Suggestion: DPU/Radio Control

[superheatedsteam]

Hi Robert,

An empty 2 rake train weighs just over 5,000 tonnes so I'm not sure why you would think the couplers are prone to disintegration. Ultra couplers are fitted to the rolling stock which I have been advised, have the same tensile strength as standard AAR couplers but have greater vertical volume in the coupler body and knuckle.

If the head end power and DPU is controlled appropriately by the driver then there shouldn't be a problem. The drivers are highly skilled and trained. I suspect that if a coupler failure occurred and the loco computers indicated it was due to poor train handling then that drivers future employment prospects with the company would not be very rosy.

Check out the BHP Billiton 'Moving Mountains' video on youtube for an overview of this railway.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o2_QKoQ70Ko

Rocketboy1950 has some great videos on youtube as well. The following shows the rear most DP units an empty 3 rake train (336 ore cars) starting (around 2 minutes into the video). They start and accelerate them slowly.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WMFmixSSqqU

Cheers,

Marek.

[rdamurphy]

I'm pretty sure the player trains in the activities don't have helpers... That could make a big difference. I really did like the route though, it wasn't just a "drive 70 and watch the pretty scenery" kind of thing...

Robert

[superheatedsteam]

Hi Robert,

Glad you enjoy it. You really have to be ‘ahead of the train’ when driving these.

I can’t check at the moment but I’m pretty certain that all the activities with that route will have ’2 rake’ trains with CM40-8M locos as motive power for player and AI train. A ‘2 rake’ consist comprises:

2 x CM40-8M locos + 104 ore cars + 2 x CM40-8M locos + 104 ore cars.

The DPU units are not at the rear of the train in the traditional ‘helper’ configuration but in the middle of the train. Essentially it’s 2 separate trains coupled together nose to tail (or elephant style as I have heard it referred to). To make a 3 rake train you just couple up another rake to the rear (or front) of a 2 rake train and you’re ready to go. In the real world you would obviously have to connect brake hoses/MU cables and configure the DPU units.

The reason 2 rake trains are used in the activities is that the brake physics of the MSTS ore cars/locos has been tuned to better match real world performance. All the data I had was for 2 rake trains. If you drive a single rake (not prototypical) or three rake train the brake performance really diverges from real world performance due to the MSTS code not scaling well, yet alone obeying the laws of physics in some cases.

This is why I’m really looking forward to the physics in OR. I’ll wait till the OR software is more stabilised in relation to physics before I devote the time required to test and tweak the physics. That being said, if DPU is not supported in OR then the physics will still have to be kludged to reflect the faster set and release brake application rates possible with independently controlled DPU.

Cheers,

Marek.

[seagoon]

I can’t check at the moment but I’m pretty certain that all the activities with that route will have ’2 rake’ trains with CM40-8M locos as motive power for player and AI train.

Correct.

This is why I’m really looking forward to the physics in OR.

That's the only mode in which I use MSTS now.......create the Activity in MSTS and play it in OR.

Bruce

[rdamurphy]

Well, you know, I was focused on watching what was going on in the code trying to track down the "AI speed" bug, and um, well, the train got away from me, LOL! I ended up with wheels spinning and the train going backwards!

BTW, the change should be in the latest release, I believe tomorrow on the 9th.

Robert

[seagoon]

Well, you know, I was focused on watching what was going on in the code trying to track down the "AI speed" bug, and um, well, the train got away from me, LOL! I ended up with wheels spinning and the train going backwards!

BTW, the change should be in the latest release, I believe tomorrow on the 9th.

Robert

LOL!
The thing that I really like about the Pilbara route is that it looks so simple - many people who go for the "eye candy" aspects of a landscape would be deterred.
But it is the train-handling that makes this come alive; one really has to pay attention the whole way.

Good-oh on the update, Robert.
I received an email heads-up a day or two ago so am looking forward to running the Activities again and continuing with the one I was creating.

Regards,
Bruce

[rdamurphy]

Yeah, I know, I sent the email ;-) I don't know, I thought the scenery really captured the area of the route, after watching the video of the actual location.

Robert

[seagoon]

I don't know, I thought the scenery really captured the area of the route, after watching the video of the actual location.

Robert

Oh, it does, Robert. Perfectly.

My comment was aimed to those who like to see more than arid expanses of red-hued landscape (or, in your part of the world, the arid expanses of the Mojave!) irrespective of how accurately it has been portrayed.

Bruce

[rdamurphy]

LOL, have you ever seen Wyoming?

[seagoon]

Touche!

Bruce