Need help with Sandpatch

[Dep]

Hi All,
One thing I have to repeat for the umpteenth time...I miss the overhead map from TRS2004!!!
I am trying to do the activity in Sandpatch called Connellsville Helper. Nice title. But I looked on both a map and Chris's Guide to Sandpatch Route and could NOT find ANY name called Connellsville.
I see the coal train on the siding when the activity starts up, but am I supposed to couple to the front or back of it???
Do I head East or West? Without any reference points I might as well be in Outer Mongolia. Why don't these activities at LEAST tell you you are starting at mile marker 210 (for example) with your loco heading west and give you SOME idea of what is involved in what you have to do???

Dep...at mile marker 999 heading into frustrationland

[kevarc]

Connellsville is not on the route. It is futher west.

[Dep]

Kevin: Thanks...that explains why I don't see it on the map or on Chris's list. So do I just couple to the back of the train and shove it west? :)

Dep

[Richard]

Dep,
The creators of the route assumed the players had a little knowledge of the prototype route. When the activity starts you are heading West. The coal train you are passing is the one you are to help. Couple onto the rear end of the coal train and shove him East towards Cumberland. Also a hint, when you start into the tunnel at Sandpatch, get the train speed down below 10 mph, before you uncouple from the train. After uncoupling from the train, head back West.



Take care,
Rich S.

[Dep]

Thanks Rich! I appreciate it!!! :)

[dtscommish]

If you have trouble deciphering what you are supposed to do in an activity, I might suggest opening the activity in the Activity Editor and looking at the path. Not always helpful, but it may give you a point in the right direction. Just don't change anything! :)

Dan
"The Commish"

[Dep]

Well I'm stuck AGAIN! Now my train is between two red signals and nothing is happenning. Both are stop-and-stay-stopped signals. I tried backing up, but that had no effect. I tried hitting the Tab key, but that guy says no all the time. I am at about MP214.8 at Meyersdale, PA. I am on a ridge, and looking down I can see an empty coal train also waiting like me. I tried hitting switches but nothing happens. Guess I'll get out of my loco and go talk to the other engineer that is also sitting there waiting. :) Do these guys stop for donut breaks like Police? :D

Dep

[DTA]

This may be a bit contoversial, but it must be said.

A lot of US routes have activities that will not work unless you are in the right place at the right time. This is partly a problem with US single track, partly because the activity creators don't do enough testing, and partly the fault of MSTS itself. I have mainly European routes, where the faults do not arise, because they are mainly dual track. But even in routes like the Cambrian line, and Severn Valley (mostly single track), there are no problems with activities, because more thought has gone into them.

David

[Dep]

Dave: I'm not sure there's a problem with the activity. It's a pretty simple one of moving a slow coal train over a hill. There MAY be a freight or pasenger train that I have to wait on to go by. For some weird reason MSTS also sometimes requires you to back up and then approach the signal again. I guess it triggers something. But it doesn't seem to work in this instance. I guess I'll have to dig in the Activity Editor and try and find out what is going on. Not even sure if that will help though.

Dep

[TrueNorth]

If I remember right, that activity is pretty strait forward. Theres no AI traffic, so your not waiting for any trains to cross over. And that train down the slope you see is just static, he won't be going anywhere anytime soon or ever for that matter. When you attached your helpers to the rear of the coal train, you should have just continued to back onto the EB main side of the track, or the right hand side from the lead loco point. If your on the left side that could cause a problem. Your near the end as your detaching the helpers at around MP 209 just after the tunnel.

Rick.

[Dep]

Rick: I checked in the Activity Editor (scary place for me to be messing around in) and there IS a train up ahead that I may be waiting for. I'm on the right hand side of the track so that's no problem. But that red light sure does say STOP without the "and".
I saved it there as I stopped, so I can ease forward and see what happens. I'll let you know.

[Richard]

Dep,
I'm not sure what happened on your run, but when I ran the Connellsville helper activity, I had proceed (green) signals all the way to the tunnel. When you were running West at Rockwood Jct., did you continue West crossing the plate girder bridge, just beyond the Depot? Are you using the track monitor (F4 Function key)? If not you should consider using it when running activities. If you are using it, did you activate the reverse point(the curved arrow on the track monitor)? If you continued West of the Depot, you should have activated the reverse point. If you did not activate the reverse point, that maybe the reason you are seeing a stop indication at Meyersdale :)

Take care,
Rich S.

[Dep]

Rich: Holy cripes you gotta be kidding!!! I had stop and goes almost the whole route!!! Never got above 15 MPH the whole way. You are asking me questions I can't answer. I started out going west and then switched over and got behind the caboose and coupled up. Then I just accelerated as fast as the speed limit would allow me....which was pretty much 15MPH the whole way. Yes, I had the F4 activated. Always do. Locations you are asking me about I have no idea where they are. Might as well be in Somalia :) I just kept heading East.
Reverse point???? I just headed East. That's what I was told to do :)
Is a reverse point a switch BEHIND me???? What possible difference should that make???

I definitely CAN'T go past the red light now. So I guess this activity is toast now. Dang it. :(