[Traindude]

Here's an idea--new coupler definitions--we have automatic, chain and bar, but what about link and pin?

[Lutz_s]

Hi traindude,

what should be the benefit of this? "Link and pin" couplers would be the same as chains in my opinion. The only difference between the automatic and chain couplers is the used word, so that they can't be coupled together. Bar couplers behave a little different, because they can't be coupled in the sim (by the way, they shouldn't be able to uncouple either, which MSTS allowed, what OR does i don't know).

Lutz

[Traindude]

Ok, nix the link & pin idea.

Here's another one for the steam department: Blowdowns. Although we virtual modellers don't have to deal with boiler scale, the blowdowns provide an effective means of reducing the water level when priming/working water (the cylinder cocks don't cure the problem fully).

And something for the diesel-electric locomotives--Manual Transitioning, as explained by Steve's Railroad Pages (http://members.local...oad/en_info.htm)

Quote

"Transition is the process by which the transmission of a diesel-electric locomoitve is brought from series wiring to parallel wiring. When in series, all current in the locomotive pass through all motors: this produces maximum low-speed force in the motors, i.e., maximum starting torque. When in parallel, current is divided among the motors: this produces maximum high-end efficency, i.e., highest motor speed. This is just as with the wiring internal to DC motors, where having the motor wound in series develops high starting torque, while placing the motor in parallel will develop high speed. Electrically, as current increases through the motors in a circuit with a given total current and voltage, the voltage drop across each motor will decrease: parallel circuits apply the total voltage to each load (i.e., in this case, motor), while series circuits apply the total current to each load.

Not all locomotives can make transition -- yard locomotives are often wired only for series. The motors on a diesel-electric road locomotives are often capable of making multiple transitions, with both trucks and motors on a truck capable of being switched into series or parallel wiring."

Obviously early locomotives had manual transitioning, while modern locos have automatic transitioning.

[markus_GE]

Originally located in this thread.

roeter, on 22 July 2014 - 01:06 AM, said:

[...]
Stricter control of the player train in normal mode is the price to pay for the improved AI control.
[...]

...which is a really great achievement - it only comes with one disadvantage - auto brake at the end of path. The following will also go to the wishlist thread: In order to kick in emergency at the end of a path, there must be some way to determine that the train has passed over the end of the path. Would it be possible to take this check and simply edit it´s outcomes to send the player into manual mode instead of ermergency brake? (This is a general question not "aimed" at you, Rob)

Cheers, Markus

[markus_GE]

A new suggestion: In order to facilitate switching, normal as well as "on the fly" (uncoupling cars while moving so they roll down the yard tracks just by momentum), and enable hump yard operations, would it be possible to introduce an "air brake bleed-off" functionality, as there is in real cars? The purpose of this is to manually release the brakes on a certain car by venting it´s brake cylinder and reservoir pressure to atmosphere when actuating a lever, so the cars may be shuted without the need to pump up all the air pressure needed to release the brakes.

Cheers, Markus

[jared2982]

I like that Idea Dave. I 2nd the motion.

[Genma Saotome]

markus_GE, on 23 July 2014 - 01:52 PM, said:

A new suggestion: In order to facilitate switching, normal as well as "on the fly" (uncoupling cars while moving so they roll down the yard tracks just by momentum), and enable hump yard operations, would it be possible to introduce an "air brake bleed-off" functionality, as there is in real cars? The purpose of this is to manually release the brakes on a certain car by venting it´s brake cylinder and reservoir pressure to atmosphere when actuating a lever, so the cars may be shuted without the need to pump up all the air pressure needed to release the brakes.

Cheers, Markus

Right idea, but there are two sets of valves that can be fiddled with. At both ends of every locomotive and car is an Angle Valve (sometimes called Cock Valve) -- at least on using a positive air pressure brake line... I don't know about negative air pressure lines. Normal position of this value is open except at the furthest end of the train. Having the value open allows for any change in air pressure to propagate along the air line.

When cars are uncoupled the common practice is to close the Angle Valve on the locomotive side of the couplers so as to retain air pressure on that side. When the air hoses separate the air on the far side of the break escapes, the triple valve detects that and directs air from the car's own air reservoir to the brakes and the brakes are set. On some occasions there is a desire to keep the brake line pressure up on both sides after the air hoses separate and in that case the Angle Value is closed on both sides of the uncoupling. This would keep the cut cars very free rolling, just as if they were still part of the train. I would expect to see the use of a set handbrake on any cut of cars that have retained brake pressure.

What you refer to is this second valve, one that sits on the air line between the car's own air reservoir and brakes. When that one is opened the air reservoir vents to the atmosphere and there is nothing left to force the brakes against the wheel... so the car is now very free rolling.

AFAIK, neither type of valve is represented in OR.

What OR does now is assume the Angle Value is set correctly for the most common actions -- uncoupling and connecting air hoses. To provide for what were discussing there needs to be something about opening and closing of the Angle Value on both sides of the uncoupling. Failure to close the value on either side vents the brake line on that side of the uncoupling to the far end. Closing it retains the pressure... and leaves the brakes disengaged. For coupling it needs to join the airhoses (perhaps this could be assumed) and then changing one or both Angle Values to allow air to flow again across the newly closed joint. Failure to set the Angle Value correctly on coupling will most often leave the player with a bunch of cars with the brakes full on... or with no brakes whatsoever.

IOW everything we've told folks about fiddling with the airhoses in OR is incorrect... they should be fiddling with the Angle Values instead and know that there are two that must be set correctly before you can pump up the air. The software could safely assume the airhoses are correct for whatever situation the train is in.

And then of course add the valve that you speak of that presents that situation where the air can be dumped to release the brakes on a cut of cars which means some situations will allow very free rolling cars w/o any brakes at all.



As a related feature the OR software should provide for both consists in-train and consists that are "loose" to have the status of the brake line known at game start (or restart) and then to handle the second case to note whether the air reservoirs in each car of that cut have air pressure in them or not.

[ATW]

I truly like and agree with them brake ideas myself as there should be an option when you click a car or locomotive to select the option to open or close angle cocks from back or front of a car clicking it in either the F9 window (which needs scrolling tweaking) or in future clicking the car with a mouse key on a end side like how uncoupling works now.

One angle cock suggestion I would like to see some day as seen in real life is options to either slowly,gradually,quickly in % of opening the angle cock to supply the air since in real life opening too fast of a air flow depending on the number of units supplying causes the train to go into emergency (What ORTS currently does) especially the longer it is where air has not reached the last car yet to stop air travel in its tracks to charge and equalize. Nice example to me would be sucking through a straw too fast to your throat can make you swallow through the wind pipe choking a little would be emergency as sucking slow normal with no big fast swallows would be of no pain or air problem of leakage. Not only that, it would be great if ORTS can add either a cab option or/and a F5 Hud of a Air Flow Meter as well as a cabview parameter of End Of Train Brake Pipe pressure when in game a EOTDevice is enabled by a click of a button or a .wag being a device parameter at end with ORTSType (EOTD or DPUEnd) for cab to read and enable or just on simple terms an in game option to dial in a car number whether loose or in train to read it's BP then having options to arm and take control of it's angle cock even when not on train connected.

That's my wish in connection with the above wishes about the brake system.

[markus_GE]

The option to allow for slow opening of the angle cocks would have been my next suggestion, but I had not yet thought it through yet. All in all, knowing what it does is not enough - you also need to know why something does something, and that needs some thinking. Anyway, thanks Dave for doing it for me :(

Cheers, Markus