robbit wrote:
What is the isolation switch? I have a rail driver but do not recognize this switch
It's not a switch on the RailDriver unit, it's a switch inside real locomotives. It's labeled as the engine RUN switch. There is the START position for when starting the loco up. Then there is the ISOLATION position which is when it's in a consist, it can sit and idle without responding to any throttle input from it's own controls or those of a lead controlling locomotive. The last position is RUN which lets you throttle up and run the locomotive.
Jump to about the 1:55 mark in this video and watch this SD70ACe fire up. He eventually goes to notch-8 from a dead standstill. As it passes by you'll hear the first loco at full power and will hear the second loco merely idling. That 2nd locomotive is in isolation and isn't responding to the throttle up of the lead loco. The most likely reason this 2nd loco is in isolation is to save fuel while going over a relatively flat part of the route that the lead loco can handle all on it's own. Then once it gets to sections with grades later on, that one loco isn't likely to handle on it's own, they will take it out of isolation and it will contribute power to the train. The video proves just how powerful a single modern loco can be on flat track while pulling a relatively long train.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rMpYs8Mj ... ure=fvwrel
Run 8 has this same switch inside it's locomotives and it must be clicked to RUN in order for the throttle to respond to your controls. Otherwise you go nowhere as I did at first until I figured out why I wasn't moving!
To Rich_S ....
Yes... technically it's called the RUN switch but I personally like calling it the isolation switch for some reason even though that's only one function of it.
As for the power supply... it wasn't in the box. If that's due to it missing when he bought it or that he misplaced it and doesn't remember is all a moot point to me. If I want the rumble bad enough I'll go buy a power supply to do so. As for the 3.5mm cord? I just hook my speakers up directly to my laptop's headphone jack. No need to pass it though the RailDriver.
Also another problem I have is the MPH keeps switching to KPH, no matter how many times I press the Speed MPH button. Note: This is for the Rail Driver Speed Display only, the HUD speed display shows MPH. Other than that, all other buttons seem to function properly on the locomotives I'm using and the sand trick works with the Rail Driver as well. That is press and hold the Sand button, then press and hold the "Shift" button, release the Sand button while still holding the "Shift" button, then release the "Shift" button. To shut off the sand, press and release the Sand button.