Manual or AI

[Christopher125]

Hi

I was wondering what other people here prefer to use when driving steam engines; manual or AI fireman?

Having got used to firing steam engines manually, I feel I am now confident driving manually and this is something that really feels me with pleasue when I know I've just driven for 3 hours myself without once blown off or needed to stop for a blow up (especially when using one of Rick's eng files ). I was wondering what other people here prefer to use.

Cheers,
Chris

[ilovequo]

hi,

i get the pc to do the hard stuff. lol

[spartacus]

It's one of those things thats been discused from the start, my conclusion is that I'd fire more, and so would others, if there was an option for an AI driver to take over driving. After all, firing AND driving on the mainline would be very unusual.

[SCOTTLOWES]

I gave up with manuel fireman the 3rd week i got it i would always get fatel blowback and fuse plugs melted

[Lad491]

I cant cope with firing and driver a steam train at the same time. It takes all my efforts to fire and driving is a nonstarter. Ive tried firing when ive had someone to share the controls and drive, but mostly i use AI.

I do tweak the engine files though to make the AI fireman more realistic and occasionally others here have suggested amendments to make manual firing more realistic.

[asalmon]

AI - I have enough difficulty balancing the reverser and regulator, without having to worry about all sorts of other things I don't understand!

I try to avoid driving steamers at all!

[thenudehamster]

Once I got the hang of driving steam, I switched off the AI fireman. I'm still trying to get all my engines properly 'physicked' so ocasionally I get the boiler overfilled, or I let the fire get too low, but overall, once I got all the keystrokes committed to memory, it's not that difficult.
The hard part is getting the .eng files correct in the first place - a 1600lb fire on a 0-6-0T is a little absurd....

[tinsley]

It's got to be manual...!!!! I am the grandson of a LMS/BR steam driver
For me that is the X factor about steam...you have more to do than just pushing a lever up/down
Give me a heavy train..a long incline and a tight schedule... I might not look at the scenery very much but that gets the adrenaline going.....
It isn't difficult...but you have to keep at it to get it right....pressing R ..or O occasionally is not exactly time consuming time consuming...what's more you can dajust the injectors to have them on all the time when running..so no melted fusibles..
Got a double header waiting!!!....have a great Xmas..

[johndibben]

Manual .... this is a serious simulator isn't it?

All these people tweaking away and use AI fireman?

In my day and in my area there were proper loco's with proper controls, not dodgem cars

Paid for all the features and I'm going to use them

[uknut]

I would like to be able to fire manually but the physics never seem to be any good, I don't have any knowledge on eng files etc and how to make it more realistic. So i have to settle with the awful automatic fireman. Even though i say this i find it difficult to juggle both driving and fireman.

[Caseyjones82]

90% of the time i drive deisle/eletric, i just havn't got a clue in driving steam manually

[1crick14a]

And don't forget fellas you can work the dampers, blower and chuck a bit of coal on all in Auto.................Rick

[dikkidee]

Give me manual - I get as much enjoyment out of firing as I do driving.

[DarwinS]

Well to date I have always driven with the AI fireman. Just driving along is enough to keep my slow wits busy. But not being totally happy with the .eng file for the little engine I made I have been trying to improve it and test it.

I made an activity to take a mixed train of about 150 tons (two bogies, three mineral wagons and a goods brake) from Wick to Lybster (steepest gradient 1 in 50) in the snow dropping off coal wagons along the way. It stalled halfway up the first steep bit.

Hell I read and reread the .eng file thinking the loco was underpowered... even after cutting out one of the passenger coaches (125 tons) it still got stuck on the last bit of 1 in 50 going up to Thrumster... After stopping for a brew to regain full boiler pressure I did manage to get away again, full gear full regulator lots of sand

So yesterday I engaged my 7 year old son as driver (with the mouse), I took the keyboard to fire myself. You know the answer, I kept the boiler pressure up and he fairly shot up the bank. Only towards the end did the speed really drop off - up to 60% cut off and speed came down to 6mph.

Maybe I should learn to fire and drive!

[chrishal11]

Normally I drive with the AI fireman, but only because I always forget to fill the boiler up and get my fusible plugs melted