Route CDs

mikesimpson · Post by **mikesimpson** » Fri Oct 18, 2002 11:46 am

I received the Northern Rail Route and Ruabon-etc. CDs this week from Bob Latimer in NZ, the local distributor.

These are both excellent routes and look/play really well.

However I did find a couple of problems with the CDs which might cause problems for beginners:-

1. Northern Rail - Two .zip files, one for the route (1.3 gigs - could have done with being run through Route-Riter before packaging, I managed to reduce it by 400 megs). This is unzipped into the drive your MSTS is on, D:\ in my case and it installs without any further problem.

Unfortunately, the other .zip file includes all the rolling stock needed for the activities and it includes most of the default locomotives/stock which comes with MSTS. If you just unzip this as suggested, depending on how winzip is set up, it over-writes all your existing stock - a disaster if you have modified the .eng and .wag files etc.

2. The Ruabon etc. railway is much more compact and the route installs nicely. However once again, the rolling stock lets it down. This time there are around 16 different .zip files to install, some have to have a folder made and be unzipped into it, some unzip to trainset, some need sound/cabs copied in, some do not, and a couple are .exe files which are incorrectly set up and do not find your MSTS route unless it is in the default C: drive. I gave up on the rolling stock on this one, it was an all day job.

asalmon · Post by **asalmon** » Fri Oct 18, 2002 3:12 pm

I must admit I didn't bother with the stock from ruabon for the same reason, in fact one item in the readme said "install to a folder of your choice" - well really!

For an example of how it should be done grab a copy of mideast!

(and I may be biased, but this really is simplicity, a self-extracting exe for the route, and one for the stock and activities)

-Alan

gopher · Post by **gopher** » Fri Oct 18, 2002 5:37 pm

The supplied stock with the Ruabon Bala is as supplied by the authors (i.e original zips) and I have not changed any of the install instructions. I will be making changes to the way stock is included on the next CD. I only did this to save people the trouble of downloading the stuff. Don't know if there may be problems with one large install of stock to the trainset folder though.

pdeee · Post by **pdeee** » Fri Oct 18, 2002 6:55 pm

On the updated S&C 1930 CD, Skipton to Carlisle 1920, I shall have all the rolling stock in the normal Zip files, but also a Trains folder, with a Consist and TrainSet folder inside, containing all the rolling stock, the .eng files will be set up for the excellent 2 and 3 cylinder sound by Stuart Williamson, which can be installed separately. All that will be required is to rename the default Trains folder and drop this one into MSTS. The activities that accompany the CD will only have this rolling stock in them.
I use this method for all my active rolling stock, having a Trains_GWR, Trains_LMS, Trains_MR, it may mean doubling up on certain goods vehicles, but AE, is very easy to use when making consists, all other rolling stock is deleted.
The MR engines that I use, all have an alias for the â€œLMS STEAM & FREIGHT CDâ€

gopher · Post by **gopher** » Fri Oct 18, 2002 8:05 pm

I think thats the way to go Pat. Custom folders

Timcourt1 · Post by **Timcourt1** » Fri Oct 18, 2002 8:33 pm

Mideast was done with 2 installers like alan said, I asked around and with the hitches people got on ECML3.1 I mated up the models with their cab and sounds (some aliased).

The original readme's for the loco's are all with each individual loco, people like Kim Durose and mark Shipman etc tend to put little pocket histories in with their models so after install being as the route is worldwide you can go to each loco in the trains folder and read a few facts about it after install.

Mideast installer 1 will install the route and paths only so the route will show along with the paths for explore route with no activities.

Installer 2 installs the locos , Stock and activities, this was quite big because of the loco and sound packs but caused no ill effects.

One thing to do in the readme is to list off the number of consists, paths and activities that will be loded, besides looking impressive, users can use this as a guide if their consist numbers are getting close to the 900 crash limit

Figured I would make it as simple as poss, finally if you say in the readme for them to backup their trains folder than if they dont like it they can delete it and put the old one back with no problems and you don't kill off any mods they had made to duplicated stock.
Tim

mikesimpson · Post by **mikesimpson** » Sat Oct 19, 2002 1:45 am

For Gordon,

The file shapes\uksemlqjct-b-md-b.s has a zero length - I do not know
if it appears in the route, but it causes a problem in Route-Riter.

