Locomotive Insanity: Murder on the BNSF Mixed Consist doesnt have the same ring to it

The Something Awful Forums > Discussion > Automotive Insanity > Locomotive Insanity: Murder on the BNSF Mixed Consist doesnt have the same ring to it

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B4Ctom1: Oct 5, 2003; OVERWORKED COCK; Slippery Tilde

Brother Jonathan posted:

I was surprised to learn that the original Pullman sleepers of the 19th century were open racks that weren't divided by sex. As uptight as the Victorians were, it is hard to imagine how they endured it.

Do you think people in the future who hear about 21 hour flights in just a chair will think we were crazy as well?

# ? Sep 15, 2013 21:03

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# ? May 12, 2024 08:00

Brother Jonathan: Jun 23, 2008

This is a plug for an add-on to Train Simulator 2013: AT&N Class 280-157 "Consolidation". It is a Consolidation-type steam locomotive built in 1920 by Lima Locomotive Works.

I've played several train simulators that have included steam locomotives, but all of the models have been very simplistic, with no true simulation of how they actually work. This add-on, however, is the first one that I've found that is a full simulation, with every single valve, lever, and switch doing what they would on a real locomotive. It is extremely hard to operate, but very satisfying.

For example, here is the starting procedure given in the manual:

quote:

When you first click on the locomotive in Free Roam, the train brakes are automatically moved to the 75% position (�apply�) and the independent brake is set to 100% (�full�). This is to stop the train from rolling away on an incline. You�ll hear the hissing of the train brakes being applied. To avoid losing too much air pressure, you should immediately move the train brake lever to the �hold� position (about 35%, where the hissing sound stops).

If it�s not raining, open the doors, windows and roof ventilator;

Start the hydrostatic lubricator and check that you can see the oil droplets rising in the sight windows;

Check the water level in the boiler � the red ball should be near the top of the glass sight gauge;

Start the Cross Compound Air Compressor and check that you have 120psi in the main reservoir;

You can also open the compressor�s drain cock for a minute to drain out the condensation from its steam cylinders (Ctrl-V to toggle it on and off);

Start the Electric DC Generator;

Select the color of the classification lights, as appropriate (press U or Shift-U as many times as needed);

Switch on the headlights (dim or bright, as appropriate);

If it�s dark, switch on the gauge light and cab light;

Open the steam throttles for the exhaust and live injectors, and for the blower;

Turn on the blower a little bit, to maintain a draft from the firebox through to the smokebox while the loco is stationary;

Open the damper doors slightly (raise the saw-toothed bar in the floor)

Open the cylinder cocks (pull the small lever in the floor, near the door on the engineer�s side, towards you);

Crack open the regulator slightly � you should now see steam coming out of the cylinder cocks (in the real world, this helps to warm the cylinders and to expel any water that might have condensed in them while the loco was stationary) and the steam from the cylinder relief valves will stop;

If firing manually in expert mode, set the stoking rate (pull down momentarily on the firebox doors floor pedal) � the ideal fire mass is 650lbs (idle is 600lbs);

Turn on the sanders (move one of the red levers up or down for, respectively, forward or rear sanders);

Turn on the bell, if required, by opening the air valve;

Push the Johnson bar (the reverser) all the way forward (�into the corner�);

Blow the whistle (two blasts);

Release the train brake (turn it to the left) and then put it in the �running� position (where it doesn�t make any sound, or just a faint hiss);

Release the independent brake (turn it all the way to the left);

Open the regulator further to gather speed, but slack off if you hear the wheels slipping;

Close the cylinder cocks after about twenty seconds or three full revolutions of the driving wheels (12 chuffs);

As the steam chest pressure rises and gets nearly as high as the boiler pressure, pull the Johnson bar a bit closer to you (this is like changing gear in a car before you redline the revs, to be able to go faster);

Turn off the sanders (unless you still need sand because of conditions);

Once out of the station area, turn off the bell. Rules and regulations require that the bell be sounded before a locomotive begins to move, as well as in congested areas, like yards, that have no public crossing. The bell is also used when approaching an area where there are likely to be members of the public or other employees around the tracks, like stations or industrial spurs. Trains passing other standing trains on sidings will also use the bell to let any workers on the ground know that the train is continuing on the main. In addition, there are a lot of traditional uses for the bell, like a courtesy signal when a train on the main is passing a rail yard or large industry.

