Hey Jeff love your stuff just a pro tip. You are right “slam the brakes”. Stand on em. Full set up.The passengers won’t care much and they get changed often. And don’t go to idle if you think youll be short then pull on em and scoot up. They’ll stink a while but you’ll be more precise. Plus use your dynamic brakes in combination you’ll rarely need to use your service brake. But you’ll find a style as you go and a rhythm. It takes years to learn the territory. The old guys around can run a train blindfolded and backwards. They remember silly stuff about the territory and have ran it so long they know that at the old red car set 10 lbs and get in the dynamics and they’ll be perfect every single time. At every platform. Especially when you don’t have the room to mess up. Short platforms or running only a two car setup which basically means only using the head 2 cars or 3 or 4. You have to have all doors on the platform otherwise the passengers get all frazzled and call commuter control to complain. Lil rant but truth. -Engineer/conductor East west main Metra and freight Union Pacific
Jeff, tips about signaling with the horn and bell in case you forgot or didn't know: departing: two short horn blasts and the bell until up to speed stopping: bell when approaching stop point until stopped fully stopped then one horn blast approaching station or crossing: two long blasts with signaling at crossings, the last blast should be on the crossing itself tip for passenger trains: keep throttle on 1 with brakes applied on lap
Unsure if you know but for future reference: Trains 1XX= Local, makes all stops Trains 2XX = Limited stops, depending on route Trains 3XX= bullet/express service, few stops, lots of open throttle -a Caltrain commuter
I really hope they make a Metra route. Especially since the models of the engine and coaches are almost identical to Cal Train. Just gotta change the paint scheme and make a Chicago route.
This reminds me so much of when I lived in Illinois, Metra used the same F40PH and passenger cars. This is modeled so well and the sounds are spot on! The announcement of the doors closing was my favorite part of being on the train!
Man...this brings back some memories. I commuted on Caltrain from Millbrae to Menlo Park for six years and then from Millbrae to San Jose for another five years. These are old cars but are modeled 100%. I used to sit on the upper level, especially on game days because the trains were packed. And yes Jeff, Millbrae is a huge station because it connects with BART (Bay Area Rapid Transit) and is also the station the services SFO (International Airport). But all the stops are modeled accurately. The station in Redwood City has a Safeway right next to the tracks and all the buildings are perfect. Loving this!
The reason the train doesn’t go right away is because you put the throttle up when the breaks are still releasing. You can tell by the gauge in the bottom right.
I was an engineer on this route when Amtrak ran it, I’m impressed at how well the route and equipment was rendered. I need to pick up a copy of this to evaluate it. I’m a bit behind on things, lol. Braking into Redwood City wed would generally wait to after that first crossing going north on the real thing, increases on wet surfaces when it rains.
That is literally the most real thing I've seen! I've taken the Caltrain to the Giants game every time I go to the game. The sounds, the door warning, the stations even are more accurate than I ever thought it would be. I've never seen Caltrain in a game before too! This is super cool! (Millbrae is a very big station, I believe I read once it is one of, if not the, largest intramodal station west of the Mississippi.)
Pay more attention to the amount of air pressure your letting in for the lap when you hold to service. That will decide how much lap break pressure is added and the rate of which it brings your speed down.
Just a little sidenote, Jeff. PCS stands for "pneumatic control switch" which locks out throttle controls and your reverser controls as well. In the event of a penalty brake (Full emergency) application, the controls have to be reset and the brake pipe needs to be recharged to fully release the brakes on the entire train.
I swear to Pete Jeff, if you don't shut off that freakin' bell, I'm gonna come to your house and lock down the B key. :D The bell comes on every time you hit the horn, so you have to remember to shut it off. You'd get thrown off the board pretty quick if you left it on as much as you do. Your conductors would make sure of it. BTW, once you set the parking brake, release the automatic brake. That way you can pull out faster.
I am so glad that this is just the simulator. I enjoy watching your videos but as an engineer for Union Pacific I have to say you have made so many mistakes in your videos I don't know where to start. I'll do you one better, I won't start at all. I really think that you should talk to a few engineers and get a sense of what it takes to move a locomotive. Here's a hint, going straight to 8 is a good way to break a knuckle and slam your passengers into their seats or into the laps of other passengers. Another hint Dynamic brake is your friend in a passenger train. It is used to slow a train and with passenger trains very little Dynamic brake could burn a lot of speed if done correctly
Live in the bay Area, San Jose to be exact. Yea these trains use both the regular brakes and the Dynamic brakes which is why you will hear the engine rev up while you are braking.
They should do another route for The Racetrack Aurora - Chicago, or just make it an update of the livery and make the route, I think that would be cool since CalTrain and Metra operate the same fleet in this condition.
Hey Jeff love the train sim and bus sim videos very much👍🏾❤️ also bus simulator 18 is coming out on console next week and I’ve pre ordered it just because I’ve enjoyed watching you play it so much that I wanted to give it try so keep up the good work man you’re the best
Jeff, if you like Train Sim World, I have just uploaded some Train Sim World Videos, I do not know the routes very well, however I try to do everything as close to realistically as possible.
I don’t know if the physics for that set are set for graduated release or not. If so go to release then back to lap and let a little braking force off.
You are slowing down and way too early that train stops in a dime also at 30:50 why you slowing down a mile and a 1/2 before the 50 mile zone but you're stopping in a station anyway.
