Unfitted Freight Trains

Unfitted Freight Trains can now be modelled in OpenRails. It is also possible to make a locomotive that has only a steam brake fitted and no train brakes.

A typical unfitted four wheeled wagon of 9 foot or 10 foot wheelbase might have a brakes entry something like this:

Comment ( ******************************* Brakes *******************************
         Included in this section - Type, Force, Reservoir, Application, Release. etc
         *********************************************************************** )

BrakeEquipmentType ( "Handbrake" )
BrakeSystemType ( "Manual_Braking" )
MaxHandBrakeForce ( 3.5kN )

ORTSBrakeShoeFriction ( 0 0.31 1 0.30 2 0.28 3 0.27 4 0.26 5 0.25 7 0.24 8 0.23 9 0.22 12 0.21 14 0.20 17 0.19 20 0.18 24 0.17 29 0.16 34 0.15 40 0.14 47 0.13 55 0.12 66 0.11 84 0.10 115 0.09 160 0.09 ) 
Comment ( * Cast Iron Brakeshoes * )


Wagons with a longer wheelbase often had a longer brake lever which would give a greater MaxHandBrakeForce.


At the moment the brake van or guards van also needs to be an unfitted one for this to work properly.  The brakes section for an unfitted 20 ton guard's van should look something like this:


Comment ( ******************************* Brakes *******************************
         Included in this section - Type, Force, Reservoir, Application, Release. etc
         *********************************************************************** )

BrakeEquipmentType( "Manual_brake, Handbrake" )
BrakeSystemType ( "Manual_Braking" )
MaxReleaseRate ( 5 )
MaxApplicationRate ( 5 )
MaxBrakeForce ( 20kN )
MaxHandBrakeForce ( 20kN )
 
ORTSBrakeShoeFriction ( 0 0.31 1 0.30 2 0.28 3 0.27 4 0.26 5 0.25 7 0.24 8 0.23 9 0.22 12 0.21 14 0.20 17 0.19 20 0.18 24 0.17 29 0.16 34 0.15 40 0.14 47 0.13 55 0.12 66 0.11 84 0.10 115 0.09 160 0.09 ) 
Comment ( * Cast Iron Brakeshoes * )



The Manual Brake descripton allows the guards van brake to be applied using a keyboard short cut. In order to do this, you need to add to the EngineControllers section of your locomotive(s) the lines

Brake_Brakeman ( 0 1 0.2 0
NumNotches ( 1
Notch( 0 1 BrakemanBrakesControllerManualBrakingStart ) ) )

This can be added to any locomotive with either air or vacuum brakes or one with no train brakes at all.

When this is present in an eng file the Guard's hand brake can be applied using the SHIFT and [ keys and released using the SHIFT and ] keys.


To make a locomotive that has only steam brakes and no train braking system you will need to use a set up similar to the one described below.

In the wagon (top) section of the eng file:

Comment ( ******************************* Brakes *********************************************
            Included in this section - Type, Force, Reservoir, Applicatiion, Release, etc
        ************************************************************************************ )

Comment ( *** No train brakes - loco brake is steam brake only *** )

BrakeEquipmentType( "Manual_brake" )
BrakeSystemType ( "Manual_Braking" )
MaxBrakeForce ( 54kN )
MaxReleaseRate ( 100psi/s )
MaxApplicationRate ( 10psi/s )
MaxHandbrakeForce ( 27kN )

ORTSBrakeShoeFriction ( 0 0.489  4 0.487  8 0.486  12 0.487  16    0.490  24 0.493  32 0.490  40 0.481  48    0.465  56 0.443  64 0.415  72 0.381  80    0.340  88 0.294  96 0.241  104 0.182  112 0.116 )
Comment ( * Friction estimate for wood brake shoes based on elm blocks on tramcars * )

In the Engine section of the eng file:

Comment ( *************************** Brake System *********************************************
                     Included in this section - Compressor, Reservoir, Application rates, etc
        ************************************************************************************** )

BrakesEngineBrakeType( "Steam_brake" )

And in the EngineControllers section of the eng file:

Brake_Engine ( 0 1 0.2 1
 NumNotches ( 1
  Notch( 0.0  1 EngineBrakesControllerContinuousServiceStart ) ) )

Brake_Brakeman ( 0 1 0.2 1
 NumNotches ( 1
  Notch( 0 1 BrakemanBrakesControllerManualBrakingStart ) ) )
 
Comment ( Brake_Train is not used in this configuration )


Steam leaks from the steam brake cylinder(s) can be modelled using SteamBrakeFX in the SteamSpecialEffects section.

Some examples and further information are available from the Coals to Newcastle website.