VR Blogger

New at the VR Reading Room

2010-12-10T11:43:00.000-05:00

New at the VR Reading Room:

"A Christmas Gift For TS2010 Users" by John D'Angelo; includes a surprise down-loadable layout with no additional assets needed.

Cheers,
-- Al

Trainz Goes Multi-Player

2010-11-29T11:36:00.001-05:00

This is news worth passing on. Trainz is going multi-player. See the announcement in their latest newsletter.

Cheers,
-- Al

New at the VR Reading Room

2010-11-25T14:19:00.000-05:00

"The Hampton Subway: Creating a Model From a Myth"
by John D'Angelo. John brings fiction to another level with his Hampton Subway for TS2009 here.

Happy Thanksgiving.

-- Al

Building The IRTS - Day 9

2010-10-08T10:23:00.001-04:00

Day 9 - Adding Some Interest has been added to the serialized article on building the Island Rapid Transit System (IRTS) in Trainz 2006. It's available at the VR Reading Room.

Cheers,
-- Al

The 20th Century Limited in Trainz

2010-09-27T11:18:00.001-04:00

John D'Angelo describes the world famous 20th Century Limited and how to model it in Trainz here.

Cheers,
-- Al

Concept: Four-Square Switching Layout

2010-05-29T12:27:00.006-04:00

I can dream up layouts faster than I can build them. For example., my Island Rapid Transit series at Virtual Railroader is still a WIP. Then along comes the new issue of Model Railroader (June 2010) with an interesting around-the-wall harbor side layout (New York Central Pittston Harbor Subdivision). The idea – not necessarily the layout itself – caught my attention. Those who are familiar with my layouts at Virtual Railroader website, know that I like Trainz layouts built on a square of four baseboards (e.g., Bearpaw, M-Line, and others). The basic reason for this is that I love the effect made possible by using scenic backdrops. Because of the limits on topography scenery drawing, groupings of baseboards larger than four in a square result in a backdrop being rendered at a distance while much of the foreground topo is missing. This is too weird an effect for me. Four baseboards in a square seems to be the limit in Trainz.

Scene from M-Line showing backdrops.

I’m not going to design a layout here and now, nor am I going to build one any time soon, but I will say that the potential, especially in a configuration similar to M-Line would work here.

My proposed layout would differ significantly from the MR layout in that:

1. We don’t need a staging area – we can use portals
2. There’s far too much trackage for my likes
3. The Trainz layout does not need to be so compressed (a baseboard side is 72 meters long, nearly half a mile)

My Approach

I would begin by getting out a sheet of paper, or two, and sketching general ideas for switching potential. Basically, you are going to want a way to ship cars off the layout and bring new cars in. Having a mainline served by portals takes care of this.

You will also want a track or two to make up and break down freight trains. I’ve found in the past that switching takes time. There’s no need to get carried away with long trains and many tracks.

Once I had some idea of what I wanted to do, I would then go through my collection of industrial buildings to see what I had and could use. I would focus on interactive industries, though if boxcars are being used it doesn’t matter whether an industry is interactive or not.

I would also check the Trainz Download Station to see what new industrial buildings have become available or whatever else may have been there all along, but which I don’t have in my collection.

Consider also the possibility of using a waterfront container industry and/or a ferry boat (see John D’Angelo’s article “A New Idea For Ferry Operations.”

Then I would get out a sheet of quadrille paper and start sketching to scale. There’s no need to produce a complete or final drawing. All you need is a basic plan. It’s almost guaranteed you will change it as you build the layout.

OK, So I Lied

I wasn’t planning to do this, but I couldn’t resist. Here’s a concept plan. It could use some work. Also, it’s not in scale. The four baseboards would be more spacious than shown here. Still, the scheme has some useful elements, including a mainline with a portal at each end. One end would generate trains; the other would receive them.

Also included are two tracks for making up and breaking down trains, a small classification yard, some industrial sidings and a branch line with a portal. This portal would be used to receive trains, load/unload them, and return them.

I would have the mainline portal in the upper left corner emit trains randomly at perhaps 20-minute intervals (this always takes experimentation). The lower right portal would just receive trains. A session would begin with a switcher building a train for the branch or a consist for the mainline. By then a mainline train should arrive to drop off cars and pick up the waiting consist. Then the switcher would go back to work, sorting cars. At some point the switcher could take cars out the branch line and return via the portal at the left. You could have any number of sessions set up and varied by the initial placement of cars, time of day and weather. If you really want to get ambitious, you could have another branch line go to an iportal and have that connect to another layout via its own iportal.

This plan should be considered to be a schematic. That includes the essential parts, but does not include the additional items that might be found in such a location, such as engine house, locomotive fueling, yard office, etc.

There’s no need to get complicated with lots of track. A simple scheme like this will keep you plenty busy.

Cheers,
Al

Building The IRTS - Day 8

2010-05-13T08:41:00.003-04:00

The latest installment of our series "Building The Island Rapid Transit System" is now available at the VR Reading Room, here.

Cheers,
-- Al

New eBook Introduces Trainz

2010-05-03T11:22:00.004-04:00

Are you new to Trainz? Do you know someone who might be interested in learning about Trainz? How about a retiree who no longer has a place for a scale model layout? Or a younger person who doesn't have space or who is interested in computer simulations?

If any of these shoes fit, you will find John D'Angelo's new ebook "Railroading On Your Desktop" fills a major need in introducing people to this great hobby of virtual railroading. The book is available in Adobe Acrobat (PDF) format at Lulu, an electronic publishing web site for $7.99. Just follow this link.

As many of you know, John joined me at Virtual Railroader right after I posted the first issue of Virtual Model Railway Journal (now Virtual Railroader) and has been with me ever since. Between the two of us we have accounted for roughly 95% of the approximately 300 articles at VR (I lost count years ago). Those who are familiar with John's many articles know he has a natural way of describing things and making the complicated into something understandable. He also is know for his inventiveness in exploring the possibilities of Trainz.

