Line news September, 2003

• <30-Sep-03>: At the Train-sim.com library, Tim Court has another BR 82-class electric loco, 82008, 82008.zip (1.2Mb, 29-Sep-03), and Jim England is still busy repainting - today he has four SD40-2 locos in the Full Bucket Line freight livery of dark grey, fbl402pk.zip (9.7Mb, 29-Sep-03). A reminder that you can trace the history of the famous BR electric locos at The AC Locomotive Group. web•TrainSim solved yesterday's traffic problem by removing one service - all now seems well!

BB36002 waits for passengers to board at Aix-les-Bains on the Rhone-Alpes route.

• <29-Sep-03>: Just a couple of downloads caught web•TrainSim's eye at Train-sim.com today: Jim England's repaint of Marc Nelson's (3DTrains) FP7A and FP7B locos into Soo Line's maroon passenger livery, soofp7pk.zip (2.2Mb, 28-Sep-03) and Bill O'Rourke's twenty-four maps of Rich Garber's East Metro route, mtromaps.zip (446kb, 28-Sep-03). The SNCF BB36002 electric loco above is available for download from TrainClaudius; there are more pics here, the last leaving web•TrainSim with a traffic problem to solve!

Departing Chambery, from the cab of BB36000 Fret.

• <28-Sep-03>: Phil Skene has contributed his UP Big Power Package, patch2bb.zip (563kb, 27-Sep-03), to the Train-sim.com library to update and correct some features of NALW's Big Boys and Challengers. Jim England has repainted another full dome carriage, this one into Chicago And North Western livery, cnwfdcar.zip (1.5Mb, 27-Sep-03) and Dick Cowen has his Mississippi Central 120 Class Mikado steam loco (the inspiration for the Canton Railroad Mikado), mcmikado.zip (5.7Mb, 27-Sep-03). Meanwhile web•TrainSim, having installed the BB36000 cab, hle13cab.zip (2.03Mb, 24-Sep-03, from SimTrain-fr.org), has been struggling against the severe grades on the Rhone-Alpes route between Aix-les-Bains and Annecy; even double-heading a 19-container freight wasn't enough - he stalled 10 km from Annecy.

• <27-Sep-03>: There is more Australian rolling stock available from Australian Add-ons for MSTS: V/Line B-class diesel loco in the tangerine livery, , AU_vlBOr_MSTS1_Setup.exe (3.6Mb, 25-Sep-03), Victoria Railways mail, baggage, guard's and power vans, AU_vicVANS_MSTS1_Setup.exe (5.6Mb, 22-Sep-03), and Commonwealth Railways Budd RDC railcars, AU_crRDC_MSTS1_Setup.exe (6.8Mb, 18-Sep-03). Jim England has contributed the web•TrainSim 40 foot boxcar (used above) to the Train-sim.com library, wdts40.zip (275kb, 26-Sep-03) and Robert Reedy has updated Chris Bogley's guided tour of A Dual Fantasy Railroad, adfguide.zip (1.0Mb, 27-Sep-03).

• <26-Sep-03>: Just a couple of downloads at the Train-sim.com library caught web•TrainSim's eye today: Italian loco D752 run by private company Strade Ferrate Meridionali, sfm_d752.zip (3.0Mb, 25-Sep-03), and a RENFE 4005T diesel loco used on the Talgo Pendular trains, renfe-t.zip (1.8Mb, 25-Sep-03). On the Chicago Stations route, there's a bit of a problem with the long Superliner coaches used in the default consist getting stuck on some of the tight curves so you may need to substitute shorter carriages; there's some suggestions in the Train-sim.com forum. web•TrainSim has also installed the Ligne de L'Etoile de Savoie route but has a few missing shape files so he's hopeful of finding a solution.

Great Northern's 1949 Empire Builder awaits departure from Chicago before heading west.

