Steam Loco Can't Maintain Boiler Pressure when Departing. Help

[Blo0dyMustard32]

I'm building my own enginespec for a steam loco. However, my loco can't maintain the boiler pressure when starting to move. Any tips to solve this? Thanks in advance!

 

[KotangaGirl]

Are you using the blower while the locomotive is stationary? A steam loco needs a draught through the boiler tubes in order to build steam so hit the 'N' key a couple of times before you even think about doing anything else.
Once you've got boiler pressure and before starting off leave the reverser in mid-gear and open the regulator to about a third to fill the steam chest.
If you've only got 'ghost steam' in the boiler, the boiler pressure will immediately fall to almost nothing. If the pressure stays more or less level between the boiler and the steam chest and doesn't drop when you open the regulator you should be good to go. Take the regulator to half and shift the reverser a little into forward gear. The boiler pressure might drop a little and you should start to hear the loco take up the slack in the couplings. Once the loco's starting to move open the regulator some more and control your forward speed with the reverser.

This is assuming that you did your sums right when you made your engine spec and your boiler is actually capable of making steam.

 

[Blo0dyMustard32]

Are you using the blower while the locomotive is stationary? A steam loco needs a draught through the boiler tubes in order to build steam so hit the 'N' key a couple of times before you even think about doing anything else.
Once you've got boiler pressure and before starting off leave the reverser in mid-gear and open the regulator to about a third to fill the steam chest.
If you've only got 'ghost steam' in the boiler, the boiler pressure will immediately fall to almost nothing. If the pressure stays more or less level between the boiler and the steam chest and doesn't drop when you open the regulator you should be good to go. Take the regulator to half and shift the reverser a little into forward gear. The boiler pressure might drop a little and you should start to hear the loco take up the slack in the couplings. Once the loco's starting to move open the regulator some more and control your forward speed with the reverser.

This is assuming that you did your sums right when you made your engine spec and your boiler is actually capable of making steam.

So I was tasked with only making the enginespec and the pressure production is looking good. I was mashing the N key but there was no effect whatsoever. I also found out that the loco maker didn't modelled the blower in the mesh :/. So then I use other loco's cab. However, the N key also didn't do anything in the new cab that even has blower lever. I'm confused lol. But yes I tried turning on the blower manually in the cab and the loco can finally maintain the pressure. I think I have to inform the creator so they can make the blower mesh. Thank you so much!

 

[KotangaGirl]

Not a problem, - I'm glad that I was able to help.

 

[S301]

So I was tasked with only making the enginespec and the pressure production is looking good. I was mashing the N key but there was no effect whatsoever. I also found out that the loco maker didn't modelled the blower in the mesh :/. So then I use other loco's cab. However, the N key also didn't do anything in the new cab that even has blower lever. I'm confused lol. But yes I tried turning on the blower manually in the cab and the loco can finally maintain the pressure. I think I have to inform the creator so they can make the blower mesh. Thank you so much!

This may depend on if the cab actually has the script setup to include the blower (IIRC steam loco cabs do need to call the default steam cabin script to work correctly). If the cab asset is incorrectly configured, then potentially multiple steam related functions may be broken.

But yes, steam locos will go 'cold' if they are sitting. If your starting temperature is relatively low, then this can also result in them not generating steam whilst sitting and hence when you start driving the boiler pressure will plummet.

The blower (activated with N - it has 6 positions by default; Shift + N to turn it down/off) is essential to putting a draft on the fire and hence generating heat and steam. It can still take time though, depending on the rest of the parameters in the enginespec.

Regards

 

[Blo0dyMustard32]

This may depend on if the cab actually has the script setup to include the blower (IIRC steam loco cabs do need to call the default steam cabin script to work correctly). If the cab asset is incorrectly configured, then potentially multiple steam related functions may be broken.

But yes, steam locos will go 'cold' if they are sitting. If your starting temperature is relatively low, then this can also result in them not generating steam whilst sitting and hence when you start driving the boiler pressure will plummet.

The blower (activated with N - it has 6 positions by default; Shift + N to turn it down/off) is essential to putting a draft on the fire and hence generating heat and steam. It can still take time though, depending on the rest of the parameters in the enginespec.

Regards

Can I add the cab control for blower without a mesh? For example can I just add it in the cab's config?

 

[2995Valliant]

Are you using the blower while the locomotive is stationary? A steam loco needs a draught through the boiler tubes in order to build steam so hit the 'N' key a couple of times before you even think about doing anything else.
Once you've got boiler pressure and before starting off leave the reverser in mid-gear and open the regulator to about a third to fill the steam chest.
If you've only got 'ghost steam' in the boiler, the boiler pressure will immediately fall to almost nothing. If the pressure stays more or less level between the boiler and the steam chest and doesn't drop when you open the regulator you should be good to go. Take the regulator to half and shift the reverser a little into forward gear. The boiler pressure might drop a little and you should start to hear the loco take up the slack in the couplings. Once the loco's starting to move open the regulator some more and control your forward speed with the reverser.

This is assuming that you did your sums right when you made your engine spec and your boiler is actually capable of making steam.

If you've got your blower effect and max flow set up correctly there won't be any "ghost steam" in the boiler as any false boiler pressure will drop and vanish as soon as the blower is turned on.

For a number of reasons you should always start away in full gear

 

[2995Valliant]

This may depend on if the cab actually has the script setup to include the blower (IIRC steam loco cabs do need to call the default steam cabin script to work correctly). If the cab asset is incorrectly configured, then potentially multiple steam related functions may be broken.

But yes, steam locos will go 'cold' if they are sitting. If your starting temperature is relatively low, then this can also result in them not generating steam whilst sitting and hence when you start driving the boiler pressure will plummet.

The blower (activated with N - it has 6 positions by default; Shift + N to turn it down/off) is essential to putting a draft on the fire and hence generating heat and steam. It can still take time though, depending on the rest of the parameters in the enginespec.

Regards

If you have the minimum fire temperature and boiler heat loss parameters set up correctly the boiler pressure should always recover (eventually) because, so long as there is enough coal in the 'box the boiler should be capable of generating enough steam pressure (40-50psi) to at least get the blower working.

 

[KotangaGirl]

For a number of reasons you should always start away in full gear

My driving habits come from spending too much time shunting goods yards instead of driving on the main line.