"Railroading On Your Desktop" is an excellent introduction to the capabilities of Trainz and includes instructions in many areas. I commend John in his new book venture and heartily recommend it to anyone new to Trainz (old timers may find some new things here, too).

Cheers,
-- Al

New at the VR Reading Room

2010-04-22T13:45:00.001-04:00

"All Aboard The Broadway Limited" by John D'Angelo is now at the VR Reading Room. John describes how he modeled the PRR's famous train in Trainz.

Cheers,
Al

Building The IRTS - Day 7

2010-03-02T16:23:00.000-05:00

Day 7 - Double Tracking as been posted at the VR Reading Room.

Cheers,
-- Al

New at the VR Reading Room

2010-02-10T17:04:00.000-05:00

I've added two new installments to the serialized "Building The Island Rapid Transit System" at the VR Reading Room. The installments are Day 5 - First Run and Day 6 - Interactive Stations.

Cheers,
-- Al

New at the VR Reading Room

2010-02-01T21:55:00.000-05:00

The latest installment in the Building the IRTS series, "Day 4 - Breaking Ground" - is now available at the VR Reading Room.

Cheers,
-- Al

IRTS Day 3 - A Few Sketches

2010-01-23T14:13:00.000-05:00

"Day 3 - A Few Sketches" is now available at the VR Reading Room.

Cheers,
-- Al

Building the IRTS in Trainz

2010-01-21T22:48:00.001-05:00

I've started a new series on building the Island Rapid Transit System in TRS2006. The first two installments are now available at the VR Reading Room.

Cheers,
-- Al

Modeling Freight Operations in Trainz

2010-01-15T22:48:00.001-05:00

David Petersen has devised a terrifc freight operations modeling system for use with the Trainz simulator. You can read his article "Modeling Prototype Freight Operations in Trainz Using the Car Movement and Traffic Management System" at the VR Reading Room.

In the article, David uses my Hither & Yon switching layout as a demo. This layout has hither to not been made public. It's now available at the VR Downloads page in the Trainz > TRS2006 section. I haven't written it up yet, but the included readme file explains how to use it.

Cheers,
-- Al

First article for 2010

2010-01-07T22:56:00.001-05:00

John D'Angelo has come up with another great idea and written and article about it and packaged it with a downloadable route/module for TS2009. See "A New Idea For Ferry Boat Operation" here.

Cheers everyone and Happy 2010!!!

-- Al

New article at the VR Reading Room

2009-10-23T22:56:00.001-04:00

New at the VR Reading Room: "A Complete Down East Fishing Village From the Download Station" by John D'Angelo.

Cheers,
-- Al

Vintage Autos For TRS2004

2009-10-18T20:07:00.003-04:00

I don't normally comment on the many, many items that show up at the various train sim download sites. In fact, I only see a small fraction of those items. I DO want to take note of the beautiful vintage autos that recently appeared at the Trainz Download Station. There are 14 in all: 5 color variations of 1947 Buicks, 5 1955 Oldsmobiles and 4 1955 Buicks.

All are by Kee8tiviT and have the KUID 404071. Since they were created for TRS2004, they should work with TRS2006, Trainz Classics and TS2009.

Cheers,
-- Al

Gotham Tower article and DL at VR Reading Room

2009-10-06T11:15:00.005-04:00

See our newest article "Action At Gotham Tower" at the VR Reading Room. It's a rapid transit train watching sim using the animated signal box (aka switch tower). The route and session are for TRS2006 with SP-1, but should work with TS2009.

You can also download the route and session from the VR Downloads page. Everything you need is included except the scenery. We're letting people add their own. Let us see what you come up with.

-- Al

New at the VR Reading Room

2009-09-10T14:50:00.001-04:00

I know, it's been awhile. John D'Angelo has come through with another of his great articles. This one is titled "Let's Bring Life to You Signal Box." Read it here.

Cheers,
-- Al

NMRA National Convention Show

2009-07-13T09:56:00.000-04:00

The National Model Railroad Association National Convention took place last week in Hartford, CT. The hobby show part began on on Friday for members only and continued on Saturday and Sunday for the general public. I dropped in on Saturday since Hartford is only an hour and a quarter from my home. That gave me a chance to chat with old friends still on the train show show circuit and also had a chance to see the show. (I missed last year's show in Anaheim for obvious reasons.)

First let me say the Connecticut Convention Center, where the show was held, is extremely easy to get in and out of. It's right off Interstate 91, a stone's throw or two from the I91-I84 intersection. The center itself is new, clean and attractive.

Several things jumped out at me. First, there were more beautifully built modular operating layouts than I have ever seen in one show. They were certainly a high point, ranging from Z-scale to tinplate and Leggo. Participants came from Maine, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut and New York State. There was quite a lot of Z scale this year. Noticeably more than I've ever seen at a show before. There was also a dearth of large scale. (Is it the economy, stupid?)

One constantly expanding presence is that of electronics - control systems, sound systems and lighting. I've said it in the past, and I'll repeat it: sound adds more to realism than any other sensory factor. (I can't comment on smell since we haven't figured out how to do much of that with our virtual models.)

Where does VR fit in? The only presence was Chris Cordes, who is the US rep and distributor for Auran Trainz. No other train simulator was represented, nor was RailDriver. Chris, who is a friend from past NMRA shows, was doing a good business, though I didn't see the customary lines of kids waiting to get on a terminal that you see at some shows. To be fair, I wasn't at Chris's booth for that long, since we had time after to the show to congregate. I am struck by the fact that Trainz was selling for $25 a copy. By comparison, junk HO freight cars (used and in varied condition), were selling for $10. Decoders for sound go for $99 and up. A beautiful O scale tug boat kit - had me drooling - was going for $98. If there's a money shortage out there, maybe no one was buying much. I think they should have noticed what a bargain Trainz is.