• <25-Sep-03>: At SimTrain-fr.org there is a new CC 72001 loco, cc70001.zip (4.5Mb, 24-Sep-03), and a cab for BB 36000 locos, hle13cab.zip (2.03Mb, 24-Sep-03). Trenomania.it has a couple of new routes, Ferrovia Centrale Umbra (188Mb) and Arezzo-Firenze V2.0 (80Mb) that Italian Railways enthusiasts might like to investigate. Train-sim.com has three of Ciro Di Donato's E402a electric locos in different liveries including FS Trenitalia, fs_e402a.zip (15.5Mb, 24-Sep-03). Jim England has another repaint of a full dome carriage, this one in Auto Train livery, atfdset.zip (1.2Mb, 24-Sep-03).

• <24-Sep-03>: At the Train-sim.com library, the Port City Car Company have contributed another of their creations, a Trolley 10 Bench Open Breezer, breezer.zip (1.9Mb, 23-Sep-03). Jim England has two more of his repaints, a Great Northern Sky Blue full dome carriage, gnsbfd.zip (1.5Mb, 23-Sep-03), and another in Great Northern Empire Builder livery, gnebfd.zip (1.4Mb, 23-Sep-03); both carriages, originally modelled by Brian Piotrowski, have detailed interiors and passenger views. Stew Winston has some loaded and unloaded Australian National Rail RHGF hoppers, nr_rhgf.zip (1.0Mb, 23-Sep-03).

• <23-Sep-03>: Trenomania.it has been updated, in particular their Locomotiva section and you'll find several new models by Mr. Rokko, for example: Automotrici ALn776 FCU, ETR500 Light, Locomotiva E652 & carrozze MDVC/MDVE Light and Locomotiva E402B. At Train-sim.com, there's an update to ConBuilder, cb170.zip (633kb, 22-Sep-03); Dick Cowan's Canton RR 2-8-2 steame loco, ctn-282.zip (7.2Mb, 22-Sep-03); a small file to bring Volker Bollig's animation of the Saxonia locomotive to life in Sea View 4, sv_saxon.zip (27kb, 22-Sep-03); the TGV Experience set of activities for LGVMed, tgvx.zip (413kb, 22-Sep-03); and version 1.1.1 of Etienne Cardot's MSTS Tree Editor to work with any of MSTS' files in tree-node format, mstsedit.zip (1.0Mb, 22-Sep-03).

• <22-Sep-03>: The Tennessee Pass route by Jonathan Lewis is today's feature at Train-sim.com, tp1.zip (9.4Mb, 21-Sep-03) and tp2.zip (5.0Mb, 21-Sep-03). Jonathan has modelled about 20 miles of this famous route, the highest across the U.S. Continental Divide, rising to just over 10,000 feet with sections at 3% grade. Trains magazine in June 2003 ran an article entitled Opportunity Lost: Tennessee Pass and the Royal Gorge Route (you'll probably need to register - it's free - to access it). The route played an important role to transport various minerals, particularly coal, but also silver, lead and molybdenum. For maps and more information, one site to visit is that of the Denver & Rio Grande Railroad. Kevin Arceneaux has a number of revised WAGon files available that update damping and break parameters.

• <21-Sep-03>: There are a couple of new locos at Trenomania.it (under the Locomotiva section): diesel shunter D255.2001 and electric loco FCU 152 'Pippo'. At TrainSimFrance.net, there's the Autorail SNCF X 2200 for download; if you already have Edouard Staniczek's X4750 Caravelle, you only need download the light version, sncf_x2200_v1_0_light.exe (3.25Mb, 20-Sep-03), otherwise you'll need to full version, sncf_x2200_v1_0_full.exe (9.33Mb, 20-Sep-03), to get the X4750 cab and sounds.

