[darwins]

Good news for British OR routes. (Thanks Peter http://www.elvastower.com/forums/public/style_emoticons/default/sign_thank_you.gif)

The vacuum release valve is now functional. There are three main places where this might be used.

( 1 ) For loose shunting of vacuum braked wagons, without connecting up the brake pipes. The brakes can be released and the wagons moved around. This also allows a locomotive that is not fitted with vacuum brakes to shunt or haul wagons that are fitted with vacuum brakes.

( 2 ) If a vacuum braked wagon is not in the front (vacuum fitted) part of a partially fitted train, then the brakes on the wagon can be released and the wagon will simply behave as another unbraked wagon.

( 3 ) When a GWR loco has worked a train and left 25 in Hg in the auxiliary reservoirs and another loco that uses a vacuum of 20 in Hg is coupled on. The vacuum in the auxiliary reservoirs can be reduced so that the new loco can release the brakes.

As in real life you need to "pull the string" individually for each wagon.

To do this, use the F9 menu, right click on the wagon and select Open/Close Bleed Off Valve.
(The bleed off valve is the air brake equivalent of the vacuum release valve.)

https://i.imgur.com/9yZExD1.jpg

In case ( 3 ) above don't forget to close the valve again as failure to do so will leave your trian without brakes! In the other scenarios just open the valves on any wagons needed and leave them open.

[rickloader]

Thanks Darwin and Peter!