hilarious static engine behavior!

[chp56]

I didn't know this, maybe you guys knew, but if you steal the cars from a static consist (one with an engine),the engine will pursue you and try to get his cars back!

I took the cars and went away, and a little later noticed an engine coming my way,a couple of miles back-
I thought that was odd,since I was in an explore scenario where there wasn't any AI at all-so I slowed down and stopped,and here comes the engine I took the cars from! He hooked back up to his former consist and just sat there--I'm gonna try it again,but this time I'm going to wait till he gets close,and then switch him into a stub track or something and see what happens!

[slipperman]

If this had been posted earlier in the year, I would have thought it was an April Fool joke!! Maybe it's a Black Friday joke? I don't see how it's possible!

Ged

[wwhall]

Was the locomotive on a grade? Most MSTS diesel locomotives do not have a handbrake option (it's an easy fix in the .eng file, but few locomotives have it "out of the box"). If you released the air brakes on the loose consist before you uncoupled the loose consist's locomotive, it would then have no air brakes and could start to roll down a downgrade. In theory, if you uncouple from the locomotive and the angle cock on the coupling end is open, the train line of the locomotive should vent to atmosphere and put the loose consist locomotive air brakes into emergency. This will happen with regular cars in OR, but I'm not sure about locomotives. Another possibility is that one can release the airbrakes on the loose consist, then close the angle cock on the loose consist locomotive. Now you've "bottled the air" on the loose consist locomotive and the brakes will remained released after uncoupling. If the independent on the locomotive is not set by default in the .eng file (most diesel .eng files set the independent in release position by default), it will also be released.

So, here's the deal: for better or worse, OR brakes operate pretty much like brakes do in real railroading. It's realistic (and I like that), but can be complicated and most non-railroader simmers don't really understand how they work. I've worked in the railroad industry, so I know.

I have been systematically going through my diesel .eng files for a couple of years now, adding a handbrake option to my diesel locomotives. The line looks like this when completed:

BrakeEquipmentType( "Triple_valve, Auxilary_reservoir, Emergency_brake_reservoir, Handbrake" )

This gives you an option to set a handbrake on a diesel locomotive.

I could go on for three pages about air brake theory and rules, but the simplest way to handle things in OR with a loose consist is to always set sufficient handbrakes to hold the loose consist from moving before uncoupling from it--that's just like real railroading.

[anderson martins]

I didn't know this, maybe you guys knew, but if you steal the cars from a static consist (one with an engine),the engine will pursue you and try to get his cars back!

I took the cars and went away, and a little later noticed an engine coming my way,a couple of miles back-
I thought that was odd,since I was in an explore scenario where there wasn't any AI at all-so I slowed down and stopped,and here comes the engine I took the cars from! He hooked back up to his former consist and just sat there--I'm gonna try it again,but this time I'm going to wait till he gets close,and then switch him into a stub track or something and see what happens!

Yes, it's possible.
In the msts, the consist left unbraked, comes behind and causes you to lose all activity, causing a crash in the back. (this in case of only slope and little slope)

I simulated an accident a few years ago. I followed part of the train and the other half came crashing right after.

very good idea of adding the parking brake, as WWALL said

[chp56]

Well,here-why dont you try it-its on the PO&N 11, activity is EXPLOREtexassouth, the loose consist is in the Conkelly yard-an engine with 5 or 6 logging flats-
One thing that might matter is that I have emergency braking OFF on all my engines-
Oh, I'm gonna feel like an idiot if thats all it was (the engine rolling back downhill)
I'm gonna try it somewhere else, on flat ground

[chp56]

Oh my God, I'm a MORON!!

Because I have emergency braking disabled on all my engines, AND starting conditions set to zero braking, OF COURSE he was just following me down the hill!

"hilarious static engine behavior" indeed!--"the engine will pursue you and try to get his cars back" uh HUH!

Congratulations, gentlemen, you have just witnessed the Dumbest Post Ever

[chp56]

I better check all the routes to see what sort of chaos has ensued from having a bunch of unsecured engines everywhere

[wwhall]

Not a dumb post. Actually, your experience shows what can happen in real life railroading if crews don't follow the air brake rules. The tragedy at Lac Megantic was caused in part by the crew failing to set sufficient handbrakes to hold the train on a grade.

Also most real world steam locomotives did not have handbrakes. When parked, the independent brake would usually be set and a large chain thrown underneath the drivers. This was done to make sure that the locomotive did not move if the independent brake bled off. More importantly, steam locomotives could develop a leaky throttle that would slowly allow the cylinders to fill with steam. That could cause the locomotive to start to move under its own power--often with disastrous results like propelling itself into a turntable pit. This phenomenon was called "sleepwalking" by old head steam railroaders.

[burgerbern]

Thanks for that wwhall, just went through all my engines with a search and replace program and it found 7493 engines where there was no handbrake listed so i changed the lot in about 30 seconds.

[R. Steele]

Thanks for that wwhall, just went through all my engines with a search and replace program and it found 7493 engines where there was no handbrake listed so i changed the lot in about 30 seconds.

Yep, that's the way to do it...when I first found Search and Replace ( there are others, better or just as good ) and then took the time to learn the program...WOW does it make modifying and changing parameters sooo much easier. Anyone in this hobby would do themselves a favor by learning how to use one of these utilities.