Line news November, 2002

• <29-Nov-02>: Don't worry if downloading the NALW GE megapack is too much for your dialup connection - here's a way to use the default Dash 9 cab and sounds. Conn McCarthy's steam locomotive adhesion calculator will be of interest to those who want prototypical performance - adh_calc.zip (4kb, 27-Nov-02) in the Train-sim.com library. At UK Trainsim, web•TrainSim noticed version 3 of the Class 37 sound set - if you have a Class 37 in your roundhouse and you haven't got the Class 37 sounds to go with it, you're missing a sonic experience. Here's a reference to the Napier horizontally-opposed 18 cylinder engines used in the Class 37.

• <28-Nov-02>: These are additions to the Train-sim.com library that web•TrainSim noticed: Michael Forster's Pilbara Rail CM44-9W pildash9.zip (687kb, 26-Nov-02) which requires the NALW GE pack for cab and sounds gemegav2.zip (52Mb, 19-Sep-02) but you should be able to alias to the default MSTS Dash 9; an update for the Mesaba mesabaup.zip (396kb, 26-Nov-02) to add some missing files; some PCC streetcars, e.g. pcc4136.zip (1.8Mb, 26-Nov-02); more DDA40X packs, e.g. ddpck3_1.zip (3.5Mb, 26-Nov-02); Xmas express 40 foot reefers, e.g. xmas_1.zip (820kb, 26-Nov-02). Brendan Robinson's CityRail 620/720 railcar is almost in web•TrainSim's roundhouse, but he's having so much fun with the Activity Editor, he can't tear himself away from trying to create a couple of activities.

• <27-Nov-02>: Here's what caught web•TrainSim's eye when browsing through the Train-sim.com library: Jim Ward's Port Ogden & Northern route ponv6.zip (7.9Mb, 25-Nov-02), a fictional route of steep mountain grades and branch lines, featuring mining, farming, logging and the oil industry; German passenger coaches db_202am.zip (1.5Mb, 25-Nov-02) and db_203am.zip (2.1Mb, 25-Nov-02); Italian local trains of the '70s and '80s fs_rib.zip (2Mb, 25-Nov-02). For more info on European railways, a visit to the European Railway Server is worthwhile - there are links there to picture galleries, national railways & timetables, ICE, AVE, TGVweb, Dutch railways, and more. And who was a bit early with yesterday's line news? Oh well, it was good news.

• <26-Nov-02>: When you're looking for some freight wagons, a pack made of various loads is handy. Here are some in the Train-sim.com library: fourteen wagons with various loads, others unloaded gon14in1.zip (2.4Mb, 24-Nov-02), BNSF coal wagons, loaded/unloaded bnsfcoal.zip (880kb, 17-Oct-01), 50 foot wagons with various loads gon6pack.zip (1.0Mb, 01-May-02), various loaded wagons loadsv02.zip (420kb, 01-Nov-01), containers with European company labelling nmbssgns.zip (5.4Mb, 08-May-02), six NSW wagons nody.zip (682kb, 28-Jul-02); and ten flat wagons with containers AunswNQOX_Setup.exe (3.6Mb) from www.railpage.org.au/steam4me/trainsim/.

• <25-Nov-02>: Plenty to choose from in the Train-sim.com library: BNSF SD40-2, pack loco numbers 7834, 8001, 8011, 8160, 8304 sd402pak.zip (11.1Mb, 23-Nov-02), UP DDA40X Pack 2, loco numbers 6900-4 ddpck2_1.zip (4.6Mb, 23-Nov-02), BR Class 81 electric locos e3003.zip (470kb, 23-Nov-02) e3005.zip (470kb, 23-Nov-02) 81018.zip (455kb, 23-Nov-02) 81008.zip (455kb, 23-Nov-02), and the Mesaba Electric Route (this route is set in 1922 and includes the Great Northern, DM&N and DW&P lines) in five convenient chunks for download (from 9Mb to 23Mb) mesabax.zip, where x = 1, 2, 3, 4, 5.

