Line news October, 2003

• <31-Oct-03>: At the Train-sim.com library, Michael Sinclair has a straightforward, step-by-step "Everything you wanted to know about the Activity Editor but were much too afraid to ask" tutorial, aeditor.zip (32kb, 30-Oct-03); Wiesner Gerhard has repainted the default SD40-2 cabview for Burlington Northern high or low-nose EMDs. The SNCF BB26000 electric loco pack at Simtrain-fr.org has been incremented to version 2 to now include the following: BB 126008, BB 526003, BB 426086, BB 26205, BB 126014, BB 126048 and BB 126070 (cab is by Kenji Kimura and sounds by Belphegor).

• <30-Oct-03>: These are some of the models that caught web•TrainSim's eye today at Train-sim.com: Jan van der Reijden's S_Bahn Zurich, sbnv12.zip (4.3Mb, 29-Oct-03); Tim Court's RailDriver Modelers Toolkit, rdmt1001.zip (51kb, 29-Oct-03); and Edouard Staniczek's Cockerill 130T crane, cockeril.zip (4.5Mb, 29-Oct-03). A reminder to periodically to visit the Raildriver Free Resources page from time to time to see what's new.

• <29-Oct-03>: The Train-sim.com library has Denis Verheyden's repaint of the DB 185 electric loco by Michael Barthels into CFL (Chemins de Fer Luxembourgeois) livery, cfl_4001.zip (4.2Mb, 28-Oct-03); the cab is by Kenji Kimura. For more information on Luxembourg railways, see Rail.lu. At UK Trainsim, Tim Court has contributed a RailDriver Toolkit for loco modellers, RailDriver_modelers_toolkit V1000.zip (50kb, 28-Oct-03); hopefully it will soon appear in the Train-sim.com library. web•TrainSim has finished trialling his Glacier Park to Shelby (GN Empire Builder) activity. He's had to delay any oncoming traffic until Blackfoot to avoid being permanently caught in the Browning loop due to a signalling error.

The GN Empire Builder crossing the Cutbank bridge on its way to Shelby.

• <28-Oct-03>: At the Train-sim.com library, Jonathan Lewis and Kevin Bush have teamed up to produce their Denver & Rio Grande Western Railroad narrow gauge class C19 2-8-0 steam loco, ng342.zip (2.0Mb, 27-Oct-03); TSNZ Workshops have version 2 of their Tranzscenic Managing Directors carriage with large rear-viewing window, tzsad_v2.zip (3.1Mb, 27-Oct-03); there's another Canton RR activity pack, this one for work on August 5th, can05aug.zip (709kb, 27-Oct-03); and Ernesto Imperato and his team have modelled some Vossloh diesel-hydraulic G2000 locos in various Italian liveries, g2000ita.zip (4.6Mb, 27-Oct-03). This is Vossloh's press release, Vossloh locomotives winning the Italian market, and more information on the Vossloh G2000 loco (follow the Diesel-Hydraulic link).

• <27-Oct-03>: David Weiner has used the Switchlister Generator utility to create a couple of activities on Marias Pass 3.1 for those looking for a challenge, mp31dw99.zip (10kb, 25-Oct-03) and mp31dw89.zip (10kb, 26-Oct-03). Also at Train-sim.com, there's an update to James Hunt's Amtrak Phase III Superliner coaches, slcoacup.zip (498kb, 25-Oct-03), and Jim England has a set of Milwaukee Road FP45-4 locos, mrfp45pk.zip (1.2Mb, 26-Oct-03). For those wondering how to register at Tramsimulator.de to download the new GT8SU aus Düsseldorf tram and Stadtbahn U-79 route, there's a simple tutorial in the Train-sim.com forums to take you through the required steps.

• <26-Oct-03>: Project ESK's La Grue Cockerill de 130T steam crane is finished and can be downloaded from Edouard Staniczek's site, cockeril.zip (4.5Mb, 25-Oct-03). Have a look at the Cockerill page to see all the work which Edouard and the team put into development of this model. Those who have been waiting for new trams should visit Tramsimulator.de for the GT8SU aus Düsseldorf. It has all sorts of features, including working doors and windscreen wipers operated from the arrow keys in the "1" cabview; more info on this thread at Train-sim.com. There are a couple of new electric locos at Trenomania.it and IlDeposito..net has a new route, A vapore in Toscana, which has received favourable comments (96.31Mb, downloadable in ten files).

