Newsflashes about steamtrains or issues concerning add-on’s of steam locomotives.
Jun 17, 2018
County Class Steam locomotive GWR 1000 arrived.
The standard GWR 4-6-0 locomotive design dated back to the turn of the 20th Century, when George Jackson Churchward revolutionised the way Great Western traction was to be built with his Saint Class, from which Charles Collett developed the Castles, Halls, Granges, and Kings to name a few.
A total of 30 new locomotives were built in two batches between 1945 and 1947, and were named as the “County” Class, a call-back to a previous class of the same name. Each were adorned with a nameplate stating a County of England or Wales that was served by the GWR network. The locomotives were numbered from 1000 to 1029 and were given a power rating of ‘D’, GWR’s equivalent of ‘6MT’ (mixed-traffic).
When Frederick Hawksworth came to be Chief Mechanical Engineer of the GWR, he designed the likes of the Modified Halls, but aspired to build a 4-6-2 Pacific locomotive for post-war passenger use. Unfortunately, the struggle of the Second World War did not permit this, and by the end there was no demand for new passenger traction.
Instead, Hawksworth was granted the production of more mixed-traffic 4-6-0s, and so many of the ideals for the Pacific were worked into this new batch which became a testbed of sorts. The boiler was of differing design – Swindon Works had been used during the War to build LMS 8F locomotives, and Hawksworth studied the 8F’s boiler tooling for inspiration with the new fleet.
In addition to the innovations already adopted for the Modified Hall class, the new class contained several further changes from usual Great Western practice including the use of double chimneys on certain members and a high boiler pressure of 280psi (although this was later lowered in an attempt to reduce maintenance costs). The boiler was a development that used the tooling for the LMS Stanier Class 8F boiler, Hawksworth being able to study this design closely when 8Fs were being built at Swindon as part of the war effort.
The class initially had a tractive effort of 32,580 lbf (144.92 kN), which was =1,000 lbf (4.45 kN) greater than a Castle Class locomotive, although the tractive effort was reduced to 29,090 lbf (129.40 kN) when the boiler pressure was lowered. The class had continuous splashers over the driving wheels and, when named, straight nameplates, making them immediately recognisable from other 4-6-0 classes. They were also fitted with Hawksworth’s 4,000 imp gal (18,000 l; 4,800 US gal) slab-sided tenders, but the County tenders had a water tank six inches wider than the tenders built for the Modified Halls and retro-fitted to many earlier designs.
Something of an oddball among typical GWR traction, the County Class was quite distinctive from its predecessors despite being based off a near-identical, standardised platform. Wheel splashers, and nameplates, were continuous along the body side as opposed to tapered with the wheels on previous locos. Multiple County locomotives were fitted with double chimneys, and when built had a staggering boiler pressure of 280psi, this made them more powerful than the four-cylindered Castles!
Driving this engine is possible in either standard and advanced mode and without knowledge is is much much harder to drive in advanced mode instead. The package contains different liveries and boiler pressures such as the 280psi double chimney engine. and different vans such as the Monster Van and the Python Van in different liveries as well.
Source: Steamstore and Wikipedia
Go to the Store
May 17, 2018
The Famous Black 5 class A masterpiece from Bossman Games now available in the store
A masterpiece now arrived at the SteamStore.
One of the most significent and most build engines the Black 5 comes to TS20xx. The frist Black Five in the Advanced series. Different Black 5 came to TS20xx in recent years started with the European Locao and Asset pack which contians the Black 5 in a very standard mode. UKTS came alongside with some upgrades to the Black 5 within the UKST famous Freeware packages.
Beside the release of the Black 5 with the UKTS FP’s the Black 5 was the main engine that came wioth the West Lines of Scotland featuring some more detail and enhanged driving physics. Never the less the lack of an advanced engines till remains untill today. Bossman Games released a Pro version of this magnificent engine that worked along British rails all over Britain and Scotland. The significant sound and whistle of a Black 5 is the signature of a typical Black 5 engine.
No other engine became famous because if its hauling capabilities taht also became famous amoung traveellers and crew. The engine last untill the end of steam in Britain. One of the most distinguished operations of the Black 5 is the working of this engine between Fort William and Mallaigh where she hauled the most famous steamtrain so far. The Hogward Express from Harry Potter.
Severall engines where also build as a 3 cylinder engine the Jubilee Class which were originated on the Black 5 design. A total of 842 “Black Five” locomotives were built for the London, Midland and Scottish and later British Railways; and, a truly definitive add-on is unleashed, in the form of Partner Programme developer Bossman Games’ fantastic LMS Stanier Class 5!
What became one of the more memorable locomotives in British rail history starts its story in the early 1930s, when William Stanier, Chief Mechanical Engineer of the London, Midland and Scottish Railway (LMS), sought to design a new and suitably powerful mixed-traffic locomotive. In his early LMS days, Stanier used his engineering skills which he acquired while working for GWR, however steadily refining and honing his own unique style of locomotive.
When the LMS needed more powerful traction, Stanier’s response was equivalent to the GWR’s Hall Class, a 4-6-0 with a rating of 5 for passenger, and 5 for freight – the Stanier Class 5. Originally the Class 5 fleet was known as “Black Stanier”, in contrast to the “Red Stanier” Jubilee Class; however, when ‘5’ was seen adorned on the cab side from 1940 onwards, a new “Black Five” name befell the fleet.
The do-anything attitude of the Black Five saw their popularity rise with both crews and enthusiasts alike – it could turn up almost anywhere, get the job done, and look good while doing it – the fleet of 842 was a familiar sight right up until the end of steam.
The Black Fives were sadly scrapped in droves, but an impressive 18 were saved for use on both preservation railways and mainline railtours, and the preserved fleet has a history of ‘acting’ by means of temporary alternative numbers to revive lost members of the class.
You can have your copy today and enjoy the most well known steam locomotive of the British mainland.
