Hi perrybucsdad, welcome to the forum!
It can get a little confusing where to find info.
Diesel loco HUD abbreviations
CS MR
FL BC
EQ TP
Steam loco HUD abbreviations
CS SC MR
CO BP BC
WA EQ TP
I found this
page with a web search. It gives you the meaning of the abbreviations and gives explanations. I hope N3V doesn't mind a direct quote.
[h=1]Help:TRS19 Driver Controls Steam[/h] Coupler Slack (CS)
This display tells you the current drawbar force x1000 (so 1-2 indicates a drawbar force between 1000LBF and 2000LBF).
Coal Level (CO)
The Coal Level display tells you the current level of coal in the firebox. 100% is the optimum level of coal in the firebox, creating the most heat and hence the most steam. When working hard you should aim to keep the coal level near 100%. When approaching a steep up hill gradient, you should add more coal above 100% to allow the fire to burn down to 100% as you approach the gradient to make as much steam as possible. When working lightly, such as down hill, you can let the coal level drop somewhat below 100% as you will not need to generate as much steam. Remember that there can be a delay between adding coal, and making steam, as adding coal may lower the fire temperature and will take time to ignite and burn.
Water Level (WA)
The Water Level display tells you the current water level, as on the gauge glass in the cab, in the boiler of the locomotive. If you run out of water in the boiler, the fusible plug will melt (boiler pressure will disappear to 0PSI) and you will no longer be able to drive the locomotive. Good practice is to keep the boiler water level between 50-70%. The amount of water in the boiler will affect the volume of steam available, more water will restrict how hard you can drive the locomotive before the boiler pressure drops.
Steam Chest Pressure (SC)
The Steam Chest Pressure display tells you the current pressure in the Steam Chest, which gives you an approximate idea of the pressure of steam in the cylinders. This indication can be helpful for operating the Cut-Off on the locomotive. For maximum efficiency, and tractive effort, the Steam Chest Pressure will generally be close to the boiler pressure of the locomotive. As you gain speed, you will need to reduce the Cut-Off to keep the Steam Chest Pressure up. This value is only important if you are working the train hard, such as trying to reach the track speed limit or working up a steep grade. When coasting, or working lightly, the steam chest pressure should be low as you will not need to use as much steam.
Boiler Pressure (BP)
The Boiler Pressure display tells you the current steam pressure in the boiler. When working hard you should aim to keep the boiler pressure close to, or at, the maximum working pressure (this is the pressure at which the safety valves will start to blow off, releasing excess steam). With practice you should be able to keep the boiler pressure just below the pressure that the safety valves operate. Good practice is to never have the safety valves release steam, as this is a waste of coal and water; however this may be unavoidable if you need to unexpectedly use less steam (ie stop for an unexpected signal).
Equalizing Reservoir Pressure (EQ)
The Equalizing Reservoir Pressure display tells you the current pressure in the Equalizing Reservoir on your locomotive.
When you apply a non self lapping train brake, the Equalizing Reservoir Pressure will drop until the handle is moved to the lap or release positions. When you apply a self lapping train brake, the Equalizing Reservoir Pressure will drop until it reaches the corresponding pressure of the brake handle's position (This may vary between locomotives).
When you are driving a heavy train, you should use the Equalizing Reservoir to judge the reduction of air in the train brake instead of using the Brake Pipe Pressure. This is because long trains may take some time for changes in the brake pipe pressure to propagate along the length of your train.
Main Reservoir Pressure (MR)
The Main Reservoir Pressure display tells you the current pressure of the Main Reservoir on your locomotive. The Main Reservoir is used to release and recharge the brakes when released after a brake application (or after coupling to a wagon/consist). If your Main Reservoir pressure gets too low, you will not be able to recharge the air in the train brake, and hence may not be able to apply the train brake again.
Brake Cylinder Pressure (BC)
The Brake Cylinder Pressure display tells you the current pressure in the brake cylinders on your locomotive. Any value above 0 indicates that the brakes on your locomotive are applied to some degree, and may slow or stop your train. The locomotive brakes may be applied with both the train brake and independent brake. When the train brake is applied, you can 'bail off' the locomotive's brake cylinder (this will release the locomotive's brakes) by pressing the 'D' key.
Train Pipe Pressure (TP)
The Train Pipe Pressure display tells you the current pressure in the train brake pipe. The 'release' pressure may vary, but generally will be around 70PSI/480KPA. When you apply the train brakes, the train pipe pressure will drop until it matches the Equalizing Reservoir Pressure; keep in mind that on long trains there may be several seconds before the train pipe pressure makes a noticeable change or reaches the Equalizing Reservoir Pressure. You should always use the Equalizing Reservoir Pressure to judge how much you have applied the brakes, not the Train Pipe Pressure.