• <24-Nov-02>: News on Ryan Fielding's Modern City Tramway route can now be found at his site at www.moderncity.vze.com. He expects he'll have MCT V2 ready next month and is also working on his Modern City Underground route. As well, he has a surprise route - a Skyway. The Blue Line MCT-liveried NGT8D trams have been updated too MCT_ngt8d_blue.zip (2.5Mb, 11-Nov-02) and can be downloaded from www.moderncity.vze.com.

• <23-Nov-02>: One hundred and twenty-nine new files in the Train-sim.com library! Freight rolling stock, passenger cars and locos in various liveries, including the famous Milwaukee Road, Rock Island, Wisconsin & Southern, C&NW, and Alaska Railroad. Mike Simpson has added more features to Route Riter and has a beta version available from his site for those who would like to do some testing.

• <22-Nov-02>: Version 2 of the CityRail 620/720 railcar by Brendan Robinson au602v2.zip (8.1Mb, 20-Nov-02) is now available from the Train-sim.com library. web•TrainSim's connection behaved itself long enough to get that Electrostar cab ElectrostarCab.zip (2.5Mb, 02-Oct-02) from UK Trainsim yesterday morning. Meanwhile he's been trying various strategies to get the Williams Town to Oxford on Modern England activity to do what he wants - read about how he's coped with the intricacies of signalling, passing sidings and the vagaries of the Activity Editor.

• <21-Nov-02>: The different RoadRailers that have appeared in the past few days at the Train-sim.com library include: Southwest sw10.zip (267kb, 18-Nov-02), Swift swiv10.zip (674kb, 18-Nov-02), ICE2 icev10.zip (321kb, 18-Nov-02) and Clipper cliv10.zip (615kb, 18-Nov-02). Remember, you need the RR adapter to be able to hook up these RoadRailers adapter.zip (165kb, 18-Nov-02). For a challenge, hook up 50 or 60 behind a couple of Dash 9s and head out from Shelby with a bullet-train to Whitefish.

• <20-Nov-02>: Christine Sweetnam's S302 cab has been adapted to right-hand driving for F7s fp_f7cab.zip (6.5Mb, 18-Nov-02). The RoadRailer adapter is now available as a separate download adapter.zip (165kb, 18-Nov-02); required by new RoadRailer downloads, such as those in Swift and ICE liveries. NALW's Metro North & CDOT Bombardier pack (2 control cars, 4 coaches) mn_bomb.zip (11.5Mb, 18-Nov-02). Another update to the SD40-2 V1.2 cab; this one includes both lo- & hi-nose versions newview.zip (1.6Mb, 18-Nov-02). All these downloads are in the Train-sim.com library. When web•TrainSim's dialup connection lasts longer than 5 minutes - hopefully whatever the problem is somewhere on the line is fixed sson - he'll be able to post a screenshot or two of a c2c Electrostar Class357c2c.zip (4.4Mb, 12-Nov-02), with cab ElectrostarCab.zip (2.5Mb, 02-Oct-02), available from UK Trainsim. With a bit of luck, he'll be awake enough at 0700 AEST (Australian Eastern Summer Time) to log on to UK Trainsim and also download the Connex Electrostar Class375Connex.zip (4.8Mb, 03-Oct-02).

• <19-Nov-02>: It's steam again at the Train-sim.com library: a NKP Berkshire 2-8-4 with custom cab and sounds berk_nkp.zip (23Mb, 17-Nov-02). Fans of the North England route have an upgrade to download, noe_v12.zip (4.9Mb, 17-Nov-02), to add scenery and new activities (this download requires you've installed England1, -2, -3 and -4). There's a bit more to web•TrainSim's path naming convention when building paths in the Activity Editor. When he looked back at what he'd done thus far, he discovered he wasn't properly using his own convention - but that was easily fixed.

• <18-Nov-02>: Steam fans will be happy to find some GWR saddle tank locos in the Train-sim.com library: Manning Wardle 0-6-0 little4.zip (657kb, 16-Nov-02), 0-6-0 850 gwr850st.zip (273kb, 16-Nov-02), Class 26xx Aberdare gwr2600.zip (584kb, 16-Nov-02) and Class 2301 Dean Goods gwr2301.zip (541kb, 16-Nov-02). There is now a wide range of 50 foot box cars in various U.S. railway liveries for freight fans.