• <25-Oct-03>: web•TrainSim's ISP was having DNS problems when he went online but luckily he was able to browse the Train-sim.com library. Timothy Scott has repainted James Brook's B-class into Victorian West Coast Railway livery, aub65wcr.zip (1.4Mb, 24-Oct-03), so there's now the B65 to lead your WCR trains. Note you need to download James' B-class cab. There's a small fix for the Phase V Amtrak Superliner coaches, ampvslup.zip (593kb, 24-Oct-03), and Phil Skene has contributed two sound schemes for diesel locos that add character and grunt to quote Phil, g_d_1_2.zip (4.8Mb, 24-Oct-03).

• <24-Oct-03>: It was remiss of web•TrainSim not to mention the new Alco models available in the Train-sim.com library. A couple of examples are the pack of six Delaware & Hudson ALCO Century 628s, c628_dh.zip (6.8Mb, 22-Oct-03), and a three Reading ALCO Century 630s, c630_rdg.zip (4.3Mb, 22-Oct-03). Today there are models of EMD's F38, the original EMD Dash-2 test bed, emd-f38.zip (1.9Mb, 23-Oct-03). For steam enthusiasts, there's the Baltimore & Ohio William Mason, wmmason.zip (1.3Mb, 23-Oct-03), and the Bavarian highspeed 4-4-4 S 2/6, s26_f10.zip (3.0Mb, 23-Oct-03). See Michael Barthels site to download the 076 cab for the latter. At UKTrainsim.com Ben Laws has version 2 of his First Great Western Class 180 Adelante trainset, Class180.exe (2.9Mb, 23-Oct-03).

The last carriage of our Amtrak Empire Builder passes the Izaak Walton Inn at Essex.

• <23-Oct-03>: There have been a couple of small problems with the excellent Stadtbahn U-79 route - there's a thread running at Train-sim - and Yuri Sos has posted a solution to a shape file error on the Train-sim forums. In the Train-sim.com library, you'll find another as-it-would-be-in-2003 trainset by JJ. Chaisson, the Rock Island Rocket, rirckt03.zip (7.0Mb, 22-Oct-03). There's a pack of seven Amtrak Superliner sleeper carriages, phvslspr.zip (10.4Mb, 23-Oct-03), in the latest Phase V livery. Finally, there are more New South Wales Class 48 locos, such as 48rts.zip (2.2Mb, 22-Oct-03) in Red Terror livery. There's another version of web•TrainSim's Shelby to Whitefish Amtrak Empire Builder activity (if you want to finish version 1, wait until you finish it before installing version 2).

The Amtrak Empire Builder led by Genesis P42 loco 802 crosses the Glacier Park bridge.

• <21-Oct-03>: Only a few lines of news today as exam supervision continues. There is a pack of improved SNCF BB26000 locos (BB126008, BB526003, BB426086, BB26205) from Serge Carrey and others, Pack_bb_26000.exe (15.1Mb, 20-Oct-03), at Simtrain-fr.org. For those who've downloaded the Stadtbahn U-79 route, there's a patch at The-Train.de to solve a small problem.

• <20-Oct-03>: Living on the Seaview Islands must be good for the creative spirit - they've manufactured the Seaveiw Cryogenic Linear Induction Train and it's now available from the Train-sim.com library in download file, cryo.zip (3.9Mb, 19-Oct-03). Also, you'll find David Fischer's repaints of the NALW Amtrak F40s in the last version of the Phase IV paint scheme, f40_p4.zip (2.9Mb, 19-Oct-03). Okrasa Ghia forgot to include a couple of files in yesterday's archive of XTracks version 3.8 so it's been updated to version 3.8.1, xtracks.zip (3.7Mb, 19-Oct-03). For any route builder working on an Australian electrified route, Colin Cribb's New South Wales gantries are available, nswgnt10.zip (2.7Mb, 19-Oct-03).

The Amtrak Empire Builder led by Genesis P42 loco 802 at Browning.

• <19-Oct-03>: Russell Beer's Footscray to Ballarat route on the Western Main Line is now available from Australian Add-ons for MSTS, AU_vr_FootBall1_Full_MSTS1_Setup.exe (59.5Mb, 15-Oct-03). Another route ready for download is Stadtbahn U-79 from either TheTrain.de or Tramsimulator.de, the latter reportedly being faster (from memory, the download size is about 80Mb). XTracks Standard Edition version 3.8, xtracks.zip (3.6Mb, 18-Oct-03), with automatic installer for end-users is now available from the Train-sim.com library. There is an updated set of New South Wales Class 48 SMS sound files, 48sms.zip (12kb, 18-Oct-03); Jeff Bush has a set of twelve new environments, newenvs1.zip (27.9Mb, 18-Oct-03), which are best used with the Environment Control utility but there are instructions for alternative use; and Kenji Kimura's French electric loco BB36000 cab, bb36cab.zip (3.0Mb, 19-Oct-03), is available. For those with plenty of time on their hands might like to try web•TrainSim's Amtrak Empire Builder Shelby to Whitefish activity.

