Welcome to the Pits. The Coal pits that is. This is a 2-player cooperative game, where the objective is to run the JTR mine as efficiently as possible. On this map, both sides work together in a team-like fashion since it does not matter how many loads are taken by whom...Note: On the map 'Route Name' signs blink Red and the 'Default Junction Setting' signs blink White. During the session, you will have a need to control the AI trains at times by STOPPING them ~ and even TAKING THEM OVER for a bit if needed. (try NOT to lose their existing Drivers schedules while taking control or they will need them reprogrammed in ). ..** We are working on updating the Traffic lights and Session commands in order to control the AI traffic better **
You both start near the center of the Mine at DockA or at DockB. Choose the Steam Engine or pick the CN engine ~ which are parked at these Docks. Both teams have separate figure 8 tracks that will take you out to the main Route (these routes do have RED or YELLOW flashing lights to let you know which track you driving on). Back yourself out just onto this track ~ Pick up your tender Car first if you need to! Stop at the Junction and flip it so you can now start forwards along the track. After passing the Junction you need to flip another Junction ~ which takes you out onto the Main Track.
On the Main Track your first job scheduled is: To Pick up a 'Special Caboose' (each one was assigned your color ~ that is Yellow or Red). These can be found near but NOT AT the Red or Yellow Rolling Stock Supply Yards. These freight Supply Yards can be identified by a 'Red/Yellow building' and have 6 Rolling Stock on them. You should find that you need to spin through a turntable in order to face the proper direction needed for backing up to the 'Special Caboose' (it sits alone on its own siding). Navigate your way forwards through the main route and go down one of the entrances to the Coal mine pits (in the center of the map). Along the way, you will need to Set Junctions that will send you heading down in toward The 'Peace Turntable' down by the pits.
Regular Locos: Spin on this turntable so that you will be able to drop the 'Special Caboose' off on the Yellow/Red designated Siding found along each side of the Turntable.
Steam Engines: Stop right before this Turntable and disconnect the 'Special Caboose'. Go into the Turntable and spin around ~ you can't turn in a Turntable with more than one boxcar with you. Back up a short distance and disconnect the Tender car. Go in alone and spin around again so you can Back up to connect the 'Special Caboose'. Now bring it back into the turntable and again Spin around ~ This spin is so that you will be able to drop the 'Special Caboose' off at the Yellow/red designated siding (along each side of the turntable). Note: Optimally, you would line up the front of the Caboose with the red signs placed along the side of the tracks. Disconnect from it and go back to hook up your Tender car again.
Getting Coal & Water for the Coal Tender: Check to find if you need either of them since you are close to the Coal Pits, If you do you will need to Spin around on the Turntable again so that you are backing out of the turntable ( with your tender properly hooked up). So, Set up all of the Junctions such that you can back out onto the coal route only as far as you need to switch the last Junction ~ which will take you down to where the Coal is being loaded. Use Coal Bay #1 or #2 to fill up your Tender with coal and then move down the track to the water dispenser. Stop at it and fill up your water there.
At this point in session with either type of Loco ...
You need to come out of the Coal Pits route. Select the direction where you can drive to (and then Back into) your Supply Yard ~ without having to Spin in a turntable. At the Supply Yard, you will need to pick up just ONE of the Rolling Stock ~ The Junctions there are set up so that you will Start out with the 'Swift boxcar'. Take each of them in turn through Joe & Tarry's Outposts and then finally drop them off at your DockA/DockB ( center of the map).. There is a lifting bridge ( which controls a shipping lane ) found near both Joe and Tarry's outposts. Only one Train at a time can be controlled SAFELY though both lanes of the lfiting Bridge... And, Remember after all the shunting you do at DockA/DockB you need to have the right Two of the Rolling Stock parked on each of the 3 tracks as shown above. Use the Turntable when necessary to orient yourself in the right direction while shunting all the 6 Rolling Stock onto the right tracks at the Dock. Try not to BURY the Turntable behind the Rolling Stock while moving them about..
Optional: The very last Rolling Stock to pick up is the 'Special Caboose' that you had parked earlier near the 'Peace Turntable'. Get this 'Special Caboose' last and run it through the Outposts then finally Park it onto the Center Track of DockA/DockB. This Trip does pay out bonus freight! Note the clock time and total tonnage(s) mined.
Map of DockA/DockB with the Rolling Stock on their tracks.
L C R
Swift 4 Bay Hopper Ore Hopper
Oil Tanker N&W Boxcar Caboose
'Special Caboose'
MOST IMPORTANTLY, RESET ANY junctions which you have changed throughout your game session BACK to the positions that they were originally set at. Otherwise, it SLOWS and will even STOP all the AI trains from getting through their routes ~ they will have 'direction markers' facing against them.
**Due to the many prior accidents at JTR Coalmine, its Loco Drivers have now been RESTRICTED to only carry one Rolling Stock at a time. (Steam-powered locos may also take along their coal tender)***
TIPS:
- Use Map (M) to swith junctions far ahead quickly
- Click down through the player list at Left so that you show the 6 AI trains ~ CAL thru HAL . This is so t hat you can switch to any one of them quickly when needed, and then use CTRL and 1 thru 4 which switches back to the human player Trains just as quickly.
- You can also use CTRL and 7 to get to the middle AI train, EARL and then CTRL + and CTRL- will switch up down through the train list .
INFO ON RUNNING A STEAM ENGINE
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How to drive a steam locomotive using the key pad.
in the more recent sessions that I have uploaded to the Download Station that feature steam locomotives there is an extensive readme file that outlines how to drive to best effect.
This is an extract from the readme:
As experienced Engineers can I assume that we will all be using Cab Mode for this session? Correct? Use the Cab Mode, outside view (press the 2-key).