• <20-Sep-03>: Of the six Chicago stations mentioned yesterday, only one, the Union, remains. As a guide to what to download from the Train-sim.com library (using info from Trains magazine, July 2003), La Salle Street hosted the New York Central's 20th Century Limited and the Rock Island Golden State; Dearborn hosted Santa Fe's Super Chief; Central station was Illinois Central's northern terminus; the Broadway Limited and General of Pennsylvania RR, Great Northern, Denver Zephyr and Empire Builder graced Union Station; Grand Central hosted Chicago Great Western, Pere Marquette and Baltimore & Ohio's Capitol Limited; and North Western station featured streamliners run by Union Pacific and Southern Pacific. Having mentioned Santa Fe, you'll find Jim England has contributed today a Santa Fe full dome carriage, sffdset.zip (1.3Mb, 19-Sep-03), to the Train-sim.com library.

An 18-car TGV Duplex speeds across the Triangle des Angles on its way to Valence.

• <19-Sep-03>: The Route Of Chicago Stations, chista1.zip (17.5Mb, 18-Sep-03), in the Train-sim.com library gives all those with 1950 and 1960 classic passenger trainsets the chance to see them in action in their halycon days. Five of Chicago's famous passenger stations are in the route (the six are La Salle Street, Dearborn, Central, Union, Grand Central and North Western; see Trains magazine, July 2003 edition). Michael Barthels has contributed two German Railways steam locos, BR59 040, br59_12.zip (3.5Mb, 18-Sep-03), and BR 80 027, br80_10.zip (2.9Mb, 18-Sep-03). Fans of the Alco C630 diesels will find a pack of three in the livery of Cape Breton & Central Nova Scotia Railway, cb_c-630.zip (2.9Mb, 18-Sep-03), with patch cb-loco.zip (254kb, 18-Sep-03). UKTrainsim.com has reported the release of a payware Japanese route and rolling stock pack, and Canton Railroad has updated the braking on its locos and rolling stock. web•TrainSim thought it was time he saw how his reaction time was faring so took a couple of trips on the LGV Med in his 18-car Duplex.

• <18-Sep-03>: There are a number of new locos at Trenomania.it (look under Locomotiva) as of 17-Sep-03: steam locos Gr.740.311 and Gr.380, and electric locos E646 light, trifase E552, trifase E551 and trifase E330 (version 2.0). At UKTrainsim.com, you can find a realistic Class 43 HST cab, Cabview.zip (1.9Mb, 17-Sep-03). In the Train-sim.com library, there's an activity pack for Dirk Maass's Swiss Alpentransit route, atpack01.zip (195kb, 17-Sep-03); view the readme to required rolling stock, mainly from Dan's MSTS Addons, The-train.de and MSTrainstop.com. As well, there's a five-pack of activities for the Full Bucket Line version 2, 5pkfbl2.zip (74kb, 17-Sep-03); view the readme for rolling stock requirements.

• <17-Sep-03>: Some more Australian diesel-electric locos have appeared in the Train-sim.com library: another New South Wales JL-class, jl404.zip (964kb, 16-Sep-03), and two Victorian Railway C-classes, C-506, c506vlv2.zip (1.6Mb, 16-Sep-03) and C-508, c508vlv2.zip (1.5Mb, 16-Sep-03). As well, there are some more RENFE DL500S (FPD7) diesel-electric locoss built by Alco, such as DL500S (FPD7) Renfe 1813, ren1813.zip (5.6Mb, 16-Sep-03). Canton Railroad fans can take passengers on a summer trip, dodging all the usual freights on the line, ctnholp1.zip (42kb, 16-Sep-03). At Simtrain-fr.org, there are a number of new models, including steam loco 141TB 424, 141tb424.exe (7.6Mb, 16-Sep-03). web•TrainSim has lowered the power on his Sea View Tropical Trolley for a more leisurely drive around the islands; here's what values he changed.