# ? Sep 18, 2013 21:46

Disgruntled Bovine: Jul 5, 2010

It's like one of those crazy DCS flight simulator games. I love it.

That said, I don't think I'll ever be able to really get behind train simulator games as long as their graphics are as bad as they are currently. If I weren't a gamer as well as a railfan it might not matter so much to me, but once you're used to games that look as good as Sleeping Dogs and Bioshock Infinite it's hard to play a train simulator with graphics that would be considered dated 5 years ago. I'd rather just go to the model railroad club or film real trains at that point.

# ? Sep 18, 2013 22:09

B4Ctom1: Oct 5, 2003; OVERWORKED COCK; Slippery Tilde

# ? Sep 19, 2013 04:40

IPCRESS: May 27, 2012

Brother Jonathan posted:

This is a plug for an add-on to Train Simulator 2013: AT&N Class 280-157 "Consolidation". It is a Consolidation-type steam locomotive built in 1920 by Lima Locomotive Works.

Well, one of us is playing train simulator wrong.

quote:

1. Start the lubricator. The more the merrier � if you can see any water at all in the indicator sight glass, you're not providing enough lubricant.
2. Check the water level in the boiler. If you can see the red ball at all, it's far too high. Open the blow-down valves to drop the level. Be sure to open the valve closest to the platform first. The yard workers are all Irish and are agitating to get paid something other than company scrip anyway. Don't open the steam injectors or operate the displacement top-up pump.
3. Set the train brakes to 'emergency' to dump all your air. Don't start the compressor, it costs fuel and fuel is money. Do release the loco brake at this time.
4. Start the generator. Get the fireman to put a spanner across the outputs to make sure it's working.
5. Light bulbs cost money, and that's something this company can't afford to be wasting in this economy. If you use one, you'll be charged for the fraction of its life you've used up. If you're caught not using one, the railway will deny that it's standard practice to tell people not to use the lights.
6. If it's dark, your eyes will automatically adjust. Do not use the headlight at night � people complain that it shines through their window and complaints are a pain in my rear end. Ditto the bell � ring that fucker after 7pm and Myrtle will be on the phone to me in seconds about it.
7. Open the steam throttles to full. Set the blower to maximum and open all the draft doors in the firebox. You're going to want that sucker good and hot.
8. Tell the fireman he's not being paid by the hour, and he should get to shovelling. If he complains that he's not being paid at all, hit him with a pick handle. Also, write him up for damaging the DC generator.
9. Close the blow-down valves when the water level is at or below the crown sheet.
10. Check that your friends are recording, because you're about to lay down a sweet burn out in your bro-train, rolling coal yo. If your friends are all being treated for full-thickness burns, write them up for wasting company time. Be sure to inventory any first aid kit supplies used so their estates can be billed later.
11. Exhort the fireman to shovel faster.
12. Set the train brake to zero. Start the compressor at this time.
13. Open the regulator to the fully open position. Throw the reverser bar as violently as you can the full-forward position (in that order).
14. Avoid the conrods and valve gear as they part company with the locomotive. Record the throw distance for posterity.
15. Ask the fireman to visually check the crownsheet.
16. Open the steam injector fully.
17. Write yourself up for damaging company property.

If everything's gone to plan, your train should be a crater surrounded by fragments of scalding hot metal raining down on people brought out into the street by the sound.

# ? Sep 19, 2013 06:35

Brother Jonathan: Jun 23, 2008

I got a big laugh out of that post, and I really want to submit it to the PYF Quotes thread, but I doubt that anyone outside of this thread would understand it. Drat.

# ? Sep 19, 2013 08:58

Disgruntled Bovine: Jul 5, 2010

IPCRESS posted:

Well, one of us is playing train simulator wrong.

If everything's gone to plan, your train should be a crater surrounded by fragments of scalding hot metal raining down on people brought out into the street by the sound.

You know, I bet they didn't model boiler explosions. Nevermind this isn't like DCS at all.