For both diesel and steam locomotives, pressing the A-key applies the train brakes. Press it multiple times for a full application; pressing Z (the lap position) followed by A will give an immediate full brake application. Q releases the train brake. E is the locomotive brake (also known as the independent brake because it works independently of the rest of the train) toggle. Press it once and the locomotive brakes apply; press again and they release. The locomotive brakes apply and release faster than the train brake, but only operate on the locomotive (at least in real life; the simulation seems to work a little differently). Watch the brake cylinder pressure in the Head Up Display. This gives an indication of the braking force being applied.
When coupling onto a rake of freight or passenger cars, make a full brake application and release to check that all the air hoses are connected
Driving a steam locomotive in Cab Mode is a challenge and you will be spending much more time reacting to gauges and adjusting the controls than looking at the scenery.
The most important features of steam locomotive driving are:
1. The correct use of regulator and reverser.
2. Maintaining the water level in the boiler.
3. Maintaining boiler pressure.
1. Regulator and reverser:
The settings of regulator and reverser are shown in the Head Up Display.
The position of the regulator and reverser can also be seen in the cab internal view (press the 1-key), though I do suggest actually driving the locomotive using the external view (2-key).
Drive with the regulator fully open. Control the speed with the reverser.
The reason for this is simple - the locomotive will work most efficiently if the full boiler pressure is being applied to the pistons in the cylinders. The regulator strangles the flow of steam, so at less than the fully open position of the regulator less than full pressure is applied to the pistons.
The reverser controls the cut-off, which is a measure of the duration of the steam admission to the cylinders. In full forward gear (something like 70 to 80% cut-off in most steam locomotives), steam is admitted to the cylinders for most of the stroke of the piston. At 10% cut-off steam is admitted for only 10% of the stroke, reducing the power significantly but maintaining high efficiency.
To start the locomotive, select full forward gear (press the F-key, multiple times if necessary). release the brakes (Q-key) and progressively open the regulator (W-key). Once underway open the regulator fully (W-key, multiple times) and reduce the cut-off (R-key, multiple times if necessary) to maintain an appropriate speed.
Negative cut-off equals reverse, so when moving forward keep the cut-off positive.
If speed falls when ascending a bank or when accelerating from a signal check, the cut-off might need increasing. Press the F-key.
The S-key (press multiple times) closes the regulator.
To reverse, press the R-key multiple times.
2. Maintaining the water level in the boiler:
The quantity of water in the boiler is shown in the Head Up Display and also in the water gauge in the cab.
The boiler converts water into steam. As the steam is consumed by the cylinders the water level falls.
Additional water is pumped into the boiler by injectors, which are controlled by the I-key and the O-key. The I-key turns the injectors on; the O-key turns them off. There are several positions for the injectors. Press the I-key multiple times for the maximum setting. Press the O-key multiple times to turn them off.
The position of the injectors can be seen in the internal cab view. Press the I and O-keys while scanning the cab ([ , ] and arrow keys). See which levers, taps or knobs move.
Try to maintain the water level at about 70%. Avoid 100% which causes water to carry over into the cylinders, destroying them, or less than about 50% which can cause the top of the firebox to be above the water level and melt, with potentially disastrous consequences if the fusible plugs fail to dampen the fire.
3. Maintaining boiler pressure.
The boiler pressure is shown in the Head Up Display and also on a gauge in the cab.
Burning coal heats the water to produce steam. As the steam is consumed or water injected into the boiler the boiler pressure falls.
Add coal to the fire by pressing the Space Bar (the fire door is animated in the internal view) to increase boiler pressure. The best firing technique is to add coal a little often.
The maximum boiler pressure depends on the particular class of locomotive. It might be shown on the pressure gauge inside the cab; otherwise note the boiler pressure when the session begins. Exceeding the maximum boiler pressure causes the safety valves to pop, wasting steam, water and coal.
The draft effect from the exhaust steam as it passes up the blast pipe to the chimney makes the fire burn bright, generating more heat. The blast is most intense at speed with full regulator and at full cut-off. When stationary or when moving at slow speeds it may be necessary to use the blower to create the desired blast to keep the fire burning brightly.
Use the N-key to open the blower and Shift-N to turn it off. Again, there is an animation inside the cab.
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In real life, steam locomotives would travel considerable distances without re-coaling but many 'stops for locomotive purposes' were needed to refill the tender with water.
Right click on the tender to view the remaining coal and water.
For those who want to make the session a little more interesting and who feel comfortable editing the config.txt file, I suggest reducing the water capacity of the tender and increasing the coal capacity. This makes it imperative to maintain a watchful eye on water consumption, to drive in a way that conserves water, and makes it essential 'to stop when necessary for locomotive purposes' as authorised in the Dispatcher orders.
To do this, find the folder containing the tender (use TrainzObjectz for TRS2004 and CMP for TRS2006), open the config.txt file and change the coal capacity and initial quantity to 15000 and the water to 5000.
---- A 2nd Trainzportal Steam engine discussion
How do you drive a steam locomotive in Trainz?
Driving a Steam Locomotive is much harder than driving a Diesel or Electric
Release your brake... ...
Set your cutoff to +45–+75%... [ ...
Bring up the Regulator (THROTTLE) to about 45%... ...
Build up speed to 25-30 mph.
Reduce the regulator back down to 0% and take note of how quickly the locomotive stops.
Warning, Running a locomotive at 75% cutoff and 100% regulator will drain your boiler of steam very quickly which is why the boiler pressure will drop to 109 psi. At that pressure there is not enough tractive effort available to lift the train up the grade. Note that some engines are quite cold when you startup into the session and they need to be driven with a light touch to warm up properly (75% cutoff and 100% regulator is not a light touch!). To warm up a locomotive quickly use the blower.!!!
Тип: Сессия