Describe the suggestion
Adding electric trains that don't require power.
Although we all want to have working third rail and catenary systems to coincide with the initial beta test-builds of electric trains in IR; those visuals that already be accomplished to a startling accuracy by using third party mods like Little Tiles and are seemingly very daunting features to code into IR. However electric trains in IR represent more than their power systems in the context of creative mode. The power system itself might even be seen as irrelevant or even a nascence to for creative mode players. Many of which already find it more convenient to simply turn off the train fuel requirements and free play. However, no matter how hard we may work on adding painstakingly slow to build visuals to our "electrified" railways, one must admit that the lack of coinciding noises coming from the train itself leaves the experience feeling incomplete. You can build an amazing house; but a house lacking windows will have an off feel to it at best. That is why I am suggesting a solution to add partial support for electric trains. So called "Creative Mode Support" if you will. Rather than first figuring out the electrical system, instead first implement what is effectively a diesel which has the auditory functions of an electric train.

Many players have already taken to creating electric train reskins of diesels these trains however will always feel incomplete and off because the auditory output of electric trains cannot be achieved with the current diesel system. The current diesel system allows the player to insert a single looping OGG file called idle.ogg. The idle file itself will then be looped while the train is idling on the tracks. An idling sound on its own wouldn't necessary cripple an electric train's audio output. Electric trains will generally output a looping ringing noise in real life, similar to the ringing noise some people might experience after a deafening loud sound in real life, or when in complete silence. However, unlike an electric train's audio output, the problem with using the current diesel system as a hot fix for electric's becomes clear as soon as the train begins to move. That being that the idle noise is also used as the engine noise. This limitation cripples any auditory dreams electric train modellers may have. Trying not to get to hung up on terms such as "propulsion" or "traction motors" or "engine" with this next part, as in a virtual setting it really doesn't matter, the auditory motor output observed amongst electric trains in the real world outputs much differently. At the very least in the most simple of instances, the motor sound is separate from the idling sound. The sound outputted by the motors is observed as more of a spectrum. As the train actively increases or decreases speed, the sound output moves along a spectrum of phases, which typically level off and become more subtle once the train has reached its cruising speed.

A proposed solution of mine to allowing players to do this without having to wait until the 2030's might work as follows:

-An "electric" option or tag to the diesel json which does the following:

1. Isolates the idle sound from the movement sound and the idle sound is not affected by the throttle and is simply a background noise that occurs when the train is turned on
2. A JSON option to define motor phases that relate to the speed of the train (EX: "PHASE_1" "begin:0" "end:5" "phase_1.ogg" (the begin and end denote the speed at which to play phase_1.ogg)) should only play while the train is increasing or decreasing speed, because such sounds are observed in the real world while the train is both increasing and decreasing speed

The electric trains proposed would be a variant of diesels for creative mode players to use with provisions for power requirements to be added later. This proposal is aimed at allowing players to flesh out their electrics with sounds. : )

This post is a follow up to a discussion I had with cam72cam about beta-electric train implementation

Various examples of electric train engine output featuring different motor phases have been linked below:

EXAMPLE 1: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8ExpcpYqndA

EXAMPLE 2: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O_XyxXv2o-o

EXAMPLE 3: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pgJtNkYutZc&t=218s

Adding electric trains that don't require power

Should be

Adding electric trains that are powered like diesels until proper support is added.

The motor/idle sounds should technically be separate for diesel electric locomotives as well, it's just that the engine noise overpowers any noise the electric motors would make.

In any case this should be implemented as a more customizable sound system rather than an improper implementation of electric motive power.