Line news May, 2005

• <30-May-05>: Train-sim.com has Paul Watson's Full Bucket Line SD40-2 pack of four locos, fblsd4pk.zip (3.4Mb, 29-May-05), G. Kenson's version 2 Boston MBTA Red Line subway cars, redline2.zip (7.6Mb, 27-May-05), and, if you've got MapleLeaf Track's Cascade Crossing route, Don Shriner has contributed a number of EMD locos in demo livery, e.g. EMD Demo No. 7000, emd7000.zip (1.4Mb, 29-May-05). Amicitreni.net has a new route, Castel Di Sangro-Sulmona, (82Mb, 28-May-05).

• <29-May-05>: A couple of electric locos required for activities on Wupper Express 8 and Wupper Express 9 were a bit hard to find but they're both now available from The-Train.de, along with links to cabs: AR-DB101030 by Andreas Rosenau and Felix Bansazak (2.14Mb, 29-May-05) and AR-DB152055 by Andreas Rosenau (2.3Mb, 29-May-05). Michael Sinclair has been contributing new trees to the Train-sim.com library for a couple of weeks. If you wish to place them in any of your routes, follow his directions in the readme.txt in each download. As well, browse the New Trees post on the Train-sim.com forums. A search for Sinclair in the Train-sim.com library will bring up a full list of Mike's recent tree creations. The UKTrainsim library now has tutorials on using ThoPhil's Polymaster for the LOD part of MSTS: pm-tut-h.zip (4Mb, 28-May-05) and pm-tut-d.zip (7.7Mb, 28-May-05).

• <28-May-05>: From the Cabine TGV atlantique thread on the Simtrain-fr MSTS forum, web•TrainSim ended up on the News und Infos page at the Fastest Routes in the World (Die Schnellsten Züge der Welt) site. Scroll down to get to the TGV-Réseau - Frankreich heading and you'll get a good cab photo. With a little bit of navigation, you'll also get good interior photos of the ICE3 cab. Another site to visit is Gary Coupe's Footage site for some short videos of various features around the U.K. rail system. To keep up to date on progress with the TrainMaster TrainSimulator (TMTS), the team have set up a specific site, www.trainmaster.com. The SHORTY Route now with AI Traffic post on the Train-sim.com MSTS forum gives information on enhancements that Ottodad has made to the route; it can be downloaded from his downloads page in shorty-1.zip (43.3Mb, 26-May-05).

• <27-May-05>: At Train-sim.com Ted Curphey has updated his Ultimate Railbox Set, rbox-upd.zip (1.1Mb, 26-May-05), with improved couplers and bogies. As well, he's finished his Pacific NW Centerbeam Set, pnw_cb1.zip (9.6Mb, 26-May-05), which features liveries such as Burlington Northern, Milwaukee Road and Union Pacific and various loads for each. For model builders, Nick Bernard has a handy tutorial on Glass Windows, glasstut.zip (4Mb, 26-May-05), with plenty of illustrations to help and Alvaro Silva has repainted a Baldwin Consolidation into the livery of Estrada de Ferro Central do Brasil Number 557, efcb557.zip (7.7Mb, 26-May-05).

• <26-May-05>: Amicitreni.net has another new model, electric trainset ETR 253 Arlecchino, etr253.zip (7.5Mb, 25-May-05), by Fabio Ferrari (cab and sounds are included) and a new 3D cab by Mauro Ciociola for D 445 diesel locos, CabD445.zip (4.6Mb, 25-May-05). Although required for activities on the Morvan route, the X3800 Picasso trainset can be downloaded separately from the Ligne du Morvan - Version 3 download page at Funtrain.net (scroll down to the bottom of the page). Dennis Mutulo has renumbered two BNSF SD40-2s and improved the physics and cab - they're available from Train-sim.com in files bnsf8008.zip (1.5Mb, 25-May-05) and bnsf6392.zip (1.4Mb, 25-May-05). Ottodad has made some improvements and fixed a couple of errors in the public domain Very Short Line RR route; you can download Ottodad's version, shorty.zip (42Mb), to run some trains on it and see how a route is built.

