Sand Patch/Helping Hand: Brakes

[valenti_scott]

Hello-
I've started the Sand Patch/Helping Hand scenario, and I've proceeded to the first stop-point. As I approached, I made sure the throttle was in idle, and applied the automatic brake.

To my horror, I realized that the auto brakes weren't working, even at full application, and I sailed right through the stop point. The auto brake was set to 'freight' as instructed. Has anyone seen this sort of thing?

Of course the independent brake is working, and I could have stopped that way.

I also went to the trailing loco to make sure its auto brake was set correctly (cut-out, handle off).
-Scott

[professor camp]

You need to set the MU-2A Valve to "Lead or Dead" in the lead locomotive (the tutorial neglects to tell you this), otherwise neither the independent brakes nor the automatic brakes will work on any of the locomotives!

Basically, when the MU-2A is in trail mode, its brake cylinder PSI follows whatever the brake cylinder PSI is of the connected lead locomotive, ignoring the brake pipe PSI. That's why both kinds of brakes do nothing when all the locomotives in the consist are in trail mode.

[valenti_scott]

Ok, I'll try that, thx.