[ATSF3751]

Hey everyone,

So being a steam guy and knowing what it takes to run a steam locomotive there is one major thing missing for steam locomotives and that is servicing the locomotive. A steam locomotive can only run about 100 to 150 Miles until it needs to be serviced. One idea I had was with steam locomotives is in the F5 menu could tell you how hot your bearings were getting and keep track of when you needed to service the locomotive meaning greasing the rods and checking the lubricators and other appliances. Just a thought for something in the future.

Brandon

[darwins]

Much appreciate that servicing was needed with steam, but in UK we expected rather more than 150 miles out of our top link express locos. Some of the largest express passenger locos were expected to tackle non-stop runs of between 300 and 400 miles.

Having said that ash would build up in ashpans, cinders in smoke boxes and if coal was poor clinker would reduce the available grate area - so it would be good to see some deterioration in performance over time.
As there are no routes of that length available, and most of us would not drive for 6 to 8 hours at a go - there is a need to have locos joining routes in activity editor or timetable editor with a few hours of work behind them - and in the timetable editor suitably depleted supplies of coal and water as well.
Hopefully turning on turn tables will be worked out in timetable editor then servicing might be emptying ash and char, cleaning the fire, taking on coal and water, turning the loco... and oiling and greasing too!

[atsf37l]

That is a major source of interesting activity that, besides the obvious taking on water and coal, would definitely make the operation more fun and a more realistic capture of the 'age of steam.' Let's get our hands dirty! :rotfl:

[darwins]

The serious bit from a simulation point of view is the deterioration in performance over time. That particularly relates to the build up of ash, clinker etc.

[Traindude]

Operating ash pits similar in principle to coal & water pickup objects would also be needed. Simply stop the loco over the ash pit, press T, and the ashpan is emptied.

In regards to ash accumulation, would it be necessary to simulate the reduced capacity of the ashpan when the dampers are open, and/or the ash spilling out of the dampers when it is overfilled?