Loco Db Br 218 Diesel Loco Feedback Thread

Hello, I play on the PS5 and wanted to ask why there are only 3 scenarios available for the BR 218?

 

Thats the usual amount for loco dlc’s.

 

Weren't FOUR scenarios announced? And BTW: I want my HBL journeys back!

 

For the fourth scenario you need to select the 766 Dosto cab car and not the loco. The loco is pushing that train, but the driven vehicle is the cab car.

 

Suggestion for the future - a gameplay pack (similar to the Rail Operations Group Class 37) that gives it a Scharfenberg adapter and has some scenarios/timetable layers dragging various trains would be fun

 

My first day-one purchase ever.

And she's a beauty.
Pure genius. Get your ears prepared for some serious Diesel sound. I'm gonna enjoy this loco (THE Free Roam Loco) and hope she gets still better employed than only on HBL and Maintalbahn.

 

Excellent. Can't wait until later. Sounds like it's Railtour time give it an outing on all the German routes. DCZ should be quite fierce, or RSN.

 

OldVern I've had her only a few minutes until now but I'm quite sure you won't refund this one.

Starting a double heading freight from Hamburg-Rotherburgsort to Lübeck gives you quite a Diesel blast. I think the discussions about the sounds will stop here. At least on my sound setup (5.1 Yamaha) she sounds superb.

 

On PS5, I noticed that the fan on top is not working (as in not moving).

 

The fan is temperature controlled and starts spinning when its time to do so.

 

The sounds are overall very good but they are near silent if you’re more than a few metres away! I’ve noticed this with a few German diesels in TSW. The coaches are marked with “Regionalverkehr Würettemberg”, shouldn’t this be Württemberg?

 

PS5

I noticed substitutions for other maps as well, and for example on DRA, RRO, etc. they are also for RE with Dosto, but the door opens again on the other side ..... but for Hamburg - Lubeck the door works correctly with Dosto

 

PS5

It may seem to me, but it seems to me that in the case of a passenger set, the loco has high revs even when it is stationary, it seems fine to me in the case of a freight train. But maybe it's just a feeling, I don't know

 

Try turning train heating off. I've read turning it on makes it rev higher at idle.

That is a known issue

 

I admit that I don't understand the problems with doors, for example with BR 111 I did not notice problems on any map even though it was substituted

 

Thanks, it's heating the train

 

First impressions are that it is great, it is nice to have a diesel loco for a change rather than all the multiple units, and I think it is worth the price. I think Maik and the TSG team have done a good job

Thoughts

• I hope we get another German diesel route where we can use the 218 more, and/or a extension/remaster of Hamburg - Lubeck.
• The only thing I wish was different was that we could walk through the engine room corridor, even if it was a simplified low detailed version. I prefer a simplified engine room to none at all.
• I hope upcoming UK content will have as much variety as German content.

Bugs

• The PIS selector on the 218 doesn't show any text, although it still works.
• The Bnr451 appears twice in the formation designer, one is labelled DB nWagen Bnr451 and works normally, the other is labelled /TSG_DB_nWagen_D/Data/RailVehicleDefinition/RVD_TSG_Bnr_451_4_D.RVD_TSG_Bnr_451_4_D and can't couple to anything.
• The DB Bnrdzf 463.0 Diesel doesn't show as compatible with anything else in formation designer.
• The first objective on the scenario 'To The Rescue' is broken (Go Via Location | Hamburg-Rahlstedt - Platform 1 | 0m), although if you drive far enough it completes as normal.

 

Permission to shout, please - FANTASTIC!

Got to be one of the best loco add ons for TSW and that's set against previous TSG output and all our BR Classic stuff. I can see myself spending a lot of time with this in the coming weeks.

Only one (slight) issue - well actually two - I've noticed.
In the Training Centre scenario the instructions do not tell you to change view before switching on the headlights and the switches are obscured by the throttle wheel. I stood up to do it and still had a job, then when complete it tells you to channe the view back! Well maybe there was a view and in the excitement I missed it.