Source: SteamStore
Go to the StoreMay 01, 2018
The West Somerset Railway comes to TSW
After the release of the TSW now the very first glimpses of steam now appeared above the horizon with the coming of the West Somerset Railway. Though proposed yet there will be some diesel locomotives only with a link to the diesel gala’s the WSR is famous of. These diesels however are related to the (post)steam area as well even as the Mk1 though.
The West Somerset Railway (WSR) is a 22.75-mile (36.6 km) heritage railway line in Somerset, England. The freehold of the track and stations is owned by Somerset County Council; the railway is leased to and operated by West Somerset Railway (WSR); which is supported and minority-owned by charitable trust the West Somerset Railway Association (WSRA) and the West Somerset Steam Railway Trust (WSSRT). The WSR operates services using both heritage steam and diesel trains.
It originally opened in 1862 between Taunton and Watchet. In 1874 it was extended from Watchet to Minehead by the Minehead Railway. Although just a single track, improvements were needed in the first half of the twentieth century to accommodate the significant number of tourists that wished to travel to the Somerset coast. The line was closed by British Rail in 1971 and reopened in 1976 as a heritage line.
It is the longest standard gauge independent heritage railway in the United Kingdom.Services normally operate over just the 20.5 miles (33.0 km) between Minehead and Bishops Lydeard. During special events some trains continue a further two miles (3.2 km) to Norton Fitzwarren where a connection to Network Railallows occasional through trains to operate onto the national network.
With this arrival now steam locomotives has come a little closer to TSW. The release of the WSR will not grant if there will be any release of steam locomotive but the fact a steam heritage railway now comes to TSW will open up new perspectives of the coming of the steam locomotive.
Source: Steam, Wikipedia
More detailsApr 26, 2018
Union Pacific No. 119 Locomotive
Apr 15, 2018
It was Union Pacific 4-4-0 No. 119, together with Central Pacific’s “Jupiter,” that on May 10, 1869 stood pilot-to-pilot at Promontory, Utah for the ceremonial driving of the transcontinental railroad’s Golden Spike. Union Pacific No. 119 was one of five 4-4-0 “American” type locomotives built for the UP by the Rogers Locomotive and Machine Works in November 1868. Following its historic moment at Promontory, UP No. 119 went on to serve the railroad until 1903. Like the “Jupiter,” however, Union Pacific No. 119 was reborn in the 1970s as a full-sized replica operating at the U. S. National Park Service’s Golden Spike National Historic Site.
Smokebox has once again created the extraordinary. Union Pacific No. 119 is re-created with a superb fidelity to every detail and features operating characteristics that are amazingly authentic. The UP 4-4-0 provides everything from the challenges of authentic wheel slip and managing the boiler and firebox conditions to the artistry of working with long and quilled toot whistles. Multiple settings for selecting difficulty and use of an auto fireman nonetheless make the 4-4-0 accessible and enjoyable for users of all experience levels. The locomotive is provided in two livery variations, including the prominently black and green livery believed by historians to be its original “as delivered” scheme, and the black and red colors that are applied to the modern replica.
To bring Union Pacific No. 119 – and challenging 19th century railroading – to life, the 4-4-0 is accompanied by a marvellous Train Simulator route representing the city of Cheyenne and its surroundings (extending about 6 miles to the east and 20 miles to the west) as existed in 1869. And joining UP 4-4-0 No. 119 on the Cheyenne 1869 route is a superb selection of period-authentic rolling stock, including a Union Pacific boxcar, flat cars (empty and with multiple loads), emigrant passenger coach with clerestory roof, baggage car, and combined caboose and coach.
The route also offers a captivating selection of Old West structures and trackside assets, ranging from vintage engine servicing facilities to old west buildings and working ball signals!
New range of scenario arrived.
Steamtrains Unlimited has started a new program of scenario types. Many scenarios will enter the site for download based on original timetables and facts instead. Of corse there will always be standard scenario’s as well but Steamtrains Unlimited is always aiming for the LoR grade which means Level of Reality.
We start with a scenario on the North Wales Coastal Line with a scenario that is based on Steam Special 1Z86 that should run at March 1, 2017. Please find this scenario for download and install using the Train Installer.
Please visit the downloadpage of scenario’s for more information and new downloads.
Mar 1, 2018
LNER Raven Q6 has arrived.
Wilson Worsdell’s Q5 0-8-0s met the initial increases in the North Eastern Railway’s (NER) mineral traffic at the turn of the century. This large upsurge in traffic continued and more locomotive power was required. Hence, Raven designed his Q6 class using the best parts of the piston valve version of the Q5 design. A larger boiler was fitted with a saddle fitting for the smokebox. A total of 120 Q6s were built between 1913 and 1921 in a total of six batches.
After fitting superheaters to many of the B15 4-6-0s, Raven had become fully convinced of the superheater’s worth, and fitted them as standard to the Q6s. A number of different superheater types were initially tried, but all of the Q6s had been standardised to the Schmidt design by Grouping (1923). The original working pressure was 160psi, but this was increased 180psi before Grouping.
The Q6s were an unqualified success. By combining Worsdell’s motion with the B15 boiler and the Schmidt superheater, Raven managed to create a strong and reliable locomotive which gave good strong service right up to the end of BR steam.
Brace yourself for a real challenge as Victory Works bring Sir Vincent Raven’s powerful fleet of LNER Q6s to life on the Weardale & Teesdale Network – the first public route to use steam locomotives! You’ll be taking control of a locomotive that was specially designed for freight-pulling power and testing yourself against every difficulty the Pro Range label can throw at you.
The operational characteristics of the LNER Q6 are complex and the simulation captures them as such. Advanced mode can be toggled depending on how you wish to experience the LNER Q6 – when enabled you can look forward to; realistic wheelslip, simulated steam chest, realistic train pipe and reservoir vacuum braking, cylinder cock management, boiler management with priming possible, realistic injector control and realistic “by the shovel” stoking with synchronised sound.
Being such a successful class the Q6s were rarely modified substantially, however they did have unique details such as steam heat dials, external vacuum brake pipes, piston caps, and overhead warning labels. We’ve lovingly recreated these optional fittings meaning you can decide how you wish to represent a particular member of the class!