# ? Sep 19, 2013 15:23

Stultus Maximus: Dec 21, 2009; USPOL May

B4Ctom1 posted:

Do you think people in the future who hear about 21 hour flights in just a chair will think we were crazy as well?

Probably. I already do.

# ? Sep 19, 2013 15:35

OMGMYSPLEEN: Jul 12, 2009; Rawwwwhiiiiide; College Slice

IPCRESS posted:

Well, one of us is playing train simulator wrong.

If everything's gone to plan, your train should be a crater surrounded by fragments of scalding hot metal raining down on people brought out into the street by the sound.

You just made what started out as a bad day at work fantastic. Thank you.

# ? Sep 19, 2013 15:46

jadebullet: Mar 25, 2011; MY LIFE FOR YOU!

Meh, I personally dislike Railsimulator/railworks/trainsimulator 2013 or whatever they are calling it these days. I personally prefer Trainz Railroad Simulator 2012. I just find the platform to be better, especially its route building aspect, and the fact that it has a bunch of freeware, and some really good payware in the form of Jointedrail locomotives. That and it doesn't cost an arm and a leg each time you want a new locomotive.

Just my 2 cents. That steam loco definitely looks impressive though with all of those details.

# ? Sep 19, 2013 23:13

Brother Jonathan: Jun 23, 2008

jadebullet posted:

Meh, I personally dislike Railsimulator/railworks/trainsimulator 2013 or whatever they are calling it these days. I personally prefer Trainz Railroad Simulator 2012. I just find the platform to be better, especially its route building aspect, and the fact that it has a bunch of freeware, and some really good payware in the form of Jointedrail locomotives. That and it doesn't cost an arm and a leg each time you want a new locomotive.

I also like Trainz for the great variety of content, though the cab graphics are way behind Train Simulator. I also prefer the controls in Trainz. It is easier to lap the brakes, for example.

For American freight trains, I recently discovered a new simulator called Run 8. It has only been out for a year. The cabs are very detailed, and have working MFDs. The physics simulation is detailed, with each car having its own inertia, and with the pneumatics of the train brake being realistic. The slack is simulated, and it is easy to snap a train in two if the brakes aren't applied properly.

It has a multiplayer mode in which people can haul, cut out consists, or run the dispatcher board. Here is a video from a session:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PH3yzKALHHg

# ? Sep 20, 2013 02:59

Neddy Seagoon: Oct 12, 2012; "Hi Everybody!"

Brother Jonathan posted:

I got a big laugh out of that post, and I really want to submit it to the PYF Quotes thread, but I doubt that anyone outside of this thread would understand it. Drat.

There's enough there to understand what he's doing is comically dangerous. Do it anyway.

# ? Sep 20, 2013 04:26

PJOmega: May 5, 2009

Brother Jonathan posted:

I got a big laugh out of that post, and I really want to submit it to the PYF Quotes thread, but I doubt that anyone outside of this thread would understand it. Drat.

Thank you for posting it. That is glorious!

# ? Sep 20, 2013 08:22

No Pun Intended: Jul 23, 2007; DWARVEN SEX OFFENDER

ASK ME ABOUT TONING MY FINE ASS DWARVEN BOOTY BY RUNNING FROM THE COPS OUTSIDE THAT ELF KINDERGARTEN

BEHOLD THE DONG OF THE DWARVES! THE DWARVEN DONG IS COMING!

You are not playing train sims right until you get one of these

# ? Sep 20, 2013 10:01

ijustam: Jun 20, 2005

Brother Jonathan posted:

I also like Trainz for the great variety of content, though the cab graphics are way behind Train Simulator. I also prefer the controls in Trainz. It is easier to lap the brakes, for example.

For American freight trains, I recently discovered a new simulator called Run 8. It has only been out for a year. The cabs are very detailed, and have working MFDs. The physics simulation is detailed, with each car having its own inertia, and with the pneumatics of the train brake being realistic. The slack is simulated, and it is easy to snap a train in two if the brakes aren't applied properly.