• <17-Nov-02>: Here is a set of V/Line carriages in 4 liveries: blue/gold, orange, crimson/blue, and West Coast Railway blue/white: AU_vicBS_setup.exe (640kb, 15-Nov-02), available from Australian Add-ons to MSTS. S302 will now have some matching rolling stock. The Seaview 2 route seaview2.zip (28Mb, 08-Jun-02) is straight forward to install but the first job is to create a new sub-folder, Seaview2, under your MSTS Routes folder before extracting files, making sure you've checked the Use folder names in the Extract files dialogue box.

• <16-Nov-02>: Yesterday's news went by the board when web•TrainSim's dialup connection was so poor it hardly allowed him time to browse through the latest files at the Train-sim.com library. Anyway, he spotted a couple of activities: hotshot rack train on default NEC nec3.zip (58kb, 12-Nov-02; requires non-default rolling stock) and Whitefish freight pull on Marias Pass 3 whitpull.zip (185kb, 14-Nov-02; requires MSTS upgraded to V1.2). Further to web•TrainSim's first trials and tribulations with the Activity Editor, there's a few thoughts on how he's got himself organised by using the tried and true method of planning with paper-and-pen to make some paths. See the Activity Editor and Creating paths in the AE pages.

• <14-Nov-02>: Discreet's free 3D graphics design program, gmax, has been upgraded to version 1.2. gmax can be downloaded in 5 separate files to cater for dialup users. If you're planning to use gmax for the first time to design for MSTS, remember to download the free Train Simulator add-on pack from TrainSim Insider. For a tutorial on using gmax, see Volker's gMax Tutorial.

• <13-Nov-02>: The Train-sim.com library is back on air with plenty of downloads: Vittorio Dell'Aquila's handtruck handtruc.zip (1.8Mb, 10-Nov-02), Swift RoadRailer swift02.zip (1.6Mb, 11-Nov-02) (Swift is one of the biggest providers of RailRailer transport), U.S. railway 50 feet box cars packs 1 & 2 us2ftx.zip (3.1Mb, 11-Nov-02) and usft7_11.zip (1.6Mb, 11-Nov-02). The Vulcano Isle Route vulcilse.zip (11.3Mb, 11-Nov-02) looks interesting but currently has problems with installation.

• <12-Nov-02>: To complement the Engine Manual, mentioned a couple of days ago, ENGManual.zip (428kb, 01-Nov-02) available at the Australian Add-ons to MSTS site, those interested in the internal workings of MSTS ENGine files should also take a look at Peter Baker's work on dynamic braking in MSTS dbphys1.zip (174kb, 20-Oct-01) and dbphys11.zip (6kb, 07-Nov-01) from the Train-sim.com library. Peter's work is based on the dynamic brake curve in the operator manual for the CNW SD60 (sometimes this site is there, other times it isn't, so you may need to try a few times). web•TrainSim had another bright idea (a little difficult, mind you, in the midst of a dust storm) in relation to creating activities: for a particular route, before anything else, build up a collection of paths according to your prospective needs for the type of train services you want to offer. For example, for the Modern England route, web•TrainSim is going to set up a number of paths for passenger trains to run King's Cross-Oxford high-speed, King's Cross-Oxford local (slow), King's Cross-Manchester local (slow) service, King's Cross-Manchester high-speed, return services for these, and so on. This idea is currently at the non-digital stage, that is, pen-on-paper.

• <11-Nov-02>: The Train-sim.com library has been quiet for a couple of days - last update was 09-Nov-02 (U.S.). However, there's a chance to sympathise with web•TrainSim as he tries to conquer the Activity Editor. There's a page under Tools where you can catch up on what he's worked out so far. It's not the final word but it may be enough to get you to try something on your own. For many months, before he got a suitable monitor to use the AE and consequently look at the Modern England route, web•TrainSim kept getting lost. Well, if you're in a similar situation that he was, the route is in the shape a a capital T. The top horizontal line of the T is the line from King's Cross/London Loco in the west to Amersham at the eastern extremity. The vertical line in the T is about two-thirds from King's Cross and the line heads south to Cardiff just east of Manchester. A fun trip is from Oxford northwards (use the inverted Y at Oxford station) to go around the back of various buildings and head to Oxford Junction. Eventually you cross the main line, heading south, to Williams Town and then northwards again to finish up on the main line, heading east.