-- Al

Doug Johnson completes his P-scale steam locomotive cab simulator for MSTS and RailDriver

2009-06-25T15:19:00.003-04:00

Doug Johnson completes his P-scale (aka Prototype scale) steam locomotive cab simulator for MSTS and RailDriver. This is an amazing project. Read about it at the VR Reading Room.

-- Al

The Never Ending Operation

2009-05-28T11:47:00.002-04:00

John D'Angelo's latest article at Virtual Railroader, "The Never Ending Operation," describes how he modified his United Central route in Trainz for operation that spans multiple sessions. While he was at it, he updated the route for Train Simulator 2009 and made the route available at the VR Downloads page.

Cheers,
-- Al

OpenBVE has arrived

2009-05-27T12:03:00.008-04:00

OpenBVE stable version 1.0.6.0 was released by Michelle, its creator, on 24 May 09. In my brief testing, I'm happy to say it works beautifully. I tested it with Steve Green's Northern Line route and 1995 stock, both updated from BVE4 for openBVE.

For those unfamiliar, openBVE is an open source, all-new program patterned after and largely compatible with BVE2 and BVE4. All are cab-view drive-it sims with a great sense of “being there,” though openBVE goes beyond and, in my opinion, is poised for greatness.

The big improvements for me include availability for use with Mac and Linux in addition to Windows. This is huge for Mac and Linux users, who have been largely left out of the train sim hobby.

Something more for my own needs as a Windows user is the ability to accommodate any dimensioned window or screen. I also like the interface, which combines the clean, uncluttered look of BVE4 with the very useful stopping position indicator of BVE2. The latter, along with all messages, is wonderfully unobtrusive.

Initial setup includes the ability to change any and all key assignments. The dialog box that lets you change assignments also lets you scroll through all the default assignments, so it doubles as a handy reference.

Animation Potential Simply Amazing

Other features of openBVE include support for animated objects and, of course, open source. To be fair, I haven't tested these yet. You can see some examples of the new animated object capabilities in this YouTube video. The wind and rain are truly astounding.

Getting Started

Complete instructions for downloading and installing are given at the openBVE site. You will still need to get a route and a train. I got these at Steve Green’s TransimCentral as previously mentioned. The file structure is not explained by anyone, and the downloaded route and train zip files expand to their own folders. The structure is the same as for BVE. Inside the Data folder, add a Train folder and a Railway folder. Inside the Railway folder add an Object folder and a Sound folder. Your new train folder (eg, LT1995_openbve) goes in the Train folder; your new route folder (eg, Northern Line OpenBVE) goes in the Railway folder; your new NorthernLine_Open folder goes in the Object folder; and your new NorthernLine_v3 folder goes in the Sounds folder. Now you’re in business. Oh yes, your openBVE folder can be anywhere.

More Information

The English speaking home base – in my mind – for BVE is still TransimCentral, hosted by Steve Green. This site includes a forum for all things BVE and openBVE as well as Steve’s superb creations modeling London Underground routes and trains. This site is also a great starting point for finding just about everything else out there that applies to BVE and openBVE. For a forum dedicated to openBVE, see the openBVE site.

You can see a number of videos of openBVE here.

Conclusion

I continue to be astounded by developments in the BVE world. Its practitioners continue to take this once unassuming sim, the brainchild of a 14-year-old, to new heights. There is a great worldwide following for BVE, particularly in the UK and Japan. It would be nice to see more North American routes and trains.

-- Al

Buffalo & Susquehanna for MSTS

2009-05-24T20:40:00.003-04:00

Paul Raynes is at it again. He has just released his version of the Buffalo & Susquehanna, of which the Wellsville, Addison & Galeton (see the February 2009 blog listing) was only a remnant. The new route is a bit more than three and a half times the file size of the WAG. It's a hefty download and even takes awhile to install, but at first glance it appears very much along the lines of the WAG - which I really enjoy running.

You can get the B&S at Train-Sim.com

-- Al

Lionel Goes Virtual

2009-04-09T11:09:00.003-04:00

Well ... at least it does at Virtual Railroader, where John D'Angelo has created a virtual Lionel layout for Trainz and written about it here:
"A Lionel Layout for Virtual Railroader." The layout is available free at the VR Downloads page.

Cheers and many happy returns (to an earlier age),

-- Al

VR Google Group is History

2009-04-04T11:28:00.002-04:00

I deleted the VR Google Group a few days ago. The reason is that a spammer joined up and posted an obscene message. I was able to ban the spammer from any further comments, but Google does not provide me with a mechanism for removing unwanted posts. I find that unacceptable. So the group is history.

I may resurrect the group in Yahoo format. I may also set up a forum at my Virtual Railroader site. I have some reservations about the latter because I set up a forum for our community band website (Greenfield Military Band) and have been getting up to ten unwanted applications every day. At least I can control this, but it's unnecessary work for me. If anyone has some suggestions, I'm listening.

-- Al

OpenBVE 1.0 now available

2009-03-28T04:32:00.003-04:00

OpenBVE version 1.0 is now available at the OpenBVE website. Note that this is a different URL than the one I've used in previous OpenBVE announcements. This one is the currently correct URL.

Version 1.0 is the first stable release of OpenBVE. The screenshots are super. I'm about to DL this new release, so I haven't checked the new features, which include out-of-train viewing and animated objects. Open BVE supports content created for all past and current versions of BVE and has a new user interface and options.

As the name implies, OpenBVE is open source, which opens the door to Mac and Linux users (the latter should be able to run this new release from the command line). Meanwhile, it is fully functional in Windows with OpenGL, OpenAL and .net.

The new website includes some extensive material describing the plans for future develoment of OpenBVE.

Cheers,
-- Al

As Time Goes By

2009-03-12T23:32:00.001-04:00

Measurement and perception

Time, measured in seconds, minutes, hours and so on moves at a constant speed, or so they tell us. Time as we perceive it is variable. The closing seconds of a close basketball game can seem like an eternity. So too with growing up. Yet as we get older things seem to speed up. By the time you're my age you're wondering where the day went, especially when you can't remember having done much of anything (ah, the joys of retirement).

