Union Pacific FEF-3 4-8-4 Northern type steam locomotive, by Smokebox

[johnmckenzie]

I have a quick question for you, Mike - do you plan to bundle the set of ACF chaircars with the loco?

[mrennie]

I have a quick question for you, Mike - do you plan to bundle the set of ACF chaircars with the loco?

It's highly likely, yes.

[FourEightFour]

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2014-03-13_00011.jpg

These two pictures....


I cannot wait until I can run this on the plains of Wyoming on a cool summer night, with the pulsating firebox and all...

My heart will skip a beat when you do the two tone gray scheme.

[mrennie]

These two pictures....


I cannot wait until I can run this on the plains of Wyoming on a cool summer night, with the pulsating firebox and all...

My heart will skip a beat when you do the two tone gray scheme.

I'm looking forward to doing that one

[The_Garbear]

Looks like my new computer should be here just in time to fully appreciate this one. Can't wait.

[ozinoz]

I like the additional cab view camera. I (and it might be just me ) found there are times with the Connie, when I want to just look at the glasses and gauges on the backhead, it is either right or left and no centre sweet spot.

[mrennie]

I like the additional cab view camera. I (and it might be just me ) found there are times with the Connie, when I want to just look at the glasses and gauges on the backhead, it is either right or left and no centre sweet spot.

Thanks Grant - I've got five cameras set up at the moment and I usually use the one in the seat behind the engineer's seat (back seat driving?)

I also took up the Israeli chap's suggestion and made the water in the reflex sight gauges slosh up and down, at a rate determined by the speed of the loco, which certainly draws your attention to them!

[bpetit]

Latest Pic.

cab.jpg

[mrennie]

This is going to be a steal at any price... cant wait for this ! it just looks so amazing!

Thanks Phil

I think you'll be pleased with some of the unique functionality too - I've gone a lot further than in the Connie.

[ozinoz]

IMO the blog post screenshot shows a fantastic fov of the cab and back head - it may not be totally realistic but I think it will be greatly appreciated in just getting that snapshot view of what is happening.

You do realise nobody other tan you is going to get this beauty to turn a wheel

Hope you have an hour long fully narrated tutorial on the drawing board

Looking forward to not being able to turn a wheel myself, but it will look so impressive in the yard not moving

Cheers (I am out of smilies)

G

[mrennie]

IMO the blog post screenshot shows a fantastic fov of the cab and back head - it may not be totally realistic but I think it will be greatly appreciated in just getting that snapshot view of what is happening.

You do realise nobody other tan you is going to get this beauty to turn a wheel

Hope you have an hour long fully narrated tutorial on the drawing board

Looking forward to not being able to turn a wheel myself, but it will look so impressive in the yard not moving

Cheers (I am out of smilies)

G

Hi Grant!

I'm going to add two more cab camera positions, making it seven in total

I've never forgotten how someone once posted on RSC's facebook, asking for his money back because the Connie doesn't support Simple mode, so this time I've made sure that the FEF-3 does, in a separate "HUD" version that allows the F4 HUD to be used in Simple and Expert modes (the Connie's HUD version works in Expert only). Simple mode also enables the expert automatic fireman (not the dunce of a default automatic fireman that RW has - you have to kick that oaf out of the cab before starting a scenario, especially as he hasn't a clue how to fire an oil-burning steam locomotive), so in Simple mode, even a 3-year old can get the wheels turning. He can also get the wheels slipping and blow up the cylinders (I've kept the advanced physics in the Simple mode too). The HUD-enabled model makes it a bit easier to operate because the steam and air throttles for the auxiliaries are all switched on by default.

However ... the most fun is to be had from the non-HUD version, and if you have masochistic tendencies, turn off the expert auto fireman and (try to) do it yourself (as someone said to me recently, this is one case where mutliplayer would be very, very useful!). There's a lot more to do in the cab than in the Connie, so yes, I will have to do a tutorial video, most definitely!

There's something else I've implemented in the cab which is going to blow your socks off when you see it - something else that's never been done before, as far as I'm aware.

[mrennie]

Which is astounding because the more i use that engine, the more i find out about it and more i like it... this is going to be wonderful

It cheers me up to read this kind of comment I sometimes wonder if a lot of the features of the Connie are lost on the majority of people, like the animation of the cylinder c**cks, or separate forward and reverse sanders, but it's good to know that some like you are sticking at it and discovering the less obvious bits and pieces.

[FourEightFour]

Hey one time I started at the top of Marshall pass in the connie with a few cars. Fourteen miles of four percent grade. I was in a hurry and forgot to turn on the pump. After a while I had realized I was taking thirty pound sets and not stopping After dynamiting and judicious use of the johnson bar, I was able to stop it in three miles.


Even the pros can forget sometimes...

[mrennie]

Hey one time I started at the top of Marshall pass in the connie with a few cars. Fourteen miles of four percent grade. I was in a hurry and forgot to turn on the pump. After a while I had realized I was taking thirty pound sets and not stopping After dynamiting and judicious use of the johnson bar, I was able to stop it in three miles.


Even the pros can forget sometimes...

OK, now I'll confess ... yesterday I was adding gauge lights (there are a lot of them in 844's cab!) and I was going nuts trying to work out why the script wasn't working - I just couldn't get the lights to come on.

Yep, I'd forgotten to turn on the generators

[XDriver]

Yep. The future of rail simulation is moving to new heights. With the release of Smokebox's FEF-3. It will now be called, "Steam Engine Simulation". oo-OOOO-oo>