…I officially made the leap today from a PS5 controller to the (real) cab of a Class 142. Would be interested to hear other people’s experiences of driving the real thing for the first time, especially if you’re not a mainline (career) driver. Here’s a few of my key takeaways: How little braking is required to come to a full stop. Okay, we were only bouncing along at low speed, but notch one on the brake brought the Pacer to a standstill in no time. It’s funny because your brain is telling you to notch further and further, but as my instructor said, you’d probably just disappear through the front windscreen if you slammed them on! Now I try never to use more than notch two in TSW, but still find it counter-intuitive to only rely on initial brake application. Gradients! Wow, this is a big one for me…because it’s hard to replicate gravity unless you can properly feel it! Remembering when to shut off power/notch back on/brake etc. was such an eye opener. Had no problem using the controls…it’s when to use them! Finding the ‘biting point’…what I found difficult was listening for the revs to settle before full brake release, especially on hill starts. Had a slight roll back at one point, which I was kicking myself for! Anyway, a fantastic day out. Closest thing I had on TSW was the 150…now to get Blackpool Branches!
Driver experience days are really fun but can be very expensive. Driving a real unit is so different from driving a virtual one. It does take a while to get used to braking but it's great fun once you get the hang of it. I wasn't able to drive a pacer due to having my experiences cancelled at short notice but I rode on them several times and had a few cab rides. I drove a class 37 a few years ago and it was a fantastic experience.
