Train Sim World 2 - The Definitive Dash 8

I've heard a Dash-9 from ScaleTrains in a YT video. Even through those two tiny speakers and picked by a normal camera the mixing was better than with the AC44. So yeah, cooperation with these might not be bad. They could also use each others research on vehicles.

 

I have only completed 2 SPG services, so I've got plenty to get me through a few weeks.

 

Takes me a few weeks to do one service, such a long and slow route

 

I've spent most of my time in the livery editor.

 

Agreed!!! Think Positive!

 

You must've did something wrong. I had that same duo and actually turned off my trailing unit for more of a challenge and still charged the hill easily.

 

Yes sir, ScaleTrains uses Loksound decoders, which are some of the best in model railroading!

 

I have a Tunnel Motor and ET44 on the way, so I'm really looking forward to those.

 

Forgot to cut in the brakes that's probably why

 

Awesome!

 

I have a pair of Scaletrains Tunnels motors and they are fantastic.

 

I just love the big dials in the cab. Everything’s right there in your face. The brake gauges look like station clocks. 10% of the loco’s power is used just to move the speedometer needle, it’s so big.

I managed to do the Slippy Descent scenario without a single case of slip or slide, and no sand used either. I’m going to try it again with less care just to get some sliding action in.

 

Nice! I pre ordered me some NS sd70acu's from Athearn.

 

So when you open the throttle of the dash 8 to full power, a few moments later the amps completely drop off and it's like the engine has shut down. Does anyone know how to recover from this ?

 

I haven't had this problem. I'll test and see.

 

Well I finally got my first run up and down the grade with a couple of these beasts. I really like this loco. The exterior is well done with appropriate weathering and I love that hybrid cab, though some controls are either hard to find or non functional. As far as the sounds go, whether they're completely accurate I couldn't say, but they're plenty loud, open windows make them much louder, tunnel echoes are distinctive and throttle and dynamic brakes are pronounced. Traction motor sound could be better. The loco handles well with power to spare dragging a 5,000 ton coal train up the mountain and the brakes hold the load easily. All in all, a fun machine to drive.

 

I have same problem. Every time the engine is slipping on track. After that, you have none amps and none force in this engine.
But the second engine is working. I have tried many things to recover but its not working.
Even tried to shut the engine off. But after I couldn't started the engine......

 

I have a ScaleTrains ET44AH, and I love it, the detail and sounds are amazing!

 

DTG,

As I've said before, there are people on this forum who are willing and capable of helping you with this stuff. We'd even do it for free. Being a British company, it's going to be harder to pull off American stuff without the right resources. You obviously don't have them since you recycle everything you can when you create a new product. Just as I said previously about the AC44s and such, referring to those of us who do this for a living or take a great deal of pride in the hobby would yield better product results. I've run a few Dash 8s in my career. You didn't even get the cab functions correct. I'm always open to talking. There's things about the Dash 8 that need to be fixed.

 

Send Matt or Sam a message.

 

Yeah, in the Dash 8 stream, they said if you want to help out, send Matt or Sam a message, and they would be open to talking with anyone who can make the content better.

 

Yeah sure kid, DTG takes months to reply to emails so the ball is in their court as always.

 

I wrote that before I knew that DTG was talking with you.

 

That does not make your slander any better.

 

Haven't been on this forum in two months... I see nothing's changed.

 

Assumed that the banking comm would have been added to the roadmap. However it hasn't been.

 

I'm still trying to figure out what banking comm is, because we don't have that in the real world.

 

It's TSWs version of talking to the engineer in the rear loco.

 

Yes, I know. I was being cheeky since instead of taking the time to understand manned helper service and DPU, they just came up with something that sounded good at the time.

 

How is it something that just sounded good at the time? I don‘t really see any other way to simulate a train driven by two crews with only one player. I would love to hear your suggestion on how to improve the banking comm.

 

Since this engine first became available for TSW2, I've promised myself to wait for a sale -- and DTG has called my bluff, so I bought it.