• <10-Nov-02>: Here's some news about more Australian locos and rolling stock - a work in progress by FreightKing; catch up on what the Aussie CLP carbody diesel and Overland carriages will look like on this page at the Train-sim.com forums. For those looking for Italian locos and rolling stock, do a search of the Train-sim.com library on Vittorio Dell'Aquila - he's made many contributions lately. To keep track of new sites added to Related Sites, there's a small section entitled Recent addtions for the past week or so - this should help us all, especially yours truly.

• <09-Nov-02>: Model train fans, if you decide to install Lee Clarke's Hornby-liveried wagon, take care with the installation as is replaces the graphics ACE file for the default us2freight6 wagon. It's probably better to make a new sub-folder for the Hornby wagon, copy the files of the default us2freight6 wagon and then copy Lee's new ACE file into the hornby sub-folder. Just to make sure MSTS behaves itself, rename usa2freight6.wag to hornby.wag and then load this file into WordPad so you can change the Wagon line to read Wagon ( Hornby. In the Tutorials section of Australian Add-ons to MSTS, web•TrainSim came across a couple of documents that may be useful to those working with ENGine and WAGon files: ENGManual.zip (428kb, 01-Nov-02), and a write-up of using the GoldWave sound editor to produce sounds that MSTS can cope with. A route that's becoming popular is Ohio Rail which is actually two routes in one. Currently it's at build 10 - you'll find the download at Avsim.com or10_1_105634.zip (50Mb, 12-Oct-02) and or10_2.zip (33Mb, 12-Oct-02), and plenty of help in the Avsim forum. The author's site is at www.edmfamily.com/msts/bo.htm.

• <08-Nov-02>: Thanks to Christine Sweetnam, developer of V/Line S302 sclass25.zip (7.2Mb, 04-Nov-02), web•TrainSim has been educated in the use of the brake system used on the V/Line S-class locos. The S-class brakes have to be lapped by the driver so read how to do it. If you're not happy with this method, you can replace the prototypical brakes on S302 with a self lapping system - see Brake replacement for V/Line S302 under Small Fixes 4. In the Train-sim.com library, web•TrainSim noticed a freight wagon with the famous Hornby name on the sides hornby11.zip (526kb, 07-Nov-02) - when will the Triang name, and other famous model train names of old, appear? (web•TrainSim is well aware that mentioning the Triang name may cause some debate among model train fans).

• <07-Nov-02>: Alex Hall's version of the SD40-2 cab is a vast improvement over the original. For one thing, you can see where you're going without getting a crinked neck! Alex has put a lot of work into the redesign of the front, left and right views. A nice feature is the reflection in the rearview mirror - sd402cab.zip (5.3Mb, 05-Nov-02) from the Train-sim.com library. By the way, a change to the height of the engineer's eye-level above the rail mentioned in the Train-sim forum upsets web•TrainSim's MSTS with a "Failed to load cabview" error. The reason may be that my MSTS resolution is only 640x480x16. If you're a fan of the GP7, there are a range of different liveries in the library. As well, the North of England route V1.1 is available in reasonable-sized download chunks (4 files: 19Mb, 22Mb, 26Mb, 25Mb). As the author points out, the track is 100% complete and scenery 60%. The route is 110 miles in length with 50 stations englandX.zip (where X is 1, 2, 3 and 4 with sizes as mentioned, 05-Nov-02). web•TrainSim has been remiss in not earlier pointing you to the Victorian Railways MSTS site at www.railpage.org.au/vr/msts/ - watch for the upcoming B-class loco, a stalwart of the Victorian rail system for 50 years.

• <06-Nov-02>: A large number of contributions to the Train-sim.com library over the past few weeks have consisted of rolling stock for various railroads. For example, there have been a whole range of double and single stack TTX intermodal well cars. Also, there have been contributions of Rock Island-liveried cabooses. So browse the library for rolling stock appropriate to your favourite railroad - you're sure to find all you need. Just spotted in the Train-sim.com library: CityRail S-Set v1.2 upgrade ssetce12.zip (4Mb, 05-Nov-02) and a more practical cab for the BNSF #8010 cab (V1.2 upgrade) sd402cab.zip (5.3Mb, 05-Nov-02) - definitely on webweb•TrainSim's list to download. By the way, I've got a new contact - mail me at info@webdottrainsim.com. The old one will stick work, however.

