Counterintuitive Throttles

Discussion in 'TSW General Discussion' started by KodiakJac, Oct 8, 2022.

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  1. KodiakJac

    KodiakJac Active Member

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    I've never understood train throttles that you push forward to slow down/brake and you pull back to accelerate/go forward. Most trains are not like that, but for those that are...what were the design engineers thinking?!?!

    If I were the lead buyer/project manager on accepting a new locomotive for a railroad, I would insist they reverse the throttle linkage on a train like that before accepting it...lol

    To go forward, you push the throttle forward. To slow down, you pull back, like pulling back the reins on a horse while saying "whoa." Not the other way around! :D
     
  2. chieflongshin

    chieflongshin Well-Known Member

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    What if you passed out at controls and fell forward, train accelerated until a safety system kicks in. How it is now you'd throw brakes.
    Just a random what if....
     
  3. Hiro Protagonist

    Hiro Protagonist Well-Known Member

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    If you want to use the "physics" explanation of go/whoa on a horse, then you'd have to accept the counter-arguement that acceleration pushes you back in the seat and braking pushes you forward, hence why sequential shifters in racecars (and most "proper" sequential road cars, not the +/- sports-mode on your mum's Camry) are arranged with upshifts pulled back and downshifts pushed forwards.

    Also is a safety aspect, as an incapacitated driver who slumps forward over the controls will naturally fully apply the brakes.
     
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  4. Suryaaji#2369

    Suryaaji#2369 Well-Known Member

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    The answer is simple, physics, momentum, inertial, good ol' g-force. When accelerate, our body "pulled" backward, thats why throttle sequence we pull it to the back to add more. On the contrary, when we slow down, we feel this force that pushes us forward, and thats why all the control or lever for braking/slowing the train is from back to the front (we push it), auto brake, independent brake, dynamic brake all that lever we push it forward to add more slowing/stopping force.
     
  5. stujoy

    stujoy Well-Known Member

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    The design engineers of old put a lot of thought into things. Also pulling a throttle back (or pushing it forwards in most places) ie reducing throttle doesn’t always slow you down, but rather reduces power input. It is brakes that slow you down and the controls for them should always be a push away from you to increase braking for safety reasons, as is explained above in many posts.

    It’s similar to how people who have grown up with electric light switches and other switches on domestic items being down for on and up for off get a bit of a shock (or not if the installation is done correctly) when they go into industry and find that the standard is actually the other way round. Electrical switches should always be up for ON and down for OFF and it is quite easy to work out why that is.
     
  6. solicitr

    solicitr Well-Known Member

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    ...except in Austria
     
  7. Lamplight

    Lamplight Well-Known Member

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    Not in Germany :D
     
  8. stujoy

    stujoy Well-Known Member

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    I thought it was on locos that have separate brake and power levers. I know on combined levers you obviously can’t have braking going forward if it’s forward for power. Maybe the Germans need the extra fussy safety systems because when their drivers fall asleep or ‘fall asleep’ they slump forward and put the train into hyperspeed :D
     
  9. Lamplight

    Lamplight Well-Known Member

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    How we Germans think: Throttle can be increased and brakes released if you slump forward - no problem. The door release lever? - make sure that it closes the doors if you slump forward. After all, we can't have open doors when we go to hyperspeed :D

    On a more serious note: it's probably due to our abundance of safety systems that such simple "built-in" safeties were never considered necessary. That and due to every loco being supposed to have the same cab controls (with the Br 111 being the first to have the standard cab you're familiar with from TSW), they can't be changed now.
     
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