It has a multiplayer mode in which people can haul, cut out consists, or run the dispatcher board. Here is a video from a session:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PH3yzKALHHg

Run 8 is pretty sweet. Nothing like sitting for 20 minutes while your brake line pressure builds :shepface:

# ? Sep 20, 2013 14:14

BrokenKnucklez: Apr 22, 2008; by zen death robot

Passed all my dispatching exams.... Sounds like there is a strong chance I will be dispatching my old territory I worked. Maybe I can torture all my co-workers from the ranks.

# ? Sep 20, 2013 15:39

jadebullet: Mar 25, 2011; MY LIFE FOR YOU!

Brother Jonathan posted:

I also like Trainz for the great variety of content, though the cab graphics are way behind Train Simulator.

Not on the jointedrail engines. Several of the newer ones even have a working computer display that will actually show the values of your train just like in real life.

Here are some examples, and yes, those cab signals are scripted and work.
[img]http://hostthenpost.org/uploads/233f6ebda41f8054c2fca62f96d185ab.jpg[/timg]

With trainz, there is a lot of stuff, so there is a definite difference in quality, from the low quality stuff like the N3V/Aurn made built-in content, and rrmods content, to the high quality stuff like jointedrail and uslw.

In actual train talk, I moved to King of Prussia, PA near Abrams yard this summer, and I have to say that it is really cool to watch the ex Reading SW1001s that NS has at the yard leading on locals.

# ? Sep 24, 2013 21:10

RCK-101: Feb 19, 2008; If a recruiter asks you to become a nuclear sailor.. you say no

Brother Jonathan posted:

This is a plug for an add-on to Train Simulator 2013: AT&N Class 280-157 "Consolidation". It is a Consolidation-type steam locomotive built in 1920 by Lima Locomotive Works.

I've played several train simulators that have included steam locomotives, but all of the models have been very simplistic, with no true simulation of how they actually work. This add-on, however, is the first one that I've found that is a full simulation, with every single valve, lever, and switch doing what they would on a real locomotive. It is extremely hard to operate, but very satisfying.

For example, here is the starting procedure given in the manual:

I have started up a steam plant (that was fed nuclear steam), and this felt like the same sort of long procedure that you have to do so you don't kill everyone and yourself in a violent steam explosion, so its pretty impressive to thing that people have been doing this for the past.. 150 years?

# ? Sep 25, 2013 02:50

Zeether: Aug 26, 2011

Crosspost from the Steam thread: Train Simulator 2014 is hitting tomorrow and they have a very nice trailer for it: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C12aycIepqA

# ? Sep 25, 2013 23:49

ijustam: Jun 20, 2005

is that the one with $1,000 of DLC?

# ? Sep 25, 2013 23:59

Kia Soul Enthusias: May 9, 2004; zoom-zoom; Toilet Rascal

Are there any simulators / addons that model Amtrak's Pacific Surfliner line?

# ? Sep 26, 2013 01:05

jadebullet: Mar 25, 2011; MY LIFE FOR YOU!

ijustam posted:

is that the one with $1,000 of DLC?

Yes, yes it is.

# ? Sep 26, 2013 01:12

Cygni: Nov 12, 2005; raring to post

CharlesM posted:

Are there any simulators / addons that model Amtrak's Pacific Surfliner line?

There is a little of the Surfliner in that video. They (the official dudes) are working on it for Train Sim.

They might have to update their color pallet though because that looks a little too drab/UK for Socal.

# ? Sep 26, 2013 01:18

Kia Soul Enthusias: May 9, 2004; zoom-zoom; Toilet Rascal

That's cool. I would say Santa Barbara is my favorite place in the world, pretty much. I need to move back there someday.

# ? Sep 26, 2013 01:22

Fender Anarchist: May 20, 2009; Fender Anarchist

So Orlando is getting close to completion on the Sunrail system. They brought a couple of cars out for showing, my friend got some pics of them.

Neat looking cars, hopefully people will actually ride the drat things and ease up some of the congestion around here.

# ? Sep 26, 2013 01:32

Analogue Kid: Jan 4, 2013

Cygni posted:

There is a little of the Surfliner in that video. They (the official dudes) are working on it for Train Sim.

They might have to update their color pallet though because that looks a little too drab/UK for Socal.

Still looks like good ol' Microsoft Train Simulator I see.

