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Legend to Hellfire brake/heating codes

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ccityplanner12

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1586774401824.pngNo-where on-line have I been able to find a key to the lettered codes displayed at left (cropped screenshot from Hellfire gensheet). I have managed to work out that the capital letters are stabling codes (45134 operates in the East Midlands, so TO would be Toton; EH is possibly Eastleigh), but I cannot suss the lower-case codes. I have worked out that the first letter is what type of brakes the train has (a is air, v is vacuum) & the second letter is the heating (e is electric, b is boiler). x may denote that a train can work both air-brake pipes & vacuum-brake pipes (which is theoretically possible, you could have an air compressor that generates a positive pressure for air brakes or a negative pressure for vacuum).
On a tangent, I am curious as to what apparent difference the brake type makes. In my stomping ground in the Southern Region, some of the older trains still have their noisy WABCOs, while you also get that Bombardier compressor that sounds like a drill (quite an ugly noise i.m.h.o.) or the Vossloh system with a quiet, low-pitched hissing noise that blends into the background rather well. The largest system I know of where vacuum brakes are still widespread (although being phased out) is the Cape-gauge network of South Africa, particularly the plebeian suburban trains in Johannesburg. Not many videos of this exist, presumably because what railfans there are that use it tend not to take a camera for fear that it will get stolen (it is the only system in the world to have been given a security rating of 0 on Seat61.com).
 
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Cowley

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ccityplanner12 said:
View attachment 76542No-where on-line have I been able to find a key to the lettered codes displayed at left (cropped screenshot from Hellfire gensheet). I have managed to work out that the capital letters are stabling codes (45134 operates in the East Midlands, so TO would be Toton; EH is possibly Eastleigh), but I cannot suss the lower-case codes. I have worked out that the first letter is what type of brakes the train has (a is air, v is vacuum) & the second letter is the heating (e is electric, b is boiler). x may denote that a train can work both air-brake pipes & vacuum-brake pipes (which is theoretically possible, you could have an air compressor that generates a positive pressure for air brakes or a negative pressure for vacuum).
On a tangent, I am curious as to what apparent difference the brake type makes. In my stomping ground in the Southern Region, some of the older trains still have their noisy WABCOs, while you also get that Bombardier compressor that sounds like a drill (quite an ugly noise i.m.h.o.) or the Vossloh system with a quiet, low-pitched hissing noise that blends into the background rather well. The largest system I know of where vacuum brakes are still widespread (although being phased out) is the Cape-gauge network of South Africa, particularly the plebeian suburban trains in Johannesburg. Not many videos of this exist, presumably because what railfans there are that use it tend not to take a camera for fear that it will get stolen (it is the only system in the world to have been given a security rating of 0 on Seat61.com).
Click to expand...
Ok you’re on the right lines, the small letter codes are:

v = vacuum braked only
x = dual braked
b = boilered
e = ETS/ETH - electric train supply
d = dual heat (boiler and ETS)
i = isolated boiler
o = no form of heating (working or not)

EH - Eastleigh
CD - Crewe Diesel
WN - Willesden
TO - Toton
IM - Immingham
LA - Laira

I’m not sure what the Hellfire thing you’re referring to is? Is this in the right section?
 
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ccityplanner12

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Thank-you for the information. Were these official codes then?, because I can't imagine railfans coming up with a unified interdisciplinary standard system (it's too decentralised). I initially thought the code system was specific to Hellfire.
 
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ccityplanner12 said:
Thank-you for the information. Were these official codes then?, because I can't imagine railfans coming up with a unified interdisciplinary standard system (it's too decentralised). I initially thought the code system was specific to Hellfire.
Click to expand...

Can't find a list, I think these may have been in the appropriate ABC spotting books or similar spotting books though?

As your case of what difference does it make, it depends how you look at it. In the whole picture not a lot in some cases, but depends what locomotives you still need as you go along, because if a DMU fails and requires a rescue loco, you know a Class 56 isn't going to show up as its air brake only, as the DMU is vacuum only, so a 'v' or 'x' brake loco will appear.

One of the services out of Paddington is a Mk3 commuter set that can only use air or dual brake locomotives.

Class 56's can turn up on failures on the Midland Mainline as they can drag air brake or dual brake (cant remember which they are) peak hauled sets.

Heating is important in a way, not for what the wether is outside but is based on rarity and makes a difference to the score points as well. Isolated 'I' and non boilers 'o' are freight loco's, being the summer didn't matter so much about heating being required.

When I first was shown how to play the Hellfire sim, I was taught 'if it's an o, you gotta go!'

Havent played this in ages, used to play multiplayer to see who could get the highest score in points and the most locos scored each session, and the ranks carried over to the next games, but they stopped playing it, shame really!
 
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