We’ve had a great response on the last “let’s pin down Matt for 5 minutes” interview where we found out about what was happening with the Diesel Electric simulation and our plans for the future. You've asked for more and so we’re going to aim to get a more regular flow of articles coming out to show you more about what's going on behind the scenes. Today, TrainSim-Steve spoke briefly with Matt about where things are on the Diesel Electric simulation update in follow-up to last month’s article. READ MORE
Thanks James. Great communication and really good to see the level of engagement increasing again. Appreciate the format and detail too. I think it works well.
Interesting stuff; as per the last Simugraph diagram it appears you're working on a locomotive with a Tap Changer.
It’s probably German because there is only one German locomotive in game so far. Although the article said that several locomotives are being developed.
Considering that this article was on the diesel-electric updates, I would say that it would be a diesel-electric locomotive. And the fact that it is mentioned to be related to the CSX improvements hints that it is an American loco also.
I’d have to say you are quite wrong there...as much as I thought this hinted loco would be an American style diesel electric (after all, how else would the development of this said loco help the USA diesels if it isn’t a USA diesel?) after looking at that simugraph blueprint, I can safely say it most definitely is not American, nor is it a diesel electric. It’s not diesel because it simply has no diesel engine: power is coming from a “current collector” which is likely indicating a pantograph. (Compare that to the 66 or 09 where you see the fuel tank then cooling then engine and generator-all of those would be there if this was diesel.) Oh yeah, and no Diesel engine will have a tap changer. A tap changer is exclusively an electric thing. As for why I don’t think this is American, that’s down to the actual structure of things. This is a 4 motor DC electric locomotive with a tap changer as the main voltage control. If you know much about American electrics...almost nothing will fit those criteria. Most American electrics will have more motors, different types of motors, and usually don’t have traditional tap changers as the voltage control. Even if you do find something American that matches that, it will be so old and so strange that DTG are not the ones who would make it. But then there is the question of how this helps American stuff. Frankly, I don’t know. I guess all these power brake switches and resistors in there are not currently present in the diesel electrics? But even then, using a diesel engine as your motor exciter will behave quite differently to having catenary supplying the motor excitation.
Talking of tap changers, I’d love to see the Class 86/87 in TSW. Currently there’s no suitable route for them in the game but it would make a nice addition.
I appreciate the update. I look forward to getting the better handling physics for the rest of the DLC we currently have. As for the mystry locomotive; I'm think something East German built, to work freight and passenger on the RT DLC. Something like a Baureihe 143 would go well with Doppelstock and a few freight wagons.
Many thanks for the update - great stuff! Can Matt please elaborate on rail to wheel adhesion. It's quite clear that work on this needs to be done as the WSR loco's cannot be made to wheelslip in any circumstances. It would be a shame for this not to be corrected for the CSX DE fixes as balancing power with available traction on the climb up to Sand Patch would be quite the challenge if things were simulated correctly.
That's bizarre. She grips like cogwheels in icy conditions pulling a load at max throttle. That's where I'd expect to get wheel slip. Another bug?
I'd like to make an interesting point on what loco the un-announced one could be. The graph clearly shows that it's a 4 axle electric loco, with a tap changer. That would suggest something like a British Rail class 86 or 87. But on closer inspection, there is one box on the graph that talks about DC Motor Control. I could be wrong, but I believe the 86/87 traction motors are AC Powered, meaning this might not be them. The graph also has boxes labelled as "Throttle Brake Series Parallel Switch", "Rheostat" and "Brake Traction Switch". So, What Electric locos are DC powered, have 4 Axels, have Series and Parallel power modes, have Rheostatic brakes with multiple different power modes, and can have the rheostatic brakes controlled from the throttle at the flick of a switch? Unless it's something German I've never come across, I'd say it was the BR Class 76. The old Woodhead electrics. I could be completely wrong on this, and it's only a guess based of what little info is actually given, but I'd say it makes sense. If you think about it, DTG have recently done a huge amount of research into the 76s, as they updated it in TSx quite recently so they likely have the information on hand to punch into the graph. if they have the info, why would they limit the amount of times they can use it? I mean, there are flaws in my logic (E.g. The tap changer. 76s don't have tap changers, though the throttle works similarly to a tap changer), and I'm probably reading WAY too far into this, but I think it is a very logical argument and a good candidate to be made into the game. I'd say DTG could possibly be making the Class 76 loco in TSW, and the Woodhead route to go with it, as the two are very iconic and incredibly popular among enthusiasts. They have all the information to make both the loco and the route, so why wouldn't they do it?
After further talking about this, the general consensus is that it has to be a locomotive using AC overhead centenary and that's simply because of the tap changer. A tap changer is a control mechanism for a transformer...and what do you know, only AC locomotives have transformers-any DC locomotive actually cannot have a transformer (this is one of the reasons Westinghouse prevailed with AC current: transformers work only on AC), so can't have a tap changer. In the case of the 76, those use resistors to control the current-which is quite different from a tap changer and would probably show up as something else in the blueprint if DTG were doing a DC electric. Heck, they even have components for resistors on the dynamic brakes, so it seems really unlikely that the tap changer is anything but a tap changer. If anything is evident from what has been said, they aren't taking shortcuts like trying to emulate resistors with a tap changer. As for the 86/87 argument, the only counter evidence for that is the series parallel switch, everything else would say an 86 or 87, but those cannot change from series to parallel at will. Not many things can do that though, I wouldn't know what else could possibly fit the definition.
We allready have a German route, we need content for it not just the next dead empty route! I hope it's a loco for the rapid transit route (BR182 with Dostos would be awesome).
A 182 would have AC motors and a thyristor (one notable reason why they sound so funky), not a tap changer. So not that thing.
Pschlick and Arnaxxe those are very insightful contributions and a good read in their own right. Im kind of curious about it too now thanks to you two gentlemen. A very good read.
DB BR 112, it has a tap-changer system, right? https://twitter.com/railsimulator/status/958733131481272320
Whatever the new loco is, it is presumably coming soon as a new depot has appeared on the steam database (Encrypted DLC 6) https://steamdb.info/app/530070/depots/
"the classic DB BR 143 will be at your disposal, twinned with Doppelstockwagen vehicles" Shame there was no prize