• <16-Sep-03>: At Train-sim.com, Mark Smith and Gavin Mclaughlan have two New South Wales JL-class diesel-electric locos, JL-401, jl401.zip (792kb, 15-Sep-03), and JL-402, jl402.zip (850kb, 15-Sep-03). Gavin Mclaughlan has updated his Victorian Railways C-501 diesel-electric loco, c501vrv2.zip (1.5Mb, 15-Sep-03). Joshua Coleman has his B&O, C&O, WM mega pack eng/wag update to apply some tweaks to various steam locos, bcowmewu.zip (92kb, 15-Sep-03). For something completely different, but up to their usual high standard of detail, the Port City Car Commany has released an Armored Rail Car Infanteriewagen, rbiinfa.zip (4.9Mb, 15-Sep-03).

We get away from Volcano Island as fast as our little Sea View Speedster will go.

• <15-Sep-03>: Gary Ball has repackaged Mark Toland's Alco sounds for the Australian class 48 locos: it's download 48alco.zip (1.0Mb, 14-Sep-03) in the Train-sim.com library. Bill Cline has contributed several repaints of fifty foot boxcars once more, an example being CSX #129917, csx29917.zip (1.5Mb, 14-Sep-03). Phil Skene has updated his ConBuilder steam sounds, snd_con.zip (1.0Mb, 14-Sep-03). web•TrainSim is re-powering the Sea View Speedster so that in notch one it won't reach the speed of light and it'll be a bit more enjoyable to cruise around Sea View; tests are proceeding.

Running on steel has its advantages (Sea View 3).

• <14-Sep-03>: Sea View version 4 is now available for download from the Train-sim.com library. There's an update file for those already with version 3, seavu4up.zip (73.4Mb, 13-Sep-03), and for those new to Sea View, there are five files to download: seavu4_1.zip (26.1Mb), seavu4_2.zip (26.1Mb), seavu4_3.zip (26.1Mb), seavu4_4.zip (26.1Mb) and seavu4_5.zip (25.6Mb). Version 4 has many features, including new islands, the Sea View Space Agency, and animations of people, animals and objects. Bill Burnett and his team of contributors (about 100 of them) deserve the highest credit for this imaginative piece of work. Phil Skene has been fixing some small problems with the UP Steam Pack, patch1bb.zip (202kb, 13-Sep-03), NALW have released a pair of F40s in AMT Phase III livery, f40pham4.zip (13.2Mb, 13-Sep-03), and Gary Hall and Ian Bowles have teamed to produce four New South Wales 48 class locos in reverse livery, 48r-1.zip (2.1Mb, 13-Sep-03).

• <13-Sep-03>: These were the new models that caught web•TrainSim's eye in the Train-sim.com library today: a RENFE (Spanish Railways) DL500S (FPD7) diesel-electric loco built by ALCo, r1801v10.zip (6.6Mb, 12-Sep-03), and several New England Central Railroad GP38s repainted by Ken Hawkins, such as New England Central Railroad GP38 #3844, necr3844.zip (1.2Mb, 12-Sep-03). With things being a little quiet, web•TrainSim took advantage of some spare time to bring his list of Australian rolling stock up to date - there have been a large number of new models lately from Train-sim.com so hopefully he's recorded them all.

web•TrainSim does some exploring of the Canton Railroad; here he's at Canton itself.

• <12-Sep-03>: At the Train-sim.com library, Tim Court has his model of the famous British class 86 electric loco, properly classified as Type AL2/E3046, e3046.zip (673kb, 12-Sep-03). This class of loco was designed specifically to run at 100 mph on the U.K. West Coast Main Line. The WCML has been the subject of much discussion with the proposed upgrade to 140 mph running for the Virgin Pendolino trainsets cut back to 125 mph maximum; that's not to mention the final cost of about 10 billion pounds for the (reduced) upgrade! You can read more about the British AC locos at The AC Locomotive Group's site.

• <11-Sep-03>: Not a great deal to report today. Phil Skene has put together his adapted steam loco sounds into a package for those who alias cabs with ConBuilder, snd_con.zip (1.0Mb, 10-Sep-03). For those who prefer to alias their cabs manually using WordPad (or your favourite Unicode text editor), there's a whole section under Aliasing cabs and sounds over there on the right. Aliasing sounds a complicated procedure but after doing a couple you'll see how it works and realise it's a simple process.