These incredible trains were in service for more than 50 years but the only way to experience their majesty in the modern world is here on Train Sim! Try this epic chapter in traction history today and make their story your own! The locomotive comes with a number of scenarios at the Weardale & Teesdale Network Route Add-On which you need to have in order to run the scenarios.
Sources: LNER Enceclopedia, Steamstore.
Go to the storeFeb 21, 2018
Bessemer & Lake Erie Railroad from the 20’s.
Iron, steal, Sand and a lot of shunting at Conneaut Harbour.
G-Trax has now created a masterpiece from the steam era. The creators of steamers like the mifgty Daylight and the Nickle Plate Railroads Berkshire’s has now created this matser piece respresenting a major industial area from around the year of 1920.
The Bessemer & Lake Erie was a railroad created to serve the steel industry and deliver iron ore from Great Lakes freighters docking at Conneaut Harbor to steel mills located around Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. B&LE complemented its ore movements with the haulage of bituminous coal from the mines of western Pennsylvania, and the railroad also totted its share of general freight and operated limited passenger services.
Conneaut Harbor was the essence of America in the industrial age. Great Lakes freighters laden with iron ore arrived at Conneaut and gigantic Hulett unloaders transferred ore into B&LE hoppers. The Bessemer & Lake Erie route for Train Simulator re-creates Conneaut in remarkably authentic fashion, right up to including fully functional Hulett unloaders!
Conneaut is one of five major yard and terminal complexes featured in route. Albion, Ohio; Butler, Pennsylvania (home to three yards and key railroad interchanges); and North Bessemer, Pennsylvania (where the B&LE interchanged with Pittsburgh’s Union Railroad), each host railroad facilities.
At B&LE’s hometown of Greenville, Pennsylvania, the railroad’s expansive facilities include the line’s erecting, car, and locomotive shops, highlighted by a transfer table and 17-stall roundhouse. And on a route rich with lineside industries, among the most important is the massive Standard Steel complex at Butler, home to steel production, rail car-building, and automobile production.
To move its tonnage (and passengers), the Bessemer & Lake Erie route includes two authentic steam locomotives – the B&LE’s venerable 0-6-0 steam switchers constructed by the Baldwin Locomotive Works in 1909, and the railroad’s powerful D-1-A class 2-10-2s built by Baldwin in 1919.
The Bessemer & Lake Erie route includes an extraordinary selection of period-authentic rolling stock, with boxcars, flatcars, gondolas, hoppers, refrigerator cars, tank cars, pickle cars, cabooses, crane cars, and heavyweight baggage, coach, and commuter coaches all included, many in various liveries and with multiple loads.
Masterfully created by G-TraX, the Bessemer & Lake route brings to life the B&LE during the heart of the steam era and includes the B&LE’s rugged line from the shores of Lake Erie at Conneaut, Ohio to North Bessemer, Pennsylvania, as well as a variety of important B&LE rail yards, secondary lines, rail interchanges, and coal branches! The entire route has been refined to give 70 miles of the most entertaining and exhilarating experiences this railroad has to offer.
The drama and challenges of classic American heavy steam railroading in the 1920s roars now into your collection with the extraordinary Bessemer & Lake Erie route. It’s time to experience the famed B&LE – and the memorable and captivating era of 1920s American steam-era railroading!
Source: Steamstore, Train Simulator
Go to the StoreJan 16, 2018
Deutsche Reichsbahn Class 01,5 Available
The Iconic Reko Engine of the former DDR is now available for TS2018
Wilbur Graphics is one of the three devellopers that creates German engines. together with Romantic Railroads and Eidenbahwerk this develloper brings now the Historic Reko engine into TS20xx. Wilburg Graphics is still the only one creating Dutch steam locomotives such as class 3700. Based on this experainces and the 2nd German WG created has now the Reko engine at the download page of treinpunt.nl available. The coming of the Reko 01 (better known as Class 01.5) had payd a tremendous effort to the transportation in The former DDR. Read the brief history here below.
The history of the DR Class 01.5
In 1962 the repair shop (Reichsbahnausbesserungswerk) of RAW Meiningen rebuilt 35 Class 01 engines. At that time the locomotives were still vital for heavy passenger train duties, but the locomotive frame and boiler were so worn that it was essential to replace them. Like the DB rebuilds in West Germany after the Second World War, only those locomotives with more powerful brakes (i.e. those from no. 01 102 onwards) and 1000 mm carrying wheels were converted.
The rebuild did not just involve the installation of a new boiler; the entire locomotive underwent modification. The most obvious external change was the steam space cover running the length of the boiler barrel and copied from the ČSD Class 477.0, which lent the locomotives a sleek, modern appearance. The large smoke deflectors too were replaced by smaller ones with the upper front corners clipped off at an angle.
The new boiler made the so-called Reko-01 (Reko is short for “Rekolokomotive” Reconstructed locomotive) into the most powerful German express train steam locomotive. In addition to a combustion chamber and the well-known IfS mixer-preheater, the 01.5’s boiler was fitted with three full bore boiler safety valves (Ackermann valves, nominal width 60). The engines were given Trofimoff valves and, apart from 01 501 and 01 520, new welded cylinders. The new boiler came with a new, welded driver’s cab with upholstered seats, side-pull regulator and other improvements to the working conditions of the locomotive crew, as well as an Indusi system.
The latter was required for the border-crossing traffic to Bebra and Hamburg-Altona and services on the Dresden-Berlin line. Because the coupled wheelsets on many engines had to be replaced due to fractured spokes, eight examples were fitted with Boxpok wheels made of cast iron, like those already used in the Soviet Union and the United States. These did not prove themselves, however, due to manufacturing defects and were later swapped out for spoked wheels from retired 01s. In order to hide the ugly wheelsets, the Boxpok locomotives and several other vehicles were fitted with full skirts.
