Large Scale Central

More T-O Stuff

Operations Train Operations Software
#1

I took my lap top with me on my trip. I had hours and hours of layovers both directions at airports and messed around with T-O a lot.
As noted before I deleted everything … for reals… Including the program! I started OVER, no big deal we just got very intimate after all those hours. Bottom line, I can not get it to actually work enough to run a train. I have 8 pages on notes (in word) so I will try to make it simple and explain the highlights.
Configured the Layout with: Location: = Felton, Siding = Beach (24"), Industry = Beach (Rail Fan Car (IN) @ 20%). Location" = Alviso, Siding (20")= Wetlands, Industry = Wetlands State Park, (Rail Fan Car “OUT” @20%). Configure Cars: Rail Fan Car #5709 ATSF (18") Return to beach when empty. Also Location: = Ranch, Siding = Ranch (30"), Industry = Stockyard 0 in & 0 out.
Next: Configure a train. Include Beach (siding @ Felton) & Wet Lands (Siding @ Alviso), Also include Moccasin Gap, which is my Shops where the yards are (Yard 1, return empties here, or this exercise)… I’m Happy! No Problems!
Next: Build a Train … BEEEEEP no cars found! Add a day & Recalc … Build a train Beeeeeeeeep no cars found! oops!
Location report says Rail fan car is at Ranch!!! No wonder it can’t build a train it can’t find the car, because it is at Ranch. Also usage report says RF Car was 120% oops again. I deleted Beach “Out”. Add a day Recalc check location report …RF Car still at Ranch. Industry Orders and usage =0 Car list RF Car usage 60%. Max moves was all 0 …? opps again. Reset all to 1 & update train.
Next: Build Train … Beeeeeeeeep no cars … ( I expected that but I had to try) Reset the date , Recalc and shut all down & restart.
Discovery: Checked all the reports and found on the equipment location report all sidings are blank. I expected that but Ranch has a siding called Stockyard and it is blank TOO! And the Car location Report shows the RF Car at RANCH! Ranch is a LOCATION not a Siding, the siding is stockyard and it is blank. I really fooled around a lot and found adding cars sidings etc T-O gets more crazy with cars being placed all over the place. I even removed the RF car added a day Recalc Shut down and started over. Car location report put the RF car “on sidings”. I have no Idea what or where that is.
I really can not figure how to get cars to the yard to start out from there on purpose!
I removed all Locations (again) I now have 3 cars configured. For fun I checked the car location report and it placed all three cars “on Sidings” I guess that is expected there are no locations so it picked the great siding in the sky.

What I really have trouble with (or understand at this point) is two issues; 1. cars end up on “LOCATIONS” instead of sidings. 2. I just don’t see after all this how to get the yards involved, unless we label them as industries and have every thing in at some %.

I have tried many things and combinations so now since I have it so messed up I will take the lap top with me for the 4th holiday and start over again. We don’t leave 'til Thurs morning.

Hope every one has a great Holiday we all need a day or two off …

Rich @ San Jose Ca.

#2

I just went back to past POST / Reply and read that a yard should be an industry … Guess I’ll try that … can’t wait … GRIN!

Rich

#3

Rich,

Here is what I did, based on the instructions (pg 43-47) of the TrainOps Help/Manual.

  1. Create a location.

  2. Create one or more sidings in that location. Give each siding a unique name.

  3. Mark the siding(s) as a yard. Or not. The difference is that cars can enter and leave the layout at a yard, but not at a siding.

  4. Check the box “Deliver empties here.” If you don’t do that, no car will show up. This might be your problem.

  5. Check the box “Interchange Track,” if this is where foreign cars will enter your railroad. Don’t forget Customs and ICE. (Just kidding.)

  6. Once you have named your siding(s), create one industry or more, as desired. On the same Physical Layout screen (Configure----->Physical Layout) click the “New Industry” button, and follow the guide. The “Industry Detail” screen will pop up. Name the industry, click the cars required, both in and out, see page 32-33, and on page 44-46.

Rereading your OP, it appears that you have done all of this. That said, computers are stupid, they will only do what you have told them to do, based on their instructions.

So far, I am not having problems, but there is always tomorrow.

#4

Thanks Steve … but as you said I did as you suggested 1 - 6.
I took T-O with me this last week and tried many different configs again.
I have even reinstalled T-O (more than one time).
I have many many pages of notes of what I did etc.
Bottom line now: No matter what I do I still get no cars found.
The reason they are not found is; they have ALL been placed at “LOCATIONS” to start and not the “Sidings” that were configured.
This is a real concern now.
If I put in only one location with one siding and one industry and 6 flat cars it still does not work…
The Flat cars end up at the Location! Not on the siding! I advance the days etc …
So I’m Back home and will continue with this … I really want it to work …
I am going to miss out using T-O for another RR Show for NMRA next week.
The convention is in Sacramento now and tours are coming next week with our turn is Tues afternoon.
Rich

#5

AH HA! I think I have an idea what you’re seeing. At initial setup, cars are ‘sprinkled’ around the layout to give your first few trains something to do besides drop off cars. They aren’t placed on sidings, its your choice where at that location to put the car. The first few trains will move those cars around to the various yards and industries that need them.

#6

Bob I tried that and went on a few days. In my examples you can see the T-O results…