• <10-Sep-03>: An emphasis on freight at Train-sim.com today: the Fruit Express/Transit Ice reefer pack of five cars, reef3.zip (3.9Mb, 09-Sep-03), a five-car pack of Canadian Pacific boxcars, cppk1.zip (4.5Mb, 09-Sep-03), and Bob Boudoin's freight car physics version 4.6, phyv46s1.zip (15kb, 09-Sep-03). At UKTrainsim.com, Australian National loco #704 is available, au_an_704.zip (1.1Mb, 09-Sep-03). Another couple of sites that were added today are that of 3D Canvas and Paul Gausden's Decapod's MSTS Projects site. web•TrainSim has another activity ready for the Rhone-Alpes route, an express service from Amberieu to Lyon Perrache (to download, see here).

• <09-Sep-03>: At Train-sim.com, the Australia TSNZ Railway Workshop have a Tasrail DC4588 loco, tazdc_v1.zip (2.2Mb, 08-Sep-03); Phil Skene has repainted a 4-6-2 Pacific steam loco, dr_462.zip (1.4Mb, 08-Sep-03) into the famous Dragon Railroad Company livery; Phil has also adapted some sounds into more authentic steam sounds, snd_sub.zip (1.8Mb, 08-Sep-03); and, J.J. Chaisson has repainted F59PHI #911 in memory of the September 11 victims, f59-911.zip (3.3Mb, 08-Sep-03). At Simtrain-fr.org, you'll find a pack of Wagons porte autos, porte_auto_TA260.exe (2.65Mb, 06-Sep-03) and at Trainsimfrance.net, there's a pack of BB9200 locos, Pack livrées pour BB Jacquemins, packbb9200.zip (3.62Mb). For some news on MSTS 2, see this post on the Train-sim.com forum - it looks like it could be Feb/April 2004 before the new version, or even later if Microsoft decides to completely re-write the code.

• <08-Sep-03>: Some sites that web•TrainSim has been informed about: TrainSimNZ for New Zealand rolling stock, and DataJammer MSTS Models and Trainsims UK for UK rolling stock. Obo's Locomotive Catalogue has reached a total of 1500 units in the database so that's a reason for celebration - more importantly, a very good reason if you haven't as yet browsed through the catalogue to see the range of world-wide MSTS locos we can access. At Train-sim.com you'll find a model of the New South Wales Red Terror class 48 loco, 48rt-1.zip (3.7Mb, 07-Sep-03), by Gary Ball and Ian Bowles. 3DTrainStuff are working on a cab-forward Southern Pacific steam loco - there are some pics in the Train-sim.com forum. web•TrainSim has his first version of the Amberieu to Lyon Perrache activity ready and has updated the Grenoble to Chambery activity (both for the Rhone-Alpes route).

• <07-Sep-03>: Both Train-sim.com and UKTrainsim.com have the latest version of Mike Simpson's Route Riter, version 4.2.19, rrit4219.zip (6.4Mb, 06-Sep-03) and Rrit4219.zip (6.4Mb, 06-Sep-03) respectively. Route Riter continues to provide the usual MSTS utilities for us all, and special ones for route builders, including now being able to replace any shape with another shape in all a route's world files. The French MSTS site, Funtrain.net, is back on air so check it out, particularly the information on the site regarding French routes.

• <06-Sep-03>: Just a couple of downloads from Train-sim.com caught web•TrainSim's eye today: the New South Wales 48 class service pack 1 to update Gary Ball's models, 48sp_1.zip (3.2Mb, 05-Sep-03), and the Canton Railroad August 4th Extra Work activity, cnt0408b.zip (608kb, 05-Sep-03). There's a page at TrainSimFrance.net which describes available French routes in some detail.