From locomotive number 01 519, all the locomotives were given oil-firing systems when rebuilt, which enabled a further increase in performance. Apart from the seven engines at Berlin Ostbahnhof locomotive depot, all the other engines were later converted to primary oil-firing. The tenders could carry 13.5 tonnes of heavy fuel oil. During the course of the oil crisis in the early 1980s all the oil-fired locomotives were withdrawn.
All of the locomotives were originally meant to remain in service for two maintenance periods (each of 6 years), however every locomotive exceeded this.
After they were withdrawn from active duty, several engines were used as heating locomotives. Number 01 519 was refurnished in 1990-91 from being a heating engine, and was made fully operational by the DR. It was not taken out of service until 1991. (Source: Wikipedia)
The eninge is also available for download at: www.rail-sim.de
Jan 5, 2018
Welcome in 2018
Steamtrains Unlimited is going to expand further more.
The engine site is now expanding and using this page you can easily enter the sites where engines has been made. At this moment we are workin at a fine database concerning all available steam locomotives available within TS20XX.
We still will continue with the devellopment of some of the most special scenario’s, but we are looking foreward for a brand new computer with SSD Hard-Disk and a very fast videocard.
Not only for the effort of gaming but also to expand Steamtrains Unlimited. The present computer (Laptop) does not fit the present standard and needs to be replaced as soon as possible.
Dec 21, 2017
Merry Christmas and a Steamy 2018
Steamtrains Unlimited wishes everybody a Merry Christmas and an abundand steamy 2018 and keep steam hauling your life.
Dec 5, 2017
Steam locomotives and TSW
As far of the concerning of TSW, there is so far no steam locomotive available in TSW to drive on. Unfortunately there is no steam locomotive or route coming soon to TSW allthough the graphics are stunning and far more photorealistic in comparising with TS20xx when viewing video’s and live streams from broadcasters like Mr. M. Peddlesden. and Mr. Rubku_NL.
Steamtrains Unlimited therefore does not consider to purchase the program how so ever just because of the lack of steam locomotives.
Now Steamtrains Unlimited does understand that TSW recently started up so TSW needs time to proove itself and for so far diesle is the leading power but will change already with the coming of the new proposed rapid transit and electric powered trains are now coming to TSW.
TS20XX lacks and failing routes
We all know the TS20xx is limited in use of memory up to max. 3,5 Gb and even crossing the marker of 3 Gb can cause TS20xx to crashThere are within TS20xx major routes that are failing the program like the Emslandstrecke (Emsland route) which is still available for MSTS. A route comes now to the scene of TS20xx which is the Rollbahn but is aiming the present era and not as it was in the the days of steam. Steamtrains Unlimited tries to convince the creator of the making of the Rollbahn in 1963 just as German Railroads ever produced, but there are no plans to establish this route within the steam era of Germany. However the route is been saved without catenary and overhead wire and there is some hope to recreate the Rollbahn as it was in 1963.
The creator mentioned that this needs time because abandon sindings and buildings needs to be activated as it was in the steam era aiming for the neccesary changements for assets and signals. Never the less at this moment it is silent about steamers and the steam era and sometimes a steamer comes to the scene but is far to less in comparising with upcoming routes and trains.
No steam locomotives planned at Just Trains
After interviewing Just Trains they said there are no plans to build any advanced steamer just because there has been a employment shift causing devellopers of steam locomotives and did changed to an other workfloor leaving the development of steamers for so far. This is sad news as you migh discover the advanced range of engines they have in store at this moment.
Steamtrains Unlimited hopes to convince the creators to recreate the 9F Evening star as an advanced engine. This is in line with the post-war steamers as Just Trains (4MT, 5MT and Clan) and SteamDevs (7MT) has created. At this moment Just trains now aimes for the pronounced routes and to have these (modern) routes available soon in their store.
The only devellopers we can face today at this moment is Dovetail Games, Digital traction, Victory Works and Steam Sound Supreme and some freeware devellopers.
Okt 14, 2017
GWR Large Prairies now available at steam.
The Great Western Railway however would dote on their 2-6-2T ‘tank’ locomotives for secondary and more rural duties. Some of the earliest examples were rather light, and were suitably called the ‘Small Prairies’; however, larger variants would also be produced, primarily for suburban commuter operations but initially for general use too. First appearing in 1903, these are the ‘Large Prairies’.
The first of many Large Prairies appeared in 1903 as GWR No. 99, a prototype design from Churchward that would become the basis for a production fleet of 39 ‘3100 Class’ tank locomotives. At heart, the 3100 Class was a mixed-traffic locomotive, and would be the start of a “workhorse” fleet for GWR and be found across the network throughout their lifetimes.
Differences between the prototype and production 3100s were next to none, only the tank shape was altered to improve visibility. Naturally, changes were implemented over time to improve the class, including altered weight distribution and a larger coal bunker; these changes warranted a fleet-wide reclassification, and so was introduced the 5100 Class, as most would now stay until withdrawal.
A handful of 5100 Class locomotives received further modifications in the late 1930s and were once again given new numbers. This move took place to bolster another fleet of Large Prairies, a fleet which was introduced earlier in the decade and itself derived from yet another production batch.
In the late 1920s, Churchward’s successor, Collett, sought to update the original 3100 Class design and have a large fleet built to fulfil local, suburban passenger roles. In fact, it was Collett’s development that resulted in the 3100 Class becoming the 5100 Class, all while a new batch of 5101 Class locomotives were produced to the same standard. Whereas only 40 of the original were built, Swindon Works would deliver 140 members of 5101 Class between 1929 and 1949.
Together, the 5100s and 5101s dominated traffic in all corners of the Great Western network, quickly growing and becoming a regular sight on all kinds of trains right up the end of the Second World War. Post-conflict, a rise in road usage and the introduction of diesel traction took its toll on the Large Prairies’ duties, seeing them take on new life as mainline support engines; providing backup as pilots and bankers on the more troublesome sections of the GWR such as the South Devon Banks, or the Severn Tunnel.
