Railmaster scheduler problem

[Clive-358432]

Hi First post on a Forum although I have read a lot on here since I started, hope I am in the right place. Could not find any threads on this subject.

I have Railmaster with Elink and have just stated to run trains after a 2 year build. I created some programs and put one into the scheduler and it ran once but then scheduler stopped working. I found that by re booting railmaster it worked again, but of course then stopped working again.

I have been on this for 2 days now and have found the problem.

When you start Railmaster fresh, scheduler is working, BUT as soon as you move any locomotive even for an inch and try the scheduler again it does not work.

I have repeated this at least 10 times now has anybody found the same problem or have a fix for it. It seems software related to me.

I did send a message to Rail-Master a Day Ago but thought i would also ask you guys as well.

in the meantime any Help would be Appreciated Thank You.

[RDS]

Hi Clive and welcome to the Forum

I have been using RailMaster for over 10 years and I have never known it to be affected by the movement of a Loco, although I use the Hornby Elite in conjunction with RailMaster, not the eLink. The fact that you have repeated the same issue so many times, does suggest that something is not right.

Does the program still run without problems when it is not run from the scheduler?

RailMaster Support are usually very quick to respond to questions raised.

[St1ngr4y]

Hi Clive,

How are you starting the schedule? Do you change the Railmaster time to be a few seconds before the start time of the first program? Then to rerun the schedule do you change the time again?

Ray

[Clive-358432]

Hi Ray I have been starting programs on an exact minute in case it made a difference and put a green tick in the box and click the arrow to save and the scheduler closes. I then set the clock about 30 seconds before the schedlule time. Provided it is the first time running after starting railmaster it gets to time and runs. I can then repeat this procedure and it runs again no problem etc. BUT If I run any other loco and then try the scheduler again it will not start on the set clock time. Or If I run a loco after starting railmaster and then try the scheduler it fails to start. The only option to use the scheduler agin is a re start. I am using Ver 1.74

[Clive-358432]

Hi Thanks for reply. Yes everything works perfectly and I can run trains manually or run programs by selecting them in the program box on the front screen and hit the blue run tick. As I mentioned the scheduler does work until you run another loco after it has finished and then nothing. Running Ver 1.74

[St1ngr4y]

What is the start time of the first program in the schedule?

If it is 00:00:00, try making it 01:00:00, then use 00:59:50 as the Railmaster time. Also make sure the start times of each program in the schedule allow enough time for the previous program to finish.

[Clive-358432]

Hi Ray Thanks for your interest. I have been using 11:59:00 and 09:59:00 in the scheduler and setting the clock 30 seconds before. (but actual programs do have a start at 00:00:00)

I have set the clock both manually by clicking on time and also have made a program with a clock time set and put an icon on the screen. I have then set up a test mesage box because it is quicker to run than a full program.

Whilst it was working I did try scheduling 2 programs one ofter the other allowing time for prog 1 to finish before it started prog 2 this worked fine also.

However change in problem diagnosis. In the handbook page 131 it says in Red "If any other windows are open EXCLUDING pop up controllers" then the scheduler will not run. I have made sure that all windows are left closed and have deliberatly left the screen exactly as it is from start up whilst sorting this problem

To move any loco I always click on the small screens on the right and get a pop up screen and use this in the main screen as it is easier to see when you are 73, so according to the handbook this is OK !!!

I had one of those eureka moments just now and tried moving a loco using the small screens without opening up the the large pop up. Then tried the scheduler and it still worked. Done this a couple of times and both good, scheduler worked.

I will try this again shortly, but although it does seem the cause is not actually moving a loco it is the opening of pop ups to move them, it will be frustrating if I can not use these.

[St1ngr4y]

Clive,

I think you might have cracked it.

Ray

[P-Henny]

In the handbook page 131 it says in Red "If any other windows are open...............

 

 

Looks like a typo in your post. In the 1.74 manual, the quoted red text is on page 113 not page 131.

[St1ngr4y]

Clive,

It would be interesting to see what happens if you wait for the first program in the schedule to start, then open a pop up throttle, then see if the second program in the schedule starts ok at the expected time.

Ray

[Clive-358432]

Hi Ray Sorry for delay in getting back to you.

Set 2 programs to start one after the other as you have suggested.

After the first one started I opened a pop up screen for a class 37 and throttled forward, nothing happened. Tried the lights and sound (left them On) and after a 2 minute delay the lights came on. Tried the throttle again and it then moved. So something was wrong there.

Let the second program finish (which started on time) and the engine running at that time in the second program stopped 2 feet short of where it normally does.

I have a program called test message which just displays the words "test message" on the screen. I use this because it is short and saves waiting for longer programs to finish.

I put the test message to trigger in the scheduler and nothing happened.

