"King's Arm Highway" route released!

[LoneWolfDon]

Greeting fellow RailWorkers

Well, after hundreds of hours of working on this project, my "King's Arm Highway" route is finally finished.


For more info on my route and to download it, visit my site at:
http://www.rryard.com/ , then click on "My Routes for RailWorks" link from the menu there.

This is a FreeWare route (though I would thankfully welcome any donations if people enjoy my route & scenarios and want to show their appreciation - more info on that over at my site), and it should work with RailWorks default stock and assets. I've made use of a couple of freeware assets packs but they are already included with my route's package, so there should be no need to download them separately.

There is however one optional duplicate version of my "King's Coal" scenario that makes use of a freeware addon that can be downloaded and installed separately (see the ReadMe file that comes with my route's "zip" file more more info on that).

Many thanks to all of the kind people that showed their help and support to me in the making of this route (see the "ReadMe" file with my route for more details on that).

Making this route was sometimes a mix of fun and frustration, but overall it was great experience for me and I've learned a lot from it.

I'll probably soon be working on more route projects.

In the meantime, if you have a chance, please get my route and try it out. Of course I'd be interested to know peoples impressions of it, so feel welcome to comment on it.

I hope you will all enjoy this route. I'll soon be releasing some more scenarios for it.

Thanks again, and I'll see you on the trains.
--- Don.

[LoneWolfDon]

Greetings once again fellow RailWorkers

Just a quick update to let you know that my route is now available here in the Download Library.
See at the following:
http://members.uktrainsim.com/filelib-i ... leid=23871

I hope people will enjoy my route and have fun with it.
I'll be putting out some extra scenarios to go with it soon.

Cheers! --- Don.

[TransportSteve]

Hello Don,

Well, I've downloaded it and it looks fine, I have just one question though, you've utilised British semaphore signals, but, you have mountains and other scenery akin to the Americas, is it supposed to be both a British & an American route ??

Cheerz. Transport Steve.

[LoneWolfDon]

It's a completely fictional route. I wasn't trying to make my route based on any particular region and was mainly having fun letting my imagination run wild (within my limitations of what I was able to do with the editor of course). What can I say, I'm a rebel, a Wild 'n Crazy kinda guy!
So, yes it does make liberal use of a mix of stock, assets, terrain, foliage, etc... from different regions.
I guess I probably bend or break a few "rules" in the world of trains and train-simming in that regards.
But the main thing is I still hope people will enjoy my route and have fun with it regardless.
Cheers!

[transadelaide]

Hello Don,

Well, I've downloaded it and it looks fine, I have just one question though, you've utilised British semaphore signals, but, you have mountains and other scenery akin to the Americas, is it supposed to be both a British & an American route ??

Cheerz. Transport Steve.

Well it could be an Aussie route, since some of our scenery is more parts of North America than Britain and we do tend to follow UK practice with our rail network in general. The UK network is even falling into line with our standards now with the adoption of diesel locos concealing EMD or GE powertrains inside more aesthetically pleasing bodies that fit within sensible loading gauges.

The screenshot with a Challenger hauling BR Blue Mark 2 coaches was what set that off for me. I'm all for using different assets creatively (see the latest edition of the awesome Western Rail Corridor for what I mean) but doing that within trains is where I draw the line!

Looks like a good route to give at least a good test run, and let's not get too judgemental until it's at least given a decent chance.

[ladyoflynn]

Hi Don,
thanks for the Kings Highway route,I think its great,been running the route this afternoon and enjoying the scenery.
plenty of things to look at.
regards
Eric (ladyoflynn GWR man)

[LoneWolfDon]

The screenshot with a Challenger hauling BR Blue Mark 2 coaches was what set that off for me. I'm all for using different assets creatively (see the latest edition of the awesome Western Rail Corridor for what I mean) but doing that within trains is where I draw the line!

Boo-hoo! Well, there, just goes to tell you how much I know about trains. Honestly, I don't know what specific cars are supposed to attach to a specific engine. To me, it connected, it looked fine, it worked fine, it was fun to drive, was all that mattered to me. But, however, if mixing engines and cars of a different variety or from different regions is too blasphemous for you, you can feel welcome to go into the scenario-editor and swap-out the coach-cars with something more appropriate. I left my route and Scenarios as UnProtected and people are welcome to edit things as they like. (*Note: my reply here is meant in a good way, even if seeming with a bit of sarcasm in there).

