I was probably wrong saying you should not be able to use the train brake when it's just the engine. It will activate the engine brake and the connection to the train won't be complete so it will do nothing.

What I should have said is it's not good practice to use the train brake when it's just the engine. You would just use the engine brake only.

As a non-train driver these are only assumptions of course.

Makes perfect sense to me.

I only just realised there was a train brake

It might explain why on some scenarios I started with 4 passenger cars and when I halted at my destination there was just my engine. I was most surprised at the lack of train on my train.

No that was just a bug in the first release of TS2012, fixed now though.
Some peeps got what you had others had stretchy couplings.

Being childish I like to select a fast train then uncouple from what's behind and take off to see how fast I can go. 140mph is the fastest I can get out of this sim using UK stuff.

LOL, does that sim model damage?

I've always wondered what would happen if a train smashed into the buffers at the end of a track at full speed

No. The game just stops and all input is frozen with a message that you crashed etc.

Spoilsports

Lol, yeah. Would love to watch the destruction.

Yeah that would be a nice change.

Remember that old PC Indy500 game? In the game shop we used to demo it by starting races and turning around to ram all the oncoming cars. Spectacular crashes, everyone loved that. Probably sold more copies for that than actual racing.