The General, a US Civil war locomotive

[TheCowboy]

Very Nice Model....

I give it a double thumbs up!!!!
Great addition to the Old West content, I know I will be using this one a lot.

I did notice one small glitch and maybe you could double check this for me. It seem that the anim distance for the main drivers is not correct. I noticed that the wheel speed does not match the actual speed of the loco over the track. The drivers seem to be turning too slow. Maybe its just my imagination, but I ran the loco at numerous speeds, and as I said, it looks like drivers are not keeping up with the loco speed.

Again great model
Shane

 

[Thorinoakin]

Love it it looks like my Lionel Locomotive Train Engine/Tender!
2 hands up! :hehe: :Y:
Sincerely,

Force Commander of the USS Star Destroyer
Hail The Empire!

 

[philskene]

Just downloaded and installed in TRS2004.

Had to download the whistle from the Download Station.

Wonderful locomotive. The wheel animation seems ok to me - they are very large diameter drivers.

Just one comment from me - I love the wood on the tender, but most routes will be unable to provide the wood to refill it. Some routes, mine included, are configured to provide coal. Can I suggest that the General actually consumes coal?

Phil

 

[thegrindre]

Pencil42 made a Wood Fuel Shed, <kuid2:124060:28006:2>. Might I suggest you give it a try... It's also the reason I was one of the first to DL it. I understand he will make other versions and I wanted the wood burning version before it got lost in the shuffle.

Might I ask what passenger cars would go behind this baby??? I've looked for W&ARR but couldn't find any.

 

[tbryson2]

Couldn't've said it better myself! Actually, I think it looks a bit better than bdaneal's Jupiter!:hehe: Hope maybe we could see the Texas as well!

First things first.

1. Cab view.
2. Use this model to make as accurate as possible the Civil War version.
3. Possibly the Texas. The Texas was very similar to this engine, so who knows?

Terry

 

[tbryson2]

Very Nice Model....

I give it a double thumbs up!!!!
Great addition to the Old West content, I know I will be using this one a lot.

I did notice one small glitch and maybe you could double check this for me. It seem that the anim distance for the main drivers is not correct. I noticed that the wheel speed does not match the actual speed of the loco over the track. The drivers seem to be turning too slow. Maybe its just my imagination, but I ran the loco at numerous speeds, and as I said, it looks like drivers are not keeping up with the loco speed.

Again great model
Shane

I wonder if it is an illusion? There are times when it looks (to me) that the drivers are going FASTER than they should. I used a scene where there was a boardwalk surrounding the tracks, and ran it real slow and a bit faster. They looked like they timed it out ok to me. BUT I will look closer and take notes for the future upgrade. Thanks!

 

[tbryson2]

Just downloaded and installed in TRS2004.

Had to download the whistle from the Download Station.

Wonderful locomotive. The wheel animation seems ok to me - they are very large diameter drivers.

Just one comment from me - I love the wood on the tender, but most routes will be unable to provide the wood to refill it. Some routes, mine included, are configured to provide coal. Can I suggest that the General actually consumes coal?

Phil

Well, actually I made the wood version before I knew my history of the engine. The actual post Civil War engine burns OIL! They put wood on the tender just for looks!

When I make the Civil War version, THAT engine will burn wood, (because the original did), and the POST civil war version that I released will go to burning oil. Wonder if I should offer tenders that do each, just for flexibilty? Wouldn't be "accurate", but hey, this is all for fun isn't it?

What do you guys think?

The whistle was from Ben Neals Jupiter and 119. I may update the whistle also on the "final" version in the future. If you have either the 119 or Jupiter it would have already been there.

Terry

 

[thegrindre]

If you were not going to change the stack then two tenders would be a great idea.

Glad you thought of it...

 

[Thorinoakin]

I just Love it and how it is don't change it! :mop: :mop: :mop: :mop:
but its up too you!
Sincerely,

Force Commander of the USS Star Destroyer
Hail The Empire!

 

[tbryson2]

If you were not going to change the stack then two tenders would be a great idea.

Glad you thought of it...

She went through 2 different stacks in her lifetime too. A "Ballon" stack for when she burned wood, a diamond stack for when she burned coal. For the museum version, she has a baloon stack again. IF I was to offer a coal tender, then (logically), I would have to offer the correct engine also with the diamond stack. (Actually, both ballon stacks look different than each other, so the Civil War version will look different)

The one with the diamond stack looks ALMOST exactly as the museum version, just with a diamond stack. Had not planned on releasing that one. But it would be easy enough for the future. To have all 3 versions would be cool. Hmmm. Now you got me started!

