[Guide] Advanced train driver knowledge

[noirceur]

SimRail looks to be going great in the direction of realistic simulation in lot of areas ignored in most other sims and I think it's amazing idea. But train manuals in games don't always share much above what is needed for basic operation, so I thought I would compile a list of some advanced or non-trivial knowledge a train driver should be aware of, especially aimed towards EU07 loco, as that one leaves all the tidbits in driver's hands, modern locos solve lot of them electronically.

I don't live in Poland, but most of the railways in former eastern bloc are mutually compatible in terms of operation, so if something is handled differently in Poland, or also if I use incorrect english terminology, feel free to correct me. Also, your knowledge is welcomed too to expand the list!

Pantographs

• By default, you should drive on rear pantograph. This is for case something damages the pantograph, if the front one was up and collapsed, it would damage the rear one too. This way you still have the front one to drive off with.
• If you haul sensitive cargo, you use front pantograph instead. This is because sparks and graphite fall from the pantograph-catenary connection. Sensitive cargo is open wagons with flammable materials like coal or wood, tank wagons with flammable content, but also wagons with cars or anything valuable. You also use front pantograph if you pull second loco in multiple-unit operation, to ensure its windows don't get damaged and dirty.
• When standing for a long time, raise both pantographs. Especially when you have train heating on, this helps to divide the current draw. All passenger trains stand in same spot at the platform, so it could easily "burn a hole" into the catenary. You can use both pantos also when starting to move with a heavy train, but do not use both pantographs above 20 km/h or when going through switches.

Electricity

• Low voltage systems like 3 kV DC in Poland are simpler technology, but it comes with a lot of disadvantages. At the moment however, most of them are not simulated and it stays on 3.3 kV all the time, effectively solving a lot of them.
• 3 kV DC system is very unstable and can oscilate between 2-4 kV easily, based on total draw of trains in same section. In simple words, if there is a heavy freight starting to move in the same section, the "remaining" voltage for you can be much lower and may limit how much power you can apply.
• On resistor-based locos with no electronic control, you need to watch out for your current draw. Rule of thumb is to stay at the half of the ampermeter in most situations (400A in EU07). You can go higher for a faster acceleration, but you risk overload and tripping the main circuit breaker. Low available voltage limits how high you can go.
• Resistor-based locos come with a very fine-grained power control, which is a great for handling freights. But vast majority of the power levels are inefficient (the train is trying to use maximum power, but you add resist to limit this power to only a tiny portion) and you should get to the efficient level as soon as possible. Efficient levels are marked S and P (max series and max parallel) on the power wheel. All other levels will light up the warning light Jazda na oporach (Driving on resist) and you will hear the loud ventilators.
• Resistor-based locos also come with shunting power levels, these can be used in both S and P power levels and are efficient. For long rides not requiring full power, it is better to stay on series and use shunts than go into inefficient parallel.
• Passenger coaches don't have own source of power aside of small dynamos. To have power for things like heating, lighting or air condition, you need to turn on train heating, in EU07 this is a switch called Ogrzewanie pociągu (Train heating), in modern locos it's a switch or button with lowercase "e" letter. This increases current draw significantly, so it may limit how much power you can apply to get the train moving.
• Lower voltage systems have a lot of neutral sections, to limit the amount of trains sharing the section. As devs pointed out in other threads, in Poland neutral section means simply returning power level to zero. You don't need to turn off main circuit breaker and you can still use electrodynamic brake. Some neutral sections are difficult to spot, but you can use Shift + Num- to quickly run power down to zero in a second.
• There is a couple of low pantograph sections, as well. You want to avoid the spike in current, so when raising pantograph again, make sure that power level is set to zero and train heating and compressors are off before you raise pantograph and turn on the main circuit breaker again, or it may get instantly tripped.
• Similarly to avoid spikes in current, turn power level to zero also when changing from one track to another.

