Hi alltogether,
here are some pics from Germany. I hope you'll enjoy it.




That's me, Max, 'sitting like a duck' on a cab of a Russian Diesel Engine - 'Taigatrommel'




Deutsche Bahn - Oberhausen freight yard




Brand new Deutsche Bahn - Railion, BR 185 freight Engine




Cab of BR151, a heavy 6 axle freight engine




Deutsche Bahn - Oberhausen freight yard,
left: BR232 'Taigatrommel',
middle: BR145 fast freight engine
right: BR294 Diesel switcher and local freight engine




Deutsche Bahn - Cologne Central Station:
InterCity Express (ICE3) southbound for Frankfurt.
This Train takes Heather and Andy Hockin back to their plane to Canada.
Thanks again for your visit and the nice days we have had with you.
The other train was a inbound S-Bahn (MRT).
In the back you'll see the towers of Cologne cathedral (Koelner Dom).

Thanks vor viewing,

Max

Nice

Great shots, Max. Say, what is the "steering wheel" for in the units?

Hi,
this 'steering wheel' is use for increase and decrease power to the traction motors.
Like a notch.

Thanks,

Max

I was going to say the same thing Herb, it apparently must be some type of rheostat.

The 'steering wheel' can be found in almost all but the most recent locomotives. In the newest generation locos, the 'wheel' has been replaced by a 'joystick'-type appliances.

This is the cab of a newest generation electric, the Class 146, a passenger loco mostly used on commuter trains.



Picture © Gildo Schef

When you look at the cab, you see the 'joysticks' (4). From left to right: Speed-Preselector (to dial a speed, which the loco maintains), Tractive Force selector (to dial the force applied by the traction motors), Pneumatice Train Brake, Dynamic Brake.

The fifth level on the far right is the loco brake.

The black units above are from left to right: Train Radio, Display for Train Informations, Left Gauge for Tractive Force, Right Gauge for Selected Speed / Actual Speed, Ebula Display (Ebula means translated Electronic Train Schedule, it informs the engineer about his scheduled station stops and speed restrictions), far right top gauge is for the brake cylinder pressure, far right lower gauge is for the brake pipe / brake reservoir pressure.

Misc buttons and levers are for pantographs, driving direction, sanders, alerter etc.

One note for simulating modern electrics in MSTS: German locomotives have as above mentioned an ability that you preselect a given speed (called AFB), which is being maintained by the locomotive. This cannot be simulated by MSTS, hence why a known German addon vendor inserted a sound into some of his cabs playing a notice saying "AFB defect" as a running gag...

AFB: Kind of like a "cruise control" for trains. I wonder why US locomotives never had that installed? Maybe the engineer would go to sleep if he/she didn't have to 'control' the speed.

Maybe thats what the alerter is for?