# ? Sep 26, 2013 02:57

Disgruntled Bovine: Jul 5, 2010

I really don't understand why they can't update the graphics. There are a lot of railfans out there, surely there's enough of a market that if they made a train simulator that was actually *GOOD* enough people would buy it. It doesn't help that they monetize it as if they're selling physical models instead of DLC. Yeah, model railroading is an expensive hobby, but that doesn't mean people are going to invest similar levels of money into a video game that's not even half as interesting or satisfying.

# ? Sep 26, 2013 03:34

Elukka: Feb 18, 2011; For All Mankind

They do update the graphics, just... not enough. I imagine it's a budget thing. Upgrading the engine and making a game's worth of assets is costly as all hell. Something like a CoD costs like $50 million to make sans marketing and I'm betting most of that goes to art assets.

I've played some train sims occasionally and besides looking kinda subpar they also tend to run badly. Train Simulator might be an exception to this, I'm looking at you, Trainz. :argh:

# ? Sep 26, 2013 09:41

jadebullet: Mar 25, 2011; MY LIFE FOR YOU!

Elukka posted:

Train Simulator might be an exception to this, I'm looking at you, Trainz.

I dunno man, Trainz can look pretty good.

And of course this beautiful piece of content.

Plus, unlike Railsimulator, TRS has proper AI. As for running poorly, I have had that with all simulators. The problem is that you need so many scenery assets to make things look really good. That being said, I super detail my stuff and still maintain 20fps.

# ? Sep 26, 2013 13:46

Elukka: Feb 18, 2011; For All Mankind

Last time I played around with Trainz (some years back, granted), there were some really pretty screenshots around too, but getting anything to work involved immense amounts of fiddling and tracking down missing dependencies. And in the rare case the downloader could find the hundreds of dependencies they wanted me to pay a monthly fee if I wanted to download it all without hitting a limit and at more than 10-100 kB/s.

I think I got a custom route that had actual scenarios working a grand total of one times. Also, yeah, everything ran at 20 fps if I was lucky and that's pretty bad. Has it changed? I just wanna drive trains around with some actual playable content in the form of missions and goals. God, give me a sandbox mode where you make money or get promotions to better trains or something. I've had more fun with Euro Truck Sim than train games and I have zero interest in trucks, it's just that it has gameplay - something to actually do with the vehicles being simulated.

# ? Sep 26, 2013 13:59

jadebullet: Mar 25, 2011; MY LIFE FOR YOU!

It is complicated. It is kinda the same, but kinda different. TRS12 has a Mojave Sub route that includes Tehachepi Loop, that was built by Jointedrail, and includes scenarios and locomotives and rolling stock that are pretty good. There is also the Reading and Northern Route on jointedrail, and the associated content for that made by jointedrail which is good, and also freeware. You have to set up your own session for that one though.

The Download station still has the 100mb daily limit on downloads if you don't buy a First Class Ticket, which is kinda annoying, but it is still cheaper than Railsimulator's $1000 of content. You can also now buy a lifetime subscription to it.

The route building itself is what I enjoy myself. It is very simple and relaxing. There are quite a few decent freeware routes out there, though you are right about hunting dependencies being annoying. That being said, this is a good forum to join up if you need to find something. http://trainzforums.com/index.php It is the USLW/Jointedrail forum, and it is pretty laid back and doesn't have the horrible grognards that the main auran forum has.

Just avoid Cloakedghosts and RRmods content. It is over priced and pretty crap, and really high in poly so it will affect your framerates really badly.

Edit: Sadly, there is no career mode. That would be really fun to have.

# ? Sep 26, 2013 15:27

Disgruntled Bovine: Jul 5, 2010

I gotta say those Trainz shots look pretty decent. I do remember the last time I tried it getting bored with the basic content, going to download other stuff and running into that First Class Ticket crap. That was the point at which I decided to stop playing it. It didn't look that look when I last saw it.

# ? Sep 26, 2013 17:07

jadebullet: Mar 25, 2011; MY LIFE FOR YOU!

The DLS stuff is pretty meh, but like I said, it is still cheaper and better than the alternative. I look at it this way. If I played railsimulator, I would be paying much more money for one loco to be used in an inferior sim, where as I pay less money for a FCT and have access to the entire DLS, as well as all of the awesome 3rd party content that is available in places like USLW and Jointedrail.

