My trains consist of locomotives only

[City Builder]

I hope this is the right forum for this, it will be a first I think if I manage to post to the right forum around here.

Anyway, I have noticed in some screenshots of other peoples that they have these great looking trains and their trains consist of the locomotive as well as maybe some box cars and maybe a caboose etc.  Meanwhile in my game whenever I lay down a track all I ever see is a locomotive, I've just assumed all this time that it's an unfinished feature and that if I want the whole consist then I need to download a mod from somewhere but I've not found one that has helped with this.

Can someone tell me what it is that Im doing wrong or missing or what files to download so that I get the whole train running on the tracks instead of just the loco.


Thanks much for any help.

   ___      ___ 
  / __|    | _ )
| (__     | _ \
  \___|   |___/
_|"""""|_|"""""|
"`-0-0-'"`-0-0-'

[SC4BOY]

The train length is related to the traffic density on the rail.. but I don't think I've seen an engine only.. have you put any train mods in? I think that engine and 2 cars is the shortest I've ever seen.. maybe you've found an SC4 secret..

[RippleJet]

There are two properties in the Automata Tuning Exemplar that set these:

Commute Train Length	Minimum: 3	Maximum: 8
Freight Train Length	Minimum: 9	Maximum: 15

Thus, if somebody has a train length of 0, they have a mod installed that changes these properties.
Or have changed the properties themselves...


EDIT:
If you want to edit these settings yourself, you need to edit the Automata Plugin file that was installed with NAM.

E.g. NAM's Radical Automata Plugins change these settings to:

Commute Train Length	Minimum: 5	Maximum: 15
Freight Train Length	Minimum: 9	Maximum: 25

[City Builder]

Well I just had a look in my plugins folder and I found a folder named trains with 192 plugins inside of it.  Where they came from and whether they are actually anything to do with trains at all I don't know, my organizational attempts for my plugins folders isn't working so hot.  I guess the only thing to do is to move this folder out of the plugins folder and see if the trains add any cars to their consists.

[RippleJet]

Where they came from and whether they are actually anything to do with trains at all I don't know, my organizational attempts for my plugins folders isn't working so hot.

All those files starting with RH are included in Trolca's Train Set RH.
Those files only change the appearance of the train engines and cars though.
No modding of the automata tuning is included in them.

[MIncroabl]

To have trains on your tracks you have to have actual train traffic on them. As for the single engines, all lots in the train menu (i.e. with the occupant group Building: Rail) generate these small track checkers, which, to my experience, some of the Train Set files overwrite.

[vester]

When you say engine, how does they look ? Could you show us a picture of them ?

[RippleJet]

As for the single engines, all lots in the train menu (i.e. with the occupant group Building: Rail) generate these small track checkers, which, to my experience, some of the Train Set files overwrite.

That's a good point, MIncroabl!
A quick check of Trolca's train sets showed that the Bay Line and the CP Rail both contain an engine that replaces the track checkers.

Try removing the following files and see if your engines without consist are gone:
  - RHFEngineBL_117A1000.dat
  - RHFEngineBL_117A1010.dat
  - RHFEngineCPR_117A1800.dat
  - RHFEngineCPR_117A1810.dat

[SC4BOY]

An alternative is to "turn off" the "track checkers" .. there is a mod over at SimTropolis that does this.. sorry I don't have the exact link, but the search should find it easily.. If they are "turned off" then the overwrite that is done by troica will not matter I'd think..