Driving steam requres all of your attention (vigilances) and is even harder in comparishing with electric of diesel.
Driving a steam locomotive is completely different at all. Even when you drive in TS20xx in a virtual way, you still need to know perfectly how to manage the steam locomotive. Even if you have switched on the automatic fireman you still have to keep your eye on the things as they pass the scene. You just can’t drive off if you are not sure how to manage.
Driving a steam locomotive inhabits much, much more instead of driving diesel or electric. Though the newest diesels or electrics comes often with an advanced system of driving, but stilll the steam locomotive requires the most of your skills you just can’t do in a simple way.
Now with the coming of the more advanced steam locomotives the famous HUD display (F4) slides away to the background of TS20x, you need to know how the steam locomotive is working in order to run and control the engine properly.
Even now with the oncoming TSW which is now ordained to be the next generation of trainsimulator the driving skills you need to drive a steam locomotive will now even more get improved requireing much more skills as what is does now with the last version of TS20xx.
Just starting a steam locmotive is not done within 5 or 10 minutes. Many issues and check outs you need to perform prior to departure. Issues like lubricating and preparing your fire are passing the scene. You have to take care of your fire and water all the time even during the run you need to keep an eye on these important issues.
You have to become aware when to shovel and where to shovel, when to fill up the boiler while driving. when not to fire and injecting. how to handle the throttle in combination with the reverser, because the reverser does not just simply switch between forewards and backwards. You have to know exactly how to manage steam and what is happening in the steam cilinder as you drive. Simultanuously added to the manual how to drive there is an extended expanation based on the technical aspects on the former educational instructions of the German “Eisenbahn Lehrbucherei” and the different books from that time.
After studying these educational maunals your knowledge of steamlocomotives has get a tremendous boost.Be prepared to study this material and you will know much, much more about the technique of a steam locomotive.The study will even enhange your knowledge as well if are already a driver and can be practiced in the real envorinment on a real footplate, no matter the size of the engine. The moment you run a steam powered engine no matter the size or scale, you are still working with a pressurized boiler and can harm visitors, drivers, crew and others as well if not handled properly.
Managing the steam locomotive needs knowledge and most of the virtual drivers
lacks knowledge causing the engine a lost of presure or causing a “Boiler explosion”. If you are driving you have to check out all what is going on and not only to miss a signal resulting in overrunning a red sginal (SPAD) causing a derailment or crash finally resulting in a “Game Over”.
In the real world causes a “Game Over” a real game over depending the circumstances. You can then look to an other job or in the worst case you won’t be able to tell the story anymore.
Within Train Simulator a Game Over is not the worst part but If you are running the Northern Irishman for over 3 hours and then causing a “Game Over” without saving the run will freak you out completely because you now can start all over again. This is anoying and stressfull.
The driving school is under construction right now but you can study a lot of material right here!
Or click the link to get to the workshop page:
Driving the steam locomotive and the technical aspects
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