Draft:S282 Rewrite
This is a DRAFT of a potential rewrite for the S282's page. Replacement is in consideration due to excessive length and bloat.
The S282 is a 6-axle coal-fired steam locomotive. It is the bigger brother of the S060, the only other steam locomotive in the valley. The S282 has a similar load rating to the DE6, and is generally cheaper to operate, but has a higher workload during operation. It requires the S282 license to drive.
"S282" collectively refers to the two S282A and S282B vehicles, being the locomotive and the tender respectively. The locomotive can be driven without the tender, but will not have access to more water or coal.
Operation
The S282 has perhaps the highest workload of any locomotive in the game, requiring the player to adequately balance coal, water, and steam levels, fire temperature, airflow, and reverser and regulator position.
Start-up
The player requires both the shovel and the lighter in order to fire up, and maintain steam pressure of, the locomotive. The player fires up the locomotive by shoveling coal into the firebox and then lighting it using the lighter. The coal will first burn extremely rapidly as it gets up to temperature, but will burn much slower once the fire gets going. Temperature can be increased using the blower or damper; the damper increases temperature based on locomotive speed and throttle setting, and the blower provides a fixed temperature increase.
Before setting off, the player must first also manually enable the locomotive's air pump, lubricator, and dynamo. The air pump provides compressed air for the brakes, the lubricator lubricates the wheels and valve gear using oil (preventing damage), and the dynamo provides electrical power. The lubricator and air pump can be found around the right piston, and the dynamo is located on the top of the boiler just in front of the cab.
Driving
The locomotive uses steam pressure to drive pistons connected to the wheels, moving the locomotive and any attached rolling stock. The regulator controls how much pressure is let into the cylinders, and the reverser controls how long it spends in them. The reverser is similar to a gear selector; a more advanced position will give the train faster acceleration, but with more steam usage, and a more neutral position will reduce acceleration but increase efficiency. The pressure inside the cylinders is indicated by the "chest pressure" gauge. Chest pressure of ~13 bar will cause wheelslip when the tracks are dry, and ~6 bar when the tracks are very wet.
When the locomotive is idle, steam inside the cylinders condenses into water. This water damages the cylinders if it isn't released, because water, unlike steam, is not compressible. The cylinder cocks (controlled by a lever set into the floor of the cab) allows steam and water to escape from the cylinders. You can tell when there's water in the cylinders when you hear a sloshing sound as they pump back and forth.
Resource Management
The water level in the boiler can be viewed with the water gauge in the cab. The water gauge is not always reliable; the faster the locomotive goes, or the steeper the gradient it is on, the more the water in the boiler sloshes around, causing the water gauge to fluctuate wildly. When the water is low, the injector handle (to the gauge's left) can be used to inject water from the tender into the boiler. Injecting this cold water into the boiler will reduce steam pressure, so use caution when injecting at times of high steam use. If too much water is in the boiler, the blowdown valve (one of the three valves underneath the water gauge) can be used to release water. Also note that, as the boiler warms, the water inside will expand, and the water level will seem to increase dramatically as fire temperature increases (even if no new water is injected).
The fire temperature determines how quickly the water in the boiler is turned into steam, as well as how quickly coal is burned. The greater the amount of coal in the firebox, and the greater the airflow through the firebox (controlled with the damper), the hotter it will burn. It is advised to only use lots of coal when steam usage is at peak; using as little coal at the lowest temperature possible is the most efficient.
The steam gauge is the largest of all the gauges in the cab. It is advised to maintain a steam pressure of at least 9 bar when in operation. It is not possible to overpressure the boiler; at around 14 bar, a valve on the top of the boiler will open to relieve the excess steam pressure. If the emergency valve is opening, then it means you are producing more steam than you need, and should adjust steam usage/fire temperature accordingly.
Braking
The S282 has non-self-lapping brakes. The handbrake is located on the tender; the independent brake applies only to the locomotive, and not the tender.
Steam pressure can also be used to decelerate the locomotive, a technique called countersteam braking. If moving forward, putting the reverser in reverse and applying the regulator will slow down the locomotive. This is analogous to dynamic braking in the DE6 and DH4, except that the amount of braking is determined by reverser and regulator position, rather than speed and dynamic brake setting.
Notes
- Unlike the DE2 and DE6, the S282 has no warning light in the cab to indicate if the engine needs service. The only way to tell is if steam pressure doesn't build despite the fire being lit and water being in the boiler. It also does not have a warning light for incorrectly set brake pipes or brake valves.
- Do not underestimate how quickly water is used. It may be necessary to make stops at coal service stations for water when on long trips.
Trivia
- The S282 appears similar to the American-made USATC S200 locomotive, an export design produced during WW2 for operations in the Middle East in 1941 - 1942. This resemblance might be unintentional.
- According to the nameplate on the locomotive, it was built in 1938.
- In reality, a steam locomotive of this size is always crewed by at least 2 individuals - a driver and a fireman. In-game, however, the player must fulfill the role of both.
- From build 81, and until the bug was fixed in build 94, damage on the tender was disabled due to a bug that caused the tender to take excessive damage.
- The connecting rods on the driving wheels are incorrectly rotated 180 degrees apart from one another; in reality, they should be 90 degrees.