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beresford, on 21 May 2014 - 01:35 AM, said:
Perhaps an obvious thing, but I have encountered this odd consist in other Tehachapi activities.
I have recently completed the 3DTS_TEH2_SP_EB_INTERMODAL activity, where you take on two helper engines at the rear at Bena and discard them at Summit Switch.
The initial train couldn't make speeds better than about 20mph on the approach to Bakersfield and Bena.
When I got to Bena to reverse onto the helpers there was the usual fol-de-rol of 'Off Path - Emergency Brake'.
With the helpers the level speed was better, but it was pegged at just over 12mph on the grades up to the summit.
Seems a bit underpowered to me, but what do I know of US railroading? :birthday:
I have recently completed the 3DTS_TEH2_SP_EB_INTERMODAL activity, where you take on two helper engines at the rear at Bena and discard them at Summit Switch.
The initial train couldn't make speeds better than about 20mph on the approach to Bakersfield and Bena.
When I got to Bena to reverse onto the helpers there was the usual fol-de-rol of 'Off Path - Emergency Brake'.
With the helpers the level speed was better, but it was pegged at just over 12mph on the grades up to the summit.
Seems a bit underpowered to me, but what do I know of US railroading? :birthday:
It is underpowered. A remarkably common tendency in MSTS by both Kuju and activity makers alike. A trainmaster in the United States that delayed traffic by not using enough power for trains to maintain track speed would soon find himself on the unemployment line. It seems that people who create consists and activities for the US seem to live in a fantasy land where the entire continent is perfectly flat without a single grade.
For instance, inbounds to Denver on the Front Range sub of the BNSF will often run with a single loco front and rear and a midtrain helper, or perhaps four locos total.
Outbound on the Moffat, UP trains will quite often leave West with 10 - 12 units on a coal train. And they aren't shy about it. I watched a UP leave Denver last Saturday, heading up the monster grade to the Moffat Tunnel, with 8 units on the point, and four midtrain DPU's!
A stalled train can take hours to move, cause a lot of trains to be delayed, and cost tons of money.
Search Youtube for railfan footage, here's one with six units on the point of a coal train:
https://www.youtube....h?v=kDTzL0DAzvs
I had a similar conversation on Trainsim recently, how many MSTS/OR/TS/Trainz users even know how to calculate the tonnage needed for their trains?
This is one of the reasons MSTS and OR AI trains are unrealistic. They can't use physics because people somehow imagine 3 SD40-2's are going to haul 60 loaded cars up a 2% grade!
Reality on a Denver - Laurel Montana run. This is the way trains are run in the Western US!
https://www.youtube....h?v=55-FxOzQ3t0
I've never actually known whether underpowered MSTS trains were because of simple lack of knowledge of how trains should be run, or because of concern for polycounts and framerates?
A couple of good articles on computing power requirements:
http://www.republicl...lculations.html
http://www.alkrug.vc...ForcesCalc.html <-- online calculator - very useful...
Robert