• <18-Oct-03>: At Train-sim.com, JJ. Chaisson has another "what it would be like in 2003" model, this one being the PRR Senator 2003 trainset, prrsen03.zip (6.9Mb, 15-Oct-03); Jim England has been busy repainting to give us a Santa Fe F45 ten loco set, sff45pk.zip (3.2Mb, 15-Oct-03); Steve Sherratt has contributed a BR EM2 loco, the BR/LNER EM2 27002 Aurora, em2.zip (940kb, 16-Oct-03), with cabview, em2cab1.zip (3.6Mb, 16-Oct-03) and em2cab2.zip (994kb, 16-Oct-03); there are a number of Australian EL-class locos, el61.zip (1.6Mb, 16-Oct-03), el60.zip (1.9Mb, 16-Oct-03) and el58.zip (1.3Mb, 16-Oct-03), in CFCLA and Freight Australia liveries; Etienne Cardot has updated his MSTS Tree Editor to version 1.2, mstsedit.zip (1.0Mb, 16-Oct-03), so you can easily edit MSTS' ENGine, WAGon and SMS files; and for route builders, there are the Route Builders Kit V3.0 - UK, rdsrbkuk.zip (21Mb, 17-Oct-03), and Route Builders Kit V3.0 - Canada/USA, rdsrbkna.zip (21Mb, 17-Oct-03), by Bruce Bridges, Martyn T. Griffin, Steven Masters and Jeff Rice, providing textures and shapes for road building.

• <14-Oct-03>: A post of a little trick to release the brakes more quickly on locos such as the BB25202 is on the Simtrain-fr.org forum under a thread named Nouvelle manière d'appliquer le freinage dans MSTS. On the Train-sim.com forum, you'll find some screenshots of the New South Wales South Coast Illawara route. And in the Train-sim.com library, there is a pack of New South Wales Class 48 locos by Gary Ball and Ian Bowles in the Red Terror livery, 48rt_1.zip (3.9Mb, 13-Oct-03). As well there are a couple of cabs by Kenji Kimura for Serge Carrey's BB26000 locos, bb26cab1.zip (2.4Mb, 13-Oct-03) and bb26cab2.zip (2.4Mb, 13-Oct-03). Note that the AllFreeNet.it and AmiciTreni.it sites have combined so the old link now takes you to www.amicitreni.net/train-simulator/ (this link takes you directly to the English version of the site). web•TrainSim will be away from his computer for most of Wednesday so the line news might not appear.

Amtrak Genesis Phase V #182 leads the Empire Builder at Summit on Marias Pass 3.1.

• <13-Oct-03>: Edouard Staniczek has a clever patch (Duplex_Patch_5.exe, 175kb) for his TGV Duplex set to enable and disable the TVM430 cab signal display according to whether you're on a TGV line or not. While on the same page, you may want to download patch 4 (Duplexpatch4.exe, 2.0Mb, 12-Oct-03) which includes all earlier patches, such as an easier method to change passenger views, new WAGon files and new ENGine files for the Duplex. At Train-sim.com, Jim England has another of his full-dome carriages, this one Amtrak Phase 4 #10031, amtfdph4.zip (952kb, 12-Oct-03), and a pack of autorack cars for seven different railroads, blarswpk.zip (5.3Mb, 12-Oct-03). On the Australian scene, there's a pack of New South Wales Class 48s in the (in-)famous candy livery, 48c_1.zip (3.3Mb, 12-Oct-03) by Gary Ball and Ian Bowles.

• <12-Oct-03>: web•TrainSim was distracted today by the Bathurst 1000 V8 supercar race so is short on trainsimming news. However, there were a couple of contributions to Train-sim.com: JJ. Chaisson has repainted an F59 and Superliner carriages into what the Illinois Central City of New Orleans trainset may have looked like in 2003, iccno03.zip (6.4Mb, 11-Oct-03), and Jim England continues his repaints of various locos into the Burlington Northern livery; this time he's done a pack of Burlington Northern GP20s, bngp20pk.zip (5.7Mb, 11-Oct-03).

Departing Richmond on Ben Johnson's SydWest route.

