Railroad Forums 

  • That Dang Broken Coupler Syndrome...

  • General discussion of computer gaming and railroad simulations. Topics include MS Train Simulator (MSTS), Auran Trainz, Railroad Tycoon, Railroad Dispatcher and more...
It is currently Sat Sep 07, 2024 1:19 pm

That Dang Broken Coupler Syndrome...

General discussion of computer gaming and railroad simulations. Topics include MS Train Simulator (MSTS), Auran Trainz, Railroad Tycoon, Railroad Dispatcher and more...

Moderators: LIRRMEDFORD, 8th Notch

That Dang Broken Coupler Syndrome...

  by emd_SD_60
 
Can someone give me a SPECIFIC solution to fixing that dreaded "broken coupler syndrome"? I've been googleing for this topic and haven't had any luck. :(

  by AEM7AC920
 
Did you try train-sim?

http://www.train-sim.com/faq/msts/tech.htm#11.16

  by emd_SD_60
 
Yeah, but I couldn't find any clear instructions their on how to fix it, just a whole bunch of technical mumbo-jumbo...

http://www.train-sim.com/faq/msts/tech.htm#11.16
HOW DO I FIX THE BROKEN COUPLER SYNDROME?


The information regards the 'broken couple' syndrome in MSTS. The problem is
specifically with the A1tPnt10dLft.sd file. The parameters for the bounding
box are incorrect. The flawed file is below:

shape ( A1tPnt10dLft.s
ESD_Detail_Level ( 0 )
ESD_Alternative_Texture ( 2 )
ESD_Bounding_Box ( 4.95455 0.199997 0 -2.49246 0.325004 40 )
ESD_No_Visual_Obstruction ()
)

The correct file should read:

shape ( A1tPnt10dLft.s
ESD_Detail_Level ( 0 )
ESD_Alternative_Texture ( 2 )
ESD_Bounding_Box ( -4.95455 0.199997 0 2.49246 0.325004 40 )
ESD_No_Visual_Obstruction ()
)

You will notice the difference in the negative sign, ( - ), between the two
examples. I studied the track section bounding box parameters for the type
10 and type 5 turnouts that came with MSTS. The type 10 left turnout was the
only bounding box to have the parameters be +, +, +, -, +, +. The other
seven all had -, +, +, +, +, +. The typical definition of a bounding box in
the Java software languages is: BoundingBox( point A, lower, point B, upper
), where points A and B are defined, lower indicates the "small" corner, and
upper indicates the "large" corner of the box. The original parameters would
draw the bounding box rather skewed. The only thing I can say is to draw the
two boxes out on X, Y axis's and you will see what I mean.

In addition, I was sure that A1tPnt5dLft.sd and A1tPnt10dLft.sd should be
virtually identical. They are except for the final parameter which is twice
as long, ( 80 vs. 40 ).

I have made this change and run through the turnouts at 5 mph increments
from 5 - 60 mph. I did not experience any 'broken coupler' issues. I have
run the entire length of Marias pass, (MSTS original version, not MP3),
without any 'broken coupler' issues. (TA Light Mountain with 13 mixed).
How am I supposed to understand this? They don't even tell you where to get started! :(

  by sandpvrr
 
Hello Chris and All,
In order to "fix" this - you have to find the file in question (mentioned in the FAQ quote above - its the one that ends in .sd) and open it with notepad - it should look like the 'incorrect' one in that FAQ quote, then if you copy and paste the 'correct' one over the 'incorrect' and save it - that should fix the issue.
If I'm way off here - let me know...
I'm not certain where that is in MSTS, its been a while since I played with it, but I did have to edit similar files when adding rolling stock etc...
Good luck and have fun!
Incidently, it would be a good idea to copy any files that you plan on modifying prior to modifying them, so if you screw it up, you can recover. Old trick I learned the hard way.
cya, Joey

  by CRail
 
sandpvrr wrote:Hello Chris and All,
In order to "fix" this - you have to find the file in question (mentioned in the FAQ quote above - its the one that ends in .sd) and open it with notepad - it should look like the 'incorrect' one in that FAQ quote, then if you copy and paste the 'correct' one over the 'incorrect' and save it - that should fix the issue.
If I'm way off here - let me know...
I'm not certain where that is in MSTS, its been a while since I played with it, but I did have to edit similar files when adding rolling stock etc...
Good luck and have fun!
Incidently, it would be a good idea to copy any files that you plan on modifying prior to modifying them, so if you screw it up, you can recover. Old trick I learned the hard way.
cya, Joey
Havnt we all... even easier, just move the neg sign (-) from where it is on top, to where it is on the new one

Old
Code: Select all
ESD_Bounding_Box ( 4.95455 0.199997 0 -2.49246 0.325004 40 )
Correction
Code: Select all
ESD_Bounding_Box ( -4.95455 0.199997 0 2.49246 0.325004 40 ) (note the moved (-) sign

  by emd_SD_60
 
Do I use Start=Run=enterC:\Program Files\Microsoft Games\Train Simulator\ to get started?
Last edited by emd_SD_60 on Tue Mar 15, 2005 12:43 pm, edited 1 time in total.

  by CRail
 
yes but i dont know where to go from there

do a file search on the computer for that file

  by AEM7AC920
 
emd_SD_60 wrote:Do I use Start=Run=enterC:\Program Files\Microsoft Games\Train Simulator\ to get started?
Sorry I took a while to get back, yes you open the Train-sim folder on your system where it is located and then you open the folder of the loco or car that you want to edit and then from there you can access the necessary files.

To break it down,

1. Open the Train-sim folder

2. Open the Trainset folder

3. Open the Loco or Car folder

Find the necessary files and open them in WordPad and edit the appropriate lines for the couplers.

  by AEM7AC920
 
Here is also another way from the FAQ section at train-sim to fix the couplers. I found it very easy and I used to to fix me broken couplers. You simple edit the one line in the .eng file.

WHY DO I KEEP GETTING ACTIVITY OVER BROKEN COUPLE IN THE MARIAS PASS ROUTE?


"There is a problem at some places in the Marias Pass Route. This can be
cured in two ways:

1. The couplers as they come have a value of 1.7e7N or something close to
this. These values can be changed to prevent the broken coupler syndrome.
The general recommendation is to the value to 5.1e7N, which takes a
nuclear explosion to break. A value of 3.7e7N for is also used by many,
you will break the couplers with really bad train handling. Engmod 1.4
from the download library, can be used to modify the coupler values on all
the rolling stack at once verses doing it one at a time in Wordpad.
Though you need to be careful because some of the files have the read only
attribute turned on, these can be turned off in the file property screen.
All of the autorack's have this."

  by emd_SD_60
 
Thanks, I went to the ENG file and edited the original number to the new 5.1e7N. Hopefully it should not do it (break couplers), but i'm actually having problems with the cars and couldn't find anything there to fix it... the cars do not ENG files.

  by CRail
 
no but they have files to in order to get the physics to work right, otherwise the train would not react to the weight they should have to pull.

I would imagine the coupler problem is more general then the car.

Also, you can change the durability if you go into the activity editor.

That is in the consist editor (part of the activity editor).

If you think that could be the problem let me know and i will elaborate further on how that is done. NOTE: this is controlled by consist, not by car or loco.
 Return to “Gaming & Simulations”
 - All times are UTC-05:00 -