I've recently gotten back into the Train Sim world after about 8+ years away after thousands of hours on Train Sim Classic after purchasing TSW4 with the last sale. I'm currently working my way through the journeys on the American routes and after finishing LIRR I've just about finished with Antelope Valley. My only problem is for the life of me I just can't perfect the braking technique. I've searched high and low with every search query I can think of but I can't find any guide on what the proper brake usage technique should be. At first, I was using the automatic brake when coming into stations but the stopping power just isn't there and you have to creep into stations, especially the ones that are downhill. Lately, I've been using a combination of the dynamic and automatic which slows the train down well but trying to control the two levers at once while looking for the correct stop point can be a mess. I've watched a lot of videos of Metrolink's pulling into the station and they seem to come in pretty hot and you can hear the dynamic brakes working pretty hard. So just trying to figure out the correct method that would be used in the real world along with any information on applying power from the stations as well. Thanks!
Good question. It’s really all about timing. Eventually over time, you learn the route and exactly where to make your brake applications to stop at each station perfectly. Of course, this isn’t always the case but that’s what the real world engineers do who work Metrolink. At Metrolink, engineers are trained to hit platforms at no more than 35mph, however a lot of the time, they are doing less than that. It depends on how long the platform is, how many cars you have, up or downgrade, etc. My recommendation would be to just practice. If you’re finding you’re going far too slow at the platform, try setting your air a little bit later. If you’re coming in “too hot”, try setting your air earlier. Remember, this is going to vary based on which station you’re stopping at. Metrolink uses blended braking (dynamics and air brakes) at every stop and the locomotive does this automatically when the throttle is already in idle and you make a brake application. After a couple of seconds, the dynamics will automatically kick in. If you don’t want them, you simply bail off the brakes and that will release the brakes on the locomotive only as well as drop out the dynamics and keep the locomotive in idle. Again, it’s all just about practice. Engineers train for a long time to get it right so if you’re having trouble in TSW right now, don’t worry. I’m not sure if this answered your question or not but I hope it helps. Feel free to ask more questions about it if you have any.
Thanks, you were exactly who I was hoping would reply. I've since finished all the journeys on Antelope and have been working on Sherman Hill. Since then I've learned a lot more about braking heavy trains and proper use of the bail-off feature. Hopefully, I'll be back to running some timetable services at Antelope to try and improve a bit more. I had come from LIRR where it's a bit easier with most stations being level. I had been applying both the dynamic and automatic brake levers at the same time but now I'm guessing that was just switching off the dynamic on the loco every time I would add the automatic after having slowed down a bit with just the dynamic. So when slowing for stations I should just stick to the automatic brake I'm assuming? How much % of braking is too much? What about accelerating? I would usually put it into notch 3-4 from a stop, then notch up trying to keep it around 12-13 amps. Usually notch 8 around 20mph.
There are certain instances where you would want to use the dynamic brakes yourself coming to a station stop. Commonly referred to as “manual dynos.” When you get the blended braking action when using the automatic brake, you don’t get full dynamics because it’s a combination of both braking forces. But as I said, there may be a situation where you want the full dynamic brakes in addition to the automatic brake. This is perfectly okay to do. The only time the dynamic brakes will completely cutout is if you bail off the brakes or if you set the independent brake while the train is still moving. Your best bet is to try to stick to just the automatic brake for station stops as much as possible unless you need additional braking power and use manual dynos. One station stop for example where I commonly use this method is Palmdale in both directions. I often have full dynamic brakes coming to a stop and then ease out of them as the train really begins to slow down and start to replace it with more automatic brake. As far as how much is too much, again, it’s just going to depend on the station you’re stopping at and you’ll learn overtime how much braking effort you need to apply for each station. I will say, always start out with a small brake application. Don’t jam the brakes on. Start with a small application and then make more additional small brake applications to slow the train down. Your method for throttling up is pretty good I’d say. You always want to apply a little bit of power before releasing the brakes to avoid the train rolling backwards or the engine pulling/pushing on the train hard as power is applied and amps rise. I usually use notch 2 just to get some amps and then release the brakes and the train will slowly and smoothly start to move. Then, just start throttling out. “Throttling slapping,” where you go straight to notch 8, is no longer allowed at Metrolink. Or Amtrak for that matter. Also referred to as “ripping to 8.” The rule states you must use one throttle notch at a time to avoid over speeding the engine or wheel slipping. These newer AC traction locomotives are notorious for wheelslip if power is applied too quickly like that, even with a light train. The rule states one throttle notch at a time every one second. So in theory, you’d still be to notch 8 within 10-15 seconds. Also make sure to pay attention to your amps. You may need to wait longer in between throttle notches again, depending on the track conditions. If you’re going uphill, the amps will take longer to drop. I’d say how you’re already doing it works fine, too but this is just a little insight into how it is done in real world operations. Again, hope this helps!
A good general principle they teach in the NYC subway, and Metro-North / LIRR. When coming into a station at speed, make a full brake application, then bleed off as you enter the station. (Practice that method until you get it right).
amtraknick1993, thank you once more for your detailed replies. I had another question about braking if you don’t mind - specifically from my German perspective. In Germany, it is standard procedure to release the brakes just before you stop (for a gentle stop without jerking) and then secure the train with the independent brake. Do any of these two also apply to Metrolink/Amtrak?
Metrolink and Amtrak (and most passenger rail operation in the US for that matter) use what’s called “graduated release” where as you move the brake handle back towards you toward the released position, it releases some air brake pressure so in turn, you’d be letting off on the braking effort which would allow for a smoother stop. Then once you come to a stop, make another brake application and set the independent brake. You’d typically never fully release the brakes when coming to a stop but rather use the graduated release, unless a full release is absolutely necessary.
Assuming fair weather, a level track, and going full line speed at 79 MPH - when should you start to brake and by how much? I'm assuming you would never want to do a full brake application at that speed lest you knock over the passengers. Is there a way to tell by the accelerometer how much is too little/too much? I remember reading somewhere for SFJ and the F40 that you should so a 12 PSI reduction about a mile out. But in the Baby Bullet this does nothing. I'm not sure how this applies to the F125.
I usually start applying dynamic blended brake in advance, and once I can see the station in the distance, still got the dynamics on until I get slow enough... which is when I release the dynamic brakes, and gradually and gently apply automatic/air brakes... when near halt, I put em to max just to be sure... then depending on the gradient at the station, I release those a bit before closing the doors, and as those are closing, I release then, again, depending on gradient, I put on notch 3 or 4 to depart and gradually apply more power depending on speed and gradient
These are some great tips. Just like IRL. My problem is I'm having difficulty with the NJT one, trying to figure out when and how to apply the brakes. Sometimes I inadvertently apply to much, and undershoot the platform. Othertimes, I come in a little too hot and applying full brakes doesn't help. I end up overshooting the platform. I wonder what their braking policy is IRL?
Fanrailer from YouTube has an excellent guide on how to brake properly for the Northeast Corridor New Jersey Transit route with good benchmarks on how much brake force to apply, and when to apply it. I highly recommend checking out his video, which helped me a lot.
