I'm pretty new to train simulator games and was hoping somebody could help me understand how the dynamic brakes work on the SD40-2. I was running the train last night, and toggling between the brake types to try and understand how and what each one did. It seemed as though the dynamic brake didn't do anything at all. I know it may be a really simple question, but I am completely clueless. Thanks!
I can't give you a technical or mechanical explanation on how the dynamic brake works but for me it helps to think of the dynamic brake as similar to the engine brake on a car. Like when you go downhill in a car and put it in one of the lower gears and then release the clutch - the engine will then slow down the car as opposed to applying the brakes and letting the pressure of the brake pads on the wheels slow the car. Since the engine brake doesn't apply any friction on the actual brake pads this is a much safer way of braking since the engine is doing the actual braking and you brake pads won't overheat. The same applies to the dynamic brake. Instead of braking by applying pressure to the wheels through the brake pads you let the traction engine do the braking. Try driving the ACS-64 through the tunnel down to Penn Station. Because of the steep decline in the track going down the tunnel the train will quickly pick up speed and you need to apply the brakes so you don't exceed the speed limit. If you apply the normal train brake you stop the train by applying pressure on the wheels but as soon as you release the brake the train will start to speed up again. If you instead put the dynamic brake into notch 5 or 6 the traction engine will slow the train down and you can keep a steady, slower, speed going down the tunnel. So to my understanding the dynamic brake is mostly used for slowing the train down going downhill. And because of the way the dynamic brake works you cannot apply throttle at the same time since the traction engine can only do one thing at a time. Hope that helps.
