I really love the look of the BR Class 31 inside and outside and I love the sound it makes, but I rarely drive it because I find the brakes so frustrating. Of all the diesels in TSW 2, the BR Class 31 takes forever to release the brakes and forever to apply them. Is this how it is supposed to be? I find it a little hard to believe it would be so difficult to stop. In any event, it really puts me off driving it, even though I thinks it’s a nice locomotive.
It’s an old Diesel, you’ve been spoilt with your 166’s or your Talent 2’s lol. It takes a bit of skill and for me that’s the fun part about driving these locomotives. If you are finding it frustrating then I suggest trying not to apply the brakes over 50% unless desperately needed. The less you apply then the quicker they are to release. With all older stock you have to plan what you are doing in advance and start braking before you need the brakes and start releasing them just before you need them releasing. In real life you work them gently, slow to accelerate and slow to brake- no rushing. If you have NTP, take it for a spin on that- it really comes alive.
A long while back, in a stream I couldn't find if my life depended on it, I remember Matt mentioning that the class 31 brakes were about the closest to real life brakes as you could get. I definitely agree that it is a tricky beast to manage and it is one of the only locos I have SPADed in multiple times. I also find myself at a standstill quite often because I haven't let the brakes off soon enough and by the time they do let off the whole train has come to a stop. Certainly takes a bit more concentration and forward thinking than a nice 377/375!
They are the most realistic of all the old engines as you can see from my own pic 26/27 were great. The first thing i drove