• <23-May-05>: Train-sim.com has the Full Bucket Line's first excursion and business train, The Desert Rose by Paul Watson. The F7A & B locos are in download fbldrts.zip (1.9Mb, 22-May-05) and the carriages and diners are in fbldrc.zip (6.5Mb, 22-May-05). Hugh Reilly has another update to fix the cab windows of his Norfolk Southern Dash 9 No. 9957, hrd9s_4c.zip (700kb, 22-May-05).

• <21-May-05>: Amicitreni.net now has the Cab ETR300-250 V2 by Mauro Ciociola, CAB_ETR300-250v2.zip (4.8Mb, 20-May-05). Trenomania.it has some new additions, including the ETR303 Settebello trainset by Fabio Ferrari (12.4Mb, 18-May-05), and several new locos (some are already at Amicitreni.net), including Loco E636-117 by Gaetano Vella (9.2Mb, 18-May-05), Loco E656-001 also by Gaetano Vella (15.6Mb, 18-May-05), and E402.000 by Ciro Di Donato (10.3MbMb, 18-May-05). The-Train.de has Wespe's DB E181 223-9, (6.5Mb, 21-May-05), and Klaus Kraml's OEBB 1012, (4.4Mb, 15-May-05). The Cabmaker is beginning work on his OEBB-1216 cab project. Making Tracks latest Free Stock Friday offering is a BR Southern Blue Grey Class 508 EMU trainset, (2.12Mb, 20-May-05), available from the Making Tracks Free Downloads Page.

• <19-May-05>: Marcel Despont has contributed more of his creations for route builders to Train-sim.com, including Saloon Excursion Steamboat, de_stbo.zip (1.5Mb, 18-May-05), Harbor Crane (sic), de_portk.zip (1.6Mb, 18-May-05), and Approach To The Nautilus, de_naut.zip (725kb, 18-May-05). Richard Pratt has his Southern Class 171 Twin Pack Turbostars, sc171.zip (7.2Mb, 18-May-05) and the latest EXE update for ConBuilder, version 2.3.32, cb2332.zip (460kb, 18-May-05), is also available.

• <18-May-05>: The Genesis Man's latest contributions to the Train-sim.com library caught web•TrainSim's eye today. Robert has three Amtrak AutoTrain P40 Phase V loco sets: atrainp1.zip (3.1Mb, 17-May-05), atrainp2.zip (3.1Mb, 17-May-05) and atrainp3.zip (2.4Mb, 17-May-05). If you haven't downloaded any of Robert Fontaine's Genesis locos previously, you also need his tan-desktop cab, p42tan.zip (920kb, 26-Jul-03), and Maple Leaf Tracks GE sounds, gesounds.zip (3.5Mb, 01-Sep-02). The Cabmaker today announced that TrainSimAustria has the latest version of the OBB 1012 electric loco and its cab can be downloaded from this page at the Cabmaker's site.

• <16-May-05>: Ciro Di Donato has contributed a number of Italian Railways electric locos to the Amicitreni.net library: FS E412 Pack, FS_E412_Pack.rar (7.8Mb, 15-May-05), FS E402P Prototipo Pack, FS_E402p_Pack_D.rar (15.4Mb, 15-May-05), FS E402B Pack, FS_E402b_Pack_D.rar (10.5Mb, 15-May-05), FS E402A Pack, FS_E402a_Pack_D.rar (14.8Mb, 15-May-05), and FS E402P Simulacro, FS_E402_000_D.rar (10.6Mb, 15-May-05). The Italien83 Matériel Roulant page has a number of BB25600 locos and there should be a BB25500 pack there too. Adritrain.net has a Z6400 trainset in Transilien livery (14.8Mb) (in the Les automotrices section). UKTrainsim has another Kenji Kimura cab, this one for the Class 73 electro/diesel, 73cabV2.zip (4.4Mb, 15-May-05).

