This is one sexy Italian diva! Driving in the early morning on Albula V2 with the mountain shadows.
Payware DLC is here:
http://www.anemonelab.it
I had been looking for a ATR115 for the Brescia to Iseo route, when it was suggested on these forums I try this excellent train by Anemone Lab S.N.C., they also do an outstanding job as an alternative to the Rhb Allegra for Albula v2, though I hope Simtrain.ch will make the allegra at some point. This is a tough map on many trains that cannot take tight curves on grades. Esp since it uses narrow guage tracks, and so all current models overhang. The Minuetto eats it up even at much higher speeds and the auto speed control is fantastic when going up and down steep grades and curves on this route. When I drive many locos on this route I spend so much time on breaking and twiddling with throttle I forget to look at the view. With the Minuetto it is just a pleasure, and a nice big window to enjoy the route's views.
I will say the speed controls take a bit of a learning curve, as does the start up procedure but all are explained in the pdf. This is not your simple Ice3 AFB system, but it seems to have more possibilities once learned. I imagine the more so in bad traction conditions like snow. That it comes in both a DMU and EMU is also nice, as it means any route is possible. Once I understood how to make quick slow down maneuvers without losing my LCA settings it got much easier even in scenerio use.
The startup is a bit more involved but easy to learn.
It's a great little train and they lowered their prices recently (right after I bought it...ahem)-Close Battery Circuit [R]
-Insert BM Key [SHIFT + F]
-Wait 10 seconds that battery turn on systems and the
“General Fault” warning disappear.
Monitors turns on and sounds a BIP.
-Pull up the pantograph (EMU version) [SHIFT + G]
-Press Diesel Starting Consent (DMU version) [SHIFT + T]
On diagnostic monitor, boxes of activated service will light up of solid green color.
-Close IR [Y]
On diagnostic monitor, boxes of IR service and Traction service will light up of green.
To shutdown the train, do the same sequence inverted.
I do have only a couple of wishes for improvement, the cab is very complex and 3d modeled well, but the textures in cab really are basic. It makes it look MSTS like. In fact there is so little variation in texture on the panel that when cab light is off several angles on panel don't show up making it look very flat and lose it's 3 dimensional quality, and you only see it after turning cab light on. I would love to see them upgrade these interior textures. The other thing I would like to see added is a passenger view and interior model this train drives so well in its LCM mode, that it would be perfect for playing passenger a bit, but currently that is not possible. I do not regret purchase though, this is best train I have now for just viewing a route.
This Italian Diva has become one of my favorite trains
(That's the REAL train pic, not Ts2013, sometimes you can't tell the difference these days.)
I made a long video driving it to Lago Iseo in HD 720p, if you would like to see this train in action, and this excellent free route it is posted here:
http://forums.uktrainsim.com/viewtopic. ... 4&t=130851
