[darwins]

Sparks FX for electric trains

Several British models include "sparks" for pantographs of pick up shoes in the lights section of the locomotive or carriage.

These effects appear at random times, which looks unrealistic as sparks are shown when the train is stationary and even when the pantograph is lowered. By setting them as special effects rather than lights it should be possible to arrange a much more realistic appearance.

1. Sparks only appear for raised pantographs (for locos with 2 or more independent pantographs then something like this:

SpecialEffects ( ElectricSpecialEffects (
Pantograph1 ( x y z )
Pantograph2 ( x y z ) )


2. Sparks only appear when the train is both moving and under power.
So throttle closed and train stationary is definitely no sparks!
The under power could perhaps be extended to include regenerative braking, although an issue here is that it would not include rheostatic braking.


3. In real life weather conditions influence the amount of sparking. In general sparks are larger and more frequent in ice and snow conditions. Hot dry weather produces less sparking.


What is good for pantographs should also be reasonably good for conductor rail operation.


There is already a Trello card relating to sparks for steam locomotives.

https://trello.com/c...-steam-exhaust#

In the case of sparks for steam locos then Stack x y z - would be the origin from which they spread out (like the smoke). By adding the sparks as special effects the amount of sparks could then be made proportional to the combustion rate - with more sparks as this approaches the grate limit. A multiplier could be used to vary the frequency of sparks so that locos burning wood or low grade coal or those without spark arresters would produce more sparks and those burning higher quality coal would produce fewer sparks. (Set this to zero for oil burners!)

[Weter]

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Several British models include "sparks" for pantographs

TGV as well.

Quote

throttle closed

Train heating and compressors consume enough of power to cause sparks too.

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conductor rail

Upon diverging on switches, where third rails have gaps, sectioning gaps before stations -as well.

[darwins]

I avoided thinking about section gaps, gaps in the third rail, the fact that the third rail is normally only on one side only and also the changing height of catenary wires. All those things would be a lot more difficult or even impossible to add.

[VAPOR3D]

Sparks on pantographs only once raised would be a long overdue improvement in Open Rails. Thanks for suggesting it, Darwins!

[Weter]

But it seems simple, to tie contact rail gaps with switches, as sound triggers are already tied, Darwin.

[Traindude]

Weter, on 17 September 2022 - 07:13 AM, said:

But it seems simple, to tie contact rail gaps with switches, as sound triggers are already tied, Darwin.

Incidentally, a "pop" or "Bzzzt" (arcing) sound accompanying the spark effect would also be a nice touch.

[Weter]

https://www.youtube....h?v=RfCAOdNtWDI

[darwins]

Gaps at junctions can be quite small.

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/content/dam/business/2016/05/29/network_rail_clapham_trans_NvBQzQNjv4BqHAsMbxa1Smd-3UuiUrw4JF2akOfDNCtx6JlM57eD6OA.PNG

http://www.clag.org.uk/pics/3rd-4th/3rd-4th49.jpg

Sparks are most often seen when the shoe reaches the start of a gap. Watch at 0m45s in this

https://youtu.be/cM0cksbI6lM

The "pop" sound is most often not directly to do with the contact wire and pantograph or contact wire and shoe. The "pop" is caused by a blowout relay which is part of the train equipment to prevent arcing when power is turned off. We should have a sound trigger for this in the sms file for the train.

I have added some more about this to the thread on train controllers. It seems that a working electric multiple unit controller is still a big gap in OpenRails.

[Weter]

Breaking-up a contact under current causes arcs, especially with inductive cirqutis.
Arc causes pop sound, while disappearing suddenly, either on relay contacts or on power-transitions.
Heated to dozens of thousand degrees air is cooling very fast, so collapsing - that's like a reversed explosion, same as a little thunder actually.
This is an operational fault (inaccuracy), called by tram drivers "eat-up a gap/isolator"
Ideally, dirvers should care to turn load off, while passind gaps.

Darwin, could You tell me, what is "fourth rail"? - I see only third up there.

[darwins]

Third rail, as above, the conductor rail is +ve and the running rails are -ve (more or less earth potential) used for return current, the same as with overhead catenary.

With the fourth rail sysem there is a +ve conductor rail, but return current is via a -ve conductor rail rather than by the running rails. With modern systems the outer rail is the power rail and the centre rail is the return rail. (A few older systems were built the other way around.)

http://www.clag.org.uk/pics/3rd-4th/white-city1.jpg

Some explanation is given here https://www.liquisea...electrification