Hi. I have a quick question on how certain aspects on American Diesel locos are simulated. As we all now, it is important to bail off the independent brake when using dynamic brakes. This is important, for example, on Sand Patch Grade and Cajon Pass. If I have a consist with locos in the front and rear both leading and trailing), how can I ensure that the independent on the locos in the rear are bailed off? Is this simulated automatically? Do I have to switch the rear lead loco to "Freight" instead of "Cut Out"? Do I have to switch an external view and go back to the rear locos to bail off? Thanks in advance.
A unit operating in DPU mode should never have the independent applied, even when the engineer uses it in the lead unit.
Press Banking Comm (always first after taking a seat - before touching anything else), and the locos will be set up automatically. (You could also do it manually if you feel like, going through each loco and flipping the switches and breakers yourself). The MU2A valves control the loco brakes in your consist. If they are set to "Trail 6 or 26" they will be controlled by the lead loco that is running in "Lead or Dead". The DPU is setup the same way (just the autobrake must be cut out on all locos but the driver's), DPU lead is "Lead" and the trailing DPUs are "Trail 6 or 26". Your loco sends the Control commands to the DPU via Radio. So each loco will mimic your Independent brake, dynamic and throttle action, and if you bail off, all locos will bail off to use the Dynamic Brake e.g. If you apply the Indy, it will affect all locos. <<<<-------------- Lead - Trail6or26 - Trail6or26 - x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x- Lead - Trail6or26 v Radio >>>----------------------------------------------^ The Autobrake is controlled via the brakepipe, only the driver loco is Cut In, not the DPU lead. Again, TSW's Banking Comm switch will handle that for you.
Thank you. That was my understanding but I wanted to make sure. Let me explain my train of thought: As far as I know, there is no real DPU (at least on the routes I know) but the game simulates banking comms, i.e. a second driver on the lead loco on the rear. If you set the auto brake on the lead loco on the rear to cut-out, the air brakes on that loco will be set from the front loco. So if I apply auto brakes (e.g. a minimum set) when going downhill, the air brake should be engaged on the rear loco as well. So my though was that, in order to make dynamic brake effective on the rear locos, someone (i.e. either me as a player or the imaginary driver on the lead loco on the rear) must bail off after every change in auto brake. My mind started wondering when I saw a video about the set-up during the "fully fueled" scenario on SPG by a Youtube creator (TygerWays). I hoped that in fact the game (i.e. the imaginary driver) would bail off automatically where necessary.
You can easily check yourself, by using the 3 camera and checking the rear loco's gauges. Afaik, TSW does this correctly - bail off affects (and must affect) all loco brake cylinders. And yes, as any reduction in brakepipe pressure will fill the cylinders again, you must hold bail off when applying more autobrake, until EQ and BP are equal. Just make sure your BC gauge displays 0. It doesn't work correctly on Skyhook's Horseshoe Curve consists. Indy are stuck in Lead/Dead and must be manually set up. (check the hissing sounds). Also some autobrakes (lead DPU) are stuck in Release, not HandleOff, where you must fly to the back (train must be running already else the Banking Comm gets messed up), open the window and put it to HO manually. Also, their dynamics are so strong that you should cut them out on all but the driver's loco. Skyhook.