The speed of time seems to change with each generation as well. Fifty miles an hour when I was young was a lot faster than it is today, thanks largely to our quiet, smooth riding cars. Technologies like TV have also speeded up our perceptions of time. Just watch how fast the images change during the commercials. The supporting text flashes by faster than I can read it. Does this affect our perception of time? You bet it does!

Changing times

Thus it should come as no surprise that increasingly young people have little tolerance for the painstakingly slow work involved in model building from scratch. I remember as a young teenager being enormously impressed by an article in Model Railroader (back in the '50s) describing the building of an HO-scale ore car. The author cut hundreds of pieces of brass and soldered them all together. It took him 400 hours, which he wore like a badge of honor. I set out to duplicate his effort, but soon gave up.

As I think back on it, I never really had as much patience as I liked to think I did. I could gear up for and start many projects, but unless they were relatively simple kits, I never fully finished them. Part of the problem was my wide ranging, all-inclusive interest in everything related to transportation vehicles, vessels and systems. That makes it hard to finish large projects like model railroad layouts, which are thematic and focused (unless huge). The bottom line is I can dream up layouts and design them and move on to something else a lot faster than I can build them.

Through the years I've started a lot of model railroad layouts and only finished one - a small demo layout for a trolley museum. I never finished anything for myself because my ambitions and imaginations far outstripped the duration of my interest. Today's kids - it seems to me - have an even shorter attention span than I do. (I didn't get to watch TV until I was 11; at 13 I was sent away to school where there was no TV, and I didn't own a TV until I was 30 or watch regularly till I was 40.)

Virtual layouts

When it comes to virtual railroad layouts it's another matter. As you may have observed from the Downloads page at my Virtual Railroader website, I have finished lots of layouts. The key is that with Trainz, for example, I can build a layout in a week - actually get all the essentials in place in a few days - and spend another week or two perfecting things like track work, scenery and operation. I can easily indulge all my interests, including layouts based on trolley lines, narrow gauge lines and even bus lines. I can design and build layouts that focus on open running or switching or servicing industries or any combination and in any size. I can even model entire systems with sims like Bahn and Rail3D. If I really want a lot of action and have a finished looking operational layout at every moment practically from the start, I can use an empire building sim like Locomotion or Transport Tycoon Deluxe.

Is it any wonder that readership of model railroading magazines has been in decline, as has attendance at train shows? Kids today are not only bombarded by an ongoing plethora of organized sports - which I never had - and are constantly attracted to all manner of technological goodies (train sims included); they simply don't have the time or the attention span.

Suggestion

I have a suggestion to the hobby industry: embrace virtual railroading while you can. If you don't, time will pass you by and you will be superceded by more in-touch upstarts from a younger generation.

Cheers,
-- Al

L&N 152 Pacific for Trainz

2009-03-12T00:20:00.002-04:00

New at the Trainz Download Station is this beautiful L&N Pacific number 152. I don't flag every piece of rolling stock that comes along - not even the really good ones. People can just as easily search the DLS (Trainz) or Train-Sim.com (MSTS and others) on their own.

But "Old 152" from "The Old Reliable" has a special place in my railroad memory. Over 20 years ago I set out to build a very large scale wooden model of the loco, which at the time was (and still is) restored and in service at the Kentucky Railway Museum in Louisville, KY. I took a huge number of photos and was able to acquire some erection drawings to provide the necessary dimensions. I never finished the model, though the frames and drive wheels and the beginnings of the boiler are in a closet somewhere.

This model by leeferr is great. The circular parts are many faceted, giving the wheels and boiler a nice, smooth roundness. The loco also runs beautifully and has terrific sounds.

After installing 152 and tender, I noticed a lot of L&N rolling stock in my list of assets, all shown as being at the DLS. I went to the DLS and searched on "L&N" and came up empty. I finally searched for one of the authors and came up with some L&N boxcars. In case anyone is having trouble finding L&N rolling stock, try searching on these authors:

hfmurphy
bendorsey
jkerlee
dingas313
Euphod
leeferr
Steamer13
ad602000

Cheers,
-- Al

Wayward Junction 3

2009-03-10T18:57:00.002-04:00

Wayward Junction 3 is a minor update to Wayward Junction 2. A turntable with a roundhouse have been added to give more flexibility to operations.

I've also confirmed that WJ3 works with TS2009 as well as TRS2006/SP1. The download package at the Virtual Railroader website includes info on where to find assets not at the Trainz Download Station.

You can discuss this route and anything else related to virtual railroading at my new Virtual Railroader Google group.

Read about WJ3 here; discuss it here.

Cheers,
-- Al

Not exactly train sim, but ....

2009-03-05T11:34:00.002-05:00

We're in the simulation business ... er, hobby ... right? Well, flight sims have taken front stage for the moment.

First, Scene Systems has come uo with a terrific simulation of the Hudson River splashdown of US Air Flight 1549, which was so spectacularly in the news last month. The sim illustrates the entire flight. This company creates professional grade sims primarily for litigation purposes. The example is impressive. It may even entice some hobbyists to see a professional future here.

Second, a YouTube video alerts us to a flight simulator embedded in the newest version of Google Earth. When Google Earth comes up, just press the key combination Ctrl-Alt-A. This suggest Windows-only. My Mac is too old to try, but I just may see what happens with Linux. This sim will take some getting used to. I DID manage to stabilize the flight by using the dragging the cursor while positione din the middle of the screen.

Anyway, just a few diversions while awaiting next release of your favorite train sim.

Cheers,
-- Al

John Allen's Gorre & Daphetid for Trainz

2009-03-04T13:57:00.002-05:00

John D'Angelo has created Trainz versions of John Allen's three famous layouts. You can read John's (D) accounting here and download the routes and sessions here . No additional downloads are required, but you will need TRS2006 with SP1 installed. Feel free to try them with TS2009, but there's no guarantee.

