Train simulation

from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Screenshots from BAHN

A train simulation is the simulation of the journey of a train or another route-bound vehicle of the railway . Train simulations are used in industry and, like virtual model railways, also in the entertainment sector.

Industry

Train simulations serve to train engine drivers in parallel to practical experience in the driver's cab and are used in research and development of industrial traction vehicles.

The behavior of railway vehicles depends largely on the environmental conditions, especially the structure of the rails and the route . These are passed on to the vehicle via the chassis and thus have an influence on its loading capacity , gradeability and speed. Especially for railway administrations with a high proportion of mountain routes, the following questions arise with regard to the longitudinal dynamics of railway trains:

  • Which longitudinal pressure forces arise when starting and braking?
  • What influence does uneven loading of the wagons have on the longitudinal compressive forces and safety against derailment?
  • What influence does the use of pushing locomotives have on the longitudinal compressive forces?
  • How do tight curve radii, inclines and changes in inclination affect safety against derailment?
  • How do side buffers or central buffer couplings affect safety against derailment?

Simulators for train driver training

Hexapod construction under the cabin of a full rail simulator series 101/145/152 from DB Training
This article or paragraph presents the situation in Germany . Help us to describe the situation in other countries.

The German railway established a simulator centers for training in 1996 at 12 nationwide locations. The simulators can support the initial training on a certain series and are used for annual test drives for every driver. A study carried out at the time of the Deutsche Bundesbahn determined that the main advantages of training with simulators were that specific situations can be trained and that two thirds of all training trips on real locomotives can be saved. In detail, the following were procured:

  • 1 simulator series 401 / 402 (Fulda)
  • 10 simulators series 101 / 145 / 152 (Hamburg, Berlin, Magdeburg, Hagen, Leipzig, Cologne, Mainz, Nuremberg, Saarbrücken, Munich)
  • 1 Simulator series 403 / 406 / 411 / 415 (Fulda, 2011 extended the series-407 simulator)
  • 1 simulator series 412 (Fulda)
  • 2 simulators series 423 / 424 / 425 / 426 (formerly Munich and Fulda; to make room for a future Simulator series 412 of the Fulda simulator was moved to a new location in Karlsruhe in June 2015)
  • 1 simulator series 481 (Berlin)
  • 1 simulator series 112 / 143 (Fulda)
  • 1 simulator series 612 (Fulda)
  • 1 simulator series 628 (Potsdam)
Part simulator of the 185 series electric locomotive

The DB simulators are full simulators that simulate the entire driver's cab including the rear wall of the driver's cab with all switching elements and have a hexapod- based movement system. A computer console displays control elements that are located in the engine room of the locomotive and enables troubleshooting training. The simulators are now part of the DB Training division . In addition to the Deutsche Bahn group companies, they are also used by other railway companies and for public relations work. The simulators in Cologne and Leipzig were converted in 2003 for training on locomotives of the 185 and 189 series. The BR 628 simulator was sold to the DB Academy in Potsdam in 2005.

Outside the provider DB Training, the movably mounted full simulator has not established itself on the market. Other German training providers in the rail sector rely on cheaper partial simulators that only simulate the driver's desk and are in some cases also transportable.

Entertainment area

Screenshot from OpenBVE

Train simulations have also been developed for commercially available personal computers , which are primarily used for entertainment purposes and are computer games.

The computer games are primarily intended for entertainment purposes and therefore only have to reproduce all the driving characteristics of a train to a limited extent. Compared to other computer games that deal with the railway , the train simulations are often designed to be realistic and usually reproduce existing routes. They are often used as a playful addition to the operation of model railways .

Well-known and common train simulators are:

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ ICE4 is available for practice in Fulda | Deutsche Bahn AG. Retrieved on July 20, 2019 (German).