Question about Bus Stop Brake and Handbrake

[Stormmaster]

Could someone help me understand a few things about braking systems in the game?

I learned quite a lot about trucks, so understand how main brakes (pedal), parking brake and retarder work. What I am not sure about is "handbrake" and "bus stop brake". So...

1. There is a key mapping for Bus Stop Brake, but pressing it doesn't seem to do anything. Bus Stop Brake is automatically active when you open the doors, and automatically turns off when you accelerate after closing the doors. Is it realistic? Am I supposed to use the button for Bus Stop Brake somehow?

2. In the game Handbrake seems to be an extra braking system that works similar to a usual car's handbrake (and kind of the only way to get "harsh braking" complain). Though the cab doesn't seem to have a lever for it. Do real buses have a Handbrake (not Parking Brake)? I know trucks don't.

I am trying to play as realistic as possible, so need to know how to set things up. Perhaps I should simply unbind those keys?

3. Also I would appreciate if someone familiar with real bus driving mentioned the correct procedure for stopping at a bus stop (moments like holding brakes and/or using parking brake and/or changing gear to neutral, e.t.c.) and for temporarily leaving the driver's seat.

[Buck_RJ]

I found these videos...

Air Brakes Explained Simply: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZFi957GaxpU

Basic CDL Air Brake Components: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dMxilatT0qw

Left Alt = bus stop brake (I only hear a click sound, but I still can't find out it)

Bus stop button (???): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ThXn7OWavxc

[Stormmaster]

Thank you for your answer, Buck_RJ. I knew all that already (and used to watch that guy while learning about trucks), but the video is still good to watch.

My confusion was with buses. I suppose "handbrake" in the game is just a mistake or additional non-realistic feature for those who want to drive like a car. Construction simulator 2015 also had this mappable button in controls, while the vehicles there were not supposed to have a handbrake (well, one Escort Vehicle might, but it was added in a later DLC).

As for Bus Stop Brake — I don't know. It works in the game automatically when you open a door, but I am not sure if it's the way it is supposed to be. Maybe in irl the driver is normally supposed to press the button for it instead of, say, using Parking Brake at every stop?

But I am pretty sure it's not about the Bus Stop Button from video 3 — that is a request to stop (for passengers to indicate that they intend to disembark at the upcoming stop — on some routes bus drivers might skip stops if there are no passengers there and nobody in the bus requests to stop). Pressing this button creates an acoustic signal for the driver and turns on a blue light on the dashboard.

[Moirage]

Hello guys ! I'm a bus fan in real life and I talk with bus drivers every times I take the bus (2 peer days min), so I can try to explain the procedure when we arrived to a stop (It's the procedure in France, with HeuliezBus, Iveco, Irisbus, Renault or Man control panel and systems).

When a bus arrive to a stop, the procedure is :
1 - Arrive in slow speed
2 - When the bus is in stop, engage the Bus Stop Brake ("H") who temporaly blocks the wheels and unlocks doors 2, 3, 4 and 5. The door 1 can be open when the BSB is not engage, but the door closes when the bus past 10 km/h.
3 - Open all doors (If it haven't a invalid people), (automatic or no kneeling system, never need to use a button) or you can activate the self-unlock (when people can open doors with the buttom by them selves, except for door 1 who is control by the driver).
3' - If an invalid people needs the ramp, the door with the ramp must be close ! In the control panel, the driver use the ramp button (He don't need to engage the Parking Brake), who deploy the ramp and must wait until the ramp is locked, after, he can open the door.
4 - Close all doors, if not, the BSB can't be disengage (except door 1, cf point 2 -).
4' - If an invalid people needed the ramp, close the door, and retract the ramp. And back to point 4 -.
5 - Disengage the BSB.
5' - On Man Lion's City especially, we need to press and release the accelerator pedal one time to disengage totaly the BSB before drive.
6 - Leave the stop.

Voilà ! I hope I was clear and that I could help you !

[Stormmaster]

Wow, that was really helpful! Thanks a lot, Moirage!

[cavatina]

Invalid people... must be an error in translation.

[cavatina]

Although the post had really good info. Thank you.

[Moirage]

Sorry for the bad english... Frenchman, you know, we're not the best in english... XD
What's the good word for ?

[Moirage]

And your welcome, it's a pleasure to share my passion with other people ! ;-p

[Moirage]

I've found it ! It's passengers in wheelchairs and mobility-impaired persons, I'm very sorry for this big mistake from me...

[Stormmaster]

Well, "invalid" is the right word in various languages (with "i" stressed, not "a", so it's pronounced differently from "invalid" with "not valid" meaning). I have even seen it in an official english version of a game (Frostpunk), so it's very easy to make this mistake. I, for one, was starting to believe that it's not a mistake, but just a less common word for this.

[cavatina]

No problem. Just wanted to point it out.

[Stormmaster]

Ok, I got the "handbrake" part. For example, in MAN bus you can see a lever to the left, which gets engaged both when you press the button for handbrake and when you press the button for parking brake. So it is one system with 2 ways to engage it. Parking brake button is for normal use and controlwise it's a toggle. "Handbrake" control engages the brake for as long as the mapped button is pressed. It can actually be assigned to gear shifter to somehow resemble the lever. Though I don't use "handbrake" anyway, because it's implementation in the game doesn't feel realistic.