User Guide

MICROSOFT TRAIN SIMULATOR ENGINEER’S HANDBOOK
HOW TO DRIVE A STEAM LOCOMOTIVE | 35
Problem: Black smoke
What it means: Black smoke indicates inefficient combustion of the coal.
How to diagnose: Black smoke is expelled from the exhaust stack.
How to avoid: Over time, you will gain experience in firing the locomotive. In general, black
smoke is caused by a cool fire, often due to an inadequate amount of air passing
through the firebox. This can be caused by too much coal on the fire, closed
dampers, or not enough draft for the fire (in which case you should turn on the
blower). Whenever you add coal to the fire, some black smoke is generated until
the coal is hot enough to burn completely.
What to do: Open the damper or fire doors, and/or turn on the blower. Stop or reduce the
addition of coal.
Problem: Low steam pressure
What it means: Aside from the obvious problem of lack of motive power, low steam pressure is
dangerous because steam powers the water injectors and also keeps the brakes
off. Low steam pressure could cause a boiler failure (because water cannot be
injected into the boiler) and can cause the train brakes to be applied.
How to diagnose: Low pressure is indicated on the steam pressure gauge, and the brakes may
come on.
How to avoid: Make sure you have sufficient coal and water in your tender for the journey. Plan
ahead for the amount of fire you’ll need. Smooth out the demand for steam,
making the changes in demand as small as possible. Use the gradients of the
route to help you. Beware of making the fire too “thick” or “thin.”
What to do: If there is sufficient water in the boiler, close the injectors. Look at the fire; it may
need more air from the blower. Turn off steam heat to the passenger cars until
steam pressure increases.
Make sure the dampers are fully open.
If the fire needs to be built up, do it slowly. If the fire is too deep, stop adding coal
and use the blower and fire doors effectively. You may need to the drive the train
carefully until enough fire is burned away for effective operation.
Beware of trading too much water level for steam; it’s generally easier to recover
pressure than water level.
Problem: Blowback in tunnels
What it means: The fire comes back into the cab, burning the crew as the engine enters a tunnel.
How to diagnose: The Activity ends.
How to avoid: Before entering a tunnel, close the firebox doors. Open the blower fully.
What to do: This is an Activity ending error.