While prolific, the Large Prairies still only represent a portion of the entire fleet. A further 70 locomotives are still to be accounted for. These come in the form of the 6100 Class, another of Collett’s finest and built specifically for commuter services out of London Paddington.
The “Networkers” of their day, the 6100 Class was introduced in 1931 as a development of the 5101, and was based at Old Oak Common, Slough, Reading, and elsewhere. Being prominent in the passenger scene, enthusiasts quickly took to the class and nicknamed them ‘Tanner One-ers’, a call to their 61xx numbering and some currency of the day, a sixpence and a penny.
Much like the other Large Prairies’ story, a future of diesel forced the 6100s into other positions, but not before the fleet was joined by a previously mentioned extra batch of locomotives; may the 5100 Class re-enter centre stage.
It was the 6100 fleet that was reinforced by a modified micro fleet of 5100s; the latter was rebuilt with smaller driving and pony truck wheels, and received a boiler pressure increase (a common Large Prairie modification). 10 rebuilt 5100 Class locomotives were renumbered into the 8100 Class, and were destined to work alongside the 6100s, supposedly providing extra acceleration characteristics owing to their smaller wheels.
All GWR Large Prairie locomotives survived until the end of steam, by which point many of them were still in good shape, despite the oldest examples working beyond their 6th decade. Unfortunately, very few avoided the cutters’ torch after the steam-era’s final chapter. None of the 5100 or 8100 made it into the epilogue, it was a spot only reserved for 10 5101s and a lone 6100. Even then, only 4 out of the 11 are operational. Well, technically 5 see heritage service, but one was rebuilt into a 4300 Class tender locomotive. The rest are awaiting overhaul, apart from 6106 which is on static display at Didcot.
Fantastically, Victory Works has translated the GWR Large Prairies into Train Simulator, and the pack contains a bumper collection which Includes the 5100, 5101, 6100 and 8100 classes in GWR Green and British Railways Black liveries, complete with selectable era-appropriate logos, optional parts and fittings and a large variety of detail throughout!
Source: Steampowered
Go to the store
Sep 08, 2017
The Wutachtalbahn now available
In 1976, a voluntary organisation came together in an effort to re-open the line as a museum for steam locomotives, and the line’s popularity quickly grew as a tourist attraction. The preserved line drew such a crowd in fact, that the northern section of the line was also introduced as part of the ‘3er-Ringzug’, a passenger network linking the local areas of southern Germany together.
With the Wutachtalbahn, you can try something truly unique within Germany, operating along a heritage railway on the footplate of steam-era traction, all while taking in the spectacular sights!
The line finally opened in the 1890s, and was home to mainly passenger traffic when its purpose as a military line needn’t be fulfilled. The winding nature of the central section saw the line adopt the nickname Sauschwänzlebahn (pigtail line), and its popularity among travelers was two-faced; yes, the scenery on offer was fantastic, but it came at a price, fares were calculated by route distance, and the pigtail took over 26 km to travel about 9 km.
The line was actually built with the provision of track-doubling in mind, but the line never proved busy enough to warrant such an upgrade. In fact, after the Second World War, the line’s use began to decline and passenger services began to fade away, until they were stopped in 1974 (with freight continuing up the southern section until 2001). Despite it all, the line’s lifespan would not be spent just yet.
The line would diverge off the Black Forest Railway to Konstanz at Immendingen, and take a general south-westerly descent towards Lauchringen, where it joined with the Upper Rhine Railway. Either side of the line proved little construction or operational challenges; track layout was conventional, and line speeds were on par and other standard rural railways. A problem however did lie within the planned route’s central section.
Trains would need to fall roughly 250m in 9 km between Blumburg and Weizen, but with military, heavy military traffic the key focus of the entire line, gradients were not to exceed 1:100, and the connection was impossible through normal means. Instead engineers devised a similar strategy as seen on many mountain railways, they crossed the valley with multiple hairpin turns, grand viaducts and a complete 360° loop encased in a tunnel, a unique example of such a structure in Germany.
Source; Train-simulator.com
Go to the store
Steamtrains Unlimited Campus now fully operational
The guide “Driving the steam locomotive and the technical aspects” is now fully operational but still some pages are uinder construction and. The day the owner and creator R.C. de Visser gots its birthday is now proud to present you this magnificent peace of work.
It all started with a small guide due to improve the basics presented by M. Peddlesden which is one of the most recognizable persons of Dovetail games, TS20xx and TSW and broadcaster of TS20xx and TWS at twitch TV.
Mr Peddlesden started with the basics of driving steam, and in order to improve the backgrounds and knowledge based on experiance Mr. R.C. de Visser started to write the technical aspects and backgrounds due to the way of driving and has added a vast amount of images, pictures video’s and sketches all aiming to improve the basic driving skills of TS20xx (and MSTS) drivers.
The guide started about three years ago containing about 12 chapters and became wll known by drivers. Due to the complexity of railroading the guide was too small to show all required information every TS20xx or MSTS driver and steamtrain enthusiast should know in order to maintain and improve their driving skills. About six months after the release of the 1st edition of “Driving the steam locomotive and the technical aspects” Mr. R.C. de Visser started to expand the guide from 12 chapter to 70 chapters.
Mr. R.C. de Visser wanted to expand even further more but due to the limitations of the root program of the guide he decided to transfer the whole guide to an own website. This website is now established and however the site is a stand alone site but closely linked to Steamtrains Unlimited. The name Steamtrains Unlimited campus shows off the educational content the site contains.
Steamtrains Unlimited
The website steamstrains Unlimited is also written by Mr. R.C. de Visser but serves a different episode of virtual driving and therefore not suited to contain the vast amount of text, images, photo’s, sketches, video’s and more and because of this reason also Steamtrains Unlimited Campus has been set up to seperate the vast amount of information from Steamtrains Unlimited mainsite
Since to coming of TS20xx many more programmable aspects overruled the old style MSTS programming and made it possible to have a much better understanding how steam trains should be driven after all.