The brake gauge in the cab does not go all the way to 5 bar when you release the brakes but seems to stick at around 4.8.

As regards the sounds, no issues here, they are loud and seem well mixed - can recommend running with the windows and doors open.

And yes, this loco definitely needs the German route building team to sit down and conjure up something like Obereruhrtalbahn or Ulm to Lindau via Kempten.

 

Well, OldVern, if you recommend this dlc, then I will have to purchase it.

 

You missed a view - I did as well. If you cycle through the in cab views there is one above the throttle wheel which makes it easy.

Totally agree on the other points. Absolutely wonderful DLC.

 

Even though I've now come off the game I can still hear those loco sounds in my head. If I run this before bedtime with my headphones on, going to be dreaming about the 218 and hearing it in my sleep. This is a loco that really is begging you to take it on a long, long, journey.

 

Parallax effect. The needle shows 5.0 exactly but from the perspective of the driver it looks less. Take a look from a perfect angle and you will see it.

 

Thanks Maik Goltz for this all and you have done for TSW! Like all your work, I am going to really enjoy the 218.

 

My first impression, after testing the old lady on Maintalbahn:
AMAZING

Overall, very well done, Maik Goltz and the TSG team! Perhaps call me biased since I've got a sweet spot for the 218 since I was little, but this one has great potential to become my favourite loco in TSW.

The sound, pretty much a hallmark of the 218, is spot on for my ears. Switch her up to gear 8 and listen to the music... I got zwangsbremsed twice because I was listening and not paying attention to the speed and signals.
Turbocharger is a bit high pitched in some gears, especially the lower ones, but that's fine. No two 218 sound exactly the same anyway.

Very nice job on the modeling too, great attention to detail. In particular I got a kick out of the side vents opening after a while when the engine temperature climbed. Also the cab is very well done, the textures give it a nice, comfy, seasoned feel. The solid driver's seat startled me at first until I realized I had to fold the thing forward to get past it
Also, it's got so many working switches and levers, it's a joy. Reminds me of the openable-passenger-windows-628
I agree with what was said above, an accessible engine room would have been the cherry on an already delicious cake. But I can see why it was omitted and it's no big deal.

Gotta go test her some more, and the cab car as well

PS: Is it just me or does Maintalbahn have two timetables now?

 

Thanks Maik. Top man. Top add on.

 

Why didn’t you guys add trophy’s or achievements for this add on?

 

One minor little thing:
The glare shields on the indicator lights are not particularly good in doing their job. The lights are hard to see with all the glare coming in, especially the upper row. Not sure if this can be fixed easily though.

 

I really like the Br218, it's very well done! Only thing is, that it's impossible to drive a cargo Service with a Single 218. It would be nice, if we would get double br218 for cargo Services on other routes

 

Will second, third and more the praise of this add on loco. Just drove the freight service 89701 in HH-L with double headed 218s and my only quibble was the old issue of placing the stop point within 1 - 2 meters of a red signal. As I wasn't comfortable with the brakes yet, passed it and SPAD. It works very well with a Rail Driver, the throttle quadrant is exactly zero at middle position and 15 at full pull. Now, could someone please direct me to the switches in the cab to turn on sifa a PZB. I had to use the Rail Driver buttons after a failed search.

 

PS5

I don't know if it is directly related to BR218, maybe more to the Hamburg - Lübeck map update. But I started noticing that AI trains led by BR146 or BR143 were opening doors on both sides (definitely better than none and thus a total collapse of AI traffic). Anyway, it's unfortunate......

For the timetable service with BR146 or BR143 it is also the same, only when the door side is manually adjusted, the reverse side can always be opened, so it is again swapped

 

You'll find both in cab #2 behind a panel in the back wall

 

Shout out on the diesel exhaust smoke coming out of the top. Love that

 

Is there a written manual available? How to setup things right and read all gauges correctly...

