In fact they were known for the opposite: broken physics and lack of good quality physical detail work. Each was modeled by IHH and not to speak ill of the dead but IHH was not known for having high standards of quality in their locomotives. These locomotives suffer from the common problems discussed above with conflicting boiler pressure and fuel amounts and several others. Now as well as proposing a fundamental change in how modelers approach building articulated locomotives, I also propose something equally as drastic: rebuild the Challenger and the Big Boy.
What's stopping articulated steam locomotives from being modeled as one engine unit? And I'm serious because I really want to understand, why are we still modelling articulated locomotives like it's 2001? Is it a limitation of the 3D rendering software used to build the locomotive? Is it a limitation of Train Simulator 2018? It seems to me that building an articulated engine as one single entity instead of two engine units would clear up most of these issues. My question: why do we still build articulated locomotives the same way we did in MSTS? This isn't MSTS anymore, this is TS2018. I'm no expert but I suspect it's because of these inherent flaws in articulated locomotive design in Train Simulator. Since these locomotives were released there have been no releases of articulated steam locomotives despite the sheer number of articulateds available to model like the C&O 2-6-6-6 Allegheny, Norther Pacific 2-8-8-4 Yellowstone, or the N&W class A 2-6-6-4. Notice that in all of Train Simulator there are only 3 articulated locomotives available for purchase: the Challenger, the Big Boy, and the Cab Forward. That takes care of the fuel problem, but the problem of conflicting information among the HUD menus is still present. G-Trax attempted to address this fault with the Cab Forward by making each engine set a tank engine in the simulation file with its own water and coal supply. Essentially you're driving the equivalent of a deflating balloon on the front part of your articulated locomotive. If you've been paying attention you'll see what the problem is here: the front engine unit can never be directly connected to a tender, and so has only a finite amount of water in the boiler and no real way of filling it since it's not connected to a tender. This means that each section is supposed to be directly connected to a tender. In these cases most often if the player would have looked in the F5 HUD the player would have seen that the water level in the boiler was actually dangerously low.Īnother issue with articulated locomotives is that each section in the Simulation file are listed as requiring a tender. Many a time a player charging down the line in an articulated locomotive using the F4 HUD has had the unpleasant surprise of Train Simulator ending the session due to the boiler running dry when the F4 HUD shows the boiler as being 90% full. In the case of an articulated steam locomotive in Train Simulator, each locomotive set is treated as its own stand-alone locomotive and so when both sets are put together Train Simulator interprets the articulated engine as two double-headed locomotives. The simulator displays conflicting information about steam pressure and the amount of water in the boiler between the F5 and F4 HUDs when multiple steam locomotives are in the same player train consist. If you've driven steam locomotives in Train Simulator for any amount of time you more than likely know that Train Simulator, while it handles driving multiple diesels and electric locomotives in the same player consist well, does NOT like it when you drive multiple steam locomotives in the same player consist. What's the problem with that? That's how they're built in real life, so why not build them like that in Train Simulator? Why is that? It goes back to a notion that's been around since the days of MSTS that for some reason articulated steam locomotives have to be built as separate engine units. Of all the American steam locomotives none are more of a mess to drive than the articulated locomotives, the Challenger, the Big Boy, and the AC 10-12 Cab Forwards. Of all the American steam locomotives none are more majestic and awe-inspiring to look at than the articulated locomotives, the Challenger, the Big Boy, and the AC 10-12 Cab Forwards. As an American steam enthusiast I own all of the American steamers from the Southern Pacific GS-4 to the more recent Union Pacific 119 and Central Pacific "Jupiter" (the only exception being the S160). If you've read my introduction post here on the forum you'll know that while I enjoy driving modern diesel-electric locomotives I love love LOVE to drive steam locomotives.