Looks like a good route to give at least a good test run, and let's not get too judgemental until it's at least given a decent chance.

Good to see you're open minded enough to perhaps try my route regardless of my breaking the rules. Hope you'll enjoy it.

Hi Don,
thanks for the Kings Highway route,I think its great,been running the route this afternoon and enjoying the scenery.
plenty of things to look at.

Thanks! And you're Welcome! Glad to know at least someone is enjoying my route so far. Well, I've had a few other comments on other forums as well, and most all comments are positive and that people seem to be having fun with it.

[transadelaide]

The screenshot with a Challenger hauling BR Blue Mark 2 coaches was what set that off for me. I'm all for using different assets creatively (see the latest edition of the awesome Western Rail Corridor for what I mean) but doing that within trains is where I draw the line!

Boo-hoo! Well, there, just goes to tell you how much I know about trains. Honestly, I don't know what specific cars are supposed to attach to a specific engine. To me, it connected, it looked fine, it worked fine, it was fun to drive, was all that mattered to me. But, however, if mixing engines and cars of a different variety or from different regions is too blasphemous for you, you can feel welcome to go into the scenario-editor and swap-out the coach-cars with something more appropriate. I left my route and Scenarios as UnProtected and people are welcome to edit things as they like. (*Note: my reply here is meant in a good way, even if seeming with a bit of sarcasm in there).

Not a problem with the irony/sarcasm, I'm an Aussie so I get humour. For some people on UKTS this might be an actual big issue because you've *gasp* made a fictional route that's not just a fictional interpretation of a real region. I'm one of the people who does have the capacity to remember at the end of the day it's just a computer game!!

For the record, G-TraX Simulations have freeware and payware coaches that do go better with US engines. They also have three pretty great steam engines (I love the GS-4, 3rd favourite steamer in RW behind A1 Tornado and V2 Green Arrow) that are models of the ones their payware profits go towards helping heritage rail groups restore/run. There are a few US coaches included with the RW core under developer Kuju > RailSimulatorUS called "ACF Chair Car" in three liveries, these are good but nothing on the G-TraX ones which have the full set of different carriages.

[LoneWolfDon]

Announcing a bonus "Challenger Scenario Pack" for use with my King's Arm Highway route.

You can download from the following link;
http://railworksamerica.com/cgi-bin/dl- ... l?file=095

See the ReadMe file that comes with this pack for more info and instructions.

The following three scenarios are included with this pack:

* King's Arm Passenger Run (Challenger): A fairly easy passenger run along the King's Arm Highway starting at passenger platform KA 1, then making a couple more passenger stops along the way you'll climb up the King's Arm to pass through the tunnel at King's Mountain, descend down the other side and make your final stop in King's Ridge District at KA Platform 5.
If all goes well, this run will take around 25 minutes to complete.

* Coal or Bust (Challenger): After finishing a day of driving passenger runs, the Dispatcher contacts you and asks you to pick up and deliver a stranded broken-down diesel train that was hauling a load of needed empty coal-hoppers to King's Coal Yard.
Pay careful attention to the Dispatcher's instructions, and stay alert, as you will be told to give the signal to throw some junction-switches along the way as you approach them. Task is around Medium level difficulty and will probably take about 30 minutes time to complete.

* Challenger Express (Challenger): Good morning driver. You'll be doing an Express Passenger Run starting in King's Market District, going to King's Reach, and then returning. But first you'll need to pick up some passenger cars before starting your run. Pay attention to the Dispatcher's instructions. Once you get going, this run is a good chance to stretch the legs of the Challenger a bit. This run is somewhat easy and takes around 35 minutes to complete.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Well Driver, climb aboard and get rolling!
Enjoy.

[LoneWolfDon]

Hi guys.

I've just released "Kings Arm Bonus Scenario Pack 1" for use with my King's Arm Highway route.
Two scenarios are included with this pack that makes use of Default locos and stock, so there should be no need to have anything extra installed.

Download link here here: http://railworksamerica.com/cgi-bin/dl- ... l?file=095

See the ReadMe file that comes with it for more details.
Hope people are enjoying my route and scenarios so far.

Cheers!

