GP60 front coupler won't couple to anything

[cofg509]

When I try to couple the front of the locomotive to a car it just hits the coupler but couple up.

[OldAlaskaGuy]

Did this start when you attempted to couple and hit the car hard the first time? I do not see any other complaints about this issue.

[cofg509]

No. I was creeping. Less than 3mph. Couplers just bang together as uf they wetr closef and not couple up

[OldAlaskaGuy]

Route and scenario?

[cofg509]

No scenario just a free roam

[OldAlaskaGuy]

Originally posted by cofg509:

No scenario just a free roam

What free roam route? what GP60, there is more than one? You need to be specific for me to verify your concern. If you won't or unwilling to give information then I can't help you.

[cofg509]

Norfolk Southen GP60. Adriana County

[sbmarauderman03]

What is the exact type of car you are trying to couple to? Sometimes couplers can act weird both stock and 3rd party assets. Try coupling at 5mph...sometimes you gotta unrealistically 'ram' them into each other to get a good coupling. Other times you can creep up at 1mph and as soon as they touch *BOOYAH!* they go flying into the air. If all else fails, save, quit, and re-open game...that did the trick for me.

[Broomwagon]

I don't have a solution but this isn't unique - I have this whilst freeroaming, with the rear coupler on the Dean goods from Digital Traction and front coupler on the Falmouth version of the 57xx

[Spikee1975]

Originally posted by cofg509:

When I try to couple the front of the locomotive to a car it just hits the coupler but couple up.

You are absolutely right. The parameters for this coupler make it stiff as a rock, this is present in other DTG locos too. The Spring and Damping parameters are left to zero, also zero slack action which doesn't work well with the PhysX engine.

I remember reading about players complaining about too "stretchy couplers" many years ago, and then RSC/DTG started leaving those parameters at zero, which was not a good thing. Maybe they should have consulted the original developer Kuju about this. According to Mike Rennie (Smokebox) who I talked to, slack action of 3 inches in each direction is normal for the Buckeye coupler used on pretty much all US rolling stock. I've fixed all buckeye couplers on my installation. (The bug is already present on Sherman Hill leading to sudden consist splits because the forces buildup on the ridig couplers making it break up at some point)

I have uploaded a fixed coupler for the GP60, just unzip it and place it in your RailWorks folder (The folder RailVehicles should then be next to the file GP60Pack01Assets.ap)

Without the adjusted TargetDistance, the coupling point seems to be inside the loco's collision box. (Has different value for the front coupler)

To get the other fixes, check here: https://forums.dovetailgames.com/threads/fix-available-for-consist-breaking-issues-updated.50579/

Enjoy!

DTG NS GP60 Coupler fix:
https://workupload.com/file/NkGPw9wnJqd

[Spikee1975]

For people who want to to know more or fix it themselves, these are the most widely used parameters for the buckeye, working well with the game:

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<cBlueprintLoader xmlns:d="http://www.kuju.com/TnT/2003/Delta" d:version="1.0">
	<Blueprint>
		<cCouplingTypeBlueprint>
			<UncoupledGeometry d:type="cDeltaString">DTG\GP60Pack01\RailVehicles\Couplings\Buckeye\Type-E\[00]buckeye_type-e_uncoupled</UncoupledGeometry>
			<Bogey d:type="cDeltaString"></Bogey>
			<Strength d:type="sFloat32" d:alt_encoding="0000000000C06240" d:precision="string">150</Strength>
			<CouplingConnection>
				<cCouplingConnectionBlueprint d:id="98116">
					<Type d:type="cDeltaString">buckeye</Type>
					<CoupledGeometry d:type="cDeltaString">DTG\GP60Pack01\RailVehicles\Couplings\Buckeye\Type-E\[00]buckeye_type-e_coupled</CoupledGeometry>
					<ReceivingGeometry d:type="cDeltaString"></ReceivingGeometry>
					<PivotType d:type="cDeltaString">eMidPoint</PivotType>
					<MinDistance d:type="sFloat32" d:alt_encoding="0000000000000000" d:precision="string">0</MinDistance>
					<MaxDistance d:type="sFloat32" d:alt_encoding="000000A09999B93F" d:precision="string">0.1</MaxDistance>
					<TargetDistance d:type="sFloat32" d:alt_encoding="000000A09999A93F" d:precision="string">0.05</TargetDistance>
					<SpringCoefficient d:type="sFloat32" d:alt_encoding="00000000004CCD40" d:precision="string">15000</SpringCoefficient>
					<Damping d:type="sFloat32" d:alt_encoding="000000000070C740" d:precision="string">12000</Damping>
					<MaxForce d:type="sFloat32" d:alt_encoding="00000000260F4641" d:precision="string">2.89134e+006</MaxForce>
					<ManualCoupling d:type="bool">0</ManualCoupling>
				</cCouplingConnectionBlueprint>
			</CouplingConnection>
		</cCouplingTypeBlueprint>
	</Blueprint>
</cBlueprintLoader>

The NS GP60 has Min, Max, Target, Spring and Damping all set to zero. Cause of trouble.

[OldAlaskaGuy]

Sorry I do not have the DTG NS GP60. Happy someone came up with an answer. I have used Spiklee1975's patches for other rolling stock and it does help.

[Spikee1975]

This is, apart from the coupler bug, one of DTG's finest US locos. The cab and overall modelling and texturing is on par with TSW.

[cofg509]

It's any car. The rear coupler on the locomotive works It's the front one that won't.

[cofg509]

Thank you Spikee1975. I'll go see if I can use your zip to fix it.

[cofg509]

Spikee1975. Next question. I'm kinda new at this so once I unzip the file exactly which folder should I place it in?