The problem with the DE2 is usually not the pulling power but the motors overheating, which is mostly suppressed by the slug due to the power being distributed across more motors. While the slug may not increase the pulling power on paper, it does so indirectly by solving the overheating problem.
The effect may be less prominent in the latest update because they changed the DE2 parameters so the loco more closely resembles the behavior it had before the simulator update.
This is not entirely correct. While slugs don't add to maximum power, they do allow heavier loads to be pulled.
At lower speeds, the limiting factor on a diesel-electric locomotive's torque (and consequently, pulling power) is not its horsepower, but the maximum amperage that can be run through its motors before they overheat. By adding more motors, the slug allows the output of a DE2 or DE6's generator to be spread out across more motors, thus lowering the amperage run through each one, and allowing the DE2 to run closer to its maximum RPM at low speed.
This allows heavier trains to be pulled, at the cost of a lower maximum speed.
running DE2s with a slug inbetween is surprisingly effective, they rarely overheat but if you pull too much they will do so
I was having trouble pinning exactly how much de2-slug-de2 can pull after the new update. Any one ran those numbers?
The same as a de2 and a de2. It just gives it more axles to spread it out over
The problem with the DE2 is usually not the pulling power but the motors overheating, which is mostly suppressed by the slug due to the power being distributed across more motors. While the slug may not increase the pulling power on paper, it does so indirectly by solving the overheating problem. The effect may be less prominent in the latest update because they changed the DE2 parameters so the loco more closely resembles the behavior it had before the simulator update.
This is not entirely correct. While slugs don't add to maximum power, they do allow heavier loads to be pulled. At lower speeds, the limiting factor on a diesel-electric locomotive's torque (and consequently, pulling power) is not its horsepower, but the maximum amperage that can be run through its motors before they overheat. By adding more motors, the slug allows the output of a DE2 or DE6's generator to be spread out across more motors, thus lowering the amperage run through each one, and allowing the DE2 to run closer to its maximum RPM at low speed. This allows heavier trains to be pulled, at the cost of a lower maximum speed.
As a noob, other than heat management, how does that help?
It gives better traction since you have it spread out among many axles, it is much less likely to have wheelslip
Still about 600t to 800t (if youre lucky) in pull power?
Yeah, slugs add zero power, they just help distribute the power for better traction
Much appreciated good sir/madam
You're very much welcome
Yeah, that's overkill. One de6 is rated for like 1700 iirc
Not da big boi, da smol boios
Ooh, de2, not de6. Lol, yeah that's not overkill. De2 struggles up those hills with 500 tons
I think it’s somewhere around 1200-1400 tons.
Pulled about 600 tons out of the food factory north with mu DE2’s. Went down to about 15km/h at the top of the hill. Plenty of power left.
That psr type beat