Braking With The F40 And Mp36 On Peninsula Corridor

Discussion in 'Off Topic' started by Conductor B, Oct 29, 2022.

  1. Conductor B

    Conductor B Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Feb 18, 2022
    Messages:
    250
    Likes Received:
    308
    Hey all, I have two questions about braking using the F40 and MP36 on Peninsula Corridor.

    QUESTION 1
    The first is a specific question about braking with the F40. There's another thread (I didn't want to narco a 2.5+ year-old thread) stating that you should release the auto brake just before stopping so that the train doesn't bunch up. What I'd like to know is this: What do you do once you stop so that your train is secured?

    QUESTION 2
    Are there any guidelines on how to brake "realistically" using the MP36? I tried using the same guidelines for the F40 stated in the aforementioned linked thread (reduce brake pipe pressure to ~100 psi for a nice, controlled stop, reducing it further down to ~96 if you need a bit more stopping power), but the response isn't the same. There is much less braking power. I find I need to put the auto brake to 40-50%, which seems much too high compared to the F40.

    Any tips/guidelines would be appreciated. Thanks!
     
  2. Railmaster

    Railmaster Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Feb 13, 2020
    Messages:
    351
    Likes Received:
    292
    Use the independent (loco) brake.

    The F40's brake is self-lapping and therefore has a different effect than that of the MP36. Both systems work differently and can therefore not be compared 1:1.

    Some older trains use a vacuum instead of air brakes. These two systems also work differently in their handling.
     
  3. Conductor B

    Conductor B Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Feb 18, 2022
    Messages:
    250
    Likes Received:
    308
    Thanks! Is this the standard for all locomotive-hauled North American passenger services? To secure the train with the independent brake and not the train brake?

    Is a 40-50% application (according to the tooltip) what I should be aiming for on the MP36 then or is it too high?
     
  4. Lamplight

    Lamplight Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Aug 20, 2020
    Messages:
    3,720
    Likes Received:
    6,164
    It’s standard practice in Germany. I don’t know if it’s done in the States as well.


    As I can’t access the games right now, what sort of pressure readings does this give you for the brake pipe and cylinder?
     
  5. Hiro Protagonist

    Hiro Protagonist Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Apr 18, 2021
    Messages:
    478
    Likes Received:
    474
    The opposite actually. F40 runs manually lapped brakes, the MP36 self-lapping.
     
    • Like Like x 3
  6. Conductor B

    Conductor B Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Feb 18, 2022
    Messages:
    250
    Likes Received:
    308
    If I'm going 79 MPH in the MP36, then when I'm about 0.6 miles from the station, I set the train brake to ~50%. This takes the brake pipe (white) down to 90 psi and the brake cylinder (red) to 50 psi. (The brake cylinder eventually drops down to ~20 psi once the dynamics automatically kick-in.) This gets me to stop at about the correct point, and allows me to release the train brake when I'm below 4 mph.
     
    • Like Like x 1
  7. Lamplight

    Lamplight Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Aug 20, 2020
    Messages:
    3,720
    Likes Received:
    6,164
    That sounds rather hard to me, which might be accurate given that we know trains are started in Run8. Personally speaking, I'd probably brake a bit earlier and try to stick to reducing the brake pipe no more than 15 psi, but that may just be my freight and German bias shining through.
     
    • Like Like x 1
  8. solicitr

    solicitr Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Jun 20, 2020
    Messages:
    11,735
    Likes Received:
    17,949
    Minimum reduction (9-10 psi in game, actually quite a bit more than RL 6 psi) about a mile out should have you hitting the platform at 15-20 mph, without pitching your passengers out of their seats. Adjust for grade. A 20 psi reduction is pretty savage.
     
  9. Conductor B

    Conductor B Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Feb 18, 2022
    Messages:
    250
    Likes Received:
    308
    Thanks both!
     

Share This Page