So far, I've only run through the tutorial, but I do have a few comments about that:

1. Why, DTG, have a Brit managing the tutorial for a US piece of equipment?

2. The activation sequence dictated by the Brit requires sitting down and getting up again a couple of times -- unless, of course, the engineer has v-e-r-y l--o--n--g arms; moreover, there's no mention of using the arrow keys to view and manipulate various controls more easily.

3. For me, the most difficult section of the Brit's instructions involved stopping very precisely at the fueling station -- doing so as little as 1 yard off the mark doesn't advance to the next step.

4. As with other diesels with a front cab hatch, getting through the two doors and closing them behind oneself without hitting various parts of one's imaginary anatomy is, I imagine, much trickier than in real life. I've saved the least for last.

I'm almost certainly going to run this tut' at least once more before taking on any other activity, but would prefer doing so with an American tutor.

 

Why?

 

Apart from your remarks being very unpleasant, even offensive, for goodness sake what difference does it make?
We are one community of train fans here. Accents and nationality are irrelevant.

 

How about the ability to control the DPU remotely as it is with most modern railroads now, manned helper crews aren't very common any more.

 

As funny as your review is, they probably just couldn’t get their American voice guy back for this one. But yeah this has been a thing on probably the majority of the routes, and it makes sense, as the team is FROM THE UK...

I’m holding off on buying this until they put in some effort to fix the sounds on this loco and SPG in general. They said they would do this, but if wishes were fishes... something something wash the dishes...

 

I assume you mean remote controlling the DPUs separately, not at the same time as that is what we do now? If that could be implemented, it would be a good feature to have as that would also be how German banking services work. This would probably require major core work to implement changing what loco you control or you can use crtl + to change cabs. That could work if you keep the banking comm off, maybe worth a try. Even if such a core feature would be implemented, you'd still have the problem of fitting a button for it on a controller. I imagine it would work like the square key to change which brakes you're using.

In my opinion, this would not really be worth the effort. You can argue about what is more realistic, but what we've got works fine to my mind.

By the way, would you happen to know how it works on the real SPG? If the helpers move back down to Cumberland, then it should still have a crew, right?

 

Yes I mean control the DPU completely independently from the lead units. I think the engineer can control the DPU from the screen, they can choose to have it mirror what the lead unit/s are doing or have it doing something different, but I could be wrong.

I don't know if manned helpers are still used on SPG, not familiar with that area at all.

 

Manned helpers: absolutely they still are. Whilst the more modern engines are rigged for remote control, and most older locos in service have been upgraded (Sand Patch is in error here: any GP38 or SD40 in YN-3b livery has been rebuilt to "Dash-3" standard), there are more than a few left in their original configuration, and banking/pushing is still handled verbally over the radio.

 

Thank you - much more diplomatic than I would have been

 

Quite so. For me, at any rate, it's simply an aesthetic thing and part of the 'immersion;' in most TSW tutorials, the narrative voice has been American, German or British (and in the case of NTP, decidedly North Country), in keeping with the setting; the voice of your instructor at the railway. This has nothing to do with knowledge or understanding, just part of the creation of a secondary reality.

I would at least second LTtC that several tutorials and scenarios are excessively picky about stopping distance- or, at least, in many cases you are required to stop on or beyond the marker, not one yard in front of it. Hairy if there's a buffer or red signal just on the other side!

In general, it would be helpful if tutorials for each step said not simply "Do this" but "Do this because..." - let the player know why it's important to set the brake to Handle Off, or set the brake valve to Cut Out.

 

IMHO the WHOLE GAME is overly picky on the stopping location. From watching a LOT of trains in my life, the only thing that real engineers are concerned with it stopping PAST where they are supposed to, they often stop WAY before the signal just to be safe.

Now passenger trains are of course different, I'm mainly referring to freight.

 

There are often signs on platforms telling you where to stop depending on how long the train is, these are useful for passengers too - so you know where to stand, one issue is the stop graphics on the track don't always line up with the signs which are clearly visible on the platform!

 

Y-series shunting jobs don't take so long.