Large Scale Central

Question for JMRI Ops experts

I have created a route in JMRI that I call the West Willow Turn. It departs from West Willow Hill and works all industry spots going East to the yard at Tyrone, then goes back working all the same industry spots Westbound. JMRI likes the route just fine and builds a train with enough work to keep me busy for over an hour on my small indoor layout.

The problem I am having is available space on sidings. JMRI wants to spot cars on the Eastbound leg that don’t have a place to go until after the Westbound leg picks up cars.

It occurs to me that those that run multiple trains simultaneously may have also seen this issue when the “set out” train arrives before the "pick up train.

Has anyone found a software fix for this? I have method to get around it by scanning ahead looking for the Westbound pick-ups. I’ll do those pick-ups while Eastbound to make space for my Eastbound set-outs. Rather than take them with me where they won’t be needed; I just leave them on the passing siding until the train returns Westbound.

I haven’t run into THAT one…yet. Or maybe it has occurred and no one’s mentioned it.

The only suggestion I can come up with is to shorten the siding by one car length. See what that does.

Then again, your solution seems to work.

Thanks Ken -

In many cases there are multiple single or double car spots on a siding, so it would be kind of hard to change the capacity.

I got the work done, took lots of siding space and multiple locomotives. My rules: use all the assets available as needed, both track and in-service locos.

I havent had that one, but I regularly have to ‘massage’ an industry spurtwo, because JMRI stops serving them either with pickups or dropoffs. Its never the same one, but pretty much after every ops session I have to manually move cars out of a spur back to one of the yards.

Have you posted this on the JMRI Forum?

I haven’t Dennis. I knew there was a group, but I’ve never been there.

it’s now moved to groups.io

Greg Elmassian said:

it’s now moved to groups.io

What is ?

https://groups.io/g/jmriusers

All the data from the Yahoo forum is here also.

Dennis

Thanks for that - I found it, but as far as I can tell it is a mail list, not a web forum. I’m done with lists. I’ve ben on the EBT list for something like 20 years. Too much mail to keep up with,. I’m still a member, but I delete everything that comes in.

It is a forum, with topics and messages within the topics, plus places for files, pictures, polls, and databases. Same functionality as Yahoo groups.

Maybe you are drawing a distinction between a forum that has “set” categories, as opposed to one main area, with threads/topics. (I prefer the finer breakdown we have on LSC, MLS GSC)

Yes, you can get mails from the forum, but exactly like Yahoo groups, you can get emailed every post, on only topics you are interested in, a daily summary, or no email.

Greg

I guess the fact that on the front page it lists email addresses for posting etc. and my only interaction with a Yahoo group was to get messages by email. That group dumped Yahoo for Facebook which is much better format for the content - a local short line fan group.

I spent two or three minutes browsing the #operations tag. Not much there (unless I missed a page button).

I guess the bottom line is that I’m not much interested in joining another group.

If you did not post your problem then how do will you possibly get an answer to your question.

If there is a problem let them know or someone may come back and help you.

Just like here

Dennis

OK guys, you can stop beating me up. I’m old, I’m tired, and have no interest in trying to learn yet another group format. If folks here don’t know, then I’ll just plug along and solve it on my own. Not like this is really important to solve.

No one trying to beat you up, all trying to be helpful. I use “search” on the Yahoo forum, was not great there… it works much better on the groups.io, so you have at least another tool in your back pocket should you need it.

The web interface is not that great, I will agree, nothing as granular as ours, but, it follows that does also give a bit of simplicity, you only have one “list” to peruse and search, like facebook.

I’m trying to solve another issue in JMRI, and if I see an answer to your question, I will report back!

Greg

I agree with Greg, the groups.io is a lot better than Yahoo. I’m on a lot of groups, and most of them I don’t have sent to my email, but when I need information the search function works great and generally I can find what I need.

OK. No argument. I just didn’t like the interface and am unwilling to create yet another on-line account. I did find a JMRI Operations group on Facebook. My application to join is pending. Facebook haters aside; I find that UI to be much easier to use. The downside is finding anything historical is not easy on FB.

Exactly my feeling, if what you want is “recent” and “popular” FB is right there in your face. If you are trying to use it as reference or to find things, I want to throw the computer out the window.

Greg

I just posted the question on the Facebook JMRI Operations Only group page. As I reworded my original post for a less familiar crowd I read my statement…

I get around it by looking ahead for the Westbound pick-ups and do them while Eastbound to make space for set-outs. Rather than take them with me where they won’t be needed, I leave them on a passing siding until the train returns Westbound.

…And it it dawned on me that this is probably exactly how a 1:1 short line would tackle the problem.

I have seen this when I had set “Aggressive” mode for scheduling. “Normal” mode seemed to fix it. Also, note that a location can be listed twice for one stop, the first with pickups only, the second with setouts only. I have found that useful.