Cheers,
-- Al

VR Google Group Added

2009-03-03T16:48:00.003-05:00

I've just created the Virtual Railroader Google Group . It's a place where anything related to train sims or virtual railroading can be discussed. I hope it will be especially useful as a place to comment on or seek help with the articles and downloads we have available at Virtual Railroader. I often get emails from people and think that many of the things we talk about would have a broader interest. Here's our chance.

Cheers,
-- Al

Never Waste a Crisis

2009-02-27T17:03:00.002-05:00

"Never waste a crisis." I didn't just make that up. I heard it on a cable news show recently. Its origins are probably ancient China. The obvious point is well known: a crisis brings change. It's often an opportunity, especially if we look for the opportunity with an open mind and act accordingly. Our global economic meltdown is one such crisis. I expect many things will change; most far more important than train simulation.

However, since this blog is about train simulation, the opportunity I'm speaking about is train simulation, especially for those who are not yet involved. If you need any economic reasons to look into train simulation as a "railroading fix," just have a look at the Walthers flyer that just arrived in my mailbox today. Walthers is the number one US supplier of everything model railroad and model railroad related. Their monthly flyer contains specially priced items for quick sale. Just quickly scanning the pages, I see in HO scale cabooses for $37.95 each, covered hopper cars for $21.98 each, and an EMD F3 diesel A-B set for $299.98. A 4-car set of NYCTA subway cars goes for $219.98. There's much less available in the smaller N scale where prices are somewhat lower. A standard 40 ft boxcar costs $15.98 and an RS-2 diesel switcher goes for $69.98. To be fair, you can find cheaper items as well as more expensive items at Walthers and in your local hobby shop. But generally speaking, you pay for what you get. So if you want quality appearance and performance, chances are the lowest priced items will not suffice (I DO have exceptions to this in my own collection, but not many).

If you want to build a model railroad, you will also need track, power control, buildings, scenery, vehicles and so on. (Did I mention space? Yes, there are clever things you can do in a shoebox.) Still, you could easily be in for $1000 before you had anything of consequence (unless you built a shoebox trolley layout, for example). By comparison, my year-old bottom of the line Dell laptop cost me under $500. On it I can run Microsoft Train Simulator ($7.50 at my VR Pro Shop), Trainz TRS2006 ($10 at my VR Pro Shop), and BVE versions 2 and 4 (both free). That's my total outlay. I have hundreds upon hundreds of add-on cars, locomotives layouts and so forth that I've downloaded for free. I've also contributed a lot of freeware myself, so it's not all take and no give.

Remember the 4-car subway set for just under $220? I have on Microsoft Train Simulator 3 great subway and elevated layouts - very nearly like the NYCTA prototypes, both in appearance and size - and a host of highly detailed and beautifully operating NYCTA/MTA rapid transit cars, including IND R10 in4 different paint schemes, IND R4 and R9 cars, IRT Gibbs cars, IRT Hedley cars, IRT Low-V cars, R15 cars in 2 paint schemes, R17 cars in 2 paint schemes, R22 cars, and R142A cars. Oh yes, I almost forgot the open end platform Third Avenue Elevated cars and the 19th century Manhattan Elevated tank locos. You couldn't physically build this much in layouts, let alone afford the rolling stock.

On Trainz I run Maine 2-footers and 30-inch gauge equipment. On BVE I run trains on routes from all around the world. My favorites are the London Underground routes and trains.

If you want to know more about train simulation, just visit my Virtual Railroader and V-Scaler websites. Both are loaded with articles covering all types of train/railroad sims. You will even find downloadable items and links to other sources of related interest.

If you have ever wondered about getting involved in train simulation, now is a great time. Don't let this economic crisis go to waste.

Cheers,
-- Al

What’s My Favorite Train Sim?

2009-02-15T23:51:00.002-05:00

Not that anyone has asked, but my favorite train sim is the one I'm using at any given moment - and generally I use five: Trainz Railroad Simulator 2006 (TRS2006), Locomotion, Microsoft Train Simulator (MSTS), BVE Train Simulator 2 (BVE2) and BVE Train Simulator 4 (BVE4). I've listed them in the order in which I want to talk about them.

TRS2006. Like all versions of Trainz, except the limited Driver Edition, which is really a demo, TRS2006 is known for its ease of building layouts. I LOVE building layouts, and the Trainz graphical approach fits me to a tee. If I didn't have TRS2006, I would pick its earlier sibling TRS2004. I haven't listed the newer versions, Trainz Classics and Trainz World Builder, because both place too high a demand on my PC's system resources.

Trainz has a few other things that I like: the ability to operate more than one train at a time and its dynamic industries, interactive passengers, and train emitting/receiving portals.

Locomotion. Since I'm on the subject of layout building, I might as well continue with Locomotion. Technically this is a corporate strategy game, but I use it to build empires based on a single theme - rapid transit or trolleys or buses or interurbans. I usually set the game up so that I have enough money - sometimes I challenge myself there - and no competition.

The nice thing about Locomotion, and similar games, is that as soon as you have some track and two destinations and some rolling stock you have a working model. It keeps working as you build it, so you are never bored and you can always take time to just watch the trains. It always looks good and complete, even though you are planning more track, etc.

There's plenty of competition in this category from Transport Tycoon Deluxe (TTD) (Locomotion's sibling predecessor), Open TTD, Railroad Tycoon (RRT), Transport Giant (TG) and several as-yet incomplete homegrown efforts. I prefer Locomotion because I like its graphics better, especially the curved track. I care less for RRT and TG because trains meeting in opposite directions pass through each other. TTD has a strong following based on its more challenging operation. I prefer the simpler mode. Both Locomotion and TTD have a large collection of freeware add-ons available.