• <11-Oct-03>: At the Train-sim.com library, you'll find Paul Woozley's Illawara Stage 1 route from Nowra to Bombo, illav1_1.zip (7.7Mb, 10-Oct-03), illav1_2.zip (7.5Mb, 10-Oct-03), and illav1_3.zip (7.6Mb, 10-Oct-03). A new download file of the RTG - Rame à Turbine à Gaz trainset is now available at Simtrain-fr.org. See the RTG page at TrainsimFrance.net for details on various download options to help out if you're on a dialup line.

• <10-Oct-03>: There was nothing at Train-sim.com that caught web•TrainSim's eye. There are a couple of threads for Australian trainsimmers to watch, however. Mike Simpson is organising a small patch to fix a couple of problems with version 3 of his Blue Mountains route. A discussion on another thread of the Australian ANR 930 class loco brought up the possibility of some modellers getting to work on a NSW class 44 or class 45. Remember to keep an eye on the Railpage Australian MSTS General Discussions forum for the latest work being done by various modellers of Australian rolling stock. While the download file of the RTG trainset has been withdrawn from Simtrain-fr.org, web•TrainSim presumes there are no problems with the download from Project ESK or Trainsimfrance.net.

• <09-Oct-03>: There are a couple of new locos at Australian Add-ons for MSTS: Australian National Railways EL51, AU_EL_MSTS1_Setup.exe (3.9Mb, 07-Oct-03), and Tasrail Class ZC locos 2140 and 2141, AU_tasZC_MSTS1_Setup.exe (3.4Mb, 07-Oct-03); this later loco requires the English-Electric diesel sound set version 3, EE_BR37_Sounds3_MSTS1_Setup.exe (2.9Mb, 07-Oct-03). At Train-sim.com, Dick Cowan has an update to the Canton RR Mikado, ctn282ug.zip (3.3Mb, 08-Oct-03); Jan Henning Gettkant has some new texture files for the Norfolk & Western ALCO C-628 pack, nw-c628f.zip (1.2Mb, 08-Oct-03); and Ian Morgan has contributed two British Rail EMU trainsets, a Network SouthEast Kent Link Class 414, ukcl414n.zip (1.3Mb, 08-Oct-03), and a Network SouthEast Kent Link Class 413, ukcl413n.zip (1.4Mb, 08-Oct-03). Both these trainsets require the Class 421 cab, 421cab.zip (2.8Mb, 15-Mar-03), and Class 421 sounds, 421sound.zip (2.9Mb, 15-Mar-03), from Train-sim.com. Trenomania.it has been re-organised, with more categories for the downloads available from there and category names now in both Italian and English.

• <08-Oct-03>: Italian railways rolling stock dominates the Train-sim.com library today: steam locos such as Gr.670 (Rete Adriatica Class 500) cab forward, gr670fs2.zip (4Mb, 07-Oct-03), and Gr.400, gr400fs.zip (1.4Mb, 07-Oct-03), and trainsets such as E551.175 three-phase loco and carriages, e551t01.zip (7.9Mb, 07-Oct-03), and E428.226 electric loco with local carriages, e428t04.zip (8.9Mb, 07-Oct-03). There are many others! Jim England has a pack of four Burlington Northern SD40-2s, bn402pk.zip (6.1Mb, 07-Oct-03), and Mikael Andersson has contributed Swedish C13 and C14 subways trainsets, c13_c14.zip (2.9Mb, 07-Oct-03). From the day before, there's Jan Henning Gettkant's Norfolk & Western ALCO C-628 pack, nw_c628.zip (3.8Mb, 06-Oct-03) which has captured the imagination of ALCO and Norfolk & Western fans.

• <07-Oct-03>: Ben Johnson's SydWest route (Stage 1 release 5.1r) is now availble for download from the Train-sim.com library in file sydw151r.zip (15.5Mb, 06-Oct-03). A post was made on Simtrain-fr.org that the download files for the new RTG trainset mentioned yesterday and electric loco BB 22200 both contain a virus.

• <06-Oct-03>: The RTG - Rame à Turbine à Gaz pour Microsoft Train Simulator project is now complete and this famous trainset can be downloaded - the full version is 26Mb - from Project ESK, Simtrain-fr.org or Trainsimfrance.net. A number of well-known MSTS modellers have worked on this project, including Edouard Staniczek, Belphégor, Florian Barallon and Marc Brice. While at Trainsimfrance.net, you can download version 1.1 of the A-TER X73500 trainset, ater.exe ((9.85Mb, 04-Oct-03)), and at Simtrain-fr.org Clem Tillier has contributed a set of TGV textures, Texture_TGVsale.zip (9Mb, 05-Oct-03). Ben Johnson's SydWest route is about to be re-released, with early problems fixed and now with further enhancements; you can read about it here at web•TrainSim or visit Ben's site.