Brakes

• Train air brake is the most powerful brake you have. Its default state is full brakes, and you use air to force it into release. This is a fail-safe system, but it takes a long time to propagate through train and using it recklessly can spend all the air you have for release and you may be unable to get moving until compressors fill the system again. Braking for a long time when going down a slope can warm the brakes up to level of destroying them. It is better to overbrake for a minute and then give them a minute to cool down, then repeat in "saw" pattern.
• Electrodynamic brake delivers almost instant, but weak effect. It is great for going down a slope, because it does not warm up the brakes. It's usually not efficient in low speeds and cannot bring train to halt.
• Loco brake works in similar way as brakes in a car. It is instant and fine-grained, but not nearly strong enough to brake the whole train. It is used when shunting or to hold the train when not in slope.
• Brake early and sensitively. Minimum brake settings is still pretty good, and more comfortable for passengers and cargo than full brake force.
• Release early too. If you stop with high brake setting, it will feel like hitting a wall. The most comfortable stop is to use train brake to slow down and then gradually release it to reach full release at the exact point the train stops. As you come to a halt, hold the train with loco brake. Loco brake releases very quickly when you need to move again. Mastering this process is the key to be a good and reputable train driver.
• Train drivers are taught to, and in lot of countries required to, keep their hand at the emergency brake at all times. Do not be afraid to use it, if you see anything that could intrude the loading gauge of your train, a car on a crossing or person in tracks. Emergency brake vents immediately all air from braking system causing full brake effect faster than setting max brake the usual way. Modern trains will also add electromagnetic brake, which is very uncomfortable, but very efficient braking system. Conveniently you can use emergency brake directly by simply pressing Num 1.
• Similarly if you see something odd in the catenary, lower the pantograph immediately. Hopefully the pantos don't get damaged, or in case of accident, at least most of the high-voltage systems will be disconnected.

Consist

• In EU, we mostly use screwlink to connect wagons. A relatively simple device consisting of hook and a tightening screw holds the whole weight of the train, so you need to treat it carefully. When starting to move or when changing from acceleration to deceleration or vice versa, allow the screwlinks to shrink or extend slowly, rather than pulling them with full force. Start with very little power until all screwlinks extend and the end of the train also starts moving, and only then floor it.
• In case the screwlink fails, the train may get torn and split. For this, end-of-train markers are crucial to visually ensure the train arrived whole. Always make sure that your train has rear red lights or the white-and-red signs at the end, and only end, never anywhere in the middle.
• Train air brake is a fail-safe system, if the train gets torn, the valves torn open in both parts will vent the air and both parts will stop as with emergency brake. For this reason, whenever the train stops by itself or brakes start to behave oddly, you must ensure the consist is whole. You can ask next dispatcher to visually check the end-of-train markers as you pass as well.
• Train air brake has one weak scenario: when the valves between loco and train, or between two wagons remain closed. In that case, you would be only controlling brakes in the connected part of the train, which might not be enough to slow or stop the train. For this reason yard masters do full and partial brake test, in short setting train air brake to max in the loco and observing what the end of the train is doing. This is done off-screen in the simulator. Yet, you should still always check by yourself if the brakes are working: when leaving the first station, get to some speed (usually around 30 km/h) and apply brake to observe the result. If the train starts decelerating, you are good to go, if not, you still have clear path in front of you to brake with dynamic or loco brakes, much better than finding out when approaching a red signal at full speed.
• Front of the train is marked by three white lights in a triangle. But when driving on opposite track in Poland, left light (the "outer" one) must be lit red, top and right ones stay white.

Stops

• If a freight train is stopping in station, make your way up to the stop signal unless you would block an access path to platform or so. Your train may fit just enough to the length of the track.
• If a passenger train is stopping in station, only depart from platform when you have a signal clear to leave the station. Unless it's not visible, then you would be signalled by the station master in reality when you can leave.
• If a passenger train is being halted in unscheduled station, you want to avoid stopping in platform, so your train does not get swarmed by confused waiting passengers. Usually you slow down to 5-10 km/h and crawl through the station hoping the signal will change in time. If you have to stop eventually, you must be conducted by conductor as if it was scheduled stop, to ensure everyone's safety.
• When any train, other than passenger train in scheduled stop is starting to move, sound a horn to warn everybody nearby, be it in station or on open track.

Signals

• Automatic blocks have advantage, even if stopped on red, you can pass it on sight. This helps the flow of traffic as you don't have to wait for the whole next block to be clear. You stop in front of it, then you can pass at max 20 km/h until next signal, autoblock signals with "T" board may be passed by freight trains without prior stopping. Autoblock signals always have white mast to ensure that you can pass it in this way. Signals with red-and-white masts must not be passed on red.
• Autoblock signals go in this sequence: green (three or more blocks clear), flashing green (next two blocks clear), yellow (next block clear), red (train in next block in same direction as you). If you see autoblock signal turned off, stop immediately and inform dispatcher, it means that the autoblock is set into opposite direction.
• Light bulbs in signals may fail. In that case, the signal should either fall back to most restrictive signal, or goes off completely. Dark signals are valid and still have meaning! Main signals are on red-white-red mast, which is equal to Stop. Distant signals have the X board, which is equal to Expect stop.

Edited June 6, 2023 by noirceur

[sf_giants15]

Very nice written. As a non real live train driver I didnt know a lot of things you mentioned and will use it in the sim (for example front pantograph on coal trains)👍

[JarkPomsky]

 

I live in Poland, next to the railroad line available in the game.
In addition to your observations, my observations are as follows: 

Coal trains run on the rear pantograph.

