Yes I can confirm that the route certainly hasn't been given up on. Just yesterday in fact I had spent about an hour placing some scenery in the Chippenham area. But I can also confirm that the route is progressing at a snail's pace and that it's gonna be a loooong time yet before the route gets a public release. This is due to other things which have to take priority, including working on commercial train sim addons and just life in general. Things are pretty hectic at the mo. Anyway as I said, certainly no intention to give up on GWML.
Just a short while after my last update on the route back in March last year, there were some problems with the route. Which actually turned out to be a blessing in disguise, because I then started the route again with DEM and the trackwork between Bath-Bristol TM and Patchway allready there for me thanks to a kind donation from Pepsipowell's Wales and Wessex route. This will also give an opportunity for a curved Temple Meads station - unlike the straight version featured in the original, and for me to relay the track down to Taunton better than the original too. Also included in the route now is North Somerset Junction, allowing you to drive from Bath Spa-Filton Abbey Wood bypassing Temple Meads. Another advantage. Also a better more realistic Bath Spa layout too. And like I say, we've got DEM too - so the route will look a lot better. Terraforming the original version was gonna be a nightmare which would have drove me mad. So it's a good thing that there were problems with the original, as the rebuilt revamped version will be a whole lot better.
Also, I have decided not to release the route untill the route is fully scenerised. Version 1 from December 2003 had no scenery atall, Version 2 from 2006/2007(or whenever) will be fully scenerised.
When there is any substantial progress with the route, I shall post an update.
GWML West V2 - Cheltenham/Swindon-Exeter St Davids
Moderator: Moderators
No, unfortunately no further news on the route. It's gonna be one of those routes that takes AGES before it finally sees the light of day.
This is just a request to anyone who has got V1.1 of the route and has a broadband connection, if you could please upload it to a file hosting site(there are numerous free ones) for me and let me know the URL please. As someone requested the link to download it and he still hasn't got it yet after 2 weeks. Due to me being busy, not at my home PC for most of the week and having major problems trying to upload the route as my PC keeps deciding to reset itself during the roughly 1 hour 20 minute upload process. Bloody annoying PC, I swear it does it just to annoy me. On one occasion it had just 59 seconds of upload time left and the thing goes and bloody resets! Finally finally managed to upload it yesterday and now the URL doesn't work. So if anyone can help me out on that that would be much appreciated. Cheers.
This is just a request to anyone who has got V1.1 of the route and has a broadband connection, if you could please upload it to a file hosting site(there are numerous free ones) for me and let me know the URL please. As someone requested the link to download it and he still hasn't got it yet after 2 weeks. Due to me being busy, not at my home PC for most of the week and having major problems trying to upload the route as my PC keeps deciding to reset itself during the roughly 1 hour 20 minute upload process. Bloody annoying PC, I swear it does it just to annoy me. On one occasion it had just 59 seconds of upload time left and the thing goes and bloody resets! Finally finally managed to upload it yesterday and now the URL doesn't work. So if anyone can help me out on that that would be much appreciated. Cheers.
Might well need a couple of beta testers to join the team. Current requirements are just to drive between Bristol and Swindon and give feedback on the scenery so far. Updates to the route should now be available for testing on a month to month basis. Would also be helpful if you have an interest in and know the GWML route, especially the part of the GWML featured in this route. Please PM me if interested. Cheers.
Work on the route during 2006 was very slack. But should now be gaining progress on a weekly rate.
Work on the route during 2006 was very slack. But should now be gaining progress on a weekly rate.
The old (public release) version of the route was back in December 2003. I do occasionally get requests. And could upload it to this site if I wished to, but am not because it doesn't stand up to the quality of current MSTS routes. It's very retro and old fashioned now. However it does have a cult following it appears. Any new activities I occasionally create and upload for the route get download counts of 100+ within a few days of upload day. Probably reaching a maximum of about 270 downloads over their current lifespan. Which is surprising really, as the route doesn't have any scenery.
Bit of info about old the old version which I shall repeat only once more now. The route stretches from Chippenham-Taunton. Also including the lines to Severn Beach, Portishead, and Bristol Parkway. Plus the long closed stations of Saltford, Horfield, Ashley Hill, North Filton, Henbury, Winterbourne, Chipping Sodbury, Coalpit Heath are featured for increased scope for activities. Also there's a completely fictional short branch line from Henbury to Cribbs Causeway The Mall included too, as I thought it would be useful if there was a real life rail link to this destination. The complete route has NO SCENERY ATALL and is NOT TERRAFORMED. Like I say, it's a very old fasioned freeware MSTS route compared to today's standards. But if you're interested in the operational factor of running trains along the lines featured and are not bothered too much about the lack of scenery, then you should still enjoy the route. There are about 30 activities for it available from UKTS.
If you're still interested in the route please PM me.
Version 2 will be a complete rebuild featuring DEM'd terrain, full scenery, and much better trackwork. And of course the extended trackwork as mentioned in the title of this thread.
Bit of info about old the old version which I shall repeat only once more now. The route stretches from Chippenham-Taunton. Also including the lines to Severn Beach, Portishead, and Bristol Parkway. Plus the long closed stations of Saltford, Horfield, Ashley Hill, North Filton, Henbury, Winterbourne, Chipping Sodbury, Coalpit Heath are featured for increased scope for activities. Also there's a completely fictional short branch line from Henbury to Cribbs Causeway The Mall included too, as I thought it would be useful if there was a real life rail link to this destination. The complete route has NO SCENERY ATALL and is NOT TERRAFORMED. Like I say, it's a very old fasioned freeware MSTS route compared to today's standards. But if you're interested in the operational factor of running trains along the lines featured and are not bothered too much about the lack of scenery, then you should still enjoy the route. There are about 30 activities for it available from UKTS.