Great route, really enjoy it, brings back a memory of the holiday I had in Wales a few years ago.

wookey · Post by **wookey** » Sat Oct 19, 2002 2:04 am

yeah iv'e been meaning to thank gopher for that route for a while now
it really is quite excellent, looking forward to the barmouth extention i,ve
walked from barmouth to penmenpool along the trackbed before, it really is a lovly place on a nice sunny quiet afternoon, up along the river estuary, low tide, sands and mountains either side, so im really looking forward to that bit (so you'd better do it justice gordon

)

i go up there quite a lot as a relative knows people up there from a place called abergwynant, between penmenpool and arthog and there is a path that leads to the track at a point where there are two bridges crossing a small river, so i will look out for those

, it think it has to be my fav' (defunct) line ever, so thanks for deciding to model it

any plans for the line after barmouth Gordon? or are you going to take a break (wouldn,t blame you

)

gopher · Post by **gopher** » Sat Oct 19, 2002 7:42 am

Hello Chaps

Mike, I had not noticed the signal problem before. They are Hubert Feyerabend's Lower Quads. I will be using a new set of GWR LQ signals (if the author comes through with them) on the next CD. I had another problem with Route Riter. One of the platforms at Ruabon caused problems and an error report. When I reloaded the route half the station buildings had disappeared. Would be grateful if you would look into it as the route is approaching 400 megs at the moment and I want to get a lot of stock on the next CD. Canâ€™t tell you what the error was as it was such a long time ago.

Hello Wookey

Yes itâ€™s a beautiful walk isnâ€™t it. I was down there again last weekend meeting friends in Barmouth. Iâ€™m afraid the tides in so not much in the way of sandbars though

. I was going to model the drystone embankments but the various radii curves are a bit of a modelling nightmare so I am leaving that for a future update and will resort to texturing for that. I think I know the place you mean with the two bridges. I will post something in the screenshots section over the weekend.
The next extension will be the Bala Ffestiniog branch with its high precipices (but I will be doing another stretch of line first as a favour, see below, but it will all appear on the same CD). It must be one of the highest pieces of track bed in Britain in relation to the valley floor. (havenâ€™t checked yet).
Although I had no intention of doing the Cambrian coast line , I will be doing an extension to just beyond Porthmadoc and someway south from Barmouth Jnc. This is for my friend Bruce in LLanbedr without whose help Barmouth would not have been half as accurate.

I will be having a very short break but route building is very addictive (ask the wife)

Cheers

Gordon

wookey · Post by **wookey** » Sat Oct 19, 2002 8:11 am

cheers for the quick reply, is the bala Ffestiniog branch the one that now has a reservoir over part of the trackbed?, it'll be an interesting change going inland away from sea, vegetation e.t.c and into the colder more open terrain up nearer trawswyned ( no good i cant spell it

the power station place) i understand there is still track as far as the power station from Ffestiniog where exactly does the track end now?, is it literally only as far as the power station area?

anyway cheers again

and yes i know how addictive route building can be

problem is that no matter how detailed you make a route you can always see more potential !

Christopher125 · Post by **Christopher125** » Sat Oct 19, 2002 8:33 am

Hi Gopher

I can't wait for the barmouth extension

. I think you should concentrate on the ruabon and Rhyl ends of the line, rather than the Cambrian coast, as 3DTrainStuff are currently building the entire cambrian coast from Shrewsbury to Aberwysth(sp)/Pwchelli(sp)

(Vern Moorhouse is working with them to produce it as well.), and it looks very promising

. Can't wait for the route

,

Chris

gopher · Post by **gopher** » Sat Oct 19, 2002 9:42 am

Hello Christopher

I am aware of 3dTrainstuff's route and I am looking forward to Talerddig. As I said before I had no intention of modelling the coast line but due to a promise to a friend I am now doing a short stretch to enable through workings onto the Ruabon line. I am afraid the Denbigh Rhyl line will have to wait till after the Bala Ffestiniog branch which I find far more interesting.

Whoops forgot Wookey
The line to the powerstation at Trawsfynydd was closed in 1998 and is now mothballed as far as I know. Don't know what it's future is either. When the Bala Ffestiniog line was closed a connection was made to the Conwy line in Blaenau and the route was truncated at Trawsfynydd.

Cheers

Gordon

wookey · Post by **wookey** » Sat Oct 19, 2002 1:27 pm

right ok

thanks
gordon

MartinH · Post by **MartinH** » Sat Oct 19, 2002 11:07 pm

Well just to make you envious I've just spent the day on the Cambrian Coast as I'm staying at my parents' in Penrhyndeudraeth this weekend. I'll be heading south tomorrow, which of course means driving through Cwm Prysor beneath the Bala-Blaenau line.

To make you even more envious, although I'm too young to have travelled to Bala by rail, I did ride a dmu as far as the power station a few years ago. It was a special shuttle service that operated at weekends in the summer. I seem to recall they did it twice, once all the way and the second time as far as Maentwrog Road. You get really spectacular views looking across the Vale of Ffestiniog.

I love the Ruabon-Bala route and will write some activities when I get time. There'll be an Aberdare in steam on the line at the Bedford show next weekend (Decapod's latest masterpiece).

Martin

gopher · Post by **gopher** » Sat Oct 19, 2002 11:35 pm

There'll be an Aberdare in steam on the line at the Bedford show next weekend

Want to drive it into Barmouth, Martin ?