Right now my friends and I all have shortlines where we interchange cars with each other via spreadsheet and it is pretty fun. That is what the Bridgeport Aberdeen and Southern and Bwedwood McCentral are from.

You also have my railroad, the Haverford Swedeland and Aberdeen

The Cumberland and Potomac

And the Sunbury Southern

And you also have the Blow, which the guy who is working on that hasn't posted any screens yet, but here is the Sunbury Southern transporting their slug to them, which was built and purchased from the Bwedwood, transported from the Bwed to the Sunbury over the BASR and delivered to the BLOW

Over all, it is a pretty good sim, especially if you like making your own layouts. There are some issues, especially since it is still using the same engine that they started with in 1999, but it still holds up pretty well and since Jointedrail started working with N3V, things have greatly improved with the sim. And yes, I keep talking about Jointedrail a lot, but they are pretty much the gold standard in US content at the moment.

# ? Sep 26, 2013 18:14

NoWake: Dec 28, 2008; College Slice

Ahh just look at all those perfect rails and perfect ties :allears:

Do any of the sims have MOW operations?

# ? Sep 27, 2013 06:39

OMGMYSPLEEN: Jul 12, 2009; Rawwwwhiiiiide; College Slice

NoWake posted:

Ahh just look at all those perfect rails and perfect ties Do any of the sims have MOW operations?

Would the game objective include "destory every train control signal cable and associated equipment within a 500 foot radius of job site"? I'm just curious, that's how our MOW department rolls. I'd play that all day to see how it feels on the other side of that coin.

# ? Sep 27, 2013 17:20

BrokenKnucklez: Apr 22, 2008; by zen death robot

NoWake posted:

Ahh just look at all those perfect rails and perfect ties Do any of the sims have MOW operations?

Make it so you sit outside a Form B for about 3 hours waiting to get clearance in. Then after that the dispatcher lines your route through the middle of the B order. Then scramble to try to get cleared on the track while puckering your butthole...

Or just the grumpy rear end foreman. They need to simulate the grumpy people.

# ? Sep 27, 2013 17:40

jadebullet: Mar 25, 2011; MY LIFE FOR YOU!

Or you could simulate what happened to a Lehigh Valley MOW worker that I knew who sadly recently passed away, and get assurance from his foreman that they were clear to work on a section of track, jack it up on 6 brand new jacks, then run for cover as the Apollo comes screaming past and knocks the heads off each of those new jacks and thankfully doesn't derail.

# ? Sep 27, 2013 18:35

Brother Jonathan: Jun 23, 2008

CharlesM posted:

Are there any simulators / addons that model Amtrak's Pacific Surfliner line?

Speaking of the Surfliner, Trains magazine featured this Photo of the Day:

# ? Sep 28, 2013 01:08

Xenomrph: Dec 9, 2005; AvP Nerd/Fanboy/Shill

So everyone here is playing Pocket Trains, the :siren:

free

goon-made train simulator for iOS and android, right?

Just a warning, it's intensely hyper-realistic so if that's not your thing, you might not like the game.

......no I'm kidding, everyone should be playing it because it's free and cute and fun and goon-made.

# ? Sep 28, 2013 23:04

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# ? May 12, 2024 08:00

B4Ctom1: Oct 5, 2003; OVERWORKED COCK; Slippery Tilde

No Pun Intended posted:

You are not playing train sims right until you get one of these

In order to fit 10 work-stations into the PTC technology demonstrator trailer it was impractical to use the full sized simulators we train with normally and they used these little toy consoles. Was still very helpful, effective, and informative. They listened to our input and will forward it back to the PTC developers.

Fucknag posted:

So Orlando is getting close to completion on the Sunrail system. They brought a couple of cars out for showing, my friend got some pics of them.

Neat looking cars, hopefully people will actually ride the drat things and ease up some of the congestion around here.

Oh thats what that is. Here I hauled this on the 12th.

# ? Sep 29, 2013 22:08

The Something Awful Forums > Discussion > Automotive Insanity > Locomotive Insanity: Murder on the BNSF Mixed Consist doesnt have the same ring to it

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