Slow Train

[JamesDavey]

Tech Q.

So I purchased the Southwest Chief 2012 train set from Stream Lines. Very nice train set. I run it on MSTS and it runs fine speed wise. Let off the breaks, hit the "d" button twice and it acelerates. Well I go to run the exact same train set in Open Rails. I let off the breaks, hit "d" twice and it does not move. I have to get to 100% full throttle before it moves. Then it slowly accelerates and I take it down to 50% throttle and it cruises. When I ran the train set in Open Rails it acted like a fully loaded coal train and was sluggish to get moving. It was at a crawl. I thought maybe it was to heavy. I open up the wag files and see that the cars around 80T or so for weight. So I set the weight to 1T on all the cars and left the engines at there regular weight. Well I run the train set in MSTS and it zips along with such little weight. I run the same train set in Open Rails and it's still the same repeat scenario. It barley starts to crawl at 100% throttle. How can I get this train set to not be sluggish like a heavy coal train when it is run in Open Rails?

[Vince]

Hi James,
In OR you must:
Couple up
Connect air hoses
Open angle cocks
wait for brake system to recharge
. . . basically just as in real world operation.

The Open Rails Manual has much information on train operation. Additionally, in the Sim press F1 for a complete list of keyboard commands regarding operation of train brakes.

regards,
vince

Here is an excerpt from the OR Manual:

7.4.11 F9 Train Operations Monitor
Open Rails Train Operations window is similar in function to the F9 window in MSTS, but includes additional features to control the air brake connections of individual cars. For example, it is possible to control the connection of the air brake hoses between individual cars, to uncouple cars without losing the air pressure in the train’s air brake hose, or uncouple cars with their air brakes released so that they will coast.
The unit which the player has selected as the unit from which to control the train, i.e. the lead unit, is shown in red.
Cars are numbered according to their UiD in the Consist file (.con) or UiD in the Activity file (.act). Scrolling is accomplished by clicking on the arrows at the left or right bottom corners of the window.
Clicking on the coupler icon between any two cars uncouples the consist at that point.
You can also uncouple cars from your player train by pressing the U key and clicking with the mouse on the couplers on the main window.
By clicking on any car in the above window, the Car Operation Menu appears.
Through this menu it is possible:
 to apply and release the handbrake of the car;
 to power on or power off the car (if it is a locomotive). This applies for both electric and diesel locomotives;
 to connect/disconnect locomotive operation with that of the player locomotive;
 to connect or disconnect the car’s air hoses from the rest of the consist;
 to toggle the angle cocks on the air hoses at either end of the car between open and closed;
 to toggle the bleed valve on the car to vent the air pressure from the car’s reservoir and release the air brakes in order to move the car without brakes (e.g. humping, etc.).

[baldwin]

Actually, with a premade consist the only thing you have to do is let the brakes off. Problem is that Open Rails does not do instant brake release like MSTS. The default brakes are slow to release, and you must either wait for them to release or use the initialise brakes keys. The keys to use are in the manual, or can be found by pressing F1 when ingame, or looking it up using Options on the start screen.

You could also modify each eng and wag file by changing the EmergencyResCapacity line to read EmergencyResCapacity( "1.5*(ft^3)" ) which will give a faster release time.

[JamesDavey]

Ok. Thanks for the info. When I have time I will try that.

[OTTODAD]

Hi James !

Try to release any ORTS train's brakes with the new created by Carlo Santucci Ctrl-: function !

Its Train Brakes lever will instantly move to its ZERO position and the BC counter will quickly move to 0 - Zero.

Slowing increasing a heavy trains Throttle to avoid wheel-slip should start the train like it does in MSTS !

If not, then running this loco on its own will show whether it is its *.ENG file coding which is the cause of its slow start problem and modifying it with some paragraphs from a properly working similar model might do the trick !

[oldgreyowl]

Please accept my apologies for jumping on this thread, but I am having a similar problem. I have followed the advice that has been given so far, but am not getting the results I expected.
We are writing an activity where the player train has 4 power units and 50 freight wagons. I want the driver to stop, uncouple from the freight cars, pick up another 10 freight cars and then join up with the original train.
So far,I uncouple, pick up the 10 cars after working the air hoses etc.,and join up to the original 50 freight cars. At this point I cannot get the train to move forward. I have connected the air hoses and opened the angle cocks which starts the brake system to recharge.

To be honest, we are trying to write an activity whilst trying to learn how to use OR.

Do I have to connect every 1 of the 50 through the F9, or do I just have to toggle the first one?

keith

[MP36PH3S]

Do I have to connect every 1 of the 50 through the F9, or do I just have to toggle the first one?

You should not. Connecting the air hose once should be sufficient, though you should check if the handbrakes on any cars are on.

It should also be noted that the brake system charges from zero so it will take a long time to release if you don't initialize the brakes (SHIFT + "/"). Try doing that once you couple on before attempting to start the train in motion.

[geepster775]

Pull up the Brake Info screen on the F5 HUD, it will tell you all you need to know. F5 to pull up the HUD, then Shift-F5 repeatedly until you get to the brake info screen.

