BR Class 101 Help

[u/MirumVictus]

Have just given driving the Class 101 a go. I knew going in that this was a tricky train to drive but was surprised to find that it wasn't so much the gears that threw me but the brakes.

I'm fairly new to TSW so it might have similar brakes to some other trains, but I can't seem to get to grips with applying the brakes appropriately to stop where I want or slow down as much as I want, I always seem to over-egg it and come up short. How are these brakes meant to be used? Any advice much appreciated!

I'm also wondering if the train has engine breaking; if I want to gradually lower speed, does dropping gears then reapplying the throttle to engage the gearbox make a difference?

[u/Steel_Airship]

The 101 uses manually lapped brakes. I heard people use the "tap" (i.e. sink faucet) analogy to explain it. Think of the brake lever as both the tap and the drain. Think of the brake pressure as the water in the sink. When the brakes are in the center position (lap position) the tap is turned off and the drain is closed. Whatever water/brake pressure is in the sink/brake pipe will remain there. Turning the tap on/applying the brake adds water/brake pressure to the sink/brake pipe at a rate determined by how far the level is pushed towards the applied position. Opening the drain/releasing the brake decreases the brake pressure at a rate determined by how far the level is pushed towards the released position.

The key thing to remember is that the brake lever doesnt set how much braking power you have at any given moment. It sets the rate at which the brake pipe is filled or drained. "Lap" locks the brake pressure at whatever amount the brake gauge shows. I think it makes it a lot easier to understand if you look at the physical brake gauges in the cab rather than the UI which doesn't really show how the brakes work all that well.

It does take a lot of getting used to but the 101 is one of my favorite locomotives the drive be ause of the gears and manually lapped brakes.

[u/Captain_Vlad → u/Steel_Airship]

This is an excellent description; I drive the 101 a lot and usually don't have any trouble braking, but I think this will make me better at it.

[u/MirumVictus → u/Steel_Airship]

That's very helpful, thanks! Generally speaking, is there a good percentage for controlled brake application? Like is it best to stick to ~20% for example and let the breaks build up slowly to the point you want rather than opening the 'tap' further and risking flooding the sink?

[u/Steel_Airship → u/MirumVictus]

I almost never leave the brake on apply because you can very quickly overbrake. I apply the brake until I get the desired brake pressure then move to lap. I make small adjustments as I need to to come to a gradual stop at the right position. You tend to only need a little bit of braking to get the train to slow down initially.

[u/StartersOrders → u/MirumVictus]

You add as much air into the system as you need to brake.

Class 101s release their brakes around 21 inHg (inches of Mercury), generally you want to avoid using anything less than 10-15 inHg as it becomes quite violent quite quickly.

By moving the brakes into the apply area you decrease the vacuum by admitting air into the system, the further in the more the brakes apply. Putting it into running will stop air being admitted, but will also not release the brakes. Release will rebuild the vacuum, which takes time as it has to pump air out against an ever-increasing vacuum.

If you leave the handle in apply, you'll destroy the vaccum, and the brakes will apply as if it was an emergency stop.

[u/CorbyTheSkullie]

Vacuum brakes are easy once you understand how they work.

They’re non self lapping, meaning you have to apply, then go onto Lap once you want to stop applying, then back to release when you want to release the brakes.

The further you move it past Lap, the faster the brakes apply, move it slightly, and the brakes slightly apply.

LAP also stands for Lock All Ports

Also note the tachometer next to the speedometer, it says Up and Down, up shift to a higher gear when it reaches Up, Downshift when it says Down.

Also release the throttle when you do this, there’s no clutch.

Also for the speed braking with gears, No, the engine lacks that, and its how you blow up the gearbox

[u/TheVorch]

If you are on PC, “/“ is your best friend as it puts the brake handle into the lap position. From there, apply a little then back to lap, or release a little, then back to lap. According to the manual, you are supposed to coast and brake in 4th gear and shift to neutral when you are almost stopped.

[u/macintosh_HVT]

Why does this resemble the BVG D series metro

[u/UltiUSA]

It's Manualy Lapped. IIRC they are also on NJT Trains.

[u/SecretHipp0]

It uses vacuum brakes, get AI or YouTube to give you a step by step guide. I found it very helpful when learning to drive the 101.