Frustrating !!

[VanZan_75]

Returning to the sim after seeing news of the update ( like the direction the developers are taking 👍) .
One issue that really frustrates , is a lack of guidance / advice as regards the pulling power ( tonnage pulling power ) of the various locamotives . Having some idea of what the various max tonnage applications / tonnage for various gradients would be a great idea, ( in my opinion, this should really have been a priority from the beginning . Such a pain getting stuck on hills , especially after a trial run on level tracks , where the loco had no issue pulling the consist ) .

( P.s Maybe I missed something in the game guide ? . Would appreciate someone pointing me in the direction of such a guide 👍) .

[zcaalock]

DE2 - 200t, DM3 - 300t, DE6 - 600t

[VanZan_75]

Originally posted by zcaalock:

DE2 - 200t, DM3 - 300t, DE6 - 600t

DE2 - 200t ( I'm assuming that includes train / loco weight also , approx 150t of cargo ? DE-2 can easily pull 250 tons ( cargo ) on level track , but once I venture out on the map ......😭) .

[Azige]

It's possible for DE2 to haul 400t across some hills of 2% gradient. You need to be very familiar to the route and have enough initial momentum. Devs said there would be more in-game manuals talking about the specs of loco in future updates. For now, just trial and error or follow the safety guidance above.

[JuggernautOfWar]

I've been able to shunt >600t with a single DE2 as long as it's flat. When you're going up any hills though forget about it. The DM3 can pull lots of weight up hills, but it will be very very slow doing it.

[refshop]

I'd say 150T is realistic if you are out and about so to speak. It will JUST manage 171T out the Steel Mill on track for the Harbour with a single DE2.

[Pavlik CZ 77]

The DE2 is pretty fast, but I don't dare to tow more than 250t

[VanZan_75]

Thanks for the replys 👍. Will keep these numbers in mind when choosing jobs in future . Nothing worse than having to split a consist after getting stuck half way across the map !! 😭

[Glendathu]

Just that is what I like in the game, the experience that you can't get over that hill in the DE2 with a certain load. But I tried nevertheless by reversing and then taking a run up to build enough speed. With this method I managed to get past the (not very steep) hills except the last one just before my target station.

So I decoupled the first two wagons, shunted it on the target station, then the next two and then the last one. Coupled them together again and the job was done ! That's brain contra gravitational force.

Of course no time bonus this time.

For me Derail Valley is not just a driving sim, but it also has puzzle quality, as sometimes it can get really tricky to get the right wagons on the right tracks without trapping the loco between the wagons. This includes to plan the journey carefully because not always track switches lead to all directions.

[ibbrutal]

good to watch the weather greatly effects traction.

[schutt]

DE2 is 250t train weight excl locomotiv ... unless if your going up the mountains then its 160t. I have no idea how you managed 400t, i think thats way to much for 1 de2 in simulator, but evryone has his own numbers and can work it out in sandbox mode for yourself once you got a licence in career mode for a locomotiv.

[ThunderDownUnder]

Managed to haul 650t of metal scrap from GF to SM using DM3 in the rain, just made sure to keep momentum up getting up to SM. Not a big hill but made the mistake of slowing down there in DE2 with much less weight and forget about it.

[General Protection Fault]

Originally posted by JuggernautOfWar:

I've been able to shunt >600t with a single DE2 as long as it's flat. When you're going up any hills though forget about it. The DM3 can pull lots of weight up hills, but it will be very very slow doing it.

Indeed. As far as I can tell, MF to SM is the only candidate to actually haul 600t+ (of scrap metal) with a single DE2. It's all downhill and level except for the last corner before SM.

Originally posted by refshop:

I'd say 150T is realistic if you are out and about so to speak. It will JUST manage 171T out the Steel Mill on track for the Harbour with a single DE2.

Don't forget you can back off first to take a run-up. Preferably through the main line. Gently go backward to where the slope on the north side of SM begins. Keep your speed low (max 5kph) and coast backwards. When the speed increases one step: hit the brakes. Now go forward to HB.
I can't remember the exact weight but I'm pretty sure I pulled well over 200t up that hill that way. You'll reach the top crawling like a snail but after that it's a piece of cake.

Originally posted by schutt:

DE2 is 250t train weight excl locomotiv ... unless if your going up the mountains then its 160t. I have no idea how you managed 400t, i think thats way to much for 1 de2 in simulator, but evryone has his own numbers and can work it out in sandbox mode for yourself once you got a licence in career mode for a locomotiv.

It depends on where you are going and how well you know the tracks and controls.

Yesterday I hauled 444t from SM to GF with a single DE2. If you keep your speed up (50 kph) at the turnout towards GF, hit full throttle early enough and reduce it step by step when temps are at the edge of getting critical then you'll "blast" into GF with an eye-watering speed of 15-20 kph.

It's quite tricky so if your speed is a bit lower and/or you hit full throttle just a few seconds too late then you're screwed.

[Azige]

Squirrel showed how to escape the death trap to the west of HB with a DE2 hauling 400t.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lN1rMpYT6jM

[[82AD] danielcave87]

i pulled 630 out the harbour on the same track as squirell with the DH4. i roll of shamed twice. but i started at E and went for it. tbh the first 2 times were wet rain and attemt 2 was wet no rain. and attempt 3 was dry sunny.

i hope this helps someone in the great what i can pull mystery.

[Buzzzz]

Interesting that with the new simulator update, that people are asking for definitives on Loco pulling capacity when the new update adds quite a few new variables that will affect the maximum tonnage a single loco can pull efficiently or functionally. I have found that depending on conditions (Rain, curves, heat, loco condition, gradient and acceptable speed) the tonnage a loco can functionally and efficiently pull varies quite a bit. As part of the game experience , I have enjoyed experimenting to learn what each engine is capable of and furthermore adds a bit of challenge to the beginning of the game and each time you unlock a new engine. When Devs spoonfeed the player base with too much info or too many "Cheats", it tends to dilute the gaming experience. Don't get me wrong, I would also like to see a loco catalog with very rough specs for each unit, but any definitive tonnage number is subjectively going to be wrong from player to player. So in a nutshell, I'm surprised how many players are vocally "Disapointed" in a "Missing" feature that literally takes a half hour of gameplay per unit to sort out for yourself. Personally, I would rather see a base power rating per loco included in the catalog versus an actual tonnage rating.