• <05-Nov-02>: The following downloads from the Train-sim.com library are next on web•TrainSim's list: V/Line S-class loco, with colours and cab by Christine Sweetnam, sclass25.zip (7.2Mb, 04-Nov-02), Mike Simpson's Route Riter V3.7 rriter37.zip (4.8Mb, 04-Nov-02) and Bob Boudoin's V4.2 physics ENGine files for U25C and U30C locos geuboat6.zip (17kb, 04-Nov-02). There is a set of revised sounds for the Brill PCC cars, too brillsnd.zip (1.4Mb, 04-Nov-02). Footnote: it's the day of the Melbourne Cup horse race, one of the world's most famous 3200 metre (2 mile) events. It's also the day that web•TrainSim decided to cut ties with the old web site and get all the content shifted to www.webDotTrainSim.com.

• <04-Nov-02>: If you were to continue east from Whitefish to places such as Bonners Ferry, Sandpoint and Spokane in north-eastern Washington state, you'd soon see plenty of Canadian Pacific AC4400s and CEFX-leased AC4400s - cp8xxx.zip (2Mb, 02-Nov-02, where "xxxx" represents several different numbered locos) and cefx1007.zip (1.9Mb, 02-Nov-02) are available in the Train-sim.com library. On a matter not at all related to trains, see a demo of IE's filters and transitions (being trialled in the intro above) at Microsoft's MSDN site.

• <03-Nov-02>: web•TrainSim was up early and decided to see how he'd go at getting something downloaded from UK Trainsim. Well, he was early and downloaded Ben Laws' Virgin Pendolino v1.1 VirginCl39011.exe (2.06Mb, 14-Oct-02) and a patch, Cl390patch.exe (128kb, 14-Oct-02). There was just enought time to get ukgantries.zip (28kb, 19-Dec-01) before downloads for the day were exhausted about an hour later. Moral of the story: rise early (Australian Eastern Summer Time) to be there when a "new day" at UK Trainsim starts at 2000 UK time! Oh, a small fix is required for the Pendolino's acelacab.sms file to hear the horn from the cab - see how to do it on the Pendolino upgrade page.

• <02-Nov-02>: These are some new addtions that caught the eye of web•TrainSim in the Train-sim.com library: Full Bucket Line version 2 (including 22 activities) fbline2.zip (16.2Mb, 31-Oct-02), DDA40X loco pack (re-skins of the Auran model) #6900-6904 ddpck1_1.zip (4.9Mb, 31-Oct-02), Widowmaker V1.2 activity for Marias Pass 3 (take a dangerous coal load from Whitefish; non-default rolling stock included) widow12.zip (28Mb, 01-Nov-02), and a tutorial for making those map screens for routes maptute1.zip (1.09Mb, 01-Nov-02). At UK Trainsim, look for ukgantries.zip (28kb, 19-Dec-01) for an updated us1gantry.s for the Modern England route. This file replaces the us1gantry.s file copied from the default Japan1/Shapes folder. The Ligne-Roussillon route is now at version 1.4 - it's available in conveniently-size download chunks at the author's site.

• <01-Nov-02>: web•TrainSim downloaded James Hunt's full version of his Modern England route (version 3) from the Train-sim.com library modeng3f.zip (18.9Mb, 30-Oct-02). After installation and the route was first chosen for a run, the Trainworld initialization error cropped up so web•TrainSim followed James' readme instructions to re-run Install1.bat - all was then ok. One problem, however, is that the full structure of the catenary gantries is missing. There's an updated US1gantry.s in the Modern England Extras, meextra.zip, that fixes this problem.

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web•Train Sim was, until recently, part of my web•Wiz Online site at http://webdotwiz.tripod.com. Due to a reduction in free web space by Tripod, these pages have had to be posted at their own site, http://webDotTrainSim.tripod.com. Not such a bad thing because there's now 20Mb for Train Sim!

• Email me at webmaster@webdotwiz.zzn.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.