Brake charging question

[chessguru24]

I'm currently experiencing some strange behavior with the brake line charging. This happens in every activity but I have created a test one just to mess around with this. When I couple to a string of cars and connnect the brake hoses they charge up relatively quickly until 64 psi which is when in the HUD the brakes switch from emergency to released.

After this the charging becomes much slower taking quite a significant amount of time to get from 64 to 90 where I can actually use them. This would be fine if this is how it is supposed to work but the issue is if I save the activity and reload then the brakes charge at the same rate (the quick one) from 0-90 psi. Is there some way to make it the same regardless of if the activity is freshly started or loaded from a save.

[Vince]

Engine? Wagons?
Since you didn't post any information on engines or wagons used try adjusting the settings in your eng and wag files for brake charging rates ect.

regards,

[chessguru24]

This happens with all default MSTS equipment or anything I've added. I can change the brake charging rates in the Open rails settings but I still get the exact behavior where on a freshly started activity the brakes charge at what I assume is the correct speed to 64 psi then it slows way down. Save the activity before or after coupling cars doesn't matter. As long as I save and reload and then for the remainder of the activity any cars I couple and connect hoses will charge at the quick rate until full.

[CSRX]

In the real world, it takes 3-7 minutes per car to fully charge. Though to be honest, in the real world too, you are able to start dragging them with out the "wheel slip indicator" freaking out, like it does in ORTS... That really needs to be removed and or fixed..

[chessguru24]

Yeah I figured they took quite some time to charge in real life, thats why I don't really mind if they took awhile to charge in OR. I just don't want to have to run the activity in full without a loading a save to keep the more realistic charging rate because as it is when I load they charge fast. It kind of throws off the timings of activities I am making. I have to stick with one or the other.

[R. Steele]

In the real world, it takes 3-7 minutes per car to fully charge. Though to be honest, in the real world too, you are able to start dragging them with out the "wheel slip indicator" freaking out, like it does in ORTS... That really needs to be removed and or fixed..

I'm interested in that Shawn. Since the real world uses wheelslip indicators and sensing devices, what prevents them from freaking out when dragging the cars? I agree about the oversensitive or "too quick" sensing of wheelslip in OR.

[CSRX]

I'm interested in that Shawn. Since the real world uses wheelslip indicators and sensing devices, what prevents them from freaking out when dragging the cars? I agree about the oversensitive or "too quick" sensing of wheelslip in OR.

Well, you kind of answered yourself in a way. The engines I work with, have sensors to pick up if they are slipping or not.

If I am pulling a set of cars, and the long hood is against them, I simply flick the toggle switch for the "No.1 Truck" sanders on, and start pulling soon as the conductor says he is removed from 3-step. I'll notch it up to one, or two, depending on the locomotive and how well it pulls, and once I start feeling the brakes release (which some cars is extremely slow) I notch up more as needed, and flick off the switch.

This actually comes in handy with kicking cars. When doing so you need to quickly push against them, so notching up to notch 8 is best, with sanders on, five-seven pound reduction if air is on (car/s being kicked are pre-bottled so they aren't set up). I know you can kick in ORTS, and I've done it the same way I do in real life, works great.

Another thing is, most if not all the locomotives I work with, will automatically sand if they sense any wheel slip. It's very noticeable, when you run out of sand, and the wheel slip light keeps flashing, and you feel the wheels themselves slip.

Some of our engines have "road mode" and "switch mode" and the difference between the two are pretty basic. Road mode means slower amp acceleration, for smoother movement. Switch mode means faster amp acceleration, rougher start, but quicker to move. As above, if out of sand and in switch mode, you will wheel slip like crazy because of too much traction. I feel like that is what's representing in ORTS is "switch mode" the way it acts with that annoying buzzing and wheel slip constantly going off "reducing" traction effort. When this happens, I usually flip it to road mode.

A bit of a long answer, and I'm not very good at explaining, but hope this helps a little.


Also, we do have a GP38AC locomotive. With 10 cars on air, with a full set (25 pound reduction, 65psi in the train line), we can still shove cars on a spot, in notch 2 or 3, in switch mode, no sand. AC traction is pretty good. Though I still prefer DC, especially over the road.


I also work with GP38-2's and GP40-2's that range from build dates of 1970 to 1980, so that is about my knowledge. We do have a GP16, that was originally a GP7, built in 1950, but that is a much different beast to work with. Traction sucks, and pulling 10 cars over the road, good luck getting above 30mph..

[bane1349]

The workaround to this problem is to initialize the brakes (shift + -) after loading a saved game. After this the brakes are reset and should work as normal.