[Weter]

That thread would help us to join our knowledge, to exchange experience, to find better ways and to discover together, what is actually need to be improved. Then - it can be written here as formalized ask to improve.

[Laci1959]

KS44, on 19 January 2023 - 02:30 PM, said:

Thank you very much Weter for dedicating a new topic to my problem here on Elvas, but the truth is that Laci is helping me a lot to get to know better how to use .sms files, what to include and how to include it. But there is still a reason for that topic in my opinion.

Basically, as I mentioned above the basics shouldn't change the fundamentals laid down by MSTS, but rather add a few more features options (Which Laci1959 has brought up within the topic)

Hello

If you think about it, I will give you some good advice in the new thread created by Weter. They helped me a lot.

Sincerely, Laci1959

Ps. I don't want to trash this thread either.

[Traindude]

Something that just popped into my mind:

There are 3 main types of railway traction that are modeled and supported in ORTS: Steam, Diesel and Overhead-wire electric locomotives. However, there is a seemingly endless array of obscure and unexplored areas of railway traction--gas turbines, jet trains, Cog-and-Rack traction, steam turbines, battery-electric locomotives, pneumatic air mining locomotives, fireless steam locomotives, third-rail current collection, and the list goes on and on...

...The obvious question is: Do we even want to commit to the coding and modelling of these oddball means of locomotion when there's plenty of ways we can improve upon the motive power methods we already have?

[eric from trainsim]

VAPOR3D, on 04 January 2023 - 06:48 PM, said:

Elvas Tower Forum:
1: Enable search for three-letter terms such as "cab".
2. Solve the view of the Forum on Android mobile devices. Currently, all graphics hosted on Photobucket are displayed (they cannot be shown) and it is impossible to read anything.
3. Make it possible to use an automatic online translator for users of other languages (currently none works, you have to copy and paste in a translator like DeepTranslate and it is quite tedious).

Thank you very much!

There are a few of us looking at functional upgrades to the site, so those can perhaps be taken into consideration.

Searching on three letters is horribly expensive on a database in terms of I/O.

[Stephen]

Hi All,

I would hardly put third-rail current collection in the obscure and unexplored areas of railway traction. In England we have the London Underground system which uses 3rd and 4th rail for power. Likewise there is also the large area to the south east and south west of London which is virtually all 3rd rail traction plus some of the Mersey Rail system. Darwin Smith has produced various eng. files for 3rd rail DMUs as well as most other forms of traction in this country. I find these a vast improvement on the original ones inherited from MSTS and look forward to any others that he might produce.

Regards,

Stephen

[eric from trainsim]

I can't imagine the physics for third rail (either center or offset) is all that much different from an electric in terms of physics.

The visual aspects (no wire) are the responsibility of the route builder and possibly the track system designer.

[Hannes44]

One of my wishes for a future OR is that the sliding strip of the pantograph should follow the catenary or should be at least automatically fixed in the height of the catenary as it is given in the *.trk file as OverheadWireHeight.

[bwyrick]

I'd like to see different lighting conditions implemented, such as bell activated flashing ditch lights for passenger locomotives.

[Traindude]

Stephen, on 21 January 2023 - 03:26 AM, said:

Hi All,

I would hardly put third-rail current collection in the obscure and unexplored areas of railway traction. In England we have the London Underground system which uses 3rd and 4th rail for power. Likewise there is also the large area to the south east and south west of London which is virtually all 3rd rail traction plus some of the Mersey Rail system. Darwin Smith has produced various eng. files for 3rd rail DMUs as well as most other forms of traction in this country. I find these a vast improvement on the original ones inherited from MSTS and look forward to any others that he might produce.

Regards,

Stephen

Well, in terms of .eng files, MSTS and ORTS act as if all electric locomotives were overhead wire powered. Having dedicated third-rail collection physics (so we no longer have to "fake it") would be a nice addition.

[darwins]

Traindude, on 20 January 2023 - 07:41 PM, said:

Something that just popped into my mind:

There are 3 main types of railway traction that are modeled and supported in ORTS: Steam, Diesel and Overhead-wire electric locomotives. However, there is a seemingly endless array of obscure and unexplored areas of railway traction--gas turbines, jet trains, Cog-and-Rack traction, steam turbines, battery-electric locomotives, pneumatic air mining locomotives, fireless steam locomotives, third-rail current collection, and the list goes on and on...

...The obvious question is: Do we even want to commit to the coding and modelling of these oddball means of locomotion when there's plenty of ways we can improve upon the motive power methods we already have?

The short answer is YES.

My own view is that the general coding should cater for all widely used forms of traction equipment, then there should be the option for unique and unusual motive power to be created using scripts.

My hope for Open Rails is that it will give us great flexibility.


What Is Supported Now:

Steam - Simple Expansion Coal Fired Locomotives, Geared Locomotives, Vauclain Compounds

Diesel - Diesel Electric Locomotives (simple model), Diesel Mechanical traction with pre-selector gearboxes

Electric - Locomotives with single voltage supply (simple model) - there is no big difference between overhead and third rail supplies.


Major Traction Features Not Currently Supported in OR:

Steam - Alternative Fuels - coke, oil, wood etc. including more detailed manual firing models

Steam - Smith / Johnson 3-cylinder compounds - a large successful group in UK and Ireland.

Steam - de Glehn / du Bosquet / Chapelon / Porta 4-cylinder compounds - probably the world's greatest and most technically advanced steam locos.

Diesel Electric - clear distinctions between dc-dc traction (dc motor model and manual transitioning in older locos), ac-dc traction and ac-ac traction

Diesel Mechanical - manual gearbox without synchromesh

Diesel Hydraulic - torque converter model

Diesel Hyro-mechanical - probably the most widespread transmission in the world today for diesel passenger trains! (but not yet in OR)

Diesel (or Gas-Turbine) - locos with two or more different engines or two engines controlled separately (e.g. SNCF turbotrains)

Electric - dc motor model - series parallel transitions - resistances in circuit

Electric - single phase ac supply to dc (or single phase ac) motor model transformers, tap changers and controls (there are some French scripts!)

Electric - electric multiple unit control giving automatic acceleration - very widely used all over the world for about 100 years (but not yet in OR)

Electric - multiple voltage systems - with change in power or characteristics depending on supply



Less Common Features, that I would very much like to see:

Steam - non-condensing turbine locomotive (yes I am thinking the very successful 6202)

Electric - three phase ac system (the Italians have done a good job of making ORTS tractive force curves for this)


Other Less Common Features that could be modelled

Fireless locos, Diesel-steam hybrid locos, Fully condensing steam reciprocating locos, Fully condensing steam turbine locos, Direct drive diesel locos....



Finally it should be said before we give up all hope that there is a lot of flexibility in what we have.

"Diesel" for example can be used to represent petrol, gas turbine or any other internal combustion engine.

Rack and pinion mention above might well be possible by modifying adhesion and resistance parameters without the need for any new code.


That is only power transmission. Next you are all going to get me talking about brakes!!