar issues with a similar script - good old Sherman Hill.

    I had my regular nonsensical train break the other day (my rear loco disconnected during use of mild dynamic brakes), resulting in emergency application. It took a fair duration of about 5 minutes of apply-release internal cycle, but more importantly, when I arrived at my destination, there was neither any actual brake effort nor pressure. 23%, nada, 61%, nada. Fortunately the emergency brakes did work, so I did stop, albeit slipping through a red.

    I'm generally dissatisfied with this version of the braking scripts, present in a wide array of trains. The CMP/CoalDistrict version is fine with me. In fact I'd love the CMP version everywhere, even though it's a bit difficult on grades (Donner Pass is an actual nightmare), mostly due to the lack of proper dynamics though.
     
  18. torfmeister

    torfmeister Guest

    Yeah. The funny thing is they already had it working. The UP 8500 GTEL has perfectly working scripted brakes. But unlike other sims like Zusi, where the brake system is part of the core game and new locomotives just have a reference in their files to what brakes are used, in TS every developer needs to reinvent the wheel.

    But DTG gave us the tools. That's fine. So clone the Hot Box scenario, add the VNHRR\HiLine assets in the editor, put in the loco, drag the player symbol over and remove the old locos and enjoy playing. Career mode is useless anyway.
     
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  19. DTG Jamie

    DTG Jamie Staff Member

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    We are looking into the brake issue, will update when we have any news, but as said the scenario pack uses the BNSF ES44DC from the Montana Hi-Line.
     
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  20. torfmeister

    torfmeister Guest

    Thanks Jamie. And while you're at it could you apply the very easy fix for the dynamic brake of the Montana HiLine ES44DC which fully releases when tapping (and releasing) the comma key. As mentioned the error is a typo in the input mapper ("DecreaseContolStop" instead of "DecreaseControlStop"). Here's the code.

    File: RailWorks\Assets\VNHRR\HiLine\InputMappers\IM_ES44DC_Expert.bin (= .xml line 410)

    <iInputMapper-cInputMapEntry d:id="1152">
    <State d:type="sInt32">0</State>
    <Device d:type="cDeltaString">Keyboard</Device>
    <ButtonState d:type="cDeltaString">ButtonUp</ButtonState>
    <Button d:type="cDeltaString">Key_Comma</Button>
    <ShiftButton d:type="cDeltaString">NoShift</ShiftButton>
    <Axis d:type="cDeltaString">NoAxis</Axis>
    <Name d:type="cDeltaString">DecreaseContolStop</Name>
    <Parameter d:type="cDeltaString">DynamicBrake</Parameter>
    <NewState d:type="sInt32">0</NewState>
    </iInputMapper-cInputMapEntry>

    Cheers,

    Pete
     
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  21. torfmeister

    torfmeister Guest

    Good News!

    Thor1969 from railworksamerica forum has found a fix. There was a bad section in the engine blueprint, namely one identifier in the "TrainBrakeControl" section had to be renamed from "MinimumReduction" to "HoldLapped", "cExtendedNotchData" to "cNotchData" and <Localization> and <Colour> sections removed from the <Notch> entry.

    And... it works! The cylinder pressure is now slowly rising and the brake is self-lapped again!

    See here:
    https://railworksamerica.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=29&t=23715
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Jan 3, 2022
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  22. DIFFLOCK

    DIFFLOCK Active Member

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    I tried the first Hot Box scenario again.. and failed due to an operational error at the end. No fault of the revised train brakes, just my ineptitude at balancing application of power with application of brake (consist rolled back! :D)
     
  23. torfmeister

    torfmeister Guest

    Yes the cylinder pressure rises slowly, but it is self-lapped now and holds the pressure whereas before it was releasing the brakes unless you went to 100% application. And there is an issue with the ditch lights that only appear to be on if your viewpoint is further away from the loco. I am still puzzled about this as the light blueprints and placing is the same as in HiLine's. Still like the HiLine ES44DC the most.
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Jan 7, 2022
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