So basically: 1. [ANSWERED] The scenario 'Really Reliable Rescue' took me 56 minutes to complete however the scenario selection screen says it should take 45 minutes, maybe I'm just a noob. How long did it take you? 2. [ANSWERED] I had a little play around with the 8F on it's own (light loco) and got it up to 140mph in about 6 minutes, is that realistic? Doesn't really matter if it isn't i guess since it won't get up that fast with any cargo. 3. The scenario instructions keep telling me to set the reverser (cut-off) to 75% forwards when running without anything coupled (light loco), but I've found that 25% is sufficient. Would a real driver use full forward reverser? 4. [ANSWERED] I've seen some home signals that are nowhere near a signal box, are these controlled using track circuit monitoring? Also, are all the colour light signals distance signals and are they all automatic on this route? Btw i know very little about signalling in days past. 5. [ANSWERED] I noticed that the brakes recharged faster on the 8F than the brakes on a Jubilee with a similar consist length, do the passenger cars have slower brake recharge times? 6. Why is the liquid in the water gauges white? 7. [ANSWERED] What is this on the Jubilee class? 8. What are the line side huts for?
The only one I can answer: 1. The estimated completion times the game gives are based on a perfect run by the AI. If you ever come anywhere near those, give yourself a pat on the back. The given time for Sand Patch Grade end-to-end runs is usually a bit under 90 minutes; now, after dozens of runs of practice, I can usually beat two hours.
Thank you very much for answering this, makes me feel a bit better haha. Next objective... Beat the machine.
On the reverser setting think of it like gears in a manual car. 75% is about 1st gear, 65% or so is 2nd and so on. So when you are climbing a steep incline open the reverser back out a bit like you would dropping back a gear or two in a manual car.
I'm not sure what kind of manual cars you drive but the one's round here require lower gears for inclines, my understanding of the reverser on a steam locomotive is that it's nothing like a car gearbox.
It kind of is if you re imagine the reverser scale to a manual car gearbox. The reverser at 0 is neutral. 75% forward is 1st gear and it scales back to 20%. 20% would be 5th or 6th gear in a car for example. The caveat being once you go below 20-15% and 0% is like slipping out of top gear and back to neutral.
I agree with the analogy of higher reverser = lower car gear, but on inclines in a car you would for example require 3rd or 2nd gear for a relatively steep incline. However if you were to use this same analogy for a steam locomotive on a slope, the locomotive would run out of steam quickly. TLDR yeah it works similarly to car gears on flat surfaces and downward slopes but the opposite to a car is true for the steam locomotive on upward slopes.
With regard to question 2, I suspect it would suffer a catastrophic failure well before it reached 140. Mallard failed after it achieved it's speed record and it was specially prepared for the attempt.
5. Depends on what you're hauling. If you have unfitted wagons, then the only thing braking is the locomotive so it'll have faster braking/releasing. If it had fitted wagons, then it would brake slower. Usually freight trains with freight have slower braking/releasing. I also haven't played sos as much to know the answer fully. 7. Those are the lubricators (mentioned in stream). It lubricates the pipes and stuff I think.
My take on signalling: Analogue semaphore signalling are the type where you have the arms or bars which come in Yellow (distant & home) and red (actual signals). The average signal box out in the country would have a yellow home signal and this would indicate if it is safe to pass through the whole section, ie if ANY signal in the route set was at danger then this signal would also be at danger and the driver should slow down accordingly. The signal in question could be the first signal or the last one, it wouldn't matter. You can also get intermediate warning signals for busier junctions or stations and these would indicate that the NEXT signal is at danger With regards to track circuits and automatic signals you can tell on the british railways which are which by the plaque or sign underneath the signal. If the plaque underneath is "like a white diamond laid on it's side" then it's a track circuit monitored block. If the plaque underneath is two white lines with a black line in between then this is an auto signal which "follows" the one in front (so if the one in front is red this one is yellow, if the one in front is yellow this one is green or double yellow etc). These are circuit controlled with an overlap. Having watched the streams there are definitely some circuit controlled signals on the route.
The colour light signals that i am referring to were not marked with any signage and the semaphores are marked with a white hexagon which when referencing https://www.railsigns.uk/sect9page1.html article [9.7], it states that it simply marks the exemption from rule 55 and not that track circuits are in use. So if that website is correct that would mean that these signals are not monitored using track circuits. So i wonder if it is implied that the signal is automatic/monitored using track circuits by the signals remote location, out of sight of a signal box. If that is the case and that is what you meant then please face-palm now
From that page Rule 55 : "When a train has been brought to a stand owing to a stop signal being at Danger the Driver must sound the engine whistle, and, if still detained, the Guard, Shunter or Fireman must go to the signal box and remind the Signalman of the position of the train..." Diamond symbol means exemption from rule 55 BECAUSE of some other form of detection meaning the signaller already knows there's a train there by some other means ie track circuits or axle counters. Wikipedia excerpt
Aaaah. thank you very much, that answers my question . In hindsight i probably could have figured that out with a little more thought lol.
Has anyone here had any experience with starting off on a hill? With a steam freight locomotive. I don't know about you, but I stand there for at least 15-35 minutes until finally, by constantly adjusting the direction changer, 75% - 0% of the train starts to move... there must be a simple setting that's the heavy one freight train moving does e.g. direction changer to 55% and 3% gas.... does anyone already have a value with which it works quickly?
I'm talking about the ride here... if someone has done it then please post the setting here, i.e. how much % gas how much % direction at some point you lose interest if you try to get the train up the Hill for an hour and nothing happens. and yes the brakes have been released for a long time.
https://forums.dovetailgames.com/threads/cannot-move-train-sos-resolved.55496/ Check out this thread, i think it's the same issue.
Thanks that helped me a lot. Now I can get up the hill too I found the video in your post where you show where to release the brakes on the Wagons.
Almost certainly the rods or valve gear would have flogged themselves to pieces and flown apart long before you got it close to those speeds - but TSW doesn't model component failure. Big oscillating parts don't get along well with high-speed operation. (I don't know about Mallard, but the US high-speed express locos used things like roller bearings and aluminum rods, things nobody would put on a general-freight engine.)
The rods started to blur into some kind if locomotive related mass, i think it would take more lubricant than you could put on it to keep that moving.
Is it my imagination or is SOS darker than most routes. Even during the daytime it seems dark. Is it supposed to represent the industrial North? I know it’s grim oop north but as far as I know, we had the same Sun in 1958.
If you don't mind me asking this... What was the maximum allowed speed for the Jubilee and 8F locomotives, during a typical freight and express passenger service? On sections of the route the speed limit is 80mph+, it seems. I'm trying to work out what the realistic maximum speed was for services pulling the MK1 coaches or the freight wagons. Surely not 80mph, right?
The jubilee and the 8F were certainly not capable of running that fast when pulling a train, the speed that they ran was however fast the driver could get up to below 80mph. A quick google search says about 75mph for the jubilee and about 60mph for the 8F, those were apparently their top running speeds.
IIRC, in 1958 the maximum speed for an express freight (Class 4, all fully-fitted wagons) was 60 mph. In 1962 it was increased to 75, but only (again, IIRC) for diesels pulling air-braked stock.
