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Could someone explain to me the brakes on the Freightliner class 66. I've just driven a class 66 to Thornton junction and all i will say is it's a good job there were no passengers, they would have been sick! I find it impossible to just slightly apply the brakes and then release them. I've read the read me file that came with the engine, but there is nothing there re braking. I think there is a real EWS driver who reads these pages, maybe he could shed some light and also let us know how realistic the engine is.
Im Not an EWS driver but Gareth lewis who reads these forums is...The brakes on the class 66 and class 67 are whats known as self lap brakes. These feature commonly on american locomotives, and since the 66 is of an american design and built in canada, it also features this system.Self lapping brakes work by having 4 separate modes...ReleaseSelf LapFull ServiceEmergencyEmergency should explain itself, full service is simply maximum service brake pressure, self lap is where air has been released in the brake pipe until the point where the driver selected self lap, at which point the remaining pressure is held in the brake pipe, a lot like pressing the brake pedal on a car at different points, obviously the harder you press the stronger the braking affect, similarly in the locomotive the less time you leave before placing it into self lap the more pressure you have, the longer you leave it the less pressure you have.Heres how to brake...Imagine youself doing 60mph in you 66 your at the speed limit and a falling gradient approaches.. now you dont want full brake service as you will stop so here is what you do....Apply the brakes to full servicerelease the brakes and watch the brake pipe pressure gauge fall, then place the brakes into self lap mode when you see what pressure you want to apply the brakes at. Once self lap is applied the brake pressure will hold steady. It takes a bit of practice but it works very well!This allows the driver to control the brakes very precisely.The 66 isnt designed as a passenger locomotive, it is also not simulated in bve as one either.The forthcoming 67 also features this braking system!Hope this helpsMr Gizmo
Hi Mr G!!Thanks for the technical background.I was also having a spot of bother with this, but I managed to get it sussed. From Release, basically press the "." key twice and watch the needle go round. This will give an indication of how hard you will brake (all the way to zero being a full brake application). When you have got to the level you want, hit the "," key to actually apply the brakes. Unfortunately, you can't modulate your braking as you can with MU's (well, not with BVE 2.5 anyway) so if you've not charged up enough pressure you will overshoot (as I was continuously doing). Releasing the brakes also take some practice, as the train will continue to brake until all the pressure has bled out of the system rather than from the point you release the brakes.I have to say that the brakes on this train are surprisingly good. However, they were not good enough to save me from what would have been a train wreck of biblical proportions the first time I drove the Edinburgh to Aberdeen freight run. I was belting along at 75mph and completely misjudged the entrance to the Laurencekirk Loop. Even with the emergency brake, I took the points at around 50mph and carried on to overshoot the signal at the end!! It was quite interesting to see what BVE made of it, as the train pitched over to around 45 degrees in one direction and then 45 degrees in the other, before rolling like a ship the length of the loop. Mr Angry was not best pleased either.Technical Numpty
hi all if you are talking about the bve version of the freightliner 66 i was asked to test it i have told the author about the brakes and there's a few other problems with the loco as well i have been told that he is going to rectify these problems regards gareth lewis
My 4-SUB features similar braking system but with Westinghouse data obtained from a gentlemen who used to work at Brighton Works. You can download my 4-SUB, see the 4-SUB released thread.-- Nathan Whitington
The result of that will be interesting - try Wulf's 66-701 on Don's class 66 run. I would advise against the driving technique given if you use PCC 7000, which has the same kind of braking system, on any tram route. This, of course, is a passenger variant and needs very careful control, especially since trams have to be built to stop sharply. Apply the brake sparingly, use the 'HO' position to judge whether you've given it too much or too little, then juggle between 'B1' and 'R' to get the desired rate of braking. All part of the fun of BVE.