The local Amberieu to Lyon Perrache service at Lyon Part-Dieu station.

• <05-Sep-03>: The Train-sim.com library has James Harris's Australian five chime horn, au5chime.zip (141kb, 04-Sep-03), which can be used on Australian A, C, N, and G class locos. UKTrainsim.com has version 0.9 of the London-Southampton route in five files, ranging in size from 3Mb to 10Mb; see the UKTrainSim.com forum for more information.

• <04-Sep-03>: Gavin Mclaughlan and Mark Smith have contributed more New South Wales locos to the Train-sim.com library: 442s2 and 442s6 in Silverton livery, 442s2.zip (1.1Mb, 03-Sep-03) and 442s6.zip (915kb, 03-Sep-03); several class 49s, such as 4910 in blue livery, 4910blue.zip (1.1Mb, 03-Sep-03), and 8040 in in bicentennial livery, 8040.zip (783kb, 03-Sep-03). Dwight Mitchell has several Alco RS-3 models, including Kennecott Copper Corp RS-3 #109, kccr109.zip (4.8Mb, 03-Sep-03), and there is a pack of Kansas City Southern SD40-2s, kcssd4pk.zip (15.1Mb, 03-Sep-03). At AllFreeNet.it, Ernesto Imperato has contributed an Aln776 in Livrea Ferrovia Centrale Umbra, (6.4Mb, see Locomotiva: FCU 776 PACK).

Our venerable X4750 Caravelle at Grenoble, alongside a modern DMU, an A-TER X73500 set.

• <03-Sep-03>: No breaking news today, apart from birthdays of a kind. This year is the 175th year of U.S. railways and next year the U.K. National Railway Museum will celebrate its bi-centenary in remembrance of the first steam-hauled train in 1804. Users of Irfanview may want to update to version 3.85 (if you haven't already); when saving a file as a JPEG or GIF, an extra little box pops up to enable different settings to be applied.

• <02-Sep-03>: There are a large number of new downloads at AllFreeNet.it, including: Mr. Rokko's FS E402B loco pack, (12.29Mb), Florian Barrallon's BB 67376 loco (3.2Mb) and Teemu Saukkonen's Newark & Jersey City Railroading route version 1.5 (62.5Mb). At SimTrain-fr.og you'll find Italien 83's BB9200 repaints, packbb9200.zip (2Mb, 01-Sep-03). In the Train-sim.com library, there's a revised graphics ACE file for the Canton Railroad F7s, ctnf7alp.zip (270kb, 01-Sep-03), Harley-Davidson boxcar to celebrate their centenary, harley.zip (495kb, 01-Sep-03), The Gotham Limited activity, gotham1.zip (213kb, 01-Sep-03; view the readme for quite an extensive list of required rolling stock), Dragon Railroad Company 4-4-0 steam loco, dr_440.zip (4.1Mb, 01-Sep-03), and Seaview Route steam train, svsteam.zip (2.9Mb, 31-Aug-03).

Our venerable X4750 Caravelle stands at Grenoble, about to depart for Chambery. In the background to the left, one of the two daily Grenoble-Lyon TGV services is pulling out.

• <01-Sep-03>: Gary Ball and Ian Bowles have teamed up again with more New South Wales class 48 diesel-electric locos, one set in Pacific National livery, 48pn-1.zip (3.4Mb, 31-Aug-03) and the other in FreightCorp livery, 48fc-pk1.zip (3.7Mb, 31-Aug-03). Canton Railroad have found funds to purchase another F7 loco, #566, ctnf7566.zip (1.4Mb, 31-Aug-03). The Dutch Seaview team have a pair of NS class locos in blue livery, 1307-10.zip (3.9Mb, 31-Aug-03). Finally at Train-sim.com there's a megapack of WM, B&O and C&O Challengers, Berkshires, Big Boys and carriages, bcwmp.zip (42Mb, 31-Aug-03).

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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.