Our sympathies to those who lost loved ones on September 11, 2001, March 11, 2004 and July 7, 2005.

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• <29-Jun-2008>: webDotTrainSim suffered a hard disk failure a couple of months ago so that caused some consternation. He couldn't get a spare hour or seven to re-install MSTS and meanwhile he's now got a much faster machine but hasn't found that spare time to get MSTS up and running again. He'll get there one day! At least he's found some free moments to update this site. Anyway, what's he been doing to keep himself occupied? Check out webDotWiz Online has a Live Space to see some stuff; he's also been pressed by his adult classes to come up with new ideas - check out the webDotWizards site.

Here are some of the latest downloads available from the Train-sim.com library:

• Norfolk Southern Safe Cab for NS GE Dash-9 and GEVO'S ES40DC locos by Charlie Sibaja: gesafens.zip (2.8Mb, 22-Jun-2008).
• Acela Cab, cabview.zip (8.4Mb, 04-Jun-2008) by George L. Kenson.
• London Underground Northern Line route, version 0.8, msts-nor.zip (65Mb, 04-Jun-2008), by Sjoerd Ydema.
• General Electric FDL Prime Mover Soundpack version 2.0 Beta by Kurt Kaminer - KLW TrainSim, fdlv2.zip (3.5Mb, 06-Jun-2008).
• GG1 electric loco No. 4811 by Dick Cowen, gg1-4811.zip (7.7Mb, 06-Jun-2008).
• SEPTA MU Silverliner II set, in four parts, the first being slii1a.zip (4.5Mb, 09-Jun-2008).
• Steam Locomotive Performance Excel worksheet and Word document, steamv3.zip (225kb, 13-Jun-2008), by Bill Hobbs.
• Low Poly Default Wagons version 2 for filling up yards in activities, lpwag1.zip (6.4Mb, 04-Jun-2008).
• LUL Common Sounds Kit Version B1.0, lusndb10.zip (2.4Mb, 19-Jun-2008) by Jimi Ibbett.

Keep an eye on Australian Addons for MSTS as Yuri is slowly (re-)adding more rolling stock as time permits. By the way, Mike Simpson's latest version of Route Riter is version 7.0.94 and is available here.

There are some downloads in the Train-sim.com library that require Streamlines add-ons so check the website. The link to TERW's sound sets is also here:

• Stream Lines Corp.: www.streamlines.ca
• TERW MSTS Sound Sets Downloads (EMD, GE, Freight wagons): members.trainorders.com

Here's one download from UKTrainsim that everybody should use:

• Ricks Transparent Driving Aid (June 15 2008): www.uktrainsim.com

Bits and pieces of news over the past while can be found via these links:

• $10 billion state bond for high-speed trains - good for Silicon Valley, good for California?: venturebeat.com
• All aboard National Train Day (U.S.): www.msnbc.msn.com
• Association of American Railroads: www.aar.org
• Cat puts Japan rail firm on track: news.bbc.co.uk
• Columbus Locomotive Works: www.columbuslocomotiveworks.com
• CREATE (Chicago Region Environmental and Transportation Efficiency Program): www.createprogram.org
• CREATE Project Descriptions (incl. map): www.createprogram.org/projects.html
• Dhaka-Calcutta train in pictures: news.bbc.co.uk
• Eastside Rail Now Citizens Movement (Seattle, WA): www.eastsiderailnow.org
• German high-speed train derails after hitting sheep: www.abc.net.au/news/stories/
• Light rail chosen to link Seattle, Eastside: seattlepi.nwsource.com
• National Rail Freight Infrastructure Capacity and Investment Study (U.S.): www.aar.org
• Trains to be replaced by buses for one year between Melbourne and Albury: www.abc.net.au/news/stories/
• TransAdelaide Train and Tram Services: www.transadelaide.com.au

• <09-Mar-2008>: Some new cabs (and other downloads) as well as links to some railway photo sites and other news.

