||Driving Trainz, Tips, Tricks, & Techniques
Introductory Trainz — page by page instruction
- The following image contains streams of control hotkeys in Driver mode.
- Let's explore what is happening and why they were pressed.
A simulated CAB mode DriveEdit
With minimal repeating, this is a translation:
- First row
- Q= release air brakes
- F= select forward (shift transmission)
- W= increase throttle one notch, hence WWW=up to third notch
- 2nd row
- A = apply initial air brakes
- ...= wait or delay for some period,
- when used between A-Z, it specifically means about three counts (2-3 seconds)
- Z = Toggle brakes Lap mode on. 'Lap' engages a 'air flow hold', keeping whatever partial brake pipe pressure as was built up during the '...' delay interval.
- X = Throttle back (reduce throttle one notch)
- A = a 2nd A key fully applies the air brakes, bringing their brake cylinders to full stopping pressure.
- S = Shifter to Neutral, necessary for reversing (next)
- R = Shift Transmission to Reverse, then throttle-up 2x to slow train fast
- S = Shifter to Neutral, necessary for shifting
- A = useless keystroke, nervous behavior; another A won't put full brakes on any faster, bur neither will it hurt.
- 3rd row
- 2 = means select exterior camera view
- SA = Shifter to neutral, throttle off (0 notch), begin braking
- . = quickly, immediately...
- 4 = select free camera view, this allows user to 'walk about' (or fly around) in the World.
- ...= continue counting..., then Lap brakes (Z), reverse transmission (R)
- J = Switch junction ahead of Loco. JJJ is either a series of close junctions or a three way junction needing cycled to the correct divergent path.
WW = here, as after 'R' above, means increase throttle in Reverse; in this case, use the motors to slow the train quickly!
- E = Toggle (on/off) independent Locomotive brakes—these act very quickly compared to the main braking system.
- translation: "...X...EXEFQWW" means slow, but not as hard, loco-brakes on, remove throttle, loco brake off, shift to forwards, release main brakes, throttle-up, throttle-up.
Given the preceding RRR toggling, this is a likely sequence for abruptly slowing while navigating first a junction (merge or diverge) then a cross-over (two jcts connecting two parallel tracks) so the cars swerving through the resultant 'S-curve' don't go out of control.
- 4th row
- B = ring Bell toggle
- K = A typo, was likely supposed to be J, switch junction, for is not a standard Driver hotkey.
- 2------------4 = imply passing a junction, getting 'off the train loco' and waiting for the last car to pass,
- since [CTRL-J] = toggle junction BEHIND train (contrast with J above) follows right after, accompanied by a shift to Forwards and throttle-up again.