Digital Traction BR Standard 2MT

[styckx]

It's main running speed audio sounds completely meh and synthetic. Needs another channel of audio to distract you from the same loop just running over and over and over again. (at 55 seconds)

Ah yes my good friend the 'machine gun'!! Believe me, it's not like that because we think it just sounds so good! It's a BIG problem we have to deal with in this sim. But, also be assured, we'll be doing our best, over at SteamSoundsSupreme to overcome this issue by learning new techniques.

Take a look at other models and see how they did it. Jubilee is old as dirt and doesn't suffer from it.

[kirkheath]

Just had quick trundle over the GCR, (where else). Lovely stuff seems a slight animation error on the valvegear as if it doesn't move enough on the fireman's side. Anyone else have the same?

[pilot37]

I have never suffered this "machine gun" effect on any loco....does it only affect some computer set-ups?

[styckx]

Just had quick trundle over the GCR, (where else). Lovely stuff seems a slight animation error on the valvegear as if it doesn't move enough on the fireman's side. Anyone else have the same?

Wow.. That's a keen eye you got there.. I see it now that you pointed it out.. I'll never be able to un-see it now that I know its there.. Minor stuff though..

[92212]

It's main running speed audio sounds completely meh and synthetic. Needs another channel of audio to distract you from the same loop just running over and over and over again. (at 55 seconds)

Ah yes my good friend the 'machine gun'!! Believe me, it's not like that because we think it just sounds so good! It's a BIG problem we have to deal with in this sim. But, also be assured, we'll be doing our best, over at SteamSoundsSupreme to overcome this issue by learning new techniques.

Take a look at other models and see how they did it. Jubilee is old as dirt and doesn't suffer from it.

But it sounds terrible in other ways! It occurs when you're trying to get the loco to 'bark' instead of just chuff! I've poured over all the steam loco releases from RS days up to now. I know what they all sound like.

Regards
Matt

[kirkheath]

Two points:

I also know the machine gun effect, and all steamers are affected by it. 3cylinder engines are the worst for it! But great sounds otherwise Matt top stuff! Can't hear anything wrong :p

And yes Bill very minor indeed I give it 9.9/10 and the motion wont bother me at all, 95% for me is spent hanging out the window!

[92212]

A few sound features that I hope made it through, as it's months since I did the sounds:

- Pilot and Main valve on the regulator simulated

- Coasting sounds - clanking, snifters, etc etc

- Main whistle on 'spacebar' and alternative whistles on 'B'

- Guards whistle on 'U'

And much more!!

Are the cylinder cocks working? That was an issue we couldn't get to the bottom of a few months ago!

Regards
Matt

[crumplezone]

Bought it earlier and running through the second scenario at the moment on the way towards dumfries with a mail service. The 2MT is a fairly interesting locomotive for its size and power classification and you can certainly see the ivatt influence in its shape, DT have seemed to have done a wonderful job with the 3D model, there is heaps of piping detail and bodywork details, same with the valve gear and motion (bar the minor animation issue). Cab detail is also pretty top notch and every seems to be present from what I can tell, though not a expert on the standard cabs admittely. The camera view and general texture work inside the cab is also done really well and not much seems to be obscured by odd shadows or low detail.

Texture work for the actual body of the 2MT is really top notch and its got a really working 1960s engine look to it, it is somewhat like the cleaning crew has been over the negine and done the best they can but still the dirty is visible even with their attention to the engine, I think honestly its alot better touch compared to alot of locomotives which seem to suffer from a really over abundant shine to them which gives them either to much gloss or to much preserved railway feel to them which doesn't really fit with a theme of a working railway in my opinion. Alright there would be some topshed locos really polished up but even at that you still would see plenty of dirt and that is what the 2MT seems to have done well.

Its got a nice set of various steam effects, cyclinder drain cocks work nicely with a powerful jet of steam and they "leak" even when the engine is sitting or in motion. Chuff smoke is nice to, abeit it may have a slight FPS hit for some folks as it seems quite high particle density, also it seems aligned with the funnel which a few of the mor recent steam engines haven't had and its been slightly offset. Safety valve smoke is present to and bursts in to a large plump when it blows, to a certain degree its visible a fair bit but that can probably be accounted for due to autofireman use on my part who tends to keep the boiler pressure right near max.

Sound wise I think its a excellent representation of the 2MT and you can clearly hear the distinctive chuff bark which the 2MTs have, they do have a fairly sharp bark as they hit half to 3/4 full on the regulator and it does seem to match that ingame. Chuff wise its what I was expecting, the machine gun effect its negliable as it only really seems to jar the hearing when you go from 24-29mph, you tick over onto 30mph and your into the high speed loop which is quite dinstinctive to steam locomotives for the most part, most steamers do get a repetitive machine line sound as they blitz into higher speeds so their isn't a aweful lot you can do about it when the real machines do the same, as the faster it gets the closer the chuff cycle gets to the point where it merge into a almighty drone and roar.

