Basic guide to setting up a Consist of two locomotives

[ThicKawkFillsTheSpots]

I've noticed some people struggling with understanding how to properly set up and use the locomotive airbrakes as one or consist. So I thought it'd share some basic info regarding it.

Let say in easy terms we have two SD40-2's as a consist. Sometimes the game doesnt setup the trail properly basically making the trail unit useless on the mainline.

Start in your trail and confirm all your breakers are up in your electrical cabinet. (Make sure Warning device and Radio/HOTD breaker down.) In real life you keep your warning device closed so you dont have Main res. Air hissing out of the overspeed whistle in the cab.

Take your Automatic Brake Handle, (Red) and move it to 'Handle-Off'. And than below it you'll see a three-way valve that has Cut-out, Freight, and Passenger. For now just put it into Cut-out.

Completely release your independant Brake handle, And below on the bottom of the control stand to the front is called your 'MU2A' Valve, move it to trail 6-26.

That will now set-up your trail unit so the brakes will apply/release when making any brake application.

Now in real life the Gen field braker stays down in the trailing unit, but i found it glitches and stops loading the trail unit, so make sure you have that on.

Behind you above the electrical cabinet you have two switches to worry about; The isolation switch and headlight control switch. Make sure the isolation switch is set to run, (again so the unit can load). And set the headlight control switch to the orientation of which way the trailing locomotive is position behind the lead.

The lead well the game shows you what to turn on. Just make sure your Automatic brake handle is cut-in to frieght and your MU2A is in lead.

Feel free to ask anymore questions if needing help. Again this is basic info. Please feel free to chime in for any engineers who do this for a living. I'm just a locomotive mechanic for the railway so actually operating it on the mainline and not in the yard is a different story for me!

[Staalby]

Or you can consult the manual. It has a very easy to understand explaination for it. It is really simple to do, and involves few steps.

Good guide non the less.

[ThicKawkFillsTheSpots]

The GE AC4400's are ultimately the same as above. The only difference is they are equipment with a Electronic Air brake system. Same as before make sure your in Handle off and Independant is released. On the screen bottom left hand theres a 'Air Brake' button, click that and than set it to 'Cut-Out' and 'Trail'...that simple!

[Limmin]

Wow. Big Daddy, would you please copy this info into a Steam guide for this game?

You may have to do little more than cut and paste. And you'd be the first really useful guide thus far. (There is just one currently, on collectables.)

[Staalby]

Setting up the EMD SD40-2 for Multiple Unit Working As MU Lead

Ensure the locomotives have been fully set up as per the EMD SD40-2 start-up instructions if required. Once the locomotives are operational then you can set them up for Multiple Unit working.
The start-up instructions will set the locomotive up to be suitable for leading a
consist or being the sole locomotive in a consist.
The key settings to be aware of, should you need to change a locomotive from
trailing back to lead are as shown below.
These three switches enable the power controllers (e.g. Throttle) to work:

Engine Run: ON
Generator Field: ON
Control & Fuel Pump: ON

These three valves control whether the brake handles operate the brakes on the
train:

Brake Cut-off Valve: FREIGHT
MU-2A Valve: LEAD OR TRAIL


As MU Trail

Power and Full Brakes

Engine Run: OFF
Generator Field: OFF
Control & Fuel Pump: OFF

Brake Cut-off Valve: CUT-OUT
MU-2A Valve: TRAIL 6 OR 26



The same rules and settings apply to the GE AC4400CW as for the EMD SD40-2
and EMD GP38-2.
For the brake configuration, you should use the 1 key on the engineer’s IFD
Keypad to select the Air Brake Setup screen and select the appropriate setup.
Once complete, press the F6 key to save the changes.
The Engine Run, Gen Field and Control switches perform the same tasks as on the
EMD SD40-2 and must be set up following the same rules as the EMD SD40-2 on
each locomotive in the consist


For setting up a seperate loco in the back, the nearest loco must be set as a leading unit.

Even more simple?

[ThicKawkFillsTheSpots]

Originally posted by Limmin:

Wow. Big Daddy, would you please copy this info into a Steam guide for this game?

You may have to do little more than cut and paste. And you'd be the first really useful guide thus far. (There is just one currently, on collectables.)

Thank you I'll maybe make one in the future if people have any other questions regarding set up or how the airbrake system works on the locomotive.

Originally posted by Staalby:

Setting up the EMD SD40-2 for Multiple Unit Working As MU Lead

Ensure the locomotives have been fully set up as per the EMD SD40-2 start-up instructions if required. Once the locomotives are operational then you can set them up for Multiple Unit working.
The start-up instructions will set the locomotive up to be suitable for leading a
consist or being the sole locomotive in a consist.
The key settings to be aware of, should you need to change a locomotive from
trailing back to lead are as shown below.
These three switches enable the power controllers (e.g. Throttle) to work:

Engine Run: ON
Generator Field: ON
Control & Fuel Pump: ON

These three valves control whether the brake handles operate the brakes on the
train:

Brake Cut-off Valve: FREIGHT
MU-2A Valve: LEAD OR TRAIL


As MU Trail

Power and Full Brakes

Engine Run: OFF
Generator Field: OFF
Control & Fuel Pump: OFF

Brake Cut-off Valve: CUT-OUT
MU-2A Valve: TRAIL 6 OR 26



The same rules and settings apply to the GE AC4400CW as for the EMD SD40-2
and EMD GP38-2.
For the brake configuration, you should use the 1 key on the engineer’s IFD
Keypad to select the Air Brake Setup screen and select the appropriate setup.
Once complete, press the F6 key to save the changes.
The Engine Run, Gen Field and Control switches perform the same tasks as on the
EMD SD40-2 and must be set up following the same rules as the EMD SD40-2 on
each locomotive in the consist


For setting up a seperate loco in the back, the nearest loco must be set as a leading unit.

Even more simple?

Looks good. Just here to help whatever way i can

[Staalby]

Hey no problem. All i did was copy it from the official manual found here on steam. Perhaps if more people knew how to RTFM ;)

[mally6659]

sometimes seems alot clearer when somebody else explains,
nice clear and to the piont