57xx Pannier - does it not like hills?

[rkk01]

Or are the physics a bit out?

Can't get over 6-8mph up hill with 10 vans from the 45xx / 4575 pack

Pull the reverser back below 50% and it stalls. Keeping it above 50% maintains speed, but empties the boiler double quick...

[tnleeuw01]

I don't know - but are you building up a good fire? Dampers on? Blower?

--Tim

[ightenhill]

Just tried it on Falmoith.. Doesnt seem to bad as long as you have it roaring and full when you leave.. Dont try to push it .. I took it at about 25-27mph

[rkk01]

I'll swap out the 57xx for a 45xx and see if that is any different, with the same load / climb.

[chrisreb]

I always found the Pannier very hard to get over the hills - seemed very lacking in power.

[MFMPorter]

+1
David W

[rkk01]

Small Prairie is doing much better: 15.4 mph, but it's steaming well and I'm almost in sight of the top

[felix47]

57xx was "nerfed" with the TS2013 upgrade og the Falmouth Branch. In my experience, "new" 57xx now requires longer recovery times in stations.
I am unable to tell, if the original performance or the new performance is closer to the real deal.

Btw. my local branch line quite often runs steam specials hauled by similar small (0-6-0) steamer and it requires really long recovery times, practically at every major station every 15 - 20 miles (30 minutes at the minimum, granted, those trains are probably slightly overloaded, but anyway, this shows, that long recovery times are nothing uncommon with steamers).

[stuart666]

Bear in mind the small and large prairies had a much larger boiler. The one fitted to the 57xx has a steam dome and was in many ways a victorian design. You are also running it over some of the steepest gradients in the country, which with 3 or 4 carriages on is going to be taxing anyway.

My advice, open the dampers, stoke the fire up a lot and in stations use the blower to make steam up. You will be surprised how well it goes as long as you keep the fire and the water up. And let it recover on the downhill sections, no need to keep the throttle open going downhill.

[rkk01]

You are also running it over some of the steepest gradients in the country, which with 3 or 4 carriages on is going to be taxing anyway.

These hill climbing tests aren't on the Falmouth branch!

[stuart666]

I used the same basic setup on the WLOS branch with 6 tanker cars behind. It coped ok with that. In fact the same basic setup coped with 900 tons on the flat, albeit with a bit of sanding to get started. Managed to haul the lot at 10mph.

[tjm20000]

apparently a 1:55 is practically a 2.0% gradient which makes the Lickey Incline (wherever that is) very steep over 2.0% in fact that's like generic American gradient and since we do mass transit of goods we need like 2-3 of our semi-beefy 1-2 beefy diesels (depending on lead engine) added to get up the thing then there's Cajon Pass which at most is around 3% and with our diesel engines we need like 5 of even the most powerful diesels to get up the steep end of Cajon Pass or vice versa, so if the Lickey Incline is like a 2.1% gradient in our terms that must mean Cajon Pass is insta-death in your terms cause that would be like a 1:35 or something like that.

[rkk01]

Well, a bit of testing and it's not just the Pannier, although the Pannier performance is particularly dire on 1:38

The 2251 isn't much better. Unlike the Pannier it will get the train moving, well at least into double figures...
But with huge steam usage. Cutting back on the regulator and / or the reverser sees the speed tumble to 3-4mph

The 45xx / 4575 is undoubtedly the best performer, with a sustained speed in the mid teens

And, surprisingly, the DT 2MT runs it pretty close (TBH I think an Ivatt 2MT would be more prototypical than the BR standard)

Next test will be a Manor, and hopefully soon, a 43xx...
... (both running with special dispensation from the CCE)

[Clemmo47]

I'm afraid I've had to cheat at times with some impossible climbs. The AI is cleverer than me (-followaitrain does the job)
http://railworks.wikia.com/wiki/Scenario_Test_mode

[the204]

apparently a 1:55 is practically a 2.0% gradient which makes the Lickey Incline (wherever that is) very steep over 2.0% in fact that's like generic American gradient and since we do mass transit of goods we need like 2-3 of our semi-beefy 1-2 beefy diesels (depending on lead engine) added to get up the thing then there's Cajon Pass which at most is around 3% and with our diesel engines we need like 5 of even the most powerful diesels to get up the steep end of Cajon Pass or vice versa, so if the Lickey Incline is like a 2.1% gradient in our terms that must mean Cajon Pass is insta-death in your terms cause that would be like a 1:35 or something like that.

The Lickey Incline is between Bromsgrove and Barnt Green, just south of Birmingham. It is a 1:38 incline, while a 3% would be 1:33.3... . It is actually in the freeware Bromsgrove-Derby route in the file library.