MSTS. When I'm in the mood for rolling stock I reach for MSTS. The available collection of third-party freeware is astounding and second to none. I just love 1950s boxcars, and MSTS has many hundreds (thousands? - I really haven't counted). I also like the huge number of available Northeast items for the New Haven, the New York Central, the Pennsy, the Long Island and the other New York region and New England lines, not to mention the available rapid transit, interurban, trolley and commuter rolling stock available. I also like the graphic rendition in MSTS, which is always crisp.

MSTS is now almost eight years old, so it doesn't have some of the newer goodies that Trainz does, such as the ability to generate trains from portals and the ability to control any number of trains; but the realistic train dynamics can be a welcome (sometimes frustrating) challenge when operating a switching layout. The only bugaboo is the sometimes sticky couplers.

You might ask why I haven't listed the Kuju/EA Rail Simulator. I may someday if it ever catches up to MSTS in available rolling stock.

BVE2 and 4. These are the only freeware sims of the group. Even if I had to pay for them I would like and use them. They both offer an unparalled driving experience from the cab - realistic dynamics, sounds and graphics. Third-party developers have taken BVE4 to new heights when it comes to realistic train controls, requiring driver activity every 30 seconds or less to avoid automatic activation of emergency brakes, etc. This is partly why I often opt for BVE2, which has been developed this far and has as part of its interface an informative side panel. This panel has been sacrificed in BVE4 for full screen, higher resolution graphics. A new third-party utility now makes it possible to have high resolution viewing for BVE2 as well.

Cheers,
-- Al

Wayward Junction 2: The Update

2009-02-15T16:03:00.005-05:00

New at the VR Reading Room: "Wayward Junction 2: The Update."

The updated route is for TRS2006 with SP-1 installed. Improvements are centered around more reliable automatic train operation.

Cheers,

-- Al

SUPER Rural Trolley Route for MSTS

2009-02-05T12:43:00.004-05:00

If you like trolleys, you will LOVE this new route (just released) by Paul Charland for MSTS. It's a realistic simulation of the Springfield Terminal Street Railway in Vermont set in the early '50s. The prototype was covered in the April and May 1999 issues of Railroad Model Craftsman. You can get the route at Train-Sim.com, where you will also find a full roster of STR locos and combines.

The STR is perhaps the most famous - certainly the largest - of New England's rural interurban trolley lines. To have a true simulation of this classic is a great gift from Paul and those who contributed to his effort.

THANK YOU!!!

-- Al

MSTS 2 Postponed for Indefinite Period

2009-02-03T13:53:00.002-05:00

It's official. TSInsider has acknowledged that the next version of MSTS is on hold indefinitely. The announcement goes on to say that MS game developments are being focused on Windows - Live, a free online gaming service.

My guess is that's the end of the road for development in any form of MSTS as we know it by Microsoft. If I were a developer - and I'm not - I would consider developing an advanced train sim that was backwardly compatible with MSTS. There are over 214,000 third-party freeware items available at Trains-Sime.com alone. Then there's the British counterpart, UKTrainSim, and the many individual sites around the world. Any newcomer sim developer is going to have to offer far more than a few routes and some rolling stock to be of any interest to me. It would be a tough hill to climb without acknowledging the huge amount of investment in time and interest that's already out there. Since I don't think MSTS 2 had any promise of being backwardly compatible, it's maybe not such a bad thing that progress has stopped. It also makes me wonder of MSTS didn't already realize this when makingtheir decision to stop work.

The good news is that the old girl, MSTS, still has plenty of life left in her and those of us who aren't planning to upgrade our hardware anytime soon will not have to worry about being left out in the cold in these difficult economic times.

Cheers,
-- Al

Exploring the Wellsville, Addison & Galeton

2009-02-02T12:11:00.000-05:00

It's Ground Hog Day and the sun is shining. I welcome the break from sub-zero nighttime (F) temperatures, but not the thought of 6 more weeks of winter.

Oh well. Snuggle up and do some reading at the VR Reading Room . The newest article is on an MSTS short line, the Wellsville, Addison & Galeton. MSTS fans need not be disappointed in the pending work stoppage of MSTS 2. The original still has plenty of life in it, as this route shows.

Cheers and stay warm!

-- Al

MSTS 2 future unclear

2009-01-23T16:00:00.004-05:00

The future of Microsoft Train Simulator 2 (MSTS2) appears very much in doubt. According to this report at Gamusatra, Microsoft's Aces Studio, responsible for Flight Simulator X and Train Simulator 2, has taken a big hit as part of Microsoft's budget cuts. Does this mean a permanent stoppage? A short term stoppage? An outsourcing? At this point we simply don't know.

On a personal note, I'd have to say that for any new train sim to make it, that sim would have to have so much going for it in realism, features, power, etc. that it could overcome the lack of a huge amount of readily avialble free add-ons such as are already available for Trainz and the original MSTS. Such capabilities would almost certainly require a major increase in computing power - something most of us are not in a position to purchase (even if available) because of the current economic climate. I hadn't planned it this way, but my recent article "Stop Already, I Need To Get Off! Coping With The Technology Spiral" seems very appropriate at this time.

It should also go without saying that we wish all success and comfort to those who stand to be (and have been) laid off - at Microsoft and elsewhere.

-- Al

Stop Already, I Need To Get Off! Coping With The Technology Spiral

2009-01-13T00:08:00.000-05:00

New at the VR Reading Room .

Tired of the technology spiral? Don't give up. There's plenty of affordable, modest-spec train sim software out there and it's not going away any time soon.

Cheers,

-- Al

MSTS 2 Update

2009-01-05T22:31:00.002-05:00

No, there isn't any announced release date, moreover there's still precious little information, BUT, there is an active website for MSTS 2 and clear evidence of progress. There's a video you can watch and there's new a quarterly newsletter in PDF format you can subscribe to and/or download from the website. The first issue was Fall 2008.

