Major announcement

[malkymackay]

Me derail threads?

Have a break, have a kit kat.

d

Delivered in one of these maybe?

Invalid File ID [24735]

Er, surely in one of these - http://fastline-simulation.blogspot.com ... e-box.html

[Toonces]

I am guessing that one of the things they will address is improving performance to make it possible to drive ever faster trains. Tomorrow they are releasing a package that includes "ICE Intercity-Express available 14 July":

http://www.railsimulator.com/newsdetail.php?Ref=301

Available for RailWorks 2 Train Simulator from 14 July, the ICE (Intercity-Express) is Germany’s high-speed flagship, linking cities such as Frankfurt, Mannheim, Berlin and Hamburg in great comfort and with short journey times. The 410-metre long ICE train is capable of up to 300kph (186mph) and looks after its passengers with air conditioning, electric power points, on-board music and radio listening and more. Developed by German Railroads, the RailWorks 2 ICE is a recreation of the original ICE-1 trains introduced at the beginning of the ICE services in 1991, which have since been refurbished and improved for the 21st Century. With realistic features including automatic drive and brake control and moveable cab blinds, plus 5 scenarios including a tutorial, the RailWorks 2 ICE is going to be cool… Available 14 July.

[USRailFan]

Considering that the only scenarios with it will be for Hagen - Siegen which IIRC has a max. speed of 140 km/h (85 mph) I don't think there's a need...

[transadelaide]

Considering that the only scenarios with it will be for Hagen - Siegen which IIRC has a max. speed of 140 km/h (85 mph) I don't think there's a need...

There is at least one proper high-speed European route on the way that it could be used on, and of course the faster sections of Northern Europe.

[LundeSDK]

Or rail tours in the UK. Not possible due to the electricity though, but who minds a little fantasy?

[USRailFan]

Well, that'd be the same with the 390 running on Hagen - Siegen (in the 'Operation Slalom' scenario) - Germany uses 15 kV 16 2/3 Hz in their catenary (as do Sweden, Norway, Austria and Switzerland), and the 390 is (AFAIK) only equipped for 25 kV 50 Hz as used in Britain (and most of the rest of continental Europe, including France, Italy, Denmark, Hungary).

[transadelaide]

Adaption of the ICE locomotives/powerheads to use different electrification systems would not be a problem, GB's uniquely small loading gauge is the real issue. As for the Class 390, it is of course only intended for GB domestic use so why bother adding any extra capabilities? The Alstom-Fiat Pendolino technology does run all over Europe (and is used for the tilting Acela Express coaches) including some international services, so using the Class 390 to approximate this is decent.

The main problem with GB usage is that an ICE would get no further than the first platform it came across, being built to a domestic German specification slightly wider than UIC gauge and no British lines outside of HS1 (aka the LGV Angleterre extension to the French LGV network) come even close to UIC gauge. This is already a problem on Hagen-Siegen since the creators of the RS/RW route built it with platform clearances that would be too tight by even GB standards, and it's even a problem with GB stock on some of the GB routes in RW.

The ICE-1 could be used more appropriately on the coming Northeast Corridor in the USA, which did indeed require adaption for use with a different electrification system. A set ran there in Amtrak revenue service (and toured other areas towed by diesel locos) for a number of months on a demonstration trying to sell Siemens ICE technology for the future medium-high speed service Acela Express. This was not successful, the Acela trains ended up using Alstom TGV and Pendolino technology rather than Siemens.

Above all, it does need to be remembered that it is okay to try out services that don't exist. It is after all just a computer game (in the simulation sub-genre) rather than a commercial training simulator.