Microsoft Train Simulator story

[Anonymous]

Don't know if anybody else plays around with Train Simulator, but I was playing the Marias Pass Grain Train through the Night.... 37 car grain train, fully loaded, being pulled by two BNSF Dash 9's in heavy snowfall. I can't remember exactly what milemarker I was near, but I think I was less than 2 miles out from Spotted Robe (the destination) when I approached a passing siding, slowed to about 30 mph to take the switch (speed limit 40mph), and once clear started climbing the grade. I then slowly increased throttle to around N8, and noticed my 'projected speed' kept decreasing.... and eventually my actual speed began falling pretty significantly. My locos were in view of the crest of the grade, but my speed was less than 10 mph and falling fast. I wasn't getting a wheelslip indicator, but I added sand anyway hoping it would help me keep my speed up and over the crest of the grade. No luck. 1800 amps, N8, full sand, and my speed eventually dropped to 0. Then I started sliding backwards.... slowly at first... but the grade proved to be too much. So adding train brake, and killing the throttle completely, I slowly backed back down the grade, only to find a red signal stopping me at the bottom that I couldn't pass through (the signal guarding the switch onto the passing siding). I backed down as far as I could without running the red, and then powered fully up (N8 with sand) and released the brakes. I started out fairly quickly, but alas, the same situation occured. I made it about 150 feet farther than I did the last time, but still not enough to get me over the crest of the grade. So I thought, why not set the brakes, uncouple about 10 cars, and pull the rest up the grade and park them on the siding up ahead, and then go back and get the other 10 cars. About that time a BNSF mixed freight passes me on the other mainline track, but I didn't think much of it. I parked the cars on the siding, then backed down to retrieve the other 10 cars I left on the grade. As I'm backing down the hill..... I see the BNSF mixed freight stopped at the signal at the bottom of the hill, on the other track. I pass it slowly thinking "My other cars should be right here... " Then it dawned on me... in this game, there's no way to 'set the brakes' on any non-loco-coupled cars, and apparently my cars rolled down the grade, through the switch, and beyond the signal, which was still red, and I couldn't cross through. Only option I had was to try, so I passed the red signal and the game ended.

Now I know in real life, 37 grain cars could easily be pulled by two Dash 9's, most likely over any grade, but I got to wondering, " What happens in real life when the engineer underestimates the power needed to tackle a long steep grade and he finds he runs out of power half way up?

[kelticsylk]

Never having actually driven a train I'm guessing, but I think the engineer would do exactly what you did. Back down and try to "double the hill".

Having said that, I'm thinking you are using the Marias Pass that came with MSTS. The grades on this original version are downright ridiculous. I once tried to climb the grade with an 4-4-0 and a few coaches and couldn't make it even when I did double the hill.

There is a more prototypical version of the route available at www.train-sim.com. The grades are modified to match the real Marias and there are other improvements.

[rrinker]

Well, had there been an actual dispatcher you could have gotten a "call on" to back into the siding and park the cars there while you doubled the hill.

--Randy

[StillGrande]

You can set the brakes on non-coupled cars by clicking on them (they turn red) before you uncouple. There have been a couple of activities where this is required or the rest of the train rolls away (happened to me on the Cajon Pass add-on. There is nothing worse than watching as the back half of a train slowly accellerates downhill and there is not a thing you can do about it).

Marias Pass 3.1 makes the grades much more realistic than the original. There are also several additions to the Marias Pass routes which extend it quite a distance.

I haven't used one of the original routes in a long time. The free routes and the commercial routes just make them look weak.

[Anonymous]

Just be glad it wasn't one of the Japanese routes - I can't remember which but one of them has a station with a switchback layout up in the mountains, if you're not careful picking your train for this part you'll roll neatly back into the headshunt, change the switch, then be unable to start again due to the gradient!

Interestingly it seems the diesel-electric locos are better at pulling away on a grade - I spend a lot of time playing with assorted British diesel-mechanical railbuses on this route and moving one of those takes some skilled timing - you have to deal with throttle, brakes, and gearshift levers. Best trick I've found involves selecting 1st just as the brakes release, then opening the throttle wide - usually you'll pull away very slowly but then the revs rise, up to 15MPH, gear change, and away. You can of course cheat and build a consist that's all power cars....

PS. Does anyone know of an add-on consist editor? The one in Activities Editor on my copy of Traim Sim has a bug that causes the whole program to crash when you try to select "Diesel Locos" - anyone else had this problem?

[Anonymous]

I've been d/ling alot from www.railserve.com 's free addon pages for MSTS, but I can't find the Marias Pass v 3.1 anywhere. Is that one of the add on packs you have to purchase somewhere? If there's a freeware version of it anyway, lemme know I'd like to experiment with it.

[countershot]

I have Msts and a bunch of downloaded locomotives i foun this stupid grade between west coram and red eagle you have to go real fast just to make it over with any engine.
but that does not bother me i just start some where else. it is nice to see i am not the only one out there that plays this.

i have made it my mision to drive amtrak all the way across marias pass with the "NALW p40-p42 locopack" and my new superliner cars. i have made it from whitefi***o west coram. only got a ways to go yet. but it is somthing to do when there is nothing else to do.