TGV Duplex install

The following are some observations so you know what to expect when you install the TGV Duplex by Edouard Staniczek and team (TGVDuplex.exe, 26.4Mb 15-Dec-02, from Projets ESK or duplex.zip 27.7Mb 15-Dec-02, from Train-sim.com).

The installer places the Duplex into a sub-folder TGV2N under the Trainset folder. Apart from the usual Cabview and Sound sub-folders, there are also the following sub-folders created:

• Extras where you'll find an LGV Med V1.1 Marseille-Nimes activity using the TGV Duplex and cabinfo.jpg detailing all the cab controls
• vue1ere where the passenger view files for the first class car view reside (the default passenger view), and,
• vuebar where the passenger view for the bar car are placed. To change from one view to the other, View_1st_class.bat and View_bar.bat are in the TGV2N folder.

When installing the activity, FullDuplex.apk, let the activity unpacker over-write the services that it wants to. If, like web•TrainSim who doesn't like files to be over-written and replies "No", you'll need to load the activity into Activity Editor and save it to remove the "Service out of date" error messages.

The readme or lisezmoi in the TGV2N folder gives more information about the the TGV Duplex.

Remember when you climb into the cab, your first job is to raise the pantograph (a feature of all Edouard's trains).

You won't be disappointed at the time you spend downloading this freeware TGV Duplex (if you suffer a dialup connection which is as poor as web•TrainSim's). The attention to detail for a freeware MSTS add-on is, well, stunning. Congratulations to Edouard and the team.

As a matter of interest, a paragraph in the October 2002 issue of Modern Railways mentions that SNCF are considering TGV Duplex consists of 2 + 18 instead of double sets (4 power cars, 16 passneger cars). The "left-over" power bogies from the redundant power cars would be fitted to the passenger car closest to the power car, as is done with the Eurostar.

Freight Australia G513 & VQLX install folders

To make sure MSTS behaves, it is better to slightly change the names of the folders into which Russell Beer's Freight Australia G-class loco, G513, and VQLX container wagons are installed.

Having looked at the ENGine name and WAGon names that Russell has used, FA-G513.eng and FA_VQLX_29.wag, name your folders accordingly:

• For G513, use a folder name of GA-G513 instead of FA_G.
• For the VQLX wagon, use FA_VQLX_29 instead of GA_VQLX.

Naming the folders as above follows the general rule that MSTS is happiest when the folder name and ENGine or WAGon name are the same.

G513 cab & sounds

Assuming you've installed NALW's F45 cab and EMD SD40 sounds, you can give your G513 a more appropriate cab and set of sounds. You can also adjust MaxPower, MaxForce, MaxConfinuousForce and Friction (power & force values are taken from the Loco Page; friction values have been re-calculated for 128 tonne mass with Joseph Realmuto's Friction Calculator), as shown below:

    ..............
   Mass ( 128.4t )
    ..............
    ..............
   DerailRailForce ( 2.5*128.4t )
    ..............
   Friction (
        1596N/m/s     0     1mph     20.16N/m/s     1.8
    ..............
    ........Scroll down past the Lights section......
    ..............
   Sound ( "..\\..\\Common.Snd\\EMD_SD40\\sd40eng.sms" )
    ..............
   Wagon ( FA-G513 )
   Type ( Diesel )
   MaxPower ( 2460kW )
   MaxForce ( 337kN )
   MaxContinuousForce ( 311kN )
    ..............
    ..............
   CabView ( "..\\..\\Common.Cab\\F45\\F45cab.cvf" )
    ..............
    ..............
    ..............
   Sound ( "..\\..\\Common.Snd\\EMD_SD40\\sd40cab.sms" )
    ..............

Some of the G-class have been/are being upgraded with new GM motors. If G513 is one of these, then web•TrainSim will adjust the above parameters when that information becomes available.