Question

[CSX2057]

I'm driving my first Donner Pass scenario. If you want to keep the speed maintained to 45mph on a 0.0% grade. Do you use brakes and throttle or do you keep the brakes off and use only throttle? I keep going overspd and trying to keep it at 45mph without going under either.

[donjgatlin]

You just have to use the throttle and dynamic brakes. If you used the train brakes the entire time, they'd become worn and rendered useless. Try to not use them above 30mph. Let the train roll at times and remember that you don't have to do the maximum limit the entire time. If you did, you'd completely lose focus of what's ahead on the line. In the real world, its hard to keep the speed maintained as is in the game- that's the challenge.

[Chacal]

A moving train is subject to acceleration forces (throttle and grade) and decceleration forces (drag, friction, brakes and grade). It is a rare case when one exactly balances the other and the speed stays constant. So basically a train is always speeding up or slowing down.

You should use the throttle to speed the train up as gently as possible until it reaches a few MPH under the speed limit, then reduce throttle, letting the train coast gently down, and repeat. Using the brakes is inefficient: you are wasting energy, and you are wearing the brake pads down.

[CSX2057]

Thanks guys, makes sense now, although you can't use Throttle and Dynamic brakes at the same time. Thats not possible in the real world.

[Chacal]

Of course. It wouldn't be logical.
Sadly, the dynamic brake isn't very useable in the game: for most locos it is way too powerful.

[CSX2057]

Yes they are to powerful, for keyboard players, For Raildriver, gamepad or people with Joystick API don't seem to have any trouble at all. I too had issues with the keyboard on my dynamic brakes. Makes the train derail to easy.

[buzz456]

Of course. It wouldn't be logical.
Sadly, the dynamic brake isn't very useable in the game: for most locos it is way too powerful.

I use them all the time. It just takes some time for them to spool up so must people set them too high and think they are too strong when they finally wind up.

[Chacal]

My problem is more that even the lowest setting is powerful enough to quickly slow down the train on a 2% down grade. This happens for example with the F7 on the HSC.

[5292nate]

I find the Dash 9 to be the worst. If use the ">" key to set it to even 3%, it feels like I just hit a truck at a grade crossing.

[CSX2057]

ummm......I was in Bonus Scenario and made it to Tunnel Track 1 I think about half way then all of a sudden it says Incomplete Coming in 2012..... !**conf**

Edit:
Oh now I see...they set the Bonus Scenario all da way to Tunnel 9 Track one. Hmmm what was that all about?

[PolyesterMafia]

Dynamics are best used sparingly. A common N00b mistake is to jam them in Notch 6 (from Off) and wreck the train. Coming downhill from Sherman Hill to Cheyenne, you can make the entire trip down by letting the train coast in idle and putting the DB in Setup until the speed is under control. Occasionally, you might reach N2. I also usually follow the rule of waitng 8-10 seconds between changes.

[CSX2057]

Ouch thats the wrong way of putting it.

[artimrj]

When I wrote the scenarios for the F40 on Donner, I found using the engine brake at about 12% would keep me at speed. I know thats not the way to do it, but it worked great. Don't know if it will work on all engines.

[GSkid]

I never knew you could wear out brake pads in this sim. Never happened to me. Once they are worn, how are they replaced?

As for dynamics..... very inconsistent between locos with them. But then again so is the percentage at which brakes self-lap as well. Very frustrating!

[Chacal]

Yes it is. Barring a realistic adjustment for each loco, at least we should come up with a "good enough" generic brake notch assignment for all locos.
Oh and the brake pads don't really wear out in the game, of course. Nor do they heat up.