I can't find the manuals in the Steam Store, does anybody know if there are any for these two routes somewhere in the TSW folders? Would love to have a quick overview of the many new locomotives' controls at hand. I really hope the disappointing trend of TSW addons shipping without manuals isn't continuing here because without them it's almost impossible to play this game when all you have time for is to drive a train once every few days.
There is no manual for either route, I'm afraid. Annoyingly, DTG stopped supplying manuals for quite some time now. You can find some tutorials on Youtube, but that hardly covers everything.
Though a manual probably wouldn't cover it anyway, but I would really like some information regarding how to drive on the NEC. I mean things like when and how to use the horn, bells, lights, etc. I suppose the standard long-long-short-long horn sequence at level crossing is in effect at here as well, but I would like to know more about when passsing through stations, etc. Or which lights do they have on when switching/reversing?
Brandon is working on a route guide for NEC. There‘s hope yet I can try answering some of that for you, but keep in mind that this is coming from a German and based on research online and on the forums. Horn sequence for level crossing like you said + bell until the cab has passed the level crossing. Standard for driving through stations (without stopping) is one horn blast just as you enter the stations and bells until you‘re through the station. Standard for stopping at a station is just the bell until you‘ve stopped and just the bell again while setting off until you‘ve left the station. For lights, the front end should have bright headlights and ditch/aux lights on while the back has red marker/tail lights on. While switching, both front and back of the loco should have headlights set to dim. As far as horn and bell for switching goes, standard is two horn blasts for moving forwards and three for moving backwards. I‘m not entirely sure about the bell and whether you‘d actually always sound the horn in a yard. As I said, take what I say with a grain of salt. If anyone more familiar with the NEC could check my statements, I‘d be very grateful.
Thanks for the info. Even if they're not 100% correct, they sound fair enough. I'm happy to get any information I can, it makes the ride more fun to do procedures as realistically as possible.
Keep in mind that horn is not usually used in populated area to not create a disturb like the bell too. On NEC for exemple you can use it near attlerboro. The bell also need to be used at low speed for a better effect like at the crossing and when you come in sloughton station at 10mph
I'm not sure about more populated areas like Boston, but out here in the West it's common practice to make two short blasts of the horn when setting off from a station (including the bell), just like you outlined below: Cheers
I hate those bloody bells. It’s why I rarely use the horn on US routes even if it is prototypical. We should go back to the old system of a guy walking in front with a red flag.
One more question regarding NEC and the F40PH. In minimum and full brake application there is constant air hissing noise, is that correct? I mean I havn't noticed it in any other train yet. Usually the hissing of the air in the pipes only lasts until the pressure gets to the desired level, then stops. But in the F40PH it's constantly hissing at minimum and full brakes, and no hissing between, which I find strange. Also the brake pressure gauges act kind of strange sometimes, like when applying or releasing full brakes, one of the needle will instantly jump to max or lowest pressure, not going slow like they usually do. It's like there is no proper simulation behind it and it just follows the brake handle. But I'm not really an expert in air brake systems, so can anyone confirm if the brake pressures on the F40PH work prototypically or not?