If you're still interested in the route please PM me.
Version 2 will be a complete rebuild featuring DEM'd terrain, full scenery, and much better trackwork. And of course the extended trackwork as mentioned in the title of this thread.
Appologies for the delay to those people who requested the old V1.1 of the route. I am having problems uploading the 11MB(compressed) file on a dial-up connection. Which means I may well have to goto an internet cafe to upload it on Broadband. Not a big fan of internet cafes(especially my local one), but I am due to go there anyway next Tuesday to upload some other large files. So will probably upload V1.1 that day today, and get it all done the same day. Don't be too surprised if you see it uploaded to UKTS. As on other file hosting sites, files to seem to get auto deleted after 90 days.
On the subject of the much delayed Version 2 of the route, I can't believe it's now over 2 and a half years since I completed the trackwork extension to Gloucester and Cheltenham......
Work on the route during 2005 and 2006 was very slack. After leacing the route alone for so long due to various "real life" reasons, I lost interest in the route a bit. But since a few weeks ago, work on the route is now continueing most days. I certainly aim to do some work on the route each week at least. Current work is focusing on scenery placement between Bristol and Swindon. I would hope the route will (finally) be complete by this time next year at the latest. Providing I do work on the route each week, that can be achievable.
Cab ride and passenger eye view footage are being used as reference for scenery placement to give a reasonably good representation to the virtual version of the route as I can. However for the very built up areas such as Bristol, Bath, etc, artistic license will very much have to be applied. I am no scenery model maker I'm afraid, so have to make to do with the scenery items from UKTS and a few other sites. Additional custom scenery may be added later on, if I get any volunteers.
On the subject of the much delayed Version 2 of the route, I can't believe it's now over 2 and a half years since I completed the trackwork extension to Gloucester and Cheltenham......
Work on the route during 2005 and 2006 was very slack. After leacing the route alone for so long due to various "real life" reasons, I lost interest in the route a bit. But since a few weeks ago, work on the route is now continueing most days. I certainly aim to do some work on the route each week at least. Current work is focusing on scenery placement between Bristol and Swindon. I would hope the route will (finally) be complete by this time next year at the latest. Providing I do work on the route each week, that can be achievable.
Cab ride and passenger eye view footage are being used as reference for scenery placement to give a reasonably good representation to the virtual version of the route as I can. However for the very built up areas such as Bristol, Bath, etc, artistic license will very much have to be applied. I am no scenery model maker I'm afraid, so have to make to do with the scenery items from UKTS and a few other sites. Additional custom scenery may be added later on, if I get any volunteers.
Re: GWML West V2 - Cheltenham/Swindon-Exeter St Davids
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Last edited by XPTE on Wed Feb 25, 2009 9:03 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Re: GWML West V2 - Cheltenham/Swindon-Exeter St Davids
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Last edited by XPTE on Wed Feb 25, 2009 9:03 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Re: GWML West V2 - Cheltenham/Swindon-Exeter St Davids
Good news and bad news.
The bad news is that due to the sheer amount of time this route is taking to build, route production is on hold. And I don't know when it will eventually be released. I have at times given what I thought to be realistic approx release dates, but these never turn out to be. As far as the GWML is concerned, Swindon-Bristol trackwork including a curved Bristol Temple Meads layout has been layed, along with speradic scenery placement. No trackwork beyond Bristol at the moment. Still a mammoth task ahead really. Anyway as I said, production on GWML is on hold.
The good news however is that I am concentrating on the Bristol-Gloucester & Cheltenham route. And will be releasing this as a stand alone route. Where a good amount of the trackwork has been layed and scenery placement(to the best of my ability) is in the process of being layed. So this means we will see the Bristol-Cheltenham line somewhat sooner, than if I was sticking to my original plan of including this line as part of GWML West V2. A seperate thread for this route is here http://forums.uktrainsim.com/viewtopic. ... 40&t=91884
As said, it's taking an age to get the intended GWML route completed. What with around 160 miles of trackwork(though about 80 miles has been layed) and scenery to get completed. So it will be far more sensible to concentrate on a smaller route first - the approx 40 or so mile Bristol-Cheltenham route of which much of the trackwork has allready been layed.
Once the Bristol-Cheltenham route has been completed, I will continue with work on the GWML from Swindon-Exeter. And the Bristol-Cheltenham line will also be included too.
The bad news is that due to the sheer amount of time this route is taking to build, route production is on hold. And I don't know when it will eventually be released. I have at times given what I thought to be realistic approx release dates, but these never turn out to be. As far as the GWML is concerned, Swindon-Bristol trackwork including a curved Bristol Temple Meads layout has been layed, along with speradic scenery placement. No trackwork beyond Bristol at the moment. Still a mammoth task ahead really. Anyway as I said, production on GWML is on hold.
The good news however is that I am concentrating on the Bristol-Gloucester & Cheltenham route. And will be releasing this as a stand alone route. Where a good amount of the trackwork has been layed and scenery placement(to the best of my ability) is in the process of being layed. So this means we will see the Bristol-Cheltenham line somewhat sooner, than if I was sticking to my original plan of including this line as part of GWML West V2. A seperate thread for this route is here http://forums.uktrainsim.com/viewtopic. ... 40&t=91884
As said, it's taking an age to get the intended GWML route completed. What with around 160 miles of trackwork(though about 80 miles has been layed) and scenery to get completed. So it will be far more sensible to concentrate on a smaller route first - the approx 40 or so mile Bristol-Cheltenham route of which much of the trackwork has allready been layed.
Once the Bristol-Cheltenham route has been completed, I will continue with work on the GWML from Swindon-Exeter. And the Bristol-Cheltenham line will also be included too.