Hi all. No idea if this is just me but experienced it multiple times now across a couple of scenarios. When using the class 37, the handbrake won't release. Can turn it to release but it clicks back to 0% which seemingly does apply the brakes. Need to take the power up to 100% to get it moving amongst much squealing from the brakes making it unplayable. I've tried everything bit still the same. Anyone else had this and any solutions? Most recently had it today on the Sleepy Delivery scenario.
Wasn't there an issue with the Class 37 where it was set to vacuum brakes and needed to be changed to air brakes (or the other way round)? Could this be the issue or was it fixed?
The handbrake doesn't affect the brakes releasing (ie the pressure gauges etc) so in effect you can release the train and engine (independent) brakes and still have the hand brake fully applied and vice versa If the handbrake is saying "released" when you hover over it then it IS released. As others say above the next thing to check is whether the engine is set up for vacuum or air braking as the WCR class 37 has a fault whereby if you couple or decouple to wagons it switched back to vacuum by default. If you're using an air braked consist this would mean when you think you're releasing the brakes you're actually putting even more braking force on If you go to the second cab on the loco and look on the back wall (ie away from the windows) on the left hand side you'll see the brake setup controls. Make sure they're set to air and then release the brakes as usual
Yup, as others have said. Its the vac/air breaks. Its a pain in the backside. Every time time you uncouple, you need to flip the brakes back again.
I pretty much enjoy the scenarios involving the Class 37 on WCL. But I had to figure as well how to release the brakes and stumbled over that self-switching brake type. There´s also a vacuum valve to the feet of the side-driver position where you can (and must) open (empty) or close (full vacuum) the vacuum chamber. Which brings me to a question. Maybe my fellow forumites can answer: How do I identify what consist has vacuum-, and which consist has air-brakes? Goods vs. Passenger is clear, but is there some sticker or remark on the wagons what brake type they´re equipped with?
I can speak for British stock only here: Coaches such as the mk2s will tell you which braking system they use next to the gangways (on the left hand side I think) at either end of the coach. Under the tops system the third letter of the code for the type of wagon which is usually on the side of it somewhere in the grid with other things like max load. Below is what each letter represents when it is the third letter in the wagon's code: A Air brakes only B Air brakes with a through vacuum pipe F Vacuum brakes with AFI* G Vacuum brakes with AFI and through air pipe H Dual (air and vacuum) brakes with vacuum AFI O No continuous brake (unfitted) P No continuous brake but has a through vacuum pipe Q No continuous brake but has a through air pipe R No continuous brake but has through air and vacuum pipes V Vacuum brakes only W Vacuum brakes with through air pipe X Dual brakes (Both air and vacuum) Y No continuous brake (for track machines) *AFI is an abbreviation of Accelerated Brake Inshot. For an example the turbot wagon's code is YCV. Y means it's a bogie departmental wagon, C means it is a ballast and sleeper wagon and V means that it uses vacuum brakes. So translated into English the turbot wagon is a departmental bogie wagon used for carrying sleepers and ballast and it has vacuum brakes. This means a wagon with the code JNA is fitted with air brakes only. Sorry for going on a bit but I hope this helps and if I have made a slight mistake or butchered the whole thing let me know as even after many years with dealing with all these codes they still baffle me.
