RSC 2-8-0 CONSOLIDATION

[mrennie]

a tiny Nvidia Geforce GT540M 1GB

I've tried it on this cheap laptop with an ATI Mobility Radeon HD4500, a desktop with a GeForce 200 series, and a more powerful laptop with GeForce GTX 675M. Obviously on the cheap laptop I have to turn down the grahics and run with TSX off, but I get good results on them all (best on the 675M of course).

Can you post the settings you have for railworks.exe in the NVidia control panel? I'll compare them with mine, or try a test using your exact same settings (ditto the in-game graphics settings).

[B-24_LIBERATOR]

The traction is fine and I understand the difference between large and small diameter driving wheels, but like I said before it loses most or all of it's power even on a small incline it seems. With 175 PSI going 30 mph on level ground it comes to a hault on a 1.8% grade about a mile or so from where the grade starts. I have been able to get it to crawl up the grade between 9-12 mph and the funny thing is it worked fine on Horseshoe Curve going at least 22 mph with no power issues and a larger load.

With the larger load, did you start off already coupled up or did you begin as a light engine and then couple to the consist? I've read somewhere that the physics in the simulator don't take proper account of the friction (or rolling resistance) if you start off uncoupled, and the difference is significant. It could also depend on the cars in the load .... they might not have the correct simulation data (weights and so on), although I'd have to investigate that before I could put my hand on my heart.

On the run from Altoona to Gallitzin, on the first part where you pass that warehouse with the woman in the suit, chatting to a man, I always slow to about 7-8 mph and crawl up the hill for a while until it picks up speed further on.

Which route are you using? If I have it, and if you describe the consist, I'll set up the same run and see if I can reproduce what you're experiencing.

I tried it on few different routes but the one I'm specifically having issues with is Cimmaron, my train consisted of (all great northerner's 30' rollingstock) 3 boxcars, a tankcar, a gondola carrying gravel, a pulpwood flatcar, and a caboose.

I'll try the coupling thing though, but personally i think I'm just doing something wrong

[mrennie]

I tried it on few different routes but the one I'm specifically having issues with is Cimmaron, my train consisted of (all great northerner's 30' rollingstock) 3 boxcars, a tankcar, a gondola carrying gravel, a pulpwood flatcar, and a caboose.

I'll try the coupling thing though, but personally i think I'm just doing something wrong

I haven't got Cimmaron (actually, I haven't had time to install any freeware routes ... too busy modelling). I have run her all over the HSC, up hill and down dale, and most of the time it's been OK. I did stall out once on the way up to Gallitzin but that was because I was distracted by Matt and didn't look after the fire properly

Ah, there is one other thing, which might or might not have happened to you. I realised that when running in expert mode and firing manually, if you have the injectors on but then switch on the F4 HUD, it turns the water valve off and steam escapes from the injector overflow pipe. It's easy to see this if you look at the loco in outside view, but if you're still in the cab, you might not realise that the boiler isn't filling up and the steam is being wasted. The loco isn't meant to be run with the HUD in expert mode, so I don't regard this as a bug. It's just a conflict between the advanced modelling of the injectors and the more simplistic controls in the HUD. The HUD version is, of course, meant to be run with the HUD.

[B-24_LIBERATOR]

I'm starting to get smoother running from it, think I just needed to get the hang of all the new bells and whistles (no pun intended)

[mrennie]

I'm starting to get smoother running from it, think I just needed to get the hang of all the new bells and whistles (no pun intended)

Excellent!

It took me a while to get the hang of it too. I think it adds to the sense of achievement

[B-24_LIBERATOR]

Finally made it up the mountain, was a long slow crawl but pretty fun





You did an excellent job on the locomotive

[mrennie]

Finally made it up the mountain, was a long slow crawl but pretty fun





You did an excellent job on the locomotive

It reminds me of the Katie Melua song ... "(My life is just a slow train) crawling up a hill"

Lovely screenshots

[B-24_LIBERATOR]

Thanks, the song that came to my mind (and the one I was playing while driving) was Battle Hymn of the Republic

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xl_rljOB4AE&list=PLFE1FDB5AEBCD7F20

[Griphos]

You should be relaxing and celebrating, not giving unprecedented customer support via the forum!!

