[QJ-6811]

Is it known if there is a "burnrate" problem in higher releases? (like X3919)

Example with manual firing:
In release 1.2 I have a maximum/constant burn rate of 1.4t/h. This gives enough steam production to the train on a long slope, and manual firing (shoveling and injector) is going well.

If I do the same in later releases, like X3919, I do not get the summit. In the HUD, I now see that the burn rate rises to 3.2t/h (!?). This also causes abnormal steam production (14.8 bar in boiler with 14bar safety valve ....) and manual firing is impossible even with 100% shovel and injector.

A second and bigger problem is that the locomotive sometimes falls "dead".
In higher releases I see through the HUD that if I stop firing (train stops, blower and damper on "low") the burnrate falls back to 0kg/h. (And this often within a minute ....... !) At the moment, it is the "end of the game" [Or is there another hidden facility "Finding wood and set fire with a match" :D :D ]

If I test the same in Release 1.2, the burn rate falls back to a lower value and then returns slowly. In my example I had 10-15kg/h after 15 minutes and after 25 minutes still 3kg/h. So still the heat of the coal's afterglow and giving the opportunity to firing the locomotive back to life.


I hope for a temporary issue and not permanently in release 1.3?

[Csantucci]

German users active in the local tssf forum have same problems, independently from loco used.

[QJ-6811]

Have done some more tests.
In summary, I see the following problem

The shovel rate and burn rate with automatic firing is fairly constant. (Example 600kg/h till 1t/h)
With manual firing (with equal shovel rate and conditions), the burn rate is sometimes increased very quickly in a (very) short period of time. (In my example even up to 4.5t/h!)
In addition, this happens also sometimes with automatic firing in combination with ALT-H.
Somewhere there is a too fast reaction / calculation in "fire mass -> coal heat -> burnrate" and "Boiler heat in"?



Refers to "dead locomotive" (burnrate=0), this also appears to happen sometimes with automatic firing. Often it's going well, so at a stop after driving, the burn rate slowly decreases. (example 10-15 min from 350kg/h back to 20kg/h).
But sometimes (often after a "hot" locomotive) the burnrate drops very quickly to 0 in very short time.

Maybe by chance, but can the injector cause this problem in a calculation now? Why? I watched the HUD with a ride with auto-firing only. After a stop I continued to observe the HUD. The burnrate slowly declines in 10 minutes from 350kg/h to 60kg/h. [OK] But when the injector was switched on, the burnrate immediately returned to 0? This is, in my opinion, not very logical.

[steamer_ctn]

Given the fact that a lot of people don't appear to use the Manual mode, it probably does not get tested as extensively as the AI mode.

I would be interested in having a couple of testers who use the manual firing mode to run tests for me so that any "issues" can be corrected if possible.

Are you interested in assisting in doing some test scenarios for manual firing?

For testing purposes, I would prefer initially to use one of the test locomotives that was used for the steam code optimisation, and talk in terms of imperial units. After working on these types of locomotives, the ones you use can be looked at for further comparison.

If you are interested then PM me.

[QJ-6811]

Hi Peter,

No problem for some extra testing.
I will contact you outside.

Regards, Roger

[Mike B]

I wonder if this is what's happening when I run on the Death Valley RR route? I think it's set to automatic firing, but about 1/2-way through in either direction the firing rate drops to zero and the pressure (160# nominal) drops to the 50s. Must stop train. End of activity.

Trying to increase the firing rate doesn't help; fire is already at 110% according to F5 display, and increasing firing rate simply pumps that up more. The route has a kind of extended "dip" in it near the middle. So westbound after working hard up the 2.4-2.6% grade one must close the throttle entirely and quickly and get on the brakes. Which usually results in pressure going to max with safety valve blowing off. Followed by burn rate apparently dropping to zero irretrievably. Using the White Pass 2-8-0 model from TS.co and a short train.

Is it normal for the burn rate to drop to zero permanently after a safety valve event? Is that a penalty event?

[copperpen]

Seems to me there is a bug somewhere. The only time burnrate and combustion should reach zero is with nothing on the grate to burn. I have been trying hand firing with the White Pass loco and reached a point where there was fuel on the grate, 101%, , but burnrate went low and combustion was zero. Using the blower had zero effect on improving the burnrate or combustion while stationary, does it even have any effect on draft in OR, it certainly does in the real world.

[QJ-6811]

For information:

Many tests (rides) made in the latest releases. Peter, thanks for your effort and help!
The last tests done in X3945, with many variations, and everything goes well.

So manual firing works fine again (no excessive burnrate) and you can firing again as in real life. :drinks:
(BTW, do not forget to operate the blower and dempers.....)

The AI-firing also starts well after a longer stop. IOW the coal fire continues to glow and does not die ...
The problem that you drive suddenly the boiler press empty after a longer stop would no longer occur.
.