I restarted railmaster and tried the test message and it fired up OK

I moved the class 37 using only the small throttle screen on right without the pop up and the engine moved OK

I then re set up the original double program and this triggered both programs OK and stopped in the right place.

Lastly I made sure there were no ticks in scheduler. Opened the class 37 pop up, ran the engine and stopped it. Closed the pop up and then I put a tick on the test message program in scheduler and it ran OK

So it is back to the original diagnosis that as long as you do not open the pop up if using scheduler when there are Green Ticks, all is well

Railmaster came back to me and asked if I was running the test message on the scheduler ( in my message to them I did explain all this and said that this was my problem ! ) and they said they are assuming that I have created a program and linked it to the scheduler.

Was I entering the time fully in the clock. They also asked me to check the windows long time and date format.

Thanks for coming back to me appreciated, it seems that this has put your curiosity in overdrive. I will check the forum over the next few days in case you have any other tests you can think of.

Have you by any chance carried out the same exercise on your layout if using Elink & RailMaster?

Regards Clive

[St1ngr4y]

Hello Clive,

I have been playing with the scheduler in RM using a couple of programs which simply Play chimes sounds every 10 seconds, 5 times. The only difference between the programs is that the chimes file is different in each program. The schedule starts the first program at 00:00:00 and the second program at 00:01:10. While these programs are running in the schedule, I can open a large throttle window for a loco, switch on and off sound functions, and move it. I'm afraid I can't reproduce your symptoms. However, I haven't tried a "test message" program. Where and how exactly do you use this? Do you have this program as one of THREE in the schedule, but only tick it if you want to run it?

Ray

[Clive-358432]

Hi Ray

Whether you use a test message display, or a normal program the scheduler stopping after pop up is the same result. In Programs there is an option to display a message on the screen and for how long (at the top of page 125 in handbook)

Enter the message [ eg TEST MESSAGE] between the square brackets and set the time in seconds next to it and save as a normal program. Give it a green tick and it will run as a schedule program.

This message is handy normally at the start of a program to remind you to double check you have put a certain loco at a specific position with however many coaches or wagons. Just give enough time on the message so you can stop the program and the loco if not in right starting position.

If testing as I am doing, a message is short, rather than having to wait for a long loco program to run and finish. I do just tick it when I want to run it.

If there are no green ticks in sceduler then I can do whatever I want to do, then put in ticks and the schedule runs OK. But if the ticks are there and i do what I want this is what makes the difference.

Thank you for trying this at home, realy appreciated. This is a bit like going to the dentist and when you get there the dentist can't reproduce your toothache :)

Just as a thought, I am using 1.74 rev 5 is this the same as you are using at home. I think I read somewhere there is a 1.74. 1 or 2 ? I believe some of the guys on the forum get to test later versions before they are released.

[St1ngr4y]

Hi Clive,

I tried out a program containing only a test message command, with a time of 15 seconds. I doubt whether this has anything to do with your specific problem, but have you noticed that when such a program runs, it appears very briefly in the program executing details at the top of the main screen, then disappears almost immediately. However the display message stays on the screen for the requested 15 seconds. The nearest I got to your symptoms only happened once, but I couldn’t repeat it. Having started a two program schedule, I opened the large throttle during the first program, pressed f0 and f1 for lights and sound respectively, the buttons turned green in the throttle, but they didn’t action on the loco itself until the end of the first scheduled program, after which the second program then started.

I will try a few more times later on to see if I can learn any more about what is going on.

Ray

[Clive-358432]

Hi Ray

Sounds like you are getting close.

I left the lights and sound buttons on because the loco did not respond at the time I pressed them and they came on a couple of minutes later. And yes the loco would not respond straight away either but it did eventually.

But If you do the same exercise in a small throttle screen on the right, everything works.

With regards to the top command line going blank whilst the message is running, it is most likely the program only has to set an internal software timer and then shuts itself off.

If you watch the same command line space between Program 1 stopping and then Program 2 starting say with a delay between programs of say 3 minutes the line also goes blank for 3 minutes until the time kicks in and it starts then to show what it is doing.

I wait with interest Thanks Clive

[St1ngr4y]

Clive,

I have tried all ways to reproduce your symptoms exactly, without success. This could be because one small insignificant detail in our respective setups is different. Perhaps an INI file entry, or something in settings eg setting points at startup.

The only thing I can suggest is that you go through the process again, from loading RM onwards, listing every single thing you do with either the mouse or keyboard, even something as trivial as dragging the large throttle across the screen, then I will repeat the sequence exactly if I can. Could you also list the schedule of programs you are trying to run please?

Other than that, you may have to rely on HRMS for a suggestion.

Ray

[Clive-358432]

Hi Ray

Well interesting results.

