Metro-North Kawasaki M8

[jonmorrie]

Pressure to get this out??? Really.

What do you mean?

[rarecommonsense]

Pressure to get this out??? Really.

What do you mean?

Well, I think he may be saying that there really was no pressure, they already had it set to be released today. No pressure is applied for released dates on content.

[jonmorrie]

Pressure to get this out??? Really.

What do you mean?

Well, I think he may be saying that there really was no pressure, they already had it set to be released today. No pressure is applied for released dates on content.

Maybe I should have phrased better:

I'm giving them the benefit of the doubt by saying it was pressured; there is no other explanation for such poor quality as far as details are concerned (sounds, etc).

[philmoberg]

It seems there's no bell? Or is that prototypical?

No bell on EMUs in the NYC region. ...

No bells on EMUs in the U.S. as a general rule. The short version of the long story is that they were declared "non-locomotives" under the 1929 Master Agreement witht he Brotherhoods. This also meant that EMUs, no matter how many driven axles, ano matter how much total weight on the driven axles, didn't have to carry firemen. DMUs were not anticipated at that point, and so were not included in these provisions. If there are EMUs with bells in the U.S. (apart from interurban cars, which are another discussion entirely), it is solely at the owning/operating railroad's option.

[FanRailer]

It seems there's no bell? Or is that prototypical?

No bell on EMUs in the NYC region. ...

No bells on EMUs in the U.S. as a general rule. The short version of the long story is that they were declared "non-locomotives" under the 1929 Master Agreement witht he Brotherhoods. This also meant that EMUs, no matter how many driven axles, ano matter how much total weight on the driven axles, didn't have to carry firemen. DMUs were not anticipated at that point, and so were not included in these provisions. If there are EMUs with bells in the U.S. (apart from interurban cars, which are another discussion entirely), it is solely at the owning/operating railroad's option.

The only exception to that general rule that I can think of are the Metra Electric and South Shore Lines in the Chicago area. Their EMUs do have bells.

[MattW]

It seems there's no bell? Or is that prototypical?

No bell on EMUs in the NYC region. ...

No bells on EMUs in the U.S. as a general rule. The short version of the long story is that they were declared "non-locomotives" under the 1929 Master Agreement witht he Brotherhoods. This also meant that EMUs, no matter how many driven axles, ano matter how much total weight on the driven axles, didn't have to carry firemen. DMUs were not anticipated at that point, and so were not included in these provisions. If there are EMUs with bells in the U.S. (apart from interurban cars, which are another discussion entirely), it is solely at the owning/operating railroad's option.

The new EMUs Chicago is getting do and I assume their predecessors did as well, but the South Shore line at least is a former interurban. Denver is getting some EMUs based on Philadelphia's (SEPTA) Silverliner Vs and it will be interesting to see if they get bells. I'd give it a 50% chance at this point without inside knowledge.

[dr1980]

Very interesting regarding the EMu bells, I learned something new today!

I also find it somewhat ironic that the quieter electric equipment does not require a bell, when the louder diesels do

[philmoberg]

The only exception to that general rule that I can think of are the Metra Electric and South Shore Lines in the Chicago area. Their EMUs do have bells.

Those are the only ones that occur to me, off the top of my head. Technically, they still qualify as interurban cars, even thought they are technologically more like electrified Comet Vs. This is primarily because significant portions of the South Shore are largely unchanged from when it was still a classic Midwest interurban line.

(Edit on second thought) A good many years ago, I was party to a conversation between representatives of an agency with a significant electrified commuter operation and representatives of a carbuilder who had responded to that agency's interest in DMUs for possible service in non-electrified territory. There was a great deal of surprise when it came to the requirement for DMUs to be equipped with bells, and potentially firemen, followed by a subsequent history lesson about the lasting heritage of the '29 Master Agreement and the changes in railroad technology since then. In retrospect, I'm reminded of a comment J. N. Westwod made in his 1963 book, Soviet Railways Today, in which he noted that the railroad industry had a culture in which yesterday's operating experience became tomorrow's operting dogma. Some of these provisions and practices have begun to change as Congress and the FRA have asserted a more more direct presence in railroad operating practices, and I would be inclined to think that the odds are probably better than even - perhaps decidedly better than even - that EMUs will be required to be equipped with "audible caution devices" at some point in the not-too-distant future. Possibly/probably this would electronic devices such as those used for backup alarms on trucks. These would be lighter, cheaper and more compact, and therefore easier to retrofit to existing equipment than bells would be.

[cor726]

I have to say the M8 is pretty cool, but the horn is terrible.

[emd645e3]

The M8s are modeled quite nicely but the sounds are pretty lame in lightest of terms.

I wish they would try outside sources that are willing to go out and record sounds for the US stocks because, I know that there are people out here that are will to do so. I know if they wanted to do Chicago Metra Rail I would be out recording everyday.

But here is my WIP rendition to the sounds of the M8s. I'm still looking for recordings as well. But this is what I got so far.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E_BoemqXJ2U

[FanRailer]

The M8s are modeled quite nicely but the sounds are pretty lame in lightest of terms.

I wish they would try outside sources that are willing to go out and record sounds for the US stocks because, I know that there are people out here that are will to do so. I know if they wanted to do Chicago Metra Rail I would be out recording everyday.

But here is my WIP rendition to the sounds of the M8s. I'm still looking for recordings as well. But this is what I got so far.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E_BoemqXJ2U

Nice. It's pretty difficult to get good recordings of the RS2M.

On another note, running the M8s through quick drive has revealed a whole slew of issues to me:
1. It seems like that problem with the brakes not releasing is not limited to career scenarios, but is a general bug that occurs after you've been operating the M8 for about 1 hour.
2. Depending on where you start on the route, and with what type of M8 (third rail or pantograph), once you pass mount vernon / pelham and switch modes, the propulsion sounds do not play when the train is taking power; they only play when the train is braking.

As a result of this, just to record a trip from GCT to Stamford and back to GCT, I had to reload the quick drive 5-6 times.

[AmtrakP422DC]

Metro North Kawasaki M8 should also have tint window... compare to this



And the game graphic

[FanRailer]

Metro North Kawasaki M8 should also have tint window...

I'm surprised no one's mentioned that compared to the initial WIP images, the windows on the released version are slightly tinted. I just think DTG didn't want to overly tint the windows to the point where you can't see out of them when in passenger camera mode.

[DaveDewhurst]

I had a play with tinting the windows, It can be done without making the inside view darker, but the external cab windows are using the same section on the texture so darkening the external passenger glass, darkens the external cab class.

Dave

[buzz456]

After everyone gets done savaging them I'm sure it will get fixed. Too bad they put it out prematurely.