When your train is re-assembled, you need to see all handbrakes at 0%, all brake hoses connected (an I instead of a T in the Conn column), and all angle cocks opened (a + besides A and B in the angle cock column for each car), with only the A end of the front locomotive and the B end of the last car closed (showing a - sign)

[baldwin]

Use the SHIFT / keys to do all that for you which should set everything up properly.

[oldgreyowl]

Many, many thanks for those suggestions. I am very much obliged.

keith

[geepster775]

Use the SHIFT / keys to do all that for you which should set everything up properly.

Yea, but that's like "cheating". LOL.

[geepster775]

I did up some screenshots to show the braking system in Open Rails during a regular multi-car pickup from a siding. You need to right click or otherwise expand each of the images to full screen mode to read the HUD data

I stopped, added 3 loaded grain cars from a spur, and got everything back together and on the roll again within a 15 minute window, and I did it all without using the air brake initialize cheat keys (Shift /).



I'm going to add the 3 hoppers on the spur in between the 5 lead hopper cars and the rear boxcars. Before any switching, notice how all airhoses are connected (all show I) and both A and B ends of each car have open angle cocks (a + sign) except for the front of the loco and the rear of the caboose, which are closed (a - sign). Time on the clock says 10:18 am.





Since I'm going to be making the cut between cars 0-2 and 0-7, I need to close the rear angle cock on car 0-2. Car 0-2 now shows a - sign on the B end angle cock. I wont worry about closing the A end of boxcar 0-7, as I want the cut of boxcars left standing on the main to dump into emergency when I uncouple and pull away. I could have set some handbrakes and "bottled the air" on the standing cut, but if enough handbrakes don't get set, the cut could roll away on a grade.





I have now cut away, and the rear boxcars have dumped into emergency. The now shortened brake line consists of loco and 5 cars





Backing into the spur towards the 3 car pickup





I have now coupled to the 3 cars in the loose consist on the spur. Each of the 3 cars in the pickup show handbrakes set, have no connected airhoses between any of them, all angle cocks are wide open, and the triple valve shows all 3 are in emergency state.







First thing I do is highlight each of the 3 cars in the pickup individually, toggle off the handbrake, and toggle connect the airhoses. Handbrakes go to 0%, and all CONN now show I instead of T.





In this screen, all I did was close the rear angle cock on the last car of the pickup, the 32769-2, I have not yet opened the angle cock on the last car ahead of the pickup. I have 43 pounds on the engine brake, the first 5 cars have full air in the brake pipe, and 0 in their brake cylinders (no brakes presently set on these cars). The last 3 cars are still in emergency still, have 0 pounds of air in its part of the brake pipe. When I open the rear angle cock on car 0-2, things are going to change. Time is 10:24, only 6 minutes into the switching exercise.




I have opened the rear angle cock on car 0-2, and the triple valve briefly trips into emergency for the entire consist. But 3 minutes later, at 10:27, the the brake line is contiguous, air is fully pumped up on all the cars, and all brakes except for the engine brake are fully released. A passing AI freight slinks through the siding and around my rear half as it still sits in emergency on the main.




Pulling back out of the spur

[geepster775]

Back out on the main heading backwards towards a hitch.





Upon coupling up, note than the rear half is indeed in emergency, with 50 on the brake cylinders (fully set), and 0 air in the brake pipe. The front half has 0 air in cylinders (no brakes set), and 90 pounds (fully charged) in the brake line. I have no yet connected the air hoses between the last car in the pickup and the first boxcar, nor have I worked any angle cocks.




All I have done here is select the first boxcar and connect the air hose. Still no changes to angle cocks. Still the front half with 90 pounds and brakes off, and the rear half with 0 pounds and fully clenched brakes. When I open the angle cock on the rear end of car 32769-02, all hell is going to break loose again.





By opening the angle cock on the rear of 32769-2, the entire consist trips into emergency again, and the pressure in the brake pipe (now suddenly longer) settles at 51 pounds. When I opened the angle cock, that 90 pounds suddenly flooded into the remaining empty train line. That sudden drop in pressure is what makes the triple valve go into emergency. But the longer bake pipe is entirely bottled, and the loco's air compressor kicks on and soon has that pressure moving up again. Because of the emergency trip, brake cylinders on the front half are starting to fill (are at 5 pounds and climbing), and those cars brakes are beginning to grip.




Compressor is on, brake pipe is now up to 84 (up from 51), front car brakes are still setting up (now up to 29 on cylinders), but rear half brakes are starting to release (down to 41 from 50) as the triple valve moves into release position.




Brake pipe fully charged to 90 pounds, all cars have fully released brakes, all air hoses connected, all handbrakes off, and all angle cocks open except for the front of the loco and the rear of the caboose. Gravity is starting to free-roll the train forward. Time is 10:34 am, only 16 minutes after beginning this switching exercise.

[R. Steele]

Very nice tutorial, geepster!!
I can remember the time I had when the improved braking in OR was implemented some months back. I could not get the hang of it. Stopped trains, slow, emergency brake cutting in, all sorts of problems. After I sat down and studied the manual and kept working with OR, finally it clicked. Now I think the realistic brake operation is very cool, I take the time to let the brakes operate accordingly, I like it.

[geekman]

Is it possible to:
a) Sticky this thread, or
b) Have Geepster upload this tutorial to the file library?

This is GREAT! Thank you Geepster!