Hi guys, I'm having a problem playing scenario U-LACHOU6-06 Oil train from Los Angeles to Houston. when i use the autobrake the back pressure does not decrease (as in the picture), this causes the train to go fast when descending and unable to stop. How do I solve this, did I skip the settings on the locomotive at the start of the scenario? is this caused by playing back the saved scenario?
1. Do not forget to activate the "DPU" by turning on the banking comm button (above the auto brake lever). 2. Combine auto brake with your dynamic brake, don't forget to actuate (bail off) the independent brake until the BC reads 0 if you apply a reduction in order to keep the dynamic brake active.
Hi thank you for your reply, 1. At the start of the scenario I just setting the loco with banking comm turn on, I don't setting the other 2. I have tried it, just using the dynamic brake is not enough, therefore I combined it with the automatic brake (with the independent brake that was bailed off before), but the speed did not decrease
Well, handling a 12,000 tons train isn't easy and need time to master it. Try to maximizing the use of your dynamic, and try to avoid using too much reduction in auto brake, apply 10 pound reduction at max. Try to keep your speed around 20-25 mph. Keep practicing until you get the feeling. Don't push the line speed limit if you don't have the confidence to control the train. Just to clarify, Is it the service run from Barstow/Victorville/Hesperia to San Bernardino which run on 3rd track with steep steep grade?
That still doesn't explain why he is showing no reduction at the rear. Is it possible the DP fuse is open? That would mean the trailing MU is doing nothing.
He sent me a PM that said he experienced that after continuing a saved game. Perhaps it's caused by the still unreliable save game fetaure from TSW making the DPU setup revert back to off?
I have had DPs revert on resuming saves; that could be it. The cure is to switch banking comms off and back on.
I have had trouble stopping the trains on Cajon. Even on level track virtually no response unless I put the train in emergency. This is with banking comms active but yes possibly after restoring a save game. This is patently wrong as in Run 8 I can easily control similar trains with a small set of air and vary the dynamics as the gradient changes. Obviously these trains don’t stop on a dime like an Electrostar or German EMU but as occurs in TSW the braking is ineffective and in the real world would be downright dangerous.
Definitely something is wrong with US freight braking physics, i don't have any problem regarding stopping or holding the train speed along the grade but it's just don't feel right either.
There are issues with whether or not DPU actually engages like it should. I always check manually before setting off to make sure the rear locos are responding to commands. Sometimes cycling the Banking Comms fixes it; sometimes I have to restart the service. But if DPU is functioning correctly, the brakes function like they should and the descent goes like it ought to, with 6-9 pounds of air and varying the dynamics.
I’ve never had an issue with Cajon and it’s the first route where an AC loco seems to work consistently with both the air and dynamic brakes. I don’t know how it behaves after a save because I never use the save but I’ve never had any issues with controlling a train on a grade or on the flat. Most circumstances where the air brakes and dynamics will not be able to control the train will be due to going too fast, and once you go faster than 30 on the steep sections it is hard to get below it again.
Must say the brakes on both the ES44C4 and SD40-2 seem to work just fine for me on flat and grade. And, it being a longish route, I've had to use save game quite often, and there have been no obvious issues, though I always check banking com on resuming, because it can be finicky. As stujoy says, you have to resist the temptation to go too fast and always be aware just how heavy your train is and how difficult it is to control it if you do. I found SPG to be a great tutor for braking on a downgrade.
Sadly the braking physics of the AC44CW not quite right compared to both Sherman Hill & Cajon Pass, especially the AC44's dyn brake. Can't do smooth combined braking.
With that weight it's practically impossible to stop and I consider myself pretty good (almost all gold medal finishes - due to many, MANY replays) but this really punished me. I found myself putting more and more auto brake, until I had full auto on, almost right away as soon as I was rolling. Then quickly up to 8 on the Dynamic brake (every time you change the auto brake, hit the Bail off (Independent key held down) but don't bail off for too long, just a tap (until it hisses) will do. Once I get too close to the speed limit I hit the emergency. Once stopped, I got the Dynamic on 'Setup' and as soon as the brakes charged I repeated the same routine - Auto brakes on Minimum right away, notch 4 on the dynamic - and creeping both up pretty quickly (again, remember to quickly bail-off the independent) and once the auto were on full and the dynamic on 8, it crept back up, slowly to the speed limit. Hit emergency and repeat. Even on the 0.4% for the last couple of miles, the train was impossible to stop and I had to save my game (I don't like to do that though) when I was down to the last 3 miles, as I knew I'd have trouble. I literally have to go into emergency 1500ft or so before the end marker - as there are red lights just after the end marker - to stop. I was only doing 5MPH and it still took a LONG time to stop. I got a gold, but felt I'd cheated a little by saving - BUT, with nearly 13,000 tons of liquid behind you, you can expect a problem. Have you hit the free cam and let the train coast by, as though you're standing by the tracks? I did, at the level crossing near the end, as I wanted to see what the traffic did, and it's a LONG consist. And I do mean long. This is by far the hardest scenario I've played and I only finished 5 minutes ago. I literally came looking for other people who had also had trouble. It didn't take long. Good luck to anyone about to tackle this beast of a scenario.
So, just did my first run on Cajon Pass and picked this scenario. The OP's issue must be savegame related. Even with disabled Banking Comm, the BP pressure must fall (unless a brake valve is cut in and the handle in Release position, or a closed anglecock which is not possible in TSW) I had no trouble running this, and it felt pretty realistic. Just don't make the mistake and try running a heavy train like this at line speed downhill. I kept the speed between 25 and max 40 mph, as your dynamic brakes will supply less braking effort if you're faster (and as the ES44C4 only has 4 traction motors, its dynamics are less powerful than those of an AC4400CW or ES44DC with 6 motors). All the way down, I never needed more than a minimum reduction on the autobrake, adjusting the speed with the dynamics. Aimed to be down to 15mph about 2 miles before Victorville and stopping was no problem. Here's my speed chart: The first stop was at Cajon Summit for saving the game (played it straight through though). The second was slowly coming to a halt with a minimum reduction, finding a good place to release the brakes and to recharge the system before the next downhill section.
Hold on- you have a 6-pound reduction dialed in, but your rear is still reading 90 with no flow? Are you sure you're using the auto (train) brake, or just the indy?