It is not just opening up some levers and knobs, You really have to understand the working of it as well in order how to interpret the functionallity of the lever you open. What is happening at the engine is very important to know about it. A steam locomotive is one of the most sophisticated engines ever build by mankind.
Go to Steamtrains Unlmited Campus
july 26, 2017
Bulleid’s Southern workhorse, the Rebuilt Light Pacific,
An order was placed for a brand new steam locomotive that would fill the gap left by deferred electrfication, and Oliver Bulleid, CME of the Southern Railway, quickly went to work in designing such a loco. Thinking ahead was Bulleids’ game, in particular, he was considering the requirements of a post-war Southern Railway, where infrastructure was weaker, and not capable of handling big locomotives. A Pacific design was chosen, in particular, Bulleid simply went for a lighter variant of his Merchant Navy class.
In service, the “Light Pacific” locomotives, known as the West Country or Battle of Britain Class, earned a moderate reputation for being a powerful and versatile worker, and could be found almost anywhere. They shared their positives with the sister Merchant Navy Class, as well as their negatives, but overall the 110-strong fleet worked hard and did their duty, and would continue on in the south after British Railways took charge.
To improve upon their shortfalls, R. G. Jarvis of British Railways was assigned to rebuilding the entire fleet to a more conventional standard. Jarvis had already done this to the Merchant Navy Class with resounding success, and BR wanted the Light Pacifics to follow suit. The rebuild would completely strip the class of its iconic ‘Span Can’ design, instead, the locomotives would look more like a BR Standard locomotive with a Southern twist.
Despite the cosmetic changes later in life, the elegance of Bulleids’ Light Pacific locomotives cannot be ignored, be them named after Battle of Britain or West Country insignia, they changed the face of Southern Region operations.
For Train Simulator, Partner Programme developer Just Trains’ Rebuilt Bulleid Light is represented in British Railways Brunswick Green livery, and a total of 10 nameplated versions are included from both the ‘West Country’ and ‘Battle of Britain’ variants, they are:
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34001 Exeter
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34016 Bodmin
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34022 Exmoor
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34026 Yes Tor
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34027 Taw Valley
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34039 Boscastle
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34046 Braunton
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34059 Sir Archibald Sinclair
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34062 17 Squadron
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34101 Hartland
Advanced lighting and headcode features are present aboard the Rebuilt Bulleid Light Pacific, along with characteristic particle effects and changeable numbers and shed plates.
The Rebuilt Bulleid Light Pacific also features additional coaching stock; Maunsell’s Brake Composite (BCK), Composite (CK), Brake Third (BSK) and Third (SK) coaches are all included in British Railways Southern Green livery.
A trio of Career scenarios for the Somerset & Dorset Railway are the perfect way to display the Rebuilt Pacific’s potential to operate practically anywhere, the sharp grades of this line will put your skills to the test.
July 24, 2017
The Orient Express
On June 5, 1883, the first Express d’Orient left Paris for Vienna. Vienna remained the terminus until October 4, 1883. The train was officially renamed Orient Express in 1891.
The original route, which first ran on October 4, 1883, was from Paris, Gare de l’Est, to Giurgiu in Romania via Munich and Vienna. At Giurgiu, passengers were ferried across the Danube to Ruse, Bulgaria, to pick up another train to Varna. They then completed their journey to Constantinople by ferry. In 1885, another route began operations, this time reaching Istanbul via rail from Vienna to Belgrade and Niš, carriage to Plovdiv and rail again to Istanbul.
WL Orient Express
In 1889, the train’s eastern terminus became Varna in Bulgaria, where passengers could take a ship to Constantinople. On June 1, 1889, the first direct train to Istanbul left Paris (Gare de l’Est). Istanbul remained its easternmost stop until May 19, 1977. The eastern terminus was the Sirkeci Terminal by the Golden Horn. Ferry service from piers next to the terminal would take passengers across the Bosphorus to Haydarpaşa Terminal, the terminus of the Asian lines of the Ottoman Railways.
The onset of World War I in 1914 saw Orient Express services suspended. They resumed at the end of hostilities in 1918, and in 1919 the opening of the Simplon Tunnel allowed the introduction of a more southerly route via Milan, Venice and Trieste. The service on this route was known as the Simplon Orient Express, and it ran in addition to continuing services on the old route. The Treaty of Saint-Germain contained a clause requiring Austria to accept this train: formerly, Austria allowed international services to pass through Austrian territory (which included Trieste at the time) only if they ran via Vienna. The Simplon Orient Express soon became the most important rail route between Paris and Istanbul.
Badge of the Compagnie Internationale des Wagons-Lits on a car of the Orient Express
The 1930s saw the zenith of Orient Express services, with three parallel services running: the Orient Express, the Simplon Orient Express, and also the Arlberg Orient Express, which ran via Zürich and Innsbruck to Budapest, with sleeper cars running onwards from there to Bucharest and Athens. During this time, the Orient Express acquired its reputation for comfort and luxury, carrying sleeping-cars with permanent service and restaurant cars known for the quality of their cuisine. Royalty, nobles, diplomats, business people and the bourgeoisie in general patronized it. Each of the Orient Express services also incorporated sleeping cars which had run from Calais to Paris, thus extending the service right from one edge of continental Europe to the other.
WL Golden Arrow
The start of the Second World War in 1939 again interrupted the service, which did not resume until 1945. During the war, the German Mitropa company had run some services on the route through the Balkans, but Yugoslav Partisans frequently sabotaged the track, forcing a stop to this service.
Following the end of the war, normal services resumed except on the Athens leg, where the closure of the border between Yugoslavia and Greece prevented services from running. That border re-opened in 1951, but the closure of the Bulgarian–Turkish border from 1951 to 1952 prevented services running to Istanbul during that time. As the Iron Curtain fell across Europe, the service continued to run, but the Communist nations increasingly replaced the Wagon-Lits cars with carriages run by their own railway services.
Luggage tag
By 1962, the Orient Express and Arlberg Orient Express had stopped running, leaving only the Simplon Orient Express. This was replaced in 1962 by a slower service called the Direct Orient Express, which ran daily cars from Paris to Belgrade, and twice weekly services from Paris to Istanbul and Athens.