The most impressive thing I saw was the new animated people with detail and realism you wouldn't believe. There's also an article explaining how they do this without breaking the performance bank in terms of system resources. Very interesting.

What we DON'T know yet is when the game will be released or anything at all about the ease or lack thereof of building layouts a la Trainz. We DO know the game will include four routes (like the original) and will support 3rd party creation and will be built on Flight Simulator X technology. Beyond that it's just more waiting.

Cheers,
Al

World of Subways

2008-12-11T14:57:00.002-05:00

World of Subways appears to be a terrific, if high powered, subway simulator from Germany. It costs 29.95 Euros to DL or for the boxed version (plus shipping). My Christmas stocking is already filled with Trainz 2009, so I'll have to wait on World of Subways, but I'm definitely interested.

Does anyone out there have any experience with this sim?

Cheers,
-- Al

Operations at Wayward Junction

2008-12-08T22:40:00.000-05:00

Just posted: "Operations at Wayward Junction" by Yours Truly describes a 30-inch gauge route and session now available at the VR Downloads page.

Article is here.

I've also reposted a pair of Christmas stories from years gone by. See the VR Reading Room for "Christmas Eve on the Third Avenue El" and "The Blizzard of '47."

Cheers,
-- Al

Interactive Display Case for Trainz

2008-12-07T21:09:00.000-05:00

Just when I think I've seen it all, John D'Angelo comes up with yet another innovative way to use Trainz. In his latest article "Creating a Living Rolling Stock Display," John describes his development process and includes the finished product for free download at the VR Downloads page.

See here.

Cheers,
-- Al

Catskill Coal article and route for TRS2006/SP1

2008-12-06T01:26:00.000-05:00

Just posted: Catskill Coal by John D'Angelo. This route for TRS2006 with SP1 requires no additional downloads. It relies entirely on content packaged with TRS2006. SP1 is required. See the article here.

Cheers,
-- Al

BVE 5 Under Construction

2008-11-27T19:55:00.002-05:00

BVE 5 is under construction. Get out your Japanese translator and check this link. The biggest part of the update for me is the promised Windows Vista compatibility, though I solved that problem quite awhile back by adding the missing DLLs for Windows XP (see DLLs for Vista download here).

Cheers,
Al

Trainz Simulator 2009 Close To Delivery

2008-11-20T18:02:00.002-05:00

Now that the American elections are behind us I have some time to devote to train simulation.

The BIG news is that Auran's latest, Trainz Simulator 2009, is very close to delivery. You can read about it here and even pre-order it (which I just did) until November 25 at 10 AM GMT). The release is scheduled for November 26, at which time you will be able to download it (2.6 GB) or have your packaged hard copy delivered.

Take a look at the TS web page. The detail and realism look spectacular. At $29.95 USD, it looks like a huge bargain.

Cheers,
-- Al

BVE5

2008-07-30T23:39:00.003-04:00

See Mackoy's site for BVE5 (under construction). From the discussion at Trainsimcentral, it would appear the BVE5 is at least an attempt to deal with Windows Vista. Time will tell what else BVE5 entails.

Al

New at the VR Reading Room

2008-07-27T22:11:00.001-04:00

Just posted: John D'Angelo's article "Working at the Federal Street Yard" and free downloadable route for TRS2006 SP1 here. No further downloads required.

Cheers,
Al

BVE Revisited

2008-07-03T14:34:00.002-04:00

Mackoy may be quiet, but the third-party developers have been busy with BVE. Read about the latest developments in my article "BVE Revisited" now at the VR Reading Room.

Cheers,
Al

Trainz DLS on a roll

2008-06-30T17:08:00.006-04:00

There have been times this year when there would be no activity at the Trainz Download Station for weeks on end as Auran's stretched staff was busy elsewhere. When they finally did catch up we would be inundated with thousands of new assets to wade through. Things appear to be getting closer to the good old days when there were new assets nearly every day (except on weekends, of course). There are now about 1300 or so new assets since my last post on this subject, which seems like just the other day. I especially like the NSW RailCity 7200/6200 DMU railcar set. It's beautiful!!!! .. and I like railcars anyway.

Cheers,
Al

Second Extension to Lincolnpin Rail Road

2008-06-29T23:33:00.002-04:00

See my article "Lincolnpin Rail Road Extension 2" at my VR Reading Room page and download the route and session. Trainz TRS2006 and Service Pack SP-1 are required.

Cheers,
Al

Another batch of items at the Trainz DLS

2008-06-26T02:32:00.002-04:00

As soon as I turned my back the folks at Auran uploaded several hundred more items to the Download Station. Happy hunting, Trainz fans!!

AL

Trainz DLS Update

2008-06-19T12:46:00.002-04:00

Since Auran has taken to updating its Download Station in big blocks of items rather than the old way of daily updates, it has become a chore to check for updates and an even bigger chore to scan through the new items when they arrive. That said, how can we complain when the items are still free?

I spotted the latest update today: 1200+ items ranging from 30-inch (760 mm) logging caboose and track and trestle to standard gauge railcars and railbuses and - at last - a US interurban car. There are some big and small steam locos and a kazillion signs, among other things to numerous to mention.

Enjoy.

Al

New at the VR Reading Room

2008-06-15T15:05:00.000-04:00

Hot off the virtual press:

Traveling on the Orient Express by John D'Angelo. Learn all about this famous train now available for Trainz. It's all at the VR Reading Room .

Cheers,
Al

BVE and Vista

2008-06-07T18:11:00.002-04:00

I spoke too soon. There IS a way to get BVE to work on Vista. Here's the link that provides instructions.

So far I've tried it with BVE 2. It should work for BVE 4 as well.

Cheers,
Al

Open BVE Project

2008-06-07T14:13:00.002-04:00

Fans of the popular BVE train simulator have been disappointed by its lack of support for Windows Vista. Moreover, it appears that BVE's creator, Mackoy, has turned his attention to other matters - as one might expect from a young man in his twenties. (Of course, it is also possible that he is working on the next killer version of BVE, but so far we have had no news of anything in the pipeline for quite a while.)

