Some PSA features on a MTH southern Limited

Chris

Nice video.  Thanks for sharing.  My first MTH steam Engine was Railking Southern Crescent Limited back in 2003.  I have run it with my Lionel Crescent Limited passenger cars too.  It was the PSA sounds features and the great smoke output that kept me buying several MTH engines over the years. 

Ken

I do like the PSA features.  One thing I'd like to change is how fast the locomotive accelerates out of the station, it should ramp up much more slowly.  I haven't figured out how to make it do that with the DCS and using PSA.

Try this. Before you hit the PSA button, set the engine to the speed you wish to leave at. In other words , the speed at which you arrive is the speed at which you will leave.

I always need to remind myself to lower the running speed before the last PSA sequence.  I agree with John that MTH engines accelerate too quickly from a stopped position.  Even if you have the Accel Rate set to "1 scale mph" the engine still pulls out unrealistically fast.  I think this inaccurate acceleration rate is consistent across the entire MTH PS2/PS3 line and probably could be easily fixed through a simple programming change.

I actually know that, I guess that's as good as it gets.

Great video! Your layout looks great! 

Yep, the issue I have is with acceleration rates.  With my Legacy or TMCC locomotives, I can set the momentum way up and have a very realistic acceleration curve.  It doesn't work nearly as well with DCS locomotives.  I also agree that this is probably a pretty simple software change, I'm at a loss as to why it isn't a standard feature.

thanks for the nice comments.  I am trying to detail when I have time.  I did a little more for about half hour. 

You guys are right about the rate at which it pulls away.  very fast.  Ill try to come into the station at very slow rate next time.  I have to get my tripod for the camera, so I can keep my finger on the wheel!     I did not try my western maryland unit with the PSA to see if that works on that one.  well see.  its a freight engine hudson.

David is correct re lowering the train's speed before initiating the PSA, but there are two more DCS features that will add to the realism. Reduce the acceleration rate and the deceleration rates using the Menu - Control functions on the DCS Hand Held Controller. I prefer rates of 2 for each, but an acceleration rate of 1 gives a more realistic performance.

I've reduced them to the minimum of 1 each, it still accelerates way too fast.  That was the feature I though should solve this issue.

so if you go into control, on the menu you can reduce the accel and decel rates and that is locked into the engine memory then?  so anytime you push the PSA for that engine, it should decel to 1 and you hit DIR, it stops and do the PSA stuff, when it takes off, it should then (in theory) start super slow of 1?  Ill try it just to see.  

so you tried with no success John. and since you had this baby already, my guess is it wont matter if I try!!!  lol

Give it a shot, I could certainly be doing something stupid.  I tinkered with it when I first got the DCS, and I could never get the acceleration to be prototypical under any circumstance. 

To my way of thinking, I should be able to have the train pull out of the station slowly accelerating, not leaving like a jackrabbit!  With the Legacy control, I can set the momentum to high, and then just crank up the throttle and it'll accelerate very slowly to the set speed, it looks very prototypical.  The Legacy sequence control, which is similar to PFA for MTH, also observes the momentum control.