In 1971, the Wagon-Lits company stopped running carriages itself and making revenues from a ticket supplement. Instead, it sold or leased all its carriages to the various national railway companies, but continued to provide staff for the carriages. 1976 saw the withdrawal of the Paris–Athens direct service, and in 1977, the Direct Orient Express was withdrawn completely, with the last Paris–Istanbul service running on May 19 of that year
The withdrawal of the Direct Orient Express was thought by many to signal the end of Orient Express as a whole, but in fact a service under this name continued to run from Paris to Bucharest as before (via Strasbourg, Munich, and Budapest). However, a through sleeping car from Paris to Bucharest — and even eastwards from Vienna — was only operated until 1982, and also a through seating car was only operated seasonally. This meant, that Paris–Budapest and Vienna–Bucharest coaches were running overlapped, so a journey was only possible with changing carriages — despite the unchanged name and numbering of the train. In 1991 the Budapest-Bucharest leg of the train was canceled, the new final station has become Budapest. In the summer season of 1999 and 2000 a sleeping car from Bucharest to Paris reappeared twice a week — now operated by CFR. This continued until 2001, when the service was cut back to just Paris–Vienna, already in EuroNight quality — but in both cases the coaches were in fact rather attached to a Paris–Strasbourg express. This service continued daily, listed in the timetables under the name Orient Express, until June 8, 2007.[4]
With the opening of the LGV Est Paris–Strasbourg high speed rail line on June 10, 2007, the Orient Express service was further cut back to Strasbourg–Vienna, departing nightly at 22:20 from Strasbourg, and still bearing the name, but lost the number 262/263 which was owned since decades.
The remains of the train had a convenient connection from/to the Strasbourg-Paris TGV, but due to the less flexible prices the changing has become less attractive. In the last years through coaches between Vienna and Karlsruhe (continuing first to Dortmund, then to Amsterdam and finally — partly from Budapest — to Frankfurt) were attached. The very last train with the name Orient-Express (now with a hyphen) has departed from Vienna at the 10th December 2009, and one day later from Strasbourg.
Source: Wikipedia
You can now purchase the coach set online at 3DZUG.
The best suitable engines available to haul th Orient Express is:
– Class Br 18 from Eisenbahnwerk/steamstore,
– Class 01 from BeeKay/Just Trains,
– Class 1189 Crocodile from Eisenbahnwerk/Steamstore
– Class 52 from Eisenbahnwerk/Steamstore European Asset Pack
– Class Re 4/4 420 from Trainworks in green livery
July 6, 2017
Somerford Spectacular
Set in the steamy 1950s, the Malmesbury Branch route for Train Simulator recreates the sedate trundle north from Little Somerford station, of the South Wales Main Line, up to the historic market town of Malmesbury. As simple as it may seem, the gradients make mastering the Wiltshire countryside no easy task, and making sure you’re on time too, as to not disrupt the busy main line, makes for a thrilling and immersive journey, no matter what your duty!
T
he locomotives at hand, GWR’s iconic Pannier Tank and reliable Grange Class, are perfectly suited to the day-to-day challenges of the Malmesbury Branch; Light freight, heavy freight, passenger, mixed train. What better way is there to recount the classic steam era than by mastering the workhorses of the GWR?
To get you up to speed, 5 Career scenarios will have you run up and down the Malmesbury Branch, and even the disused line to Great Somerford, in varying weather conditions, be careful not to slip in the snow!
As you approach Little Somerford, both you and your passengers have the joy of watching the express trains run by, but don’t get too distracted, you won’t want to stall on the junction. And, with Quick Drive compatibility, you can take whichever GWR locomotive you desire on a little Malmesbury trip!
From Partner Programme developer, Just Trains, the Wiltshire ‘Wonder’, the Somerford ‘Spectacular’, the ‘Magical’ Malmesbury Branch is available now for Train Simulator!
July 01, 2017
German Class 23 from Wilbur Graphics.
From 1950, 105 examples of this newly designed class were manufactured for medium passenger train and light express trainservices. They had welded locomotive frames, boilers and tenders together with all the latest refinements of German practice. These included a superheated multiple-valve regulator and central lubrication of the least accessible parts of the running gear. 
Engines up to operating number 023 had Knorr surface preheaters and journal bearings. Locomotives with serial numbers 024 and 025, as well as those from 053 onwards were equipped with roller bearings for the axles and drive as well as mixer-preheaters.
A small number of vehicles were given Heinl preheaters and several were equipped for push-pull train operations.
Last new steam locomotive in West Germany
Locomotive number 23 105, built by Arnold Jung Lokomotivfabrik and taken into service by the DB in December 1959, was the last steam engine to enter service in the Federal Republic of Germany. After its retirement it was stabled at the Nuremberg Transport Museum where it was severely damaged by the great fire in the locomotive shed on 17 October 2005.
The engine is downloadable at Rail-sim.de
A new site in addition to Steamtrains Unlimited is now under investigation in order to move the Guide to the new site. This is aimed to give much more freedom and a better way to improve and establish the website. The Need to expand has all to do with the limitations that is encountered within the workshop guide of steam.
The need of the expanding to a new site is nessecary in order to expand and to deal with the bandwidth of the website itself.
Having already made its place known, the Midland Railway grew a monopoly over the Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire coal traffic and the Great Northern Railway, which consumed the ANB&EJR, wanted to have their own say in the lucrative industry. Since the original Ambergate line reached the outskirts of Nottingham, any further passage towards the city was through running rights. As the GNR sought to introduce their own coal traffic, the Midland Railway saw fit to significantly increase the cost of the rights to be prohibitively expensive. In return, the GNR decided instead to build their own infrastructure, it would be cheaper.
William Stanier, Chief Mechanical Engineer of the LMS, adjusted policies when stepping up to his role, and adapted his simply incredible ‘Black 5’ design to produce a more powerful heavy freight locomotive. The 4-6-0 wheel configuration was swapped out for an appropriate 2-8-0 equivalent with smaller driving wheels, and the end result was the Class 8F. The first of these new locomotives rolled out of the famed Crewe Works in 1935.
