Medieval Engineers

Medieval Engineers

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(Not 0.7 ready yet) 4-6-4 'Hermes' Express Locomotive
   
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Type: Blueprint
File Size
Posted
1.169 MB
26 Jan, 2019 @ 11:42pm
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(Not 0.7 ready yet) 4-6-4 'Hermes' Express Locomotive

Description
The passenger car seen on the pictures can be found here:
https://steamhost.cn/steamcommunity_com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=1630438577

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The 4-6-4 'Hermes' Class Express Steam Locomotive

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Technical data:

- max width: 12 blocks (3 m)
- max height: 15 blocks (3.75 m)
- max lenght: 44 blocks (11 m)
- number of engines: 2x large (200 HP)
- driving wheel size: 7 (large)
- number of driving wheels: 6
- number of weighting chests: 2 (although they should not be used on this loco!)
- suspension: Xaerthus's mk II with double cross-rope stabilisation
- max speed with no load: 100 km/h *
- average speed with no load: 85 km/h *
- max speed with 25 t: 90 km/h *
- average speed with 25 t: 70 km/h *
- max weighting needed: 0 t

* Measured during several laps on track meeting high speed standards.
Max slope on that track: +/- 5°
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Description and warning:

X-RAI (Xaerthus's Rail & Air Industries) proudly present the newest pinnacle of medieval technology. Were you ever in the need to get somewhere really fast, but all locomotives yet created were just too slow for you? Now there is 'Hermes', which can take you anywhere at lightning speed of 100 km/h, beating any competition at least two times! Sign up today!

Time for the serious part. This loco is NOT designed for hauling cargo. Pulling more that 25 t is possible but not advised (there are better designs for doing that). This one is heavily optimised for high speed and can therefore go very fast with small to medium loads.

Now, high speeds (50+ km/h) in Medieval Engineers are dangerous. They get exponentially more dangerous, the faster you are going. If you hit anything at 60-70 (even a single loose plank) or get hanging at anything, you are going to have a very bad and explosive day (look at two last pictures). This loco IS safe and works perfectly as long as you follow some important rules:
- you need to have proper high speed track, not looking like a rollercoaster. That means:
---no sharp curves, make them as shallow as you can. You can and you will be thrown out of a too sharp curve.
---no sharp slopes. Try to keep them around the 5° mark. It can do more, just don't go too sharp into it.
---tunnels should be possibly straight. Going fast on a curve makes your cars lean a bit. You catch on anything = you die.
---tunnels and valleys should be dug out carefully to not omit any voxel. The default size is generally enough, just dont forget anything (ceiling is also important)
- periodically check your driving wheels for damage (try to start picking them up for a moment) and if there is any, repair it immedeatly. The wheels shouldn't get damaged by normal use, though extensive wheel slip and hard breaking can damage them. Better to check it, than to lose a wheel at 90 km/h.
- always keep you track clean of any debris. Seriously, one small piece of anything will destroy your guiding bogie and you can imagine what happens next. Better check one more time than end up thrown around in a 200 m radius.
- if you have to have a sharper curve or some difficult piece of track, put a sign before it, so you don't forget to break
- switches CAN be used at full speed, but they also have to be very shallow (and look out for some wierd track bendiness that happens sometimes)

I could do some tutorial or at least some tips and tricks on how to build such track if there is such need. Just let me know.

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Setup instructions:

1. Place blueprints of engine on a straight and level piece of track.
2. Connect the wheels and driving shafts with ropes as shown in the pictures. The left and right side do differ slightly. (In the picture the wheels are not perfectly straight as they should be during this setup. That is to show the connections of ropes that would otherwise overlap)
3. Delete the planks connecting the wheels and engine shafts together
4. Stabilise the suspension through the holes in the frame by connecting the rope hooks in a 2 times x pattern (upper front left -> lower rear right, upper front right -> lower rear left upper rear left -> lower front right, upper rear right -> lower front left) It should look like in the pictures. On the front you may need to temporary delete some part of the grill, sometimes the hitboxes of rope hooks won't work as intended.
IMPORTANT: Good stabilisation is crutial for going in high speed! One misplaced rope can make the difference between max 50 km/h and max 100 km/h. Therefore it should be done on a straight and level piece of track.
5. Cover the holes in the frame with timbers or planks.

Congratulations, your 'Hermes' Class is ready to use!

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Operating hints:

- The engines can be reached for switching/grabbing throttle by climbing on the front of the engine and walking on the sideskirts.
- The engines can be refueled by clicking on the down-rear part of the side of the engine from over the sideskirts. It is a bit tricky at the beginning but once you know where to click, its easy to use.
- If the wheels slip throttle down a bit until they 'catch' again. Slipping wheels have almost no grip, so you will be going slower. Good throttle balance is especially important when getting up too speed. Furthermore wheel slip may damage your wheels sometimes.
- If the wheels slip and the engine wont move, you are trying to pull too much cargo. Use a more cargo-optimised engine for that, for example the 'Minotaur' Class. Do not place weights into the weighting chests. That will destroy your wheels.
- Clanging and crackling noises are normal and should not be worried about.
- Sometimes some jumping of the engine occurs. Generally it shouldn't do anything bad, but just in case check your wheels for damage after arrival at destination.
- The engine has no breaks. To slow down, just decrease the throttle. If more stopping power is needed, throttling up in reverse works great. Though this should be done only in emergencies. Hard breaking and wheel slip may damage your wheels.
- Do not stand freely in your cab while going fast. Bad things may happen otherwise. For better visibility use spectator cam. For slow and delicate manouvres you can also just stand outside.

