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GWR Pannier Tanks - 35% off
GWR 1000 County Class - 35% off
LNER Raven Q6 - 40% off
GWR Large Prairies - 40% off
GWR Large Prairies Lined Liveries (Requires GWR Large Prairies Pack) - 35% off
Stroudley A1/A1X Class 'Terrier' - 40% off
GWR Saint Class & Travelling Post Office - 55% off
BR Saint & Travelling Post Office Livery (Requires GWR Saint Pack) - 35% off
USATC S160 - 55% off
GWR 14xx - 50% off
LNER Peppercorn K1 - 50% off
GWR Small Prairies - 40% off
GWR 56xx - 40% off
GT3 Gas Turbine Prototype - 55% off
GWR Steam Railmotor - 40% off
Southern Bulleid Q1 - 40% off
Greetings, Victory Works.
ReplyDeleteI have recently purchased your GWR Pannier pack and I must say that they are fun and lovely things to drive.
The 57xx holds a special place in my heart as it was the "Riviera in The Fifties" (Exeter-Kingswear) one, which was the first steam locomotive I drove in Train Simulator and one on which I learned to drive them.
I do have a few questions however, that I am hoping to have answered by you - if that's possible.
1) I've noticed a big difference with how the vacuum brakes operate between the Riviera Pannier and Victory Works one and I've been wondering about the proper operation of the combined brake.
In the "old" 57xx, if the brake was left in the middle position, the train pipe vacuum pressure would slowly drain - it would continue to do so until the locomotive reached above 10mph where a mechanical pump would maintain vacuum. I have noticed that in the Victory Works Pannier the vacuum does not drain like that at all, no matter the length of the consist.
I guessed that the middle position still uses the ejector and manages to maintain vacuum? Old habits die hard and I've been used to leaving the combined brake in full release until at speed - but I understand that this isn't necessary with this model and it's prototypical?
Also, leaving the ejector fully open at all times doesn't seem to drain steam pressure at all - something that happened on the old Pannier.
2) I've also been wondering if the steam heating equipment does any thing? I know it's an option to have it installed on certain Panniers but I've been unable to make it do any thing (hiss or move the heating gauge) by fiddling with the steam heating and Masons valves. I imagine it's just for show and doesn't really pretend to work?
3) Last but not least, I've been testing "failures" on the locomotive and I have been curious whether or not leaving the lubricator off (putting the regulator down fully) while coasting for an extended time risks causing any damage? Or is the option purely cosmetic?
Similarly, no matter how much I'd overfill the boiler (well over 110%), even though it would cause priming and jam the regulator open, there didn't seem to be any damage to the cylinders (which do crack partially if the drain cocks aren't open when departing).
I do enjoy the "risk" that comes with mistakes made while driving steam locos and I just wonder if "under the hood" there is any real risk or if it's something for player to self-regulate on.
Apologies for a lengthy post here but I don't have a Facebook account, which seems to be the only other way of contacting you.
I do really enjoy your product but I have had those questions unanswered by the manual and searching the internet, so I figured to go to the source. Hope it's not too much a bother.
Kind Regards,
Raf
Hi Raf
DeleteThanks for the message, answered as follows:
1. We worked with someone with footplate experience of GWR Panniers so we are happy that our version is the correct implementation (I also know that the Riviera Pannier was done by a non-GWR enthusiast and was a copy/paste of an LMS tank engine's set up!)
2. We played around with some of our older locos where the steam heating controls changed the needle etc. but at the end of the day we just stopped adding it due to the lack of support by the base game for a train knowing what kind of stock it's made up of. We did talk to some of the other developers at one point about coming up with a standardised system we could all use for internal train communication but nothing came of it.
3. Drive it for 1.5 miles without any oil and it will start making noises. Drive it for quite a few miles (20+) and you'll find it will become "problematic"!
Thank you so much for a quick reply and the detailed answers - they do clear up things quite a bit.
DeleteAs I've said I am really happy about the locos which drive and sound (I'm using the free SSS sound pack) beautifully.
I'm keenly looking at your other stuff for my future purchases (especially the auto-fitted locos), as I so far own the Panniers and the USATC S160 Class both of which I love to bits.
I'm really enjoying the Autocoach experience and just how bizarre and challenging it feels - good job on that one.
The only thing that bothers me about it a little - and I don't meant to sound bothersome - is that the gong pedal is tied to the same key as the whistle and cannot be used separately from it - which means one has to look down and find the pedal to use it with the mouse.
Now, I know that if the locomotive is coupled smokebox first, then the gong becomes the bind for [Space], however I have noticed that with the otherwise fantastic Steam Sounds Supreme pack, the whistle and gong both go off in that situation when [Space] is pressed (not when the whistle cord is pulled in the cab though, which is correct) - which forces me to use the gong with mouse.
I realise the latter is more of an issue to bring up with SSS and it IS a free pack so you wouldn't catch me daring to complain about it to them.
But I have been wondering if it's at all possible to edit the mapping files for the Panniers and make the Autocoach Gong a separate keybind at all? I'm no expert on these things but it would be nice to have the two available as separate key binds.
I don't expect you guys to change it for a loco that's been out for over a year but if there is any thing I could do on my end to enable that, I'd love to know.
If nothing can be done about that, just consider it feedback for any future autocoaches.
Again, sorry for a lengthy post.
I promise that's the only other thing and I genuinely enjoy your Pannier Pack immensely - I don't want to come across as I don't.
Thank you for your time & kind regards,
Raf
It is possible to edit the input mapper file and add a key for "Gong"(copying the layout of the bell control) so you could activate it separately.
DeleteThanks for the feedback, much appreciated, and glad you're enjoying our locos so much
Thank you so much!
DeleteI've copy-pasted the Bell commands in the mapper and changed them to control the Gong with another key.
Works flawlessly! Now it's perfect and I can fully appreciate the Autocoach experience.
Thank you for your time once more.
I'll be buying more of your products, I am sure of it!