Steam locos you found easy to get to grips with when you first started playing Msts

Hi all,

This has been sitting in the back of my head for some time and I wondered what steam loco's people learned to drive when they first played Msts.

Simply pick your region and specify you loco class below if you can remember.  I'm An LNER man Yet my First Steam engine was a Black 5.

prairie tank on Cambrian coast route,fantastic model. 

Me too! It still is a lovely loco to drive especially on the lovely Cambrian Route whichever version you use.

Edit

I only ever use the automatic fireman, dampers 100% and curse when the boiler pressure drops due the boiler being filled just when you need full power - means skillfull driving is needed not to lose too much pressure.

Hi
For me it must have been 1 of the BATS Southern Loco's probably either the Merchant Navy or West Country,hardest for me are any of the GWR loco's,I keep forgetting to use the J key.
Now I find any of Mick's Dave's and Danny's steam loco's are easy to drive,but still have problems even with the newest GWR\WR steam loco's

Mike

None really.
I have really never been able to what i call sucsessfully drive and manage any steam loco on MSTS properly.
I either cannot get them to a reasonable line speed or if I do I loose boiler pressure.
and seem to get loads of black smoke.
Cheers
Andy

For me it ould have to be the Bats Southern Region Add on and the Merchant Navy & west Country which both I thought were Spot-On (Not that I wouldn't choose them anyway as I'm a born and bred Bulleid Lover!)   

Cheers

Andy

I have voted LNER because it was the default Scotsman I learned on, Like Andrew I have never got into the finer points of steam driving, I always use the auto fireman option on steam.

For me, it was the default Scotsman. But being an LNER fan most of my collection is from the LNER/ER regions. Having said that: the engine that I have spent the most time driving is my version of the NSWGRs 3801.

I too spend most of my time with the automatic fireman on, until he doesn’t preform properly then I fire him and go manual. I tend to favour steam, though I do drive Diesel and Electrics as well. I am quite capable of going slow and doing some shunting with a small tank, or belting up and down the ECML with a big Gresley Pacific.

Oh, I do drive engines from other regions as well.

Justin

Hi

I must admit I do use the automatic fireman,it's hard enough to drive the loco's even harder if you have fire the beast as well,I have only just realised they run better if you set the dampers to 100% as well.

I Wonder what the percentage is between those of us who use the automatic fireman to those who fire the loco as well as drive it,my feeling is probably most of us use the automatic fireman option.

Maybe we could have a plain English tutorial on driving and firing a steam loco.

Mike

Hi,
I really can't remember the first steam loco I learned to drive in MSTS, but I suppose it was Flying Scotsman!

I always use the automatic fireman - it's too much to concentrate on firing and driving! It is, after all, a two-man job!!

I found Clive's Somerset & Dorset the best route, by far, for learning how to drive MSTS steam locos!

Cheers,
Ged

I really cannot remember what my first loco was but it certainly was LNER and a steam loco. I always use automatic fireman.

andrew moody wrote:None really.
I have really never been able to what i call sucsessfully drive and manage any steam loco on MSTS properly.
I either cannot get them to a reasonable line speed or if I do I loose boiler pressure.
and seem to get loads of black smoke.
Cheers
Andy

Same here.

I found Justin's HFL Part 15 very useful when I tried and the engine seemed to do what I asked - I assumed the automatic fireman was on by default    .

Hi There,

For me, it would have been Terry Thornton's 4F which I used on Stratford & Midland Joint railway which had just been released. The route came with Jint's by default but I swapped for a 4F which was good for the route. Then I was using his models for Cannock Chase 3.

I used Terry's models as a benchmark with the idea that If I make a new version to replace one of his models, I have to try and make it better.

Sorry didn't like driving the Scotsman.

Mick

I didn't like the Flying Scotsman - in fact I didn't really go much on MSTS at all and didn't run it again until LSE came out. LSE was the catalyst for me, and I still think it's one of the best routes made. I then found my way onto UKTS and eventually bought Thames Mersey - another great route that has stood the test of time. It was Terry's Black 5 that I liked best. I always drive using automatic fireman from outside the cab, as it's the all-round visual appeal of the locomotive, consist and scenery that gives me the buzz................takes me back to my trainspotting childhood I guess!