Diesel just for cho-cho atmosphere or actually useful?

[Dreepa]

Even when playing on very hard, I keep using electric, because often just one locomotive is needed instead of 2, or more wagons are possible, they accelerate faster, can pull more cargo etc.

I haven't noticed the catenary make any significant impact on my balance that would warrant using diesel locomotion, except maybe for the first two lines I set up at the start of the game (though I usually start with trucks anyway).

So when I build diesel, I do it for fun, diversifying my gameplay, having some nice smoking locomotives to look at.

Am I missing something?

[joeball123]

What you're 'missing' is that purchase and operating costs for locomotives are very strongly related to their engine power; a pair of 2,000 kW diesel locomotives will cost almost exactly as much as a single 4,000 kW electric locomotive rated for the same speed, so as far as your bottom line is concerned whether you run diesels or electrics is kind of irrelevant, as long as the engine power you provide to a train is appropriate for what you're trying to do.

Additionally, you should be picking locomotives because they're appropriate for the task you want to be performed, not because they're the most powerful thing you have available at or above the speed you want to achieve. Sure, for a given consist a Series 1042 will accelerate faster than a BR 218, but is a Series 1042 really a more appropriate locomotive for a four- or five-car passenger train than a BR 218?

HHP-8s and BR 103.1s are the most powerful and fastest locomotives in the American and European vehicle sets, but you (presumably) don't use them for every locomotive-hauled train you run even though no other single locomotive is likely to achieve the same acceleration pulling a given consist.

[Dreepa]

Originally posted by joeball123:

a pair of 2,000 kW diesel locomotives will cost almost exactly as much as a single 4,000 kW electric locomotive rated for the same speed, so as far as your bottom line is concerned whether you run diesels or electrics is kind of irrelevant, as long as the engine power you provide to a train is appropriate for what you're trying to do.

Would have been cool if electrification was a serious investment and maintnance required, shutting down tracks for the duration etc.
So diesel is basically just for the fluff? Since it is interchangable?

[❆🎄Douglas 🎁 🎂]

He just wrote 3 paragraphs explaining each locomotive has its purpose, depending on the task you need. If you need to climb a mountain look for tractive effort not fastest. You don't need a very powerful one for 4-6 wagons, and you keep insisting its for the fluff.....

If you want infrastructure to be more expensive, just adjust in the options while creating or loading a game. This is possible after spring update.

[Dreepa]

Originally posted by ❆🎄Douglas 🎁 🎂:

He just wrote 3 paragraphs explaining each locomotive has its purpose, depending on the task you need. If you need to climb a mountain look for tractive effort not fastest. You don't need a very powerful one for 4-6 wagons, and you keep insisting its for the fluff.....

If you want infrastructure to be more expensive, just adjust in the options while creating or loading a game. This is possible after spring update.

So which diesel locomotive has a purpose that an electric one does not fullfill. Tell me them.
If you want to put words into my mouth or be annoyed by my questions, just go away. I don't need people like that talking to me. I am not insisting on anything. This is a forum to discuss things. If that is not down your alley, maybe you should not reply.

[Schety]

Originally posted by Dreepa:

So which diesel locomotive has a purpose that an electric one does not fullfill.

First of, it depends with which vehicle list you play and mods.

For my current playthrough with american trains:
Alco HH600 for short/medium Carco trains.
Pioneer Zephyr Long flat distance passenger train.

With Eu Trains i use mostly electric ones. there are only 4 Diesel anyways.

Also the Suggestion from Joeball:

Originally posted by joeball123:

. Sure, for a given consist a Series 1042 will accelerate faster than a BR 218, but is a Series 1042 really a more appropriate locomotive for a four- or five-car passenger train than a BR 218?

If you want to Pay 5mil more to buy, and 1 mil in maintenance per jear so the train can reach top speed 1km faster (on hard) sure take the Series 1042 else not.

[Tsubame ⭐]

Electric trains are invariably better than diesel trains in real life, and the game more or less reflects that, although very subtly.

Electrifying tracks is a huge one-time expense, and does incur more maintenance costs; these are definitely NOT reflected in the game.

So OP's statement is spot on.