We get different whistles to which include both spacebar and B key and there is a guard whistle to from what I heard earlier, cyclinder drain . sounds is their to and quite loud, plus you got the brake release and ejector sounds to boot. I can't find much fault to the soundset to be honest and ultimately they the soundset is better than what has come out of RSC so I'm happy with the results in the end, sounds like a 2MT in motion and stationary, not much else to find gripe over.

Overall I think the pack is very nice and Keith's scenarios are really interesting and engaging, especially with all the other traffic moving around as you complete your tasks which is something I like to see in a scenario, Keith certainly has a knack of giving them more life than what is generally available at times.

If the one niggle I may have, bar the animation bit mentioned, I think the numbering font on the smokebox door seems abit..hm, best word I'd say is "modern looking" rather than BR era font, could be camera angle when I'm looking outside the loco, but beyond that I can't find much else wrong, might be other stuff but I'm fine with what I got at the end of the day, the stuff which seem to require any changes or fixes are pretty minor to me, I can enjoy it for what its worth.

Crump.

---

All the bits you mentioned are present Matt and the cyclinder drain cocks issue (which was present on 3F to) seems not be a issue now.

[kevpotts]

Just a note (intending to buy tonight) but from the video a few posts ago, the vacuum brake handle seems to be reversed again ie release should be away from the driver. This seems to be a common fault with a lot of releases, although corrected by DT on the 4MT when pointed out to them.

Rgds

[black8]

Thanks for the review Crump. This and the youtube video makes me want to buy rightaway

Jos

[crumplezone]

Thanks for the review Crump. This and the youtube video makes me want to buy rightaway

Jos

Glad it helps, though I've noticed my typos reading it now 'tis what I get for typing it just after midnight while being tired and abit under the weather

I'm about half way done with the scenarios so far, very engaging thus far and quite a treat, alot of AI traffic moving around in the scenarios and when your stopping at stations you see other 2MTs shunting around smaller consists tender first and a few of them past you on the route to, great atmosphere all around.

[bdy26]

I've been waiting for this one for some time, and it looks like DT have done their stuff again. Thanks for the review Crumplezone.

Whilst there are some detail differences, mainly in the top feed, I'll see if I can do a version with Ivatt 2mt numbering. I'll need to check my books, but a few Ivatt 2s acquired BR Green at Swindon and I expect the standards did too. Any info gratefully received. Any excuse for a reskin eh

Thanks DT

B

[Rockdoc2174]

It's a nice model and I don't find the sounds all that bad, unlike some have, but that kind of thing is down to personal perception, I'd say. The eccentric on the driver's side looks to move the link too little and, as has been said, the fireman's side valve-gear doesn't move at all, which I'm amazed hadn't been spotted before release. Something that I was also surprised to find is that the gauge for steam-chest pressure has its needle incorrectly modelled - the pivot-pin is in the centre of the face but the needle is wrongly positioned as it's too long - and it is incorrectly calibrated, the maximum shown by the needle position being 165 psi and not the 200 psi shown in the F5 HUD.Given many people like to drive without the HUD, the second seems an odd mistake to make.

Minor quibbles:

1. The boiler seems to steam too well. No matter how hard you flog it the boiler can produce more steam than is used.
2. The safety valves don't appear to operate. The boiler is producing more steam than is being used but the valves never lift for me or, at least, the noise is there but the pressure doesn't change.
3. There's a bright patch a few feet in front of the buffer beam when there is no headlight on the loco to produce it. The oil lamps were for indication, not illumination, and wouldn't even have been lit in daylight never mind light up the track. Thankfully, it's not as bad as on the JT steam locos - which are just ridiculous - but it's wrong, wrong, wrong.

To me this model is, perhaps, a bit more annoying than it should be because it's so nearly a very good one indeed. The few but obvious mistakes make it seem as if it has been rushed out yet we know it's been a long time arriving.

Is it worth buying? Yes, very much so. DT are a group who are quick to respond to problems and I have no doubt they'll be on the case ASAP. I just hope RSC move the patches through their system quickly so we can enjoy this little loco at its best.

Keith

[prairie4566]

Lovely selection of whistles on her :p Including a few guard's whistles :p

[92212]

Thanks!

The sound source DT supplied to me was of a really high quality. I took all the whistles from the recordings I could. Not all were suitable. Getting exhaust sounds from the recordings was a challenge though. 78019 was recorded at the Great Central. Not a steep line! I'm quite pleased with what I managed with the supplied recordings. I'll be adding wheelslip in a future patch!

Regards
Matt