Line news February, 2006

• <20-Feb-2006>: The latest version of XTracks, version 3.17, is now available. Among the list of improvements is a solution to the problem of the night textures not being visible in a train's headlights. You can download XTracks V3.17 in one of its three different formats, i.e., there are files for route builders, those who like to copy the files manually, or as is the case for most of us, there's the self-installer. At Train-sim.com the file you want for the self-installer is xtracks.zip (13.2Mb, 18-Feb-06). UKTrainsim also has XTracks V3.17. For more details, see the XTracks site. Route Riter has been updated to version 6.3.70 so that ENGine and WAGon files have their file extension saved as .eng and .wag to cirumvent any problems with ConBuilder. web•TrainSim is working on his RB42 & RB43 activity with test run number six coming up after he sorts out a red light about five kilometres from Dortmund that won't clear. Then he'll get going on an S2 activity from Dortmund to Duisberg via Gelsenkirchen and Oberhausen.

• <16-Feb-2006>: Phew, the RE3 Dortmund to Dusseldorf activity is available for download and it will test your patience if nothing else. Check the RE3 activity page for web•TrainSim's timings (you can ignore MSTS' schedule and the VRR timetable).

• <12-Feb-2006>: There are three Wupper Express 10.1 activities for download: RE2 Wanne-Eickel to Monchengladbach, Krefeld to Dusseldorf and Dusseldorf to Dortmund (updated as of 08-Feb-2006). Timings that web•TrainSim recorded are on these pages as a guide. Note that the Train Control Centre Manager has again notified all drivers that maximum speed into platforms is 30 km/hr. Other news (sorry, not so new however): UKTrainsim has the steam era version of the Mideast route version 2 (it's in twelve files) - see Grandpa's Den for a brief review. Over at Train-sim.com there's the United Aircraft Turbo Train package (version 1.1), uaturbos.zip (10Mb, 07-Feb-06), a 1955 FJ Holden car, nz_tbfj.zip (155kb, 11-Feb-06), (should be part of the scenery of every Australian route at least), and a full install of the latest version of ConBuilder, cbf2350.zip (8.8Mb, 05-Feb-06), which has new logic to handle loose consists/rolling stock - see ConBuilder 2.3.50, Major Change to the Loose Consist Editor for more info.

• <06-Feb-2006>: The RE3 Dusseldorf to Dortmund activity has been uploaded. It still needs a few timing adjustments and a bit more traffic at a couple of places but give it a try for route familiarisation purposes. Be patient with MSTS at Dusseldorf (and other main cities, too) as you can expect framerates to drop (and MSTS may appear to have frozen but just wait before doing anything drastic).

• <01-Feb-2006>: At last web•TrainSim has finished two activities (You thought he was basking on some tropical island, didn't you? We did. Ed.). They're the S9 service, S9 - Bottrop to Wuppertal and S9 - Wuppertal to Bottrop (both these pages have arrival times along the route that web•TrainSim recorded and are closer to reality than what MSTS puts up on its Next Station display). If you want, go to web•TrainSim downloads and look under Wupper Express 10 for these activities. New activities will take extra time to create since all services are to be re-created and some paths have to be fixed (apart from new ones for the new trackage) so be patient (the next one being worked on is the RE3 service from Dusseldorf to Dortmund via Oberhausen and Gelskirchen). By the way, these are the locations where web•TrainSim has noticed broken paths from WE8 and WE9: Neuss, beyond Koln (new turning wyes beyond Koln Hbf), beyond Dortmund (new turning wyes), Oberhausen (new track and station layout), DU-Rheinhausen, and between W-Barmen and W-Unterbarmen. web•TrainSim had already flagged broken paths at these locations in Wupper Express 10 and isn't sure if there were more breaks in WE10.1 - anyway paths through these locatins have to be recreated.

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• Email me at info@webDotTrainsim.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.