The locomotive sometimes uses two pantographs when the network is icy. The first pantograph knocks the ice off the line, then an electric arc is created. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kLgAfLl5ulo

The front pantograph is used when pulling another locomotive so as not to break the cab window.

https://youtu.be/pNKDHkJxnzM?t=18

 

[Zulnex]

Excellent guide. I never knew many of the points you mentioned. Will definitely apply this knowledge next time when I am playing SimRail.

Edited June 10, 2023 by Zulnex

[Randknu]

As a professional driver in Norway i can approve most of theese points.

But I am not familiar with 3000V DC operation, we use 16 000V AC and most of the issues you list are not present.

It is true that trains that stop in a station should not move if the exit signal is red. But that is definately not the way the bots operate.

[GoppelPL]

6 godzin temu, Randknu napisał(a):

It is true that trains that stop in a station should not move if the exit signal is red. But that is definately not the way the bots operate.

As a professional train driver in Poland I can assure you, that when passenger boarding is finished, the train can move up closer to the signal when there's no obstacles to do so.

 

[zooo131]

On 6/5/2023 at 10:23 PM, noirceur said:

Brakes

• Train air brake is the most powerful brake you have. Its default state is full brakes, and you use air to force it into release. This is a fail-safe system, but it takes a long time to propagate through train and using it recklessly can spend all the air you have for release and you may be unable to get moving until compressors fill the system again. Braking for a long time when going down a slope can warm the brakes up to level of destroying them. It is better to overbrake for a minute and then give them a minute to cool down, then repeat in "saw" pattern.

 

Signals

• Automatic blocks have advantage, even if stopped on red, you can pass it on sight. This helps the flow of traffic as you don't have to wait for the whole next block to be clear. You stop in front of it, then you can pass at max 20 km/h until next signal, autoblock signals with "T" board may be passed by freight trains without prior stopping. Autoblock signals always have white mast to ensure that you can pass it in this way. Signals with red-and-white masts must not be passed on red.

Very nicely written. As a swiss train driver i am amazed, how certain things are handled like passing the automatic Block-Signals. That wouldn't be allowed here.

As for the indirect / automatic (air) brake I would like to add some handlig basics:

• Service pressure is 5 bar then all brakes are released.
• First braking position is 4.8 bar. That's for a very gentle stop or just slow deceleration.
• When expecting a red signal, it is common to empty the air line to 4 bar* (or 4.2...4.4 bar for passenger trains).
• 3.5 bar applies the maximal braking force.
• An emergency brake does not apply more braking force, but it empties the main air line faster so the brakes apply as fast as possible.

 

• * With freight trains release the air brake when you have around 60km/h and keep braking with the electrodynamic brake, (if you have one. If not do not fully release the Brake).
• For a gentle stop with a freight train make sure you approach the red signal with about 15...10km/h at the last 400...200m then apply the brakes with ≈ 4.5 bar about 100m before the signal to stop about one "loco-length" (30m) before the Signal.
• Sawing is normally only needed at very steep slopes. (We have slopes of 27 ‰ in the Alps). Tha Air Brakes have to be released for at least 90 s before they are reapplyed. The needed speed reduction in calculated as follows: "Needed speed reduction [km/h]" = "Train Weight [t]" * 2 / 100

Greetings from Switzerland

[the810]

 

 

  

On 7/31/2023 at 1:18 PM, Randknu said:

As a professional driver in Norway i can approve most of theese points.

But I am not familiar with 3000V DC operation, we use 16 000V AC and most of the issues you list are not present.

It is true that trains that stop in a station should not move if the exit signal is red. But that is definately not the way the bots operate.

 

 

This is a regional difference and hopefully it will be implemented when the game expands beyond Poland. SimRail simulates how things work in Poland very well, it's just different from how they work elsewhere.

Edited August 2, 2023 by the810

[Atoka220]

Very well written and great details also in the comments.

I'm learning to be a train driver in Hungary and we are also taught a phenomenon called braking-releasing wave. Cause basically the train's brake system is a very long thin pipe, it takes time for the change in pressure to reach the end of the train. On passenger trains it can be between 10-20 seconds depending on length but on long freights it can take up to 1 minute.

So for this reason when releasing brakes, you mustn't give power immediately (especially high power) cause that creates a high risk of screwlink failure

And when stopping, we are trained to stop with brakes released utilizing said wave. I saw some old skilled blokes approaching a station on the main line at 100km/h, pull a full service, then release when the speed is still at around 40 kph and letting the releasing wave gradually release the brake and making the train come to a very smooth and gradual stop right at the end of platform sign.

Also I really hope simulation of the overhead line will be added in the future, that noirceur described. I was always fasctinated by the overhead line system too since childhood, not only the trains 😁