• <15-May-05>: There's a minor update (the EXE only) for ConBuilder to version 2.3.32 available from the ConBuilder 3DTrains forum to principally fix extra spaces in ENG files; an interesting discovery by the team is that MSTS doesn't like consist file names longer than thirty characters. Kenji Kimura has another of his cabs, this one for the ScotRail Class 334 Juniper EMU, 334cabV1.zip (2.5Mb, 14-May-05), at UKTrainsim. At Train-sim.com Joe Realmuto has a tutorial on converting a route to Marc Nelson's ScaleRail track system, srcontut.zip (89kb, 14-May-05).

• <14-May-05>: At Train-sim.com you'll find Matt Doti's Santa Fe Budd RDC pack (perfect for the Surfliner route and the readme has some history), atsfrdcs.zip (6.2Mb, 13-May-05), and Thomas J. Pearce's Amtrak Phase VI carriages, amtkcomm.zip (4Mb, 13-May-05). A news snippet is that Andreas Müller has nearly completed his BR485 Berliner S-Bahn trainset.

• <13-May-05>: Train-sim.com has Steve Callaghan's pack of Canadian Pacific SD40-2s, tsmsd402.zip (2.6Mb, 11-May-05), and a patch, tsmacf2x.zip (1.2Mb, 12-May-05), for a missing ACE graphic file. Don Karch has another pack of Denver & Salt Lake rolling stock, twelve hopper wagons, dsl_h1.zip (2.9Mb, 12-May-05). Alvaro Silva has contributed a number of freight wagons and locos, such as SD40-2 Estrada De Ferro Carajas 407, efcsd402.zip (4.1Mb, 12-May-05), modelled on Brazilian Railways stock. Amicitreni.Net has the Light Urban F route version 1.1, (35Mb, 12-May-05), and a patch for the FS E645 Old Pack.

• <12-May-05>: Although a little quiet, the Rendsburg Version of the Denmark 2000 Elektric route is worth mentioning. The feature of the extension is the Rendsburg viaduct and there are some links to photos of the real structure in this post on the Simtrain forum. For some MSTS screenshots, see the Trainss.com gallery.

• <11-May-05>: At Train-sim.com Hugh Reilly has updated some textures for his BNSF Dash 9 No. 603, hrd9s_2b.zip (2.5Mb, 10-May-05), Don Karch has another Denver & Salt Lake freight set, a pack of fourteen flatcars with various loads, dsl_f1.zip (3.6Mb, 10-May-05), Craig Kawahara has a schematic map of the Donner Pass route, donrmap.zip (195kb, 10-May-05), and Dick Cowen has contributed a Canton RR slug with mother, ctnslgst.zip (5.8Mb, 10-May-05). Paint.NET has been updated to version 2.1a and can be downloaded from this page (note, .NET Frameworks is required).

• <09-May-05>: If you're considering whether to install Jim Duncan's Scale Rail upgrade to his Santa Fe Marceline Subdivision route, sfmar20u.zip (21Mb, 07-May-05) from the Train-sim.com library, you'll need to read through his install instructions under the Santa Fe Marceline Sub. Ver. 2.0 released! thread on the Train-sim MSTS Route Design forum. As well, there are some comments in the ADFRR V4 install question thread in the general MSTS forum. The fictional Romio-Brenno route (100Mb, 08-May-05) has been released at the Amicitreni.net library. Someone on the Train-sim.com forums posted to point out that MSTS files are stamped 08-May-01 - four years of MSTS have passed.