I have 2 lots of double headers and when I close railmaster each time it asks if I want to save them so I always say yes. Next time I use railmaster they are ready to use.

I decided to turn OFF both double headers in case this may have been causing the original problem before attempting the following:-

Start railmaster fresh - 2 lots of double headers OFF

Made a program for a 94xx to go forward 6 feet and back 6 feet and stop - saved for 08:00:00

Made a test message program - lasts 15 seconds - says "test message" - saved for 07:00:00

To try before running 94XX program ran test message program - Set the scheduler to start the test message at 07:00:00 - set clock 06:59:45 - started and ran message on time OK.

Went into scheduler and set the program for the 94XX to start at 08:00:00 set clock to 07:59:45 - engine ran Forwards and Backwards and stopped OK

Next re ran the 94XX program as above again but as soon as the program started I moved a bachmann 1532 1P using the small throttle screen. Went out of control and did not have control until the 94XX program had finished.

Re ran the 94XX program and this time used a class 60 diesel which I started just after the 94XX program had started. This also went out of control until the program had finished.

I had previously been able to run a scheduled program and manually run another engine with full control. The only thing different now was that I had turned off the 2 sets of double headers, so I re started railmaster and turned double headers back on.

I now ran the 94XX program again and using the small throttle screen moved the bachmann 1532 with normal control and no run away!

BUT I ran the 94XX program again and again moved the 1532 using the pop up throttle.

The 1532 went out of control and the 94XX kept going in the forward direction and did not reverse. It stopped when the program stopped.

As I had opened a pop up screen (original problem) I lastly scheduled a test message and it ran even though I had just used a pop up!

Ray this really is a minefield and I really appreciate your help so far, but I do not want to put you out in any way, or for you to spend hours of your time. But If you do want to look at this further I can only suggest you try the following. However if this throws up nothing I will have to resign myself to very limited use of scheduler and save your valuable time.

Did you check to see if you are using 1,74 Revision 5 ?

Suggestions to try - you might find this triggers something.

1 Run a scheduled loco and just after it starts manually run a second loco and see if it goes out of control.

2 Try above with a normal and a pop up throttle screen

3 After using the pop up screen check to see if the scheduler still works (original problem) - eg try a simple test message

3 Lastly add a pair of engines as double headers and save, then re try options 1, 2, 3 above. and see if it stops runaways (if you got any? ).

Here is my INI File for railmaster and Elink in case there is anything in here you might consider problematic

Tipper speed=80

Tipper timer=86.4

Turntable speed=40

Turntable timer=23.56

Points timer=0.75

Conveyor speed=65

TCP start port=30

Double pulse=0

Check serial ports=1

Show upgrade button=1

Allow deactivate=1

Use default curves=1

Polling time=5

Confirm delete=1

Classic buttons=1

Show point indicators=1

Uncoupler time=5

Detection Timeout=5

Button bar vertical=0

Throttle timer=5

Handheld plan area=1,1,135,135

Program tick sound=1

PING time=60

Reset eLink on start=0

Enable mouse=0

Warn static IP=1

Load Hornby Locos=1

Load Jouef Locos=0

Load Rivarossi Locos=0

Load Electrotren Locos=0

Load Arnold Locos=0

Load Bassett-Lowke Locos=0

Point button arrows=0

Spoken confirmation=0

Controllers on top=1

Double pulse=0

Alternative Comms=1

Check controller=1

Alternative Comms2=1

Check controller2=1

Elite feedback=0

Full controllers=1

Show animations=1

Arnold RailMaster=0

I can not thank you enough for looking at this.

Regards Clive

[Fishmanoz]

Clive, one thing you haven’t done is to optimise the line order in your ini file as per the relevant FAQ in the sticky at the top of the forum.

Could you also please stop putting extra carriage returns in your posts, you only need one, the forum adds the second itself.

[96RAF]

Some double C/R’s removed so you can see the difference if you edit your post.

[St1ngr4y]

Hello Clive,

I have spent some time this morning trying various things, including changing some of my INI file settings to match yours, but without being able to reproduce your symptoms. The only thing I managed to achieve was getting a couple of latching sound functions out of sync between the RM throttles and the loco.

I’m afraid I have run out of ideas at this point.

Ray

[Clive-358432]

Hi Ray you could have done no more than you have, so Thank You. As this problem seems to only be affecting me I can only think it is either the Laptop or the software. I have a new unregistered copy of railmaster and I am going to get a new laptop and a copy of 1.74.5 and start again everything fresh. Obviously will put backup files in ( just need to buy the Pro ). This way I still have the old laptop with Railmaster which is useable to a point . I will give you some feedback when all done. Regards Clive

[96RAF]

Clive - you would be less frustrated with TGG, which works as advertised unlike RM.