 

Amazing. Nothing more to add. I breezed through all scenarios one after the other tonight. The sounds in particular I wanna shout out. The 218 is outstanding and I suspect I will spend many hours on her. Worth every penny.

 

Hello!
I playing on PS5, very strange that you said earlier this loco will be available on Maintalbahn: Aschaffenburg - Miltenberg, but it's not.
Strangely it available in Nahverker Dresden. What happened?

 

Nice DLC. The To The Rescue scenario is a bit broken though as someone has decided to put the locos where the invisible wall stops you accessing cab 2 to activate SIFA & PZB! This is the second scenario that an invisible wall stops you switching something on so that you have to mess around shunting forwards to be able to access what you need to get to. I also have the marker for Hamburg-Rahlstedt platform 1 in my cab so will be interested to see what happens when I reach the actual point on the map

 

in Koln Aachen I got a service with like 6 Dostos, and came like 10mins late... I think I will try one more time, leaving first stations early so I dont get deductions later ... 218 doesnt like those steep grades on this route together with heavy train

 

And how do they open the door? Correctly?

 

For it to appear on maintalbahn, you have to also own hamburg lubeck because it uses the dostos from hamburg lubeck

 

A well done loco. I can really recommend it. I have noticed just one problem, that if you use the dynamic brake, the rpm don’t goes up and you can’t hear the dynamic brake working. But all in all no further issues I’ve noticed.

 

Chiming in since I've spent the afternoon operating this loco. Really enjoyable to drive, I love the start-up procedure and the differences in tap-changer operations (for ex., being aware of the oiling/transmission requirements) from the other German power. Brakes work well once you get used to them. Great model. Thank you Maik and TSG.

 

so this is my second attempt... and I achieved gold, while the thing that bothers me more is that with this kind of consist, on this route which has quite steep grades, it is impossible to arrive on time... and even achieving this kind of score required me to drive in a way that would make the loco explode IRL, aka right after releasing the brakes putting it into notch 15 and praying for mercy ... I mean, if DTG wanted to prove a point of DB arriving late, good job, but correct me if I am wrong, a service should be put together in a way that if you follow proper procedures with a loco/train, you should be able to arrive on time or a bit early, without driving it like a kamikadze lol

another minor thing I noticed is that when applying train brakes, unless you hold on to the lever manually, you cant put it into notch 4, only 3 or 5, which is kinda weird if you are trying to time the braking kinda precisely

will probably post here once I do more services on this and other routes

 

razmatus#2517, you’re driving services no real 218 ever did. They’re timetabled for something like a 111. Of course the 218 will not keep to that schedule.

 

just completed a run on Munchen Augsburg... and pretty much the same issue as with Koln Aachen - if I was to keep driving "gently" as it should be with this loco, I would be super-late... and even as I was driving like a madman, wrecking the loco, I was late... and in trying to make up time, I was going way past design speed... which the game/loco was not punishing me for, at least for a time (usually PZB temporarily locks the traction until it gets under the vmax)... and then at around 150, after like a minute or so driving in that speed, bam, traction lock that I couldnt get out of, no matter what, and in trying, I almost completely missed a stop

yea, got the gold, but with almost zero enjoyment... this loco, as far as I understand, is to be driven by gently upping the notches, and eventually getting to vmax after a time, with enough time to make the stops in time... no idea whats the point of the current timetables for 218 if you cant even approximately keep them :/

 

kinda thought so... I get that they wanted to give the new loco more playground, but then you get stuff like this - timetables you cant keep... and as for that Munchen run - I guess if you drive the loco above 140 for too long, it locks the traction permanently and you have to brake to a halt to unlock it, I guess (didnt want to do that as I would then be late by hrs lol)?

 

I am loving the fact that this subs in for freight services on DRA. So much fun to hear it spool up for a heavy train and then wreck the DRA schedule by not being able to quite run at top speed. Make sure you set the Gear Selector to slow and keep to 100kph.