The new Open BVE Project, launched in April 2008, may be the answer to Vista problems and carry some good news as well. The new Open BVE is already available as a demo for Windows (including Vista) and is expected to work on Linux as well. (I'll be trying it once I get my Linux machine.) I didn't see anything about Macs, but Mac fans can get on the OpenBVE forum (at the web site) and make their wishes known.

Open BVE is all new coding - no copyright infringement on Mackoy's work - and recognizes BVE add-ons. So far, only BVE 2 routes are usable with Open BVE. In my limited trial, I had success with the Uchibo route but found some of the scenery objects for the Flushing Line not working. I haven't gone back to examine the list of non-fatal errors associated with the Flushing Line. I am happy to report that the trains I tried ran well and the sounds were all there.

Open BVE will be adding new features as well, including animated objects and external view. The underlying code structure is less restrictive and said to be more efficient than BVE, so route designers will have more flexibility in setting track curves and placing objects.

In short, Open BVE is still in its early stages, holds lots of promise, and is available at the Open BVE home page here.

This is indeed good news for BVE fans and others who have not yet experienced the great sim qualities of BVE and its available add-ons.

Al

Trainz is back on track!

2008-06-06T21:05:00.002-04:00

As announced on the Trainz forum by Tony Hilliam:

"We are very pleased to announce that n3vrf41l Publishing (N3V) have licensed two new versions of Trainz to be released world-wide over the next two years. These two releases will continue the evolution of Trainz from a simple piece of fun software to an in-depth and serious simulation. Trainz is a virtual hobby that combines the raw power of railroads with the digital power of computer simulation. As more and more people become connected via computer, the audience for train simulation continues to grow and as the longest running railroad simulation series, Trainz is set to capitalize on this growth.

"These two new releases will deliver many of the enhancements and additions Trainz fans have been asking for and will reaffirm the position of Trainz as the most flexible and extensible rail simulation platform ever created.

"We have elected to make this initial announcement on the Trainz forums to allow our regular community members the opportunity to comment and give their feedback on our plans. A more detailed public announcement will be made later in June to coincide with the launch of the new TS2009 website and forums as well as the new TrainzExchange community portal and the new TrainzDev site which is designed to further support the content creation community.

See here for the full announcement and thread.

The most important part of the announcement for me is the acknowledgment that virtual railroading is a hobby. This sets VR apart from most computer games, which basically come and go. Virtual railroading requires a different mindset on the part of publishers and developers, one that requires a long perspective and all that that entails. This announcement is a most encouraging development for me. Way to go!!!!!

Al

New subway sim coming

2008-06-06T15:23:00.002-04:00

There is a new simulator on the way. See World of Subways web site. This is to be a standalone subway simulator. The first route is NY PATH to be released 3rd quarter 2008.

Cheers,
Al

New at the VR Reading Room

2008-05-31T15:18:00.001-04:00

Now at the VR Reading Room: "Amazing Animated People For Your Route" by John D'Angelo.

Al

Bus Driving in Trainz

2008-04-27T17:10:00.002-04:00

New article at the VR Reading Room, "Bus Driving in Trainz," examines the potential and provides a demo bus route for TRS2006 w/SP-1.

Cheers,
Al

Kuju/EA Rail Simulator Review

2008-04-23T11:48:00.002-04:00

New review at V-Scaler: "Kuju/EA Rail Simulator: Now There Are Three."

Cheers,
Al

How to put new trucks on a GG1 in Trainz

2008-04-19T22:46:00.001-04:00

John D'Angelo shows how to put new trucks on a GG1 in Trainz. See "Let’s Add New Trucks to Your GG1" here.

Cheers,
Al

Darjeeling Himalayan Railway in Trainz

2008-03-14T17:50:00.000-04:00

After 31 months of group effort, the 50+ mile simulation of the DHR is now ready for Prime Time. Read all about it in John D'Angelo's article "The Darjeeling Himalayan Railway for Trainz: The Final Spike" at the VR Reading Room .

Congratulations, guys!!!!

Al

LPRR Expansion Route for TRS2006 Released

2008-03-06T19:37:00.000-05:00

See here.

Cheers,
Al

LPRR Extension Beta for TRS2006

2008-02-29T17:33:00.002-05:00

I've placed a beta version of the LPRR Extension plus 4 sessions here. LPRR is the Lincolnpin Rail Road 30-inch gauge layout released not too long ago. I've expanded it from 1 baseboard to 6 and fixed some problems that prevented drivers from taking commands.

As far as I know, the only non-DLS items are a few log camp huts by Narrowgauge, which are at TrainZone. I plan to tinker a wee bit with scenery adjustments and will add a session to include Curtis's boxcar when it's available.

This will be a good time to let me know what doesn't work. I know at least 6 items are considered faulty by CMP. Too bad. They work fine and I'm keeping them in, the Black Screen of Death (TM) be damned!!!

Cheers,
Al

Celtics Nation map for Locomotion

2008-02-13T13:59:00.000-05:00

New at the VR Downloads page:

Nation landscape and Celtics Nation 1900 scenario. Two maps are provided:

1. Nation: place in Locomotion/Scenarios/Landscapes folder
2. Celtics 1900: place in Locomotion/Scenarios folder

Celtics Nation contains 37 towns/cities, each named for a past or current Boston Celtics player or coach. See if you can connect them all into a single passenger transportation network. Be sure to customize it in the Scenario Editor to include the vehicles you want and start date you want. I've classified it as Easy.

Cheers,

Al

Licolnpin Rail Road for TRS2006

2008-02-11T14:11:00.000-05:00

Finally, the Lincolnpin Rail Road is available. See the VR Reading Room article "Operations on the Lincolnpin Rail Road." The route and sessions are available free at the VR Downloads page