Don't hold your breath on that one. It may, or may not happen.

And by the way, It has been tested successfully with the Wood Fuel Shed, <kuid2:124060:28006:2> mentioned above. She does fill up properly when stopped there.

Terry

 

[smokeygear]

In pictures i saw the the general as a coal burner, with a switch pilot and knuckle couplers on both front and rear ends.

 

[tbryson2]

Not sure where you saw them, are you sure it was the "General"?

As far as I can tell, even in the 60's there never was a "modern day" coupler on the front of the engine. In fact, they had to modify the flatcar with a coupler on it to pull her along using the original "link" on the cowcatcher.

The one in the museum NOW has a knuckle coupler on the end of the tender only. When I release the absolute last version, (read the threads before this one), it will have a knuckle coupler on it.

She only burned coal after the Civil War and until 1892 when she was converted back to wood. Then in the 60's she was converted to oil. She only burned coal from the 1870's to 1892 when she was rebuilt, (again). During that time she had the diamond stack.

Terry

 

[smokeygear]

No i'm sorry the picture showed the Texas with switchboards and link and pin couplers. How could i mess that up.

 

[RPearson]

Very Nice Model....

I give it a double thumbs up!!!!
Great addition to the Old West content, I know I will be using this one a lot.

I did notice one small glitch and maybe you could double check this for me. It seem that the anim distance for the main drivers is not correct. I noticed that the wheel speed does not match the actual speed of the loco over the track. The drivers seem to be turning too slow. Maybe its just my imagination, but I ran the loco at numerous speeds, and as I said, it looks like drivers are not keeping up with the loco speed.

Again great model
Shane

Good eye Shane, this a "feature" of the Auran "realistic" steam physics system they gave us. When you add the direct-drive 1 tag to a bogey the animdist you set in the config is ignored by the game. Instead the steam physics uses a wheel that has a dimeter of 2 meters and rotation matches that - traveling 6.28 m each revolution. In cab mode control (where the steam physics is used) every steam loco regardless of wheel diameter travels the same distance each rotaion of the dive wheels when the direct-drive tag is used.

The 62 inch drivers on the General will in fact slide along the track as they rotate in order to travel 6.28 meters every rotation. I personaly take the direct-drive 1 tag off the drive wheels and put it on front or rear truck or more often add it to an invisible bogey. The drive wheel then will rotate per the animdist you set in their config. The exhaust sounds will no longer sync with the drive wheels but it's bogus anyhow - only getting 1 cuff from each cylinder per rev (of a 2m dia drive wheel at that) - another "feature" of the system. I perfer to see the wheels at their correct rotational speed.

Bob Pearson

PS. Of course after that rant I checked the animdist for the drive bogey and it is set at 7. In dcc control mode the wheels will rotate much too slow. In cab control there's nothing to be done except as I suggest above. For DCC mode however with 62 in drivers and a 30 frame animation file length the anmdist should 4.947 meters. In cab control it will still rotate like it is 6.24.

 

[TheCowboy]

Bob

I thought maybe I was loosing my mind. I ran the loco again this morning with a fresh set of eyes and did not notice the effect as much. Of course this morning I tried in DCC mode to adjust the speed more precisely. As you indicated, there is a difference in cab mode vs DCC mode. So as you suggested the best way to deal with this is to use and invisible bogey.

Good to hear from you and glad to see you are still around.

Regards

 

[springtransit]

The engine is very nice! Best 4-4-0 we have so far. However, I looked at the engine, and I don't think you placed the number plate right in the middle of the smokebox door in front of the engine, so if you could address that in the next version...

 

[tbryson2]

Thanks for the heads up Mr. Pearson! It WAS set as you suggest, then I did some experimenting and thought it was better at 7. I did NOT know that the other setting overrode the animdist setting. Not ENTIRELY sure what you mean by putting the "direct drive" tag on an invisible bogey.

I will correct that shortly. Perhaps do a re-release also.

Again, many thanks!

Wonder how many other "gotchas" are out there?

Terry

 

[tbryson2]

The engine is very nice! Best 4-4-0 we have so far. However, I looked at the engine, and I don't think you placed the number plate right in the middle of the smokebox door in front of the engine, so if you could address that in the next version...

Boy, you want a lot!

It was only off by a hair! But it's fixed now. Thanks for the sharp eyes!

Terry

 

[springtransit]

Ok, good. I noticed you even knew of the "hint= dynamic" trick! That saved me a bit of trouble!

 

[thegrindre]

We are gettin' picky, aren't we?

I have a number three in my light. Is that a 'bug'?