Still in the ship yards – did someone say container ship?

Hay Don

That’s just about what I’m thinking. One of the most complex real life freight yards I’ve ever seen is in Charleston, SC where this type of container ship arrives several time a day and would be quite a challenge to model in RtR!

I’m thinking about putting all the marine shipping models on the back burner and creating a second expansion dedicated to this theme with all the things you mentioned, plus channel markers, a Moran harbor tug, maybe a Coast Guard R.I.B. (they’re everywhere! aaaah 😆) but definetly included would be the loaded and unloaded rail cars.

Two questions: I have only seen the operation from the river side and haven’t paid too much attention to what goes on in the yard. Mostly what I have observed is the cranes unloading the ships. (Quite a fascinating operation!) What’s a “pony”?… and what do you mean by an end-of-train device? (forgive my ignorance 🙄 ) If you mean a car with an assignable ID, I have an idea for that!

Paul

Ok Don

Here’s an End-of-Train device. It’s not a FRED because it doesn’t flash (I have to work out a few things about the way my 3D software exports animation. RtR uses a slightly different format and I’m still working out the kinks) so for now it’s just an EOTD. I didn’t try to recreate the look of the one in the image you attached until I can make it flash so I used the gray pattern you see here. It all but disappears from any view except close up.

RtR treats it like an engine with no speed so it won’t go galavanting around the track all by itself. It counts as part of the make-up so it will slow the train like any other car and I have to get rid of the default sound RtR associates to engines.

… but it can be assigned an ID so it can effect controls.

[img]http://i99.photobucket.com/albums/l287/3dpdk/EOTD.jpg[/img]

You can do this without this little cylinder.

Select a car of your choice and find it in the .xli files. A passenger car is a PWAGON_TYPE and a goods car is a CWAGON_TYPE. Re-label it as an ENGINE_TYPE. Don’t mess with anything else on the first line but change the next lines to look like this;

NOREF or ID# (just leave this alone for this mod. NOREF for a uneque car / ID# if it’s a repaint.)

0

0

0

… and don’t mess with the last number.

Always remember to save a copy of the xli file you intend to edit incase you mess up and end up locking it.

Your selected car will now appear in the engines window. It has no speed of it own but can be assigned an ID to affect track controls.

If you want to use it as a booster engine, change the second 0 to a speed number – 10 is the default, and the third 0 determines the number of allowed attached cars – 20 is the default here … but now the EOTD or your selected car will move around the track on it’s own.

Have fun!

Paul

Hopefully Don it won’t be too much longer before the Brain Bomber guys will dish this one out. I’m going to pack everything up and upload it to BB soon … but in the mean time HOLD ON TO YOUR HAT!

Here comes this years first storm and she’s headed for the FL / GA boarder. She’s not strong at the moment, bit she’s a biggin!

Freeze some water now!

Good luck

Paul

Yep!

Been there!

Too early in the season to amount to much. Still, it moved south and compacted over night, now you’re on the north side of it.

You can do like my brother does in Wilmington, NC; open the garage door, crack the seal on a keg, roast some oysters and watch the vertical rain I’m usually stuck trying to figure out where the storm is NOT going or what river won’t flood when it hits so I can hide the boat!

PS may be headed that way with a transport from Corpus Christy to Norfolk. When running the Fl coast I usually stay outside until I get to Jax.

I’ll blow the whistle when I pass.