:-)

Congrats on the release. She is lovely! And I do hope people will be patient and learn how to operate a more realistic locomotive than they have had access to heretofore. Some similar teething pains occurred on the other side of the pond when a couple of far more realistic steam locos were released in the last year or so, but they developed a very enthusiastic following eventually. I hope the same for your baby!

[SuperTux]

Trying to run the loco on 2 hrs sleep wasn't wise, but after twisting and turning various knobs and levels she moved :). I'll figure it out via the manual tomorrow. Very nice loco so far!

[CSX2057]

If you guys already bought the steam, show some on youtube. Would like to see it in action, oh and don't forget the bells and whistles.

[bpetit]

If you guys already bought the steam, show some on youtube. Would like to see it in action, oh and don't forget the bells and whistles.

Tomorrow I will have it done still youtube didn't like my first video.


PS Mike She's a keeper

[FourEightFour]

Wow, just wow. Awesome model, and pretty dern close to a real feel. First engine I feel at home in this simulation.

That said, I have only two issues. The first minor issue is the Boiler pressure gauge, annnnd I can fix that myself. The top end of the gauge reads about 180, the maximum boiler pressure(M.B.P.). The gauge should read double the M.B.P. Here is an example of what I mean:



M.B.P of 300 PSI, yet it is a 600 psi gauge. I will take some photos of period gauges in the proper PSI range tomorrow to show you guys.



My other problem may need your help. I know you push for realism, so I'd thought I would give you my feelings on the dome throttle delay, considering I was the one who pushed for this: An engine this size (Correct me if I am wrong but this engine is saturated instead of superheated?) should have half of the delay that it currently has. If it is rather complicated to alter the timespan of the delay, I could chalk it up to leaky packing


I have never actually seen them, so, where does the manual install to? I want to read about some of the features that I do not know how to use.

All in all, the absolute best steam engine I have ever run in a simulator.

[mrennie]

If you guys already bought the steam, show some on youtube. Would like to see it in action, oh and don't forget the bells and whistles.

Tomorrow I will have it done still youtube didn't like my first video.


PS Mike She's a keeper

I'm looking forward to seeing the video

[mrennie]

Wow, just wow. Awesome model, and pretty dern close to a real feel. First engine I feel at home in this simulation.

That said, I have only two issues. The first minor issue is the Boiler pressure gauge, annnnd I can fix that myself. The top end of the gauge reads about 180, the maximum boiler pressure(M.B.P.). The gauge should read double the M.B.P. Here is an example of what I mean:



M.B.P of 300 PSI, yet it is a 600 psi gauge. I will take some photos of period gauges in the proper PSI range tomorrow to show you guys.



My other problem may need your help. I know you push for realism, so I'd thought I would give you my feelings on the dome throttle delay, considering I was the one who pushed for this: An engine this size (Correct me if I am wrong but this engine is saturated instead of superheated?) should have half of the delay that it currently has. If it is rather complicated to alter the timespan of the delay, I could chalk it up to leaky packing


I have never actually seen them, so, where does the manual install to? I want to read about some of the features that I do not know how to use.

All in all, the absolute best steam engine I have ever run in a simulator.

I'm really glad you like the loco, and that I succeeded in getting the feel of the real thing (I myself have never been within even several thousand miles of the real thing ... I did it all from plans, pictures and videos).

Interesting point about the steam gauge. The gauges I used are replicas of a gauge I found on ebay, which was actually from the late 1800s. The dial went up to 160psi so I had to photoshop it to add on the last part of the range up to 180psi. I wonder of the rule about the range being double came in later? (I doubt if the loco that had this gauge originally would have had an 80psi boiler). Anyway, it's easy to substitute the texture and to tweak the engine blueprint to modify the range of the needle travel.

About the throttle delay, I remember you (I think it was you) mentioned a delay of 1 to 2 seconds, so I went for 1 second, in order to make it noticeable but without being an overkill. Perhaps it's exaggerated, but maybe half a second would go unnoticed by some people. "Leaky packing" sounds like a plausible excuse

Almost all the feedback has been positive so far, which is very gratifying (I had steeled myself for a barrage of "this doesn't work for me" messages, but so far there haven't been many).



Mike