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So after dispatching the first train of a five train day on the Heber Valley Railroad, and after giving some pointers to a green conductor who was about to take the next train out, I assigned the Chief Mechanical Officer to engineer for said next train, to which he replies, "C'mon Mike, lets go."I asked, "Oh, you want me to ride with you?"He said, "No, I'm riding with you."I guess I must know what I am doing, because I came back with all the cars I left with, no passengers complained about the ride, and that same green conductor thought it was the Chief driving the whole time until we got to the turn around point and saw me in the cab. I drove the entire trip and the Chief only had to give me a few pointers relating to the track profile. So today I can write in my journal that I engineered my first revenue train.Now the big question is whether I think playing MSTS for over a year had anything to do with my skill on a real locomotive. In a lot of ways I would have to say no, because in MSTS (by virtue of being on your lap or desk top computer) you are limited to reacting to your visual senses. In real life, there is a lot of input to help you engineer that relates to all of your senses. I drove the whole trip without a speedometer (average speed is around 15 mph.) There is a lot that can be felt in the way of motion and inertia as you apply and release the brakes. I also doubt MSTS has helped me in any useful way because I'm still using the incorrect physics on the game, and if anything, real life has shown me how incorrect those physics settings are. I have to go to bed now, because I am firing the steam engine tomorrow. (That's something else that you could never get the true essence of in MSTS- sore muscles. )
RE: I may never train-sim again... well, almost never..
Its like in Flight sim compairing flying the real plane the feel just isnt there in the sim as I can relate I was flying to Dodge City with my grandfather and he let me fly most of the flight and you feel alot more in the real plane turblance and you react to it as well and in flighsim you dont get that sensation of real motion. even with force feed back you dont get the seat of your pants feeling as you would in real life. I have flown several 100 hours in the co-pilots seat of that plane and the sim is just not the same. But however dont give up on the sim just because it dont feel right lolDon Pottorff Long Live the Steam
RE: I may never train-sim again... well, almost never..
I agree, Don. Prior to this event, I logged quite a few hours as a light engineer (operating the engine with no cars attatched) within Yard Limits last year. This year I think I've logged quite a few more hours as a yard engineer switching entire trainsets, and becoming familiar with the train brake. My first trip on the line was this last April, but was a non-revenue train of three cars. After a number of back and forth moves operating between two points on the line, I think we travelled 25 miles. This trip I took yesterday was a 15 mile round trip. Simulators of any kind (train, aircraft, automobile, etc.) at least give you the experience of becoming familiar with the proper procedure for doing something. A simulator is a good place to learn how to keep the slack stretched on a train, or how to land an airplane. But the real experience comes from logging the time in real life on real equipment. I doubt I will ever become a "mainline" engineer who has to take a 50 car freight train over 100 miles of territory. For that reason, I keep my copy of MSTS handy.
RE: I may never train-sim again... well, almost never..
Congratulations Mike! I think that would be a neat experience. When I rode the Heber Creeper last year, I found myself wondering what it would be like to be in the cab.
RE: I may never train-sim again... well, almost never..
Congrats on the promotion!!For the rest of us who can't drive the real thing, MSTS will have to do. Although I'd prefer this view anyday... I shot this in the cab of a Rio Grande engine. The crew was nice enough to allow me to ride along. Nick
