Scenario Creation With Steam Loco Prep

Discussion in 'General Discussion' started by Limeyfox, Mar 27, 2021.

  1. Limeyfox

    Limeyfox Well-Known Member

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    I’m a fan of steam, diesel and electric scenarios in equal measure. However I find the best, most engaging scenarios commence with a modicum of loco / unit prep at the stabling point, before coming into service. It’s really pleasing to have so many diesels and electrics that have cold start capability, but I wonder why there are few steam locos that have this capacity?

    When a driver & fireman arrive at their loco on shed, the condition you’d expect it to be in would be as follows:
    - lit up for several hours and nicely warmed through
    - a small fire in the box
    - about 40lbs steam on the ‘clock’
    - half a glass of water
    - blower shut, drain cocks open

    Steam prep involves building up the fire, getting the blower on and raising pressure until the injectors can be tested, checking the smoke box is clean (where the model permits), filling sand boxes etc. Then move to the coaling and watering points, before departing shed. In game time you could probably do this in 15 minutes which is somewhat condensed but gives opportunity for other AI movements to be observed, before going to find your train and getting on with driving it.

    Is there a technique to force a steam loco to start in this low steam, water and fire condition with the relevant cab controls in the appropriate positions? IMO there nothing worse than starting a scenario with a massive fire and full pressure causing you to just blow off continuously the whole time and lose the opportunity to properly manage the boiler. I’ve played hour-plus scenarios without needing to fire once, there’s so much steam available from the start and it just completely kills the immersion.
     
  2. 749006

    749006 Well-Known Member

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    For you to do the moves you talk about you have to drive the loco from where it is parked, for want of a better word, to the Water Tower and then the Coaling stage but all these moves have to be timetabled
    There is one on a German route where the driver starts by taking his loco to the fuelling point then to the sdgs for the train.
    To do that each place the loco needs to stop and carry out a task needs to have a track marker and then you input the moves in to a timetable - you would not be able to have any other AI on the shed that might conflict with the player train

    Like a Diesel you can have a steam loco and have it set to be low on Coal and Water

    Peter
     
  3. Craigie-C

    Craigie-C Well-Known Member

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    I totally agree with you I love scenarios with cold starts, it really adds to the immersion, classic example being the Class 205 "Thumper".
    As far as I am aware the Driver Loco you use has to have the cold start option built in, to be able to utilise that option in a scenario.

    The only loco I own that comes close to this is the Bossman Games (BMG) Stanier Class 5 available on Steam.
    https://store.steampowered.com/app/..._Stanier_Class_5_Black_Five_Steam_Loco_AddOn/
    Hope that helps.
     

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    Last edited: Mar 27, 2021
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  4. Limeyfox

    Limeyfox Well-Known Member

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    Thanks Peter - setting low coal and water influences what’s in the tender but not what is in the boiler, I think?

    Thanks Craigie - I have the Bossman Black 5 and also the Royal Scot so I’ll investigate these capabilities.

    Do you reckon it would be possible to use the ‘rolling start’ function to force a certain boiler and fire condition at scenario start? Obviously speed would be zero but IIRC it can also be used to pre-select certain control positions etc?
     
  5. Craigie-C

    Craigie-C Well-Known Member

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    I am afraid you are ahead of me on that one, certainly worth a go, nothing ventured etc.
    You have got me thinking now, I recently made a little scenario for the Royal Scot that would have been great for a cold start.
    https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2400140758
    Maybe a re-visit is called for.
     
  6. inversnecky

    inversnecky Well-Known Member

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    Would involve a lot more modelling and scripting though?

    In real life, a steam engine would have to be started many hours in advance to get it up to pressure, so there's an obvious limit to how realistic you want it to be - time better spent driving the thing, perhaps? :)
     
  7. Limeyfox

    Limeyfox Well-Known Member

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    The initial lighting up yes, but the final prep and bringing round to full pressure is done by the crew shortly before departure off shed and could be performed in the sim with no less realism than filling a tender in 10 seconds like we’re already used to! (Anyone who has stood on a tender knows it takes a few minutes at best.)
     

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