In the early 1900s, the Midland Railway’s Henry Fowler designed a new 0-6-0 locomotive which would be primarily focused around freight work. Two examples of this new loco, classified as the 3835 Class, emerged from Derby Works in 1911 and got busy on the main line. It would be another 6 years before more were built, and between 1917 and 1922, no less than a further 195 entered service.
The 3835 Class was a reliable freight hauler, and was considered a success, so when the Midland was absorbed into the LMS (and Fowler took CME status), the design continued to be produced, however new engines would be classified as the Fowler 4F. There were some minor modifications made in-between the Midland and LMS locomotives, mainly the switch from right-hand to left-hand drive, a standard among most of the British network (excluding GWR).
By the 1870s, the London, Brighton and South Coast Railway was in its prime, covering Sussex with hundreds of miles of track, which themselves were peppered with steam locomotives of various designs. William Stroudley, Locomotive Superintendent of the LB&SCR, sought to introduce a new fleet of locomotives that would bring standardisation to the roster, rather than dealing with the 70+ different classes which were a struggle to maintain.
One standard locomotive designed by Stroudley was classified as the A1, and it was to work amongst the hustle and bustle of a growing South London, hauling commuter trains between the likes of London Bridge, Victoria and Croydon. The first small batch of 6 locomotives rolled out of Brighton Works in 1872, and they were so successful that another 44 would be built, with the last entering service in 1880.
Until this point the A1 Class had been fully resplendent in Stroudley’s ‘Improved Engine Green’ livery, however since 1911, a select number of A1 locomotives, which were modified and reclassified to A1X, were repainted into a new Marsh Umber livery. Of course, other liveries also appeared on the A1s that were sold to other railway companies. Also, the A1’s distinctive ‘barking’ exhaust beat would soon earn the class the nickname ‘Terrier’.
The Isle of Wight Central Railway purchased 4 Terriers between 1899-1903, becoming the most popular class of locomotive on the line, with this number rising to 8 in total following the grouping and formation of the Southern Railway. It became something of a tradition during this time on the Island for the engines to be named after local towns and villages, as was the case with many LB&SCR locos, however one loco scrapped in 1926 never carried a name on the Island.
Nationalisation swept across the network in 1948, and British Railways inherited a single A1 and 14 A1X Class locomotives which had continued to strive. They would continue their duties initially, however their age was starting to catch up with them – replacement parts were expensive, and above all, the 1955 Modernisation Plan would see many of the lines they served fade away. The final example of the class, a modified A1X variant, was withdrawn in the summer of 1963, and after an astonishing 91 years of service, the A1s finally got a rest.
The class is survived today by 10 preserved locomotives, the Bluebell Railway (the world’s first preserved standard gauge railway) re-opened in 1960 with No 55 ‘Stepney’, which has since risen to fame thanks to Rev. W. Awdry’s ‘The Railway Series’ and latter ‘Thomas & Friends’. Two examples are also preserved on the Isle of Wight Steam Railway, as some Terriers lived an interesting life on the island thanks to their appropriate size.
A set of amazing add-on and more features conceerning the Digital Traction 4MTT as main engine. Severall different and accurate physics of driving and further enhangements are included even as very detailed liveries comes with this package. You need to own the originat 4MTT of Digitaltal traction to get the full add-on pack of the Steam Sound Supreme 4MTT enhangement pack.
130 of the class of 155 were built at Brighton, 15 (80000–80009, 80054–80058) at Derby Works and 10 (80106–80115) at Doncaster Works between 1951 and 1956. The first to emerge was 80010 from Brighton in 1951. Fifteen that were due to be constructed in 1957 were cancelled due to impending dieselisation, and the last five would have been too had they not been at an advanced stage of construction when the order came to cancel them.
From Smokebox and that maestro of steam locomotive creation, Mike Rennie, the Train Simulator CPRR Jupiter is a marvel. Authentic in every detail including its stunningly beautiful black, blue, and crimson livery – the 4-4-0 delivers the true and challenging experience of taking the throttle of a mid-19th Century wood-burning steam locomotive.
Built in the summer of 1868 by the Schenectady Locomotive Works (a predecessor of the famed American Locomotive Company), No. 60 was one of a quartet of identical 4-4-0 locomotives built for the CPRR. The Jupiter was designed for dual service, with 60-inch-diameter drivers and 16 x 24-inch cylinders and a total engine weight of 65,400 pounds and was typical of its era in that many of its operating features were relatively primitive (including a lack of air brakes!). Smokebox has meticulously re-created the Jupiter in its “as built” condition, which promises a new, different – and demanding – experience for Train Simulator locomotive engineers.
And there’s still more: For those wishing to create their own 1860s-era Train Simulator route or scenarios, the pack includes a variety of period-authentic assets, including trackage, a wooden trestle, switch stand, water tower, and locomotive fueling point.
Featuring iconic locomotives such as GWR’s prolific Pannier Tank, the 5700 Class; English Electric’s definitive Type 1, known today as the BR Class 20 ‘Chopper’; and of course, the long-serving 1938 Tube Stock, which has served DC rails for nearly 8 decades, the London Transport Heritage Collection is the perfect way to experience a wide variety of operations. From passenger commuting to freight hauling, behind the controls of either steam, diesel or electric.
The bonus, and fictional, London Transport Heritage route is included to provide challenging and unique operations for each distinct locomotive. Work hard along the tough gradients of Stony Bay Quarry before coasting down to the quaint Breakwater docks, get busy on the loop and pass the scenic locations of Channel and Jurassic Halt, stoke up the fire at Vindelis and steam along to Stony Point. There’s no end to the potential of the London Transport heritage route, and with the plethora of route assets available, you’ll be able to create whatever you desire.
With quick drive, you can not only run whatever you like on the included route, but you can make the included stock feel at home on our various London-based routes.
