SD70ace Pack 1 - Is There a Brake Fix Available?

[FHRob]

I'm trying to run a Sherman Hill Scenario, with three UP SD70ace locomotives on the head-end.

The dynamic brakes are practically useless out of the box, so I did my usual thing, and changed the max brake force. However, I had to use 175 as the maximum, which is much higher than usually needed.

In addition, the engine brakes don't work at all.

If anybody can direct me to a fix, it'd be appreciated.

I also have the excellent SD70 10-Engine Sound and Total Lighting Enhancement Pack v1.0 installed. Do I need to have an simulation.xml file for the helper engines, or is a simulation.bin file by itself OK?

Thanks,

Rob

[Ericmopar]

I forget... Does that SD70 sound pack use the engine's simulation file at all?
If it does, there would be a problem with me putting up a brake patch. I've pretty much fixed my SD70 brakes in the simulation bins, but if it fouls up the sounds.
I'd have to fine tune the things based on what I've learned over the last few months, but I could put out a patch for SD70Pack01 and also the 02 and 03 packs, that make up SD70Pack V2 Volume 2.

[krellnut]

The pack itself doesn't need anything from a simulation file. The only thing I change for my personal use is; I set all GE and EMD's to the same max RPM. I do that because with the GE's max RPM set to 1150, and the EMD's set to 900, when an EMD is the player locomotive and other engines are GE's, the Ge's will only rev to 900. So, I set all my locos to max RPM at 900. The RPM range is specified in the simulation file.

[_o_OOOO_oo-Kanawha]

The pack itself doesn't need anything from a simulation file. The only thing I change for my personal use is; I set all GE and EMD's to the same max RPM. I do that because with the GE's max RPM set to 1150, and the EMD's set to 900, when an EMD is the player locomotive and other engines are GE's, the Ge's will only rev to 900. So, I set all my locos to max RPM at 900. The RPM range is specified in the simulation file.

So have we discovered yet another bug in the DTG simulation engine? All loco's are treated the same? That does mean that mixed mode double heading, helper engines, etc. are practically useless since the "manned" locomotive dictates the whole consist behaviour? The manned locomotive is the red one in the F4 HUD?

Back to the thread: I have added a LocoBrakeCylinderPressurePSI to the ControlValue section, to make the HUD brake pressure gauge work, but haven't looked over the other brake paramenters in the engine.bin and simulation.bin files yet. A quick glance gave me the impression that they are wrong however ...

I do have a TNT patch applied, which gives these older models "wet windows", projecting headlights, different audio and particles and some other RW3 features which I can't remember right now.

What does your pack do?

[Kali]

So have we discovered yet another bug in the DTG simulation engine? All loco's are treated the same? That does mean that mixed mode double heading, helper engines, etc. are practically useless since the "manned" locomotive dictates the whole consist behaviour? The manned locomotive is the red one in the F4 HUD?

The version that introduced independent simulations ( rw3? ts2012? ) brought a nice heap of extra bugs along with it, but that did mean multiple working uses the sim file of each individual one, so no need to drive engine RPM in rear engines in script anymore ( there are other reasons to drive engine RPM in script still! ). They're still all driven by the regulator control though.

You can test for yourself using a mixed diesel & electric, and running it out of wires.

[krellnut]

so no need to drive engine RPM in rear engines in script anymore

Don't know what you saying here, but to prove my point, try this; Hook up a ES44 and a SD70. Put driver in the ES. While stationary, run through throttle notches. At max RPM when you notch down from 1150 to 988, listen to the SD70. It does not change in sound because its max RPM is 900. Its not until the next notch down, then there will be a sound difference.

[Kali]

It was in reply to Kanawha's question about how independent trailing engines are - back in RW2 days you'd have to drive everything's audio yourself by consist messages ( and they all shared the leading one's sim BP too ).

Incidentally is the rpm in notch table here roughly right for ES44s too? the GE Class 70s ( which use the same control system but with austrian engines ) get to full RPM in notch 4...
http://www.alkrug.vcn.com/rrfacts/dash9.htm

[FHRob]

I forget... Does that SD70 sound pack use the engine's simulation file at all?
If it does, there would be a problem with me putting up a brake patch. I've pretty much fixed my SD70 brakes in the simulation bins, but if it fouls up the sounds.
I'd have to fine tune the things based on what I've learned over the last few months, but I could put out a patch for SD70Pack01 and also the 02 and 03 packs, that make up SD70Pack V2 Volume 2.

If you can post a fix, would be appreciated, as I want the darn thing to work!

[FHRob]

The pack itself doesn't need anything from a simulation file. The only thing I change for my personal use is; I set all GE and EMD's to the same max RPM. I do that because with the GE's max RPM set to 1150, and the EMD's set to 900, when an EMD is the player locomotive and other engines are GE's, the Ge's will only rev to 900. So, I set all my locos to max RPM at 900. The RPM range is specified in the simulation file.

So the locos from the helper pack should be working OK when dynamics are on?

Is my 175 setting OK, as you didn't mention anything in that regard?

[Kali]

Al Krug's site has 106k lb for ACe dynamics, but if that doesn't seem to work for you then whatever you like is fine :P http://www.alkrug.vcn.com/rrfacts/SD70MAC.htm

[krellnut]

Is my 175 setting OK, as you didn't mention anything in that regard?

The helpers are using the default simulation file, so if you made changes there, there applied globally.