• <05-Oct-03>: Trenomania.it has some more new diesel locos in liveries of some of Italy's private railways, such as FCU D.341-1066. Ralf Kölsche and Jürgen Wolfersheim of Graphics15.de will have their new Stadtbahn U79 route ready on about October 19. You can see a number of screenshots on this page.

1950's Great Northern Empire Builder passes the Izaak Walton Inn at Essex on Marias Pass 3.1.

• <04-Oct-03>: Mark Smith and Gavin Mclaughlan have their New South Wales JL-class diesel-electric locos now available at the Train-sim.com library: JL-403 and JL-406 both in CFCLA livery, jl403.zip (733kb, 03-Oct-03) and jl406.zip (746kb, 03-Oct-03). Both these locos don't have self-lapping brakes so if you want to drive them with your Raildriver, you'll need to make a change to their ENGine files; see here for some help. Gavin has also produced an Australian National Railways EL-class, el56.zip (1.4Mb, 03-Oct-03). For more information on the JL-class, see this page at Locopage, and there's info on the EL-class too. Jim England has done more repainting to give us a pair of Full Bucket Line F7 A & B locos in freight livery, fblf7fr.zip (2.3Mb, 03-Oct-03).

• <03-Oct-03>: A quieter day at Train-sim.com today, with some steam locos ready for work: Enrico Onori's Italian GR 940 set, fs_gr940.zip (6.9Mb, 02-Oct-03), and GR 940.052 and carriages, fs940052.zip (8Mb, 02-Oct-03), and Mike Adams' Virginian Class BA 2-8-4 Berkshire, vgn_507.zip (2.2Mb, 02-Oct-03). web•TrainSim has a couple of activities for those with the Rhone-Alpes route: Annecy to Chambery and Chambery to Annecy.

• <02-Oct-03>: Mike Simpson has updated his Blue Mountains route to version 3. At Australian Add-ons to MSTS you can download the full installation, AU_BlueMountains3_Full_MSTS1_Setup.exe (41.7Mb, 01-Oct-03), or just the update, AU_BlueMountains3_Upgrade_MSTS1_Setup.exe (16.9Mb, 01-Oct-03), if you already have version 2. The new route includes signals and gantries modelled on the N.S.W. system, new track layout and crossovers, extra roads, buildings and scenery. At Train-sim.com, Jim Duncan has his Santa Fe Marceline Subdivision route (in five files, two being about 70Mb each). The route takes in Santa Fe's route east of Marceline, Missouri, to Argentine Yard and includes the mainline through Kansas City. Jim England has another repaint, this one being a Canadian National Alco RS2/3 Slug Set, cnslugpk.zip (617kb, 01-Oct-03). For those who have installed version 1.7 of the Roussillon route, there is an activity pack available on the route's site (look for Activity Pack number 2).

• <01-Oct-03>: The Train-sim.com library has plenty to keep us all busy for a few days. Firstly, Ben Johnson has released an early version of his SydWest route: sydwest1.zip (40Mb, 30-Sep-03), or a smaller sized download, sydwst1r.zip (23Mb, 30-Sep-03) which requires you to have the six default routes installed and run a Installme.bat. To keep up-to-date on further developments of SydWest, see Ben's site. Default Dash 9 R.I.P. 2001-2003 reads a new thread on the Train-sim.com forum and you'll see why when you view the screenshots of Chris Denbow's re-textured models; there are a number of packs, one being BNSF Dash 9-44CW Pack #1, bnsfd901.zip (1.97Mb, 30-Sep-03). Jonathan Lewis has produced another route, Argentine Central, set on the steep grades of Colorado, acr1.zip (9.4Mb, 30-Sep-03) and acr2.zip (3.0Mb, 30-Sep-03). Lee Brompton is rebuilding James Hunt's Modern England route into what's he calling the UK Regional route and has a number of preview videos available, such as ukr_vid1.zip (13Mb, 30-Sep-03). Jim England is still busy and has repainted an Alco C425 into Burlington Northern freight livery, bn4263.zip (1.2Mb, 30-Sep-03). The French Roussillon route has been updated to version 1.7; there's an upgrade patch to bring version 1.6 up to version 1.7.

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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.