missing Trainz skillz

J

J33

New member
Hi guys,
I'm seeking help, or a help link regarding the operating of engines & steam engines.
I haven't been able to start the BigBoy on a one degree grade.
I've only managed to roll backwards whilst spinning my wheels.
I tried sand , but to no avail.
Secondly,
I haven't a proper understanding of auto brakes & independent brakes.
Thanks in advance
J33
 
independant brakes-engine brakes
automatic brakes-train brakes (air brakes)

simply put, automatic brakes will stop a train going 50 mph, the independant brakes would probably melt off (kidding) and you wouldn't stop with the weight behind you pushing. thats pretty much what they are. oh, and i beleive westinghouse invented the first air brake system. =) hope that helps
 
Try giving it a little throttle before you release the brakes. If you have a train, you can try taking a little slack. If that doesn't work, do what we do, call for a recrew and go for coffee. :)
 
I'd be doing great, if rolling backwards down a hill was on the waybill :eek:
Should the reverser be full forward, or just off neutral when starting out ?
What I've tried is:
1.Release brakes
2.Reverser to forward
3.Throttle up
4. Use sand
Am I missing something?
Perhaps, there's a BigBoy engineer school
 
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J33 said:
I'd be doing great, if rolling backwards down a hill was on the waybill :eek:
Should the reverser be full forward, or just off neutral when starting out ?
What I've tried is:
1.Release brakes
2.Reverser to forward
3.Throttle up
4. Use sand
I'm I missing something?
Perhaps, there's a BigBoy engineer school
Click to expand...

This is for 2006, right? 2004 is easy, no wheel slip.:D The thing with Big Boy is that it's so damn heavy the gravitation inertial is constantly trying to pull it down the grade, and the only thing holding it is the wheel friction. Break that friction by slipping the drive wheels and you lost the advantage. Try it this way:

1. Reverser Full Forward
2. Apply Sand
3. Crack the Regulator one click
4. Release the brake.

You should begin rolling forward. Do not touch the Regulator until your speed is around 2 mph, then open it another click. Keep the sand running. It will take some time to get to the top of the grade, but you eventually make it as long as you don't slip the wheels.
 
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Steam engines are not like diesels. Often with a gradient they either need a good run at it, or assistance is needed. There is a gradient on my route where some steam locos stall everytime, yet diesels don't have a problem with it. One thing you can do is get the AI to give you a shove from the rear. The process could go like this:

1) Player train stops.
2) AI loco comes from a siding and couples up to the rear.
3) AI driver is given command to wait 30 seconds and then proceed to a certain trackmark at the top of the gradient where he will decouple and return to siding.
4) As soon as the AI starts shoving release the brakes and open the regulator.

Using this process, you won't have to stop at the top of the gradient because the AI will uncouple automatically (use the couplez and uncouplez commands available off the DLS.)

Or perhaps you'd like to do it the old Midland/S & C way, that is, with a pilot loco at the front. This requires the siding to be at the top of the gradient. The loco comes down the hill, couples up to you and pulls you up the gradient. The only downside to this is that you have to stop at the top for the pilot locomotive to be released to the siding, but it is prototypical of the Settle and Carlisle line right up until 1968. They even had a big stockaded turntable in the middle of nowhere for pilots to turn round.

Best wishes,
Padster
 
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Starting BigBoy on a grade is difficult with the cut-off on 100%, therefore reduce it to a figure close to 30%.

Now, release the brakes and just before the train starts rolling backwards open the regulator one notch and start sanding. (You might need to practice some on the timing here.)

Wait for the speed to settle, then go up a notch on the cut-off, wait again, then go up one notch on the regulator - and so on. With the speed coming to 15-20mph and cut-off at 100% you can open the regulator more than one notch at the time and try skip the sanding.

Good Luck!
 
I got the Big Boy moving with much difficulty. I had this naughty idea the second time and issued the AI to drive it up to an industry at the top of the grade. :hehe: No problem!
 
I get big boy to start by putting the loco in reverse with one notch regulator and train brakes on.. loco pushes against load.. then go to 100% forward and one notch regulator and release the brakes. No sand needed. It's tricky, but that's the fun of it.
 
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