• <07-May-05>: At Train-sim.com Dwight Mitchell has contributed a GP38 reskin kit for use with Paint Shop Pro, 38cabpsp.zip (9.8Mb, 05-May-05), there's an update for the Pacific Electric Baldwin freight locos to correct some markings and the spark position, peupdate.zip (1.7Mb, 06-May-05), and Don Karch has a pack of six Denver & Salt Lake reefers for the Rollins Pass/Moffat Tunnel route, dsl_r1.zip (3Mb, 06-May-05). As well, Robert Reedy has an update of his A Dual Fantasy RailRoad available to patch version 3 to version 4; adfv4all.zip (84Mb, 06-May-05) is for broadband users and others can take advantage of the update being in four smaller chunks (yet to appear in the Train-sim.com library). The download contains installation instructions and you can check this thread on the Train-sim.com forums if you're not sure. The Cabmaker has made a small improvement to his Talent OBB 4023 cab. Amicitreni.net has a pack of two first series E645 locos in original livery, FS E645 Old Pack, FS_E645_old_pack.rar (13Mb, 06-May-05), and there's a patch for the sounds in the version 3 E402B pack, Suoni E_402B_pack.rar (1.3Mb, 06-May-05).

• <05-May-05>: A reminder that the Simtrain forums can be found at simtrain-fr.nuxit.net/phpBB2/index.php and the Simtrain MSTS forum is at simtrain-fr.nuxit.net/phpBB2/viewforum.php?f=1. Another French MSTS site worth checking is trainss.com (in English it's at trainss.com/?lng=en). Route Riter is now at version 6.2.64, a new feature being a count of files in the Common folder.

• <04-May-05>: There's a small update to Hugh Reilly's Dash 9-44CW 3-Pack to correct a texture for NS 9957, hrd9s_4a.zip (2.3Mb, 03-May-05), at Train-sim.com. As well, Ron Picardi has a pack of high-voltage electricity towers, srvpole3.zip (874kb, 02-May-05), and a correction for his poles and wires packs, srvpofix.zip (401kb, 02-May-05), and Tony Calorel has contributed a wide variety of rolling stock so you can add plenty of variety to your freight consists.

• <02-May-05>: The Train-sim.com downloaad library has a Chicago North Shore Interurban Set, nslpull.zip (8.9Mb, 01-May-05), a set of Dash-9s, BNSF Nos. 4408 and 5529 and NS 9957, by Hugh Reilly, hrd9s_4.zip (13.5Mb, 01-May-05), and the Spanish Zafra-Jerez de los Caballeros route, version 1.1, badajoz.zip (96Mb, 01-May-05); more information about this route is available at Trensim.com. UKTrainsim has two new cabs by Kenji Kimura, one for the Class 220 DEMUs (i.e., Voyagers), 220cabV2.zip (2.3Mb, 01-May-05), and another for Class 168 DMUs, 168cabV1.zip (2.8Mb, 01-May-05). Staying with cabs for a moment, The Cabmaker has made innovative use of the CCTV screen placed in some modern driver's cabs in his latest cab for the OBB 4023 trainset. There are some new locos available from Amicitreni.net: FS E444R-020 by Mauro Ciociola, FS_E444_020.zip (6.3Mb, 01-May-05), FS E402B PACK v3.0 by Mr Rokko, FS_E402B_V3.zip (11.5Mb, 01-May-05), and FS E652-027 XMPR v1.2 also by Mr Rokko, FS_E652_027_v1.2.zip (8.1Mb, 01-May-05).

• <01-May-05>: The Portuguese Algarve Route has been updated to version 1.4. The download page has a good description of the line and the rolling stock that's required for the included activities (about an 80Mb download for route and activities). Train-sim.com has more NSGR DE-class locos contributed by Nigel Booth of TSNZ Workshops, including DE1429 and DE1435, nzrdev30.zip (2.9Mb, 30-Apr-05) and nzrdev31.zip (2.8Mb, 30-Apr-05). For route builders, Ron Picardi has a pack of wires for telegraph and power poles, srvwires.zip (440kb, 30-Apr-05), and a pack of a variety of power and telegraph poles, srvpole2.zip (2.1Mb, 30-Apr-05). Michael Stephan has contributed two packs of Great Northern gondolas, gn_gon52.zip (4.3Mb, 30-Apr-05) and gn_gon40.zip (2.6Mb, 30-Apr-05). Amicitreni.net has the FS ETR303 Settebello, etr303.zip (12.5Mb, 30-Apr-05), with cab and sounds.

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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.