[LoneWolfDon]

Hi fellow RailWorkers.
Just a quick message to let you know that I've just released "King's Arm Bonus Scenario Pack 2" for use with my King's Arm Highway route.

This pack uses default locos and stock, so nothing extra should be required to run them (except for my King's Arm Highway route being installed of course).

You can get it at my site on the following page:
http://www.rryard.com/kings_arm.html
Enjoy!

[Kromaatikse]

Technically speaking, the reason why an American locomotive and Mark 1 stock don't go together is that the braking systems and couplers are both incompatible. Mark 3e stock would be more reasonable in that respect.

RailWorks will let you use them together regardless.

[LoneWolfDon]

Technically speaking, the reason why an American locomotive and Mark 1 stock don't go together is that the braking systems and couplers are both incompatible. Mark 3e stock would be more reasonable in that respect.

RailWorks will let you use them together regardless.

I guess as long as you're having fun driving the trains, then that's all that really matters (well, to me anyways, not really knowing much about trains honestly).
But, I left my route and scenario packs as "un-protected", so people can feel welcome to swap-out stock and such in the editor as they like if using "mixed stock" really bothers them that much.

Cheers!

[styckx]

I see where LWD is coming from on this one. I'm thinking he's aware it's a complete spin cycle of stock, prototypicalality(neat word I just made up), and not super duper detailed to the umpteenth million degree. He's just having fun creating, and driving his trains. I have his route, run it occasionally. Kind of reminds me of the innocence of when I was a kid and fascinated with trains.

Besides, he actually completed a route, which many many many many many have tried, and only a small percentage of those "coming soons" ever actually become a release.

[LoneWolfDon]

I see where LWD is coming from on this one. I'm thinking he's aware it's a complete spin cycle of stock, prototypicalality(neat word I just made up), and not super duper detailed to the umpteenth million degree. He's just having fun creating, and driving his trains. I have his route, run it occasionally. Kind of reminds me of the innocence of when I was a kid and fascinated with trains.

Besides, he actually completed a route, which many many many many many have tried, and only a small percentage of those "coming soons" ever actually become a release.

Thanks Styckx. Pretty much sums up my feelings and thoughts on it.
I don't know much about the "real-worlds" of trains, what-locos-are-supposed-to-attach-to-what-stock, and only got RailWorks a little over a year-ago I think now, so the whole Train-Simming scene is still somewhat new and mysterious to me as well. But I've really fell in love with it all and it still fascinates me. Though I've learned lots since getting into RailWorks, and have become an active part of the community on a few sites and try to be helpful and giving to others.

Mainly I try to have fun with it, create, use my imagination, and don't worry much about if a train uses mixed-stock it's not supposed to or not. Look at some of the really creative, imaginative things this crazy guy's been up to with RailWorks:
http://railsimilarity.blogspot.com/2009 ... chive.html Some pretty neat stuff there!

I remember Andy (OrpheusRocker), who very kindly and patiently helped me with beta-testing my King's Arm route and gave me a lot of great feedback, help and advice, noticed I was mixing some North American locos with some UK-train-cars on some of my scenarios and brought that to my attention. Of course I explained that I didn't really much know the difference, and it all seemed to connect and work okay regardless. He said something like, "Don, RailWorks will let you attach a loco to a pizza. But it's your route and scenarios, so have fun with it".

And like Transadelaide said in an earlier post here "I'm one of the people who does have the capacity to remember at the end of the day it's just a computer game!!", which is how I pretty much feel about RailWorks and the Train-Simming scene in general. I try not to take it too serious or overly-worry if I "bend a few rules" in building my routes and scenarios.

I've had a few thousand of downloads of my route since I've released it a few months back. Most all feedback I've gotten from people that have tried it has been quite positive and apparently they have a lot of fun with it.

I'm mostly satisfied with how my King's Arm route turned out, and I learned a lot from making it. Now with my gained knowledge, experience and skills I've learned from building that route and working with RailWorks, I have come a long ways and I think my future routes and scenarios may even be better in some ways.

I'm going to try and keep a light-hearted, playful and imaginative approach with RailWorks, route & scenario building, and something like Styckx suggested, be like "a kid playing with a trainset" and don't sweat the details.
Keep driving those trains, smile, and have fun. Cheers!