The Train-sim.com library has a number of new cabs. Here's the list of those created by Charlie Sibaja:

• EMD Comfort Cab 1, emdcomf1.zip (4.1Mb, 08-Feb-2008)
• EMD Comfort Cab 4, emdcomf4.zip (3Mb, 10-Feb-2008)
• GE SAFE2 Cabs, gesafe2.zip (4.7Mb, 15-Feb-2008)
• GE SAFE1 Cabs, gesafe1.zip (4.4Mb, 17-Feb-2008)
• GE P42 Cab, gep42cab.zip (2.8Mb, 23-Feb-2008)

Other cabs and downloads in the Train-sim.com library that caught webDotTrainSim's eye include:

• Dwight Mitchell's ALCO FA&PA Cab, fapacab.zip (10.8Mb, 08-Mar-2008)
• EMD Cash Box Control by David Zimmerman, cashbox.zip (8.9Mb, 05-Mar-2008)
• Original SD40-2 Cab View Modification by David Tweddle to raise the view for a better experience, sd402cm.zip (10kb, 04-Mar-2008)
• EMD-Cash Box Control Stand by David Zimmerman, emdcashb.zip (8.4Mb, 02-Mar-2008)
• Midwest Locomotive Works 710G-3 Sound Set, Name: mlw710g.zip (9.1Mb, 18-Feb-2008)

A topic that never goes away when we're trying to get the most from MSTS:

• Physics for EMU/DMUs (05-May-2008): forums.flightsim.com

Here are some photography sites, including ones with historical photos that are interesting:

• Center for Railroad Photography & Art: www.railphoto-art.org
• Images of Railroading: www.railroadheritage.org
• Railroad Photos by Kevin Scanlon: www.lightsourcephoto.com

A bit more history, using an overlay on Live Maps:

• Burien Streetcar 1911 Route (Seattle, WA) on Live Maps: www.zombiezodiac.com/rob/

Some railway news:

• France unveils super-fast train, the AGV: news.bbc.co.uk

• <27-Jan-2008>: A few download snippets:

Contributions by David Rowe to the Train-sim.com library:

• Australian Trees, au_trees.zip (3.3Mb, 22-Jan-2008)
• NSW Railways (Australia) Trackside Huts: au_huts.zip (764kb, 22-Jan-2008)
• Newcastle Hunter Railcar splash screen, newssc.zip (1.1Mb, 21-Jan-2008)

Also noticed at Train-sim.com:

• new 3D Thomas The Tank Engine Cab by James Tuvell, ttnkcab.zip (2.4Mb, 26-Jan-2008)
• Wenatchee and Cashmere route map by Norman Beveridge, wncmap.zip (74kb, 25-Jan-2008)

Have a look at Amictreni for some new Italian Railways electric locos and cabs.

Sea View 5 fix now available to solve the problem of MSTS freezing when exiting the Explore Route activity. See Ed Hawkins site to download (18kb).

• <20-Jan-2008>: Sea View version 5 is now available for download from either the Train-sim.com library or UK Trainsim. At Train-sim.com the files are as follows:

• full download, i.e., one file: sv5_full.zip (241Mb, 14-Jan-2008)
• download in manageable chunks (split version), six files in total, each about 42Mb: part 1, sv5_pt_1.zip (44Mb, 14-Jan-2008) to part 6, sv5_pt_6.zip (41Mb, 14-Jan-2008)

Other downloads from Train-sim.com include:

• Sicily Island route by Peppe Ianuzzi in eight files, each about 30Mb, starting with ital21p1.exe (30Mb, 08-Jan-2008), through to ital21p8.rar (21Mb, 08-Jan-2008)
• EMD cab by Charlie Sibaja for F and E class locos such as the FT, F3, F7, F9, E1 to E9: emd-fe-c.zip (3.1Mb, 11-Jan-2008)
• a little utility program by Bob Wirth for adjusting track gaps, adjtrk.zip (92kb, 11-Jan-2008)

Mike Simpson's Route Riter has been updated as of early January - it's now at version 7.0.83, RRit7_0_83upd.zip (1.04Mb, 03-Jan-2008).

UK Trainsim has updated cabs for the Class 31, 45 and 47 locos.

Here are some links you'll want to browse to:

• CVW MSTS Addons for Victorian Railways (Russell Beer): cvwmstsaddon.blogspot.com/
• Eurostar for Tomorrow's photo gallery: www.flickr.com/photos/eurostarfortomorrow
• General view of one of the classification yards of the Chicago and Northwestern Railroad, Chicago, Ill. (LOC): www.flickr.com/photos/library_of_congress/
• Not quite as fast as a speeding bullet - Japanese Trains: blogs.technet.com/habibi/

Line news archives

• 2007: January, February, March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October, November, December.

• 2006: January, February, March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October, November, December.

• 2005: January, February, March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October, November, December.

• 2004: January, February, March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October, November, December.

• 2003: January to December.

• 2002: March to December.

About | Contact

• Email me, Bernie Halpin, at info [AT] webdottrainsim [DOT]com if you have questions or comments. I'll try to answer as best I can. Certainly post me if any step-by-step instructions on various how-to pages need clarification.