Underpowered Power?

[Rich_K]

I just revisited Open Rails after a couple months. I downloaded the current stable version and the latest experimental as well. My question applies to both versions.

I fired up an activity I wrote in MSTS on the SOO Line. Here's my problem. I have 3 SOO SD60M's and an SD-40 for power. I am only pulling 6 loaded grain hoppers and 3 scrap steel gondolas and even at notch 8 I can barely muster 30 miles per hour.

Is this typical performance in Open Rails? Surely that much power should be able to exceed 30 mph?

[MP36PH3S]

What's the weather, and is the segment you're testing this on inclined?

[eric]

That's not normal. Perhaps there's something going on in one of the .ENG or .WAG files.

Another thought... are your brakes releasing completely? If you're not using the Shift-/ shortcut to quick-charge the line, it's possible the brakes are still partially applied.

[Rich_K]

What's the weather, and is the segment you're testing this on inclined?

Level ground for the most part, with clear dry weather.

[crstagg]

I just revisited Open Rails after a couple months. I downloaded the current stable version and the latest experimental as well. My question applies to both versions.

I fired up an activity I wrote in MSTS on the SOO Line. Here's my problem. I have 3 SOO SD60M's and an SD-40 for power. I am only pulling 6 loaded grain hoppers and 3 scrap steel gondolas and even at notch 8 I can barely muster 30 miles per hour.

Is this typical performance in Open Rails? Surely that much power should be able to exceed 30 mph?

Is that a created consist or did you couple to the WAGs in the Activity? If you answer yes to the latter then see https://www.trainsim.com/vbts/showth...-in-Open-Rails in the stickys above.

[OTTODAD]

To test something else ORTS I have just installed a plain vanilla MSTS from its CDs into my WIN-XP SP3 computer and apart from giving it the 1.4 patch train.exe and deleting the startup.mpg have changed nothing.

XNA and all versions of .NET from v.1.0 to v.4.0 are installed.

Running the Northeast Corridor Summer Express activity its Acela Express train needs about 60% throttle, lowering the panto and raising it again, before it starts moving at a snail pace, all brakes having been released.

[Rich_K]

Is that a created consist or did you couple to the WAGs in the Activity? If you answer yes to the latter then see https://www.trainsim.com/vbts/showth...-in-Open-Rails in the stickys above.

It was a local switching activity which required several pickups along the way. I followed the steps outlined in the text at the link you provided and now all is well! Thank you so much.

[OTTODAD]

Here is a video of what I have posted earlier about the Acela Express train not starting and after lowering and raising its panto then moves at a snail's pace !

http://www.otto-wipfel.co.uk/video/nec-acela-express.wmv

[crstagg]

Here is a video of what I have posted earlier about the Acela Express train not starting and after lowering and raising its panto then moves at a snail's pace !

http://www.otto-wipfel.co.uk/video/nec-acela-express.wmv

Test again. But before you start enter Shift-F5 until the Train Brakes show all the WAGs brakes. Looks by the regular F5 display (w/o Shift F5 to show more detail) that you are trying to Accelerate before the brakes have released on all the WAGs. Notice the BC value at the end of your video it is still showing 2. My experience that the rear WAG BC value will still be in the 20s when the abbreviated F5 display shows zero. And you applied power with the BC value at 20. All the lowering and raising of the Pano did was to allow more time for the brakes to release.

My normal process is to apply ENG brakes then release Train Brakes when the display shows all WAG brakes released then 2 blasts of the horn while releasing ENG brake and then give power.

[crstagg]

It was a local switching activity which required several pickups along the way. I followed the steps outlined in the text at the link you provided and now all is well! Thank you so much.

Did you wait for ALL wag brakes to release completely? See paragraph "First" in the link for how to observe WAG brake release.

[OTTODAD]

Test again. But before you start enter Shift-F5 until the Train Brakes show all the WAGs brakes.

Did that and having to hold down the ; key until all the train's brakes have been released to 0 - Zero, it does so quickly to 20 and then takes 40 seconds to fully release them to 0 - Zero.

That is the default Acela Express running in the US1 Summer Express activity.

Doubling the length of that train it took more than double the time to release the brakes in all its wagons.

NEC-ACELA-EXPRESS-BRAKES-A.jpgNEC-ACELA-EXPRESS-BRAKES-B.jpg