Change power for DLC Consolidation

[isoc280]

I got the Challenger DLC via STEAM so I could have the Consolidation.

I like the Consolidation, but it is a bit too weak, in my opinion. The DLC K4 easily can pull a consist at higher speed up grade. On my test scenario, with a 1% grade, a DH K4 pulled 30 empty coal hoppers and reached over 22 mph.

The DH Consolidation was barely able to get to 9 mph over the identical grade and time.

What file do I edit to get more power to the Consolidation? I used RW tools and opened a bin file I found for the Consolodation, but didn't see any power setting I could adjust. What file do I edit? If one could tell me what text to look for in what file, that would be really good.

BTW, I will back up any files before editing, in case I mess something up. I am a complete novice at editing rolling stock in RW, so use baby talk if you have to. I have edited rolling stock in MSTS, but that was almost 10 years ago, and I barely remember what I did!

Thanks,

Ted

[isoc280]

I've posted this question in 3 forums, and only one response, which did not give me the information on what file to edit, and where to look in the file. Can anyone suggest a forum where I can find this out? Should I ask RSC tech support?

I'd be happy to edit the backed up file and see if I can reach a more satisfactory result, but I can't find the file, or the right place in the files I open with RW tools.

Thanks to anyone who can give me a shove in the right direction.



- Ted

[harryadkins]

This question has gone around the forums several times since the Consolidation was released. Apparantly no one else is concerned with this issue. Like you, I would love to see this locomotive modded with more power but have no idea how to do that.

[isoc280]

This question has gone around the forums several times since the Consolidation was released. Apparantly no one else is concerned with this issue. Like you, I would love to see this locomotive modded with more power but have no idea how to do that.

I don't expect someone to "fix" this for me, but I surely thought someone would have a suggestion as to what I could do.

Regards,

Ted

[_o_OOOO_oo-Kanawha]

It is difficult to give a steam engine more power while maintaining realism. Steam engine maximum static pulling force is calculated by a fixed formula using boiler pressure, cylinder diameter and drive wheel diameter. Steam engine horsepower is difficult to calculate and therefor mostly measured by the railroads using dynamometer cars or by putting the engine on a roller bank. Effective pulling power and what the railroad can actually achieve with an engine is the above two formulas equated in yet another formula with adhesion, friction and certain enviromental variables added in, like temperature, humidity, altitude etc. etc. This gives the engine a certain rating which dictates its usefulness. The Chief of Motive Power of any railroad was usually quite conservative in setting this rating, as the dispatcher and calculation department wouldn't want any trains to get stalled on a grade.

In our simulated models all of the above is done by the simulation engine, which is a lot of hocus pocus with a fair amount of bogus throw in, because it is not very well documented.

You can cheat of course, here is how to:

Make a copy of your complete Consolidation folder in case you mess up.

- unserialize the consolidation_engine.bin file by dropping it on serz.exe in the root folder of your Railworks install.
- rename the new consolidation_engine.xml file to hacked_consolidation_engine.xml or include your initials or whatever to give it a unique name.
- rename the string "Consolidation Engine" to "Hacked Consolidation Engine" anywhere where the name is indicated in the above .xml file, using Notepad+ or any good xml editor.
- give it more Mass or Friction in the RailVehicleComponent section. DON NOT TOUCH OTHER variables or you might break your engine. This should give you more pulling force.
- serialize your new .xml file back into a .bin file by dropping it onto serz.exe again.

You should now be able to use the hacked Consolidation alongside the straight one by selecting it in the scenario editor or by swapping it using RW_Tools.

If you want to go a step further, and thread were no engineer has ever gone before, you can also hack the consolidation_simulation.bin or any of the files in the simulation folder.

- unserialize the consolidation_simulation.bin like above and give it a unique name.
- play around with the firebox, boiler, cylinders and any other applicance to your hearts desire.
- serialize it back to a .bin again, remembering that unique name.
- use the uniquely hacked simulation.bin with your hacked Consolidation by changing the path in the EngineSimulationContainer section of the hacked_consolidation_engine.xml file you created above in the first section.

Play around and have fun while tinkering to get that all singing and dancing Super Consolidation.

[isoc280]

Thanks so much for the detailed reply. Looks like I'll need to learn a few more editing skills to do this, but I'll give it a try!

Best regards,

Ted

[isoc280]

After about 2 hours changing the suggested variables, and also trying to reduce the drag coefficient, results were a negligible improvement.
This may even be only a mental improvement, that I THINK it is better. But any improvement is subtle, or in some cases dramatically worse.

The best I can do is double head with a BritKits 2-8-2, and put the Consolidation as the lead locomotive: that did work much better than a double head Consolidation only.

And for a shorter, lighter consist, the Consolidation is still OK.

Also, the DH Consolidation worked fine as an AI locomotive, easily pulling an identical consist away from me as a driver-DH Consolidation on a parallel track.

And, I did enjoy editing the file and seeing what would happen, even if the results were not very good.

- Ted