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20 Comments
Xaerthus  [author] 29 Jan, 2019 @ 12:02am 
@ Johnbeere
Now that I think about it, one could theoretically do a designs based on Onca77's 6-axle platform, where the middle bogie is directly connected to the grid. That should at least make it more stable. I probably won't go into that, as I like the wheel designs mechanics a lot more. But please try it if you want to, I would gladly take a look at what you come up with.
Xaerthus  [author] 28 Jan, 2019 @ 11:55pm 
@Johnbeere
I know, thats what I meant by "practically" using only one on a subgrid. I tried doing different designs, but the problem is, that the more turning subgrids you have, the more phantom forces in the 'roll' axis (looking forward) you experience. Before getting to any practical power to haul anything serious, it just gets unusable and too unstable.

I do not say it is absolutely not possible to use them. You can do that and you may even come up with a successful design. I didn't, despite many tries.
Johnbeere 28 Jan, 2019 @ 4:30pm 
@Xaerthus The way Peaceman nerfed the propellers was he made each added to a subgrid be 20% less effective. Theoretically, you could just chain a bunch of subgrids - that are connected somehow, but not to where they are the same grid - and have an effective propeller locomotive.
Capuzzi09 27 Jan, 2019 @ 3:15pm 
me too :)
And that's why I'm observing all your locomitive designs very carefully, as well as what onca77 has built so far.
I would love to have a nice and well functional locomotive concept in the game and I'm impressed how much you and onca77 succeeded with this.
I can't wait for Equinox, bringing up his steam locomotive. He clearly said that he is about to build one. And I expect pretty much, as it was him who invented the rail mod which is just awesome in my opinion.
Xaerthus  [author] 27 Jan, 2019 @ 2:59pm 
Yeah, steam engines, baloons, aircraft and rails. Medieval Engineers is slowly evolving into Steampunk Engineers. But well, I like that very much ;)
Capuzzi09 27 Jan, 2019 @ 2:52pm 
hehe :))
I know what you mean. I was just about to quote myself with: "...The only reason why he didn't finish his ideas was, that there was no way to produce the needed parts with the required precision." - And that's exactly why steam power IS an anachronism in medieval era. There were some very inspired people who all had the same problem: living in the wrong era. ;)
But nevertheless, anachronism or not, I like those steam engines and I also like that rail mod (which clearly IS an anachronism, more than steam power) because those give a new inspiration to the game. I was about to put it aside when Equinox came up whit his rail mod - and shortly after that Peaceman gave us his steam engines. And since then I'm busy with building tracks all over my world. :))
Xaerthus  [author] 27 Jan, 2019 @ 2:46pm 
The same way Leonardo da Vinci envisioned helicopters and his famous spiral propeller, so one could argue that both those technologies are not that anachronistic as they seam. (By the way, the Leonardo da Vinci propeller is lately been added to the Balloon mod by peaceman, you might want to check it out!)
Capuzzi09 27 Jan, 2019 @ 2:43pm 
@Xaerthus (continuation)
I agree with you being surprised, that two completely different mods work together as they do. Pretty impressive. I'm same surprised as you and this is why I admire what you made with them.
And I know about propellers being nerfed, but I did a simple construction which drives 4 propellers with one engine and with this I'm able to pull 4 wagons of stuff around. That's enough for me.
Capuzzi09 27 Jan, 2019 @ 2:38pm 
@Xaerthus
"...because medieval steam power isn't anachronistic at all..."
Well, at least it's much less of an anachronism as one could imagine, but for sure it's less anachronistic than propellers are.
The history of the steam engine actually starts much earlier than many suspect. Leonardo da Vinci (late Middle Ages) has already sketched a description of a steam engine (actually rather a steam cannon but he clearly knowed exactly about the physical basics). And this was long before the invention of the steam engine, as we know it. The only reason why he didn't finish his ideas was, that there was no way to produce the needed parts with the required precision.
Xaerthus  [author] 27 Jan, 2019 @ 2:11pm 
@Capuzzi09
"propeller driven vehicles in medieval era is kinda anachronism", because medieval steam power isn't anachronistic at all... Sorry I had to :D

Firstly I am still honestly and greatly surprised, that these wheel locos even work at all. Lets be honest here, its several different mods thrown together, that were never designed to be working with each other. But as you said, there is no better solution yet. I also don't like the jumping. I just got used to work with it.

Secondly, propellers were significantly nerfed some time ago by peaceman, so now you can practically use only one propeller on a single subgrid. Which sadly renders them useless if you want to haul any kind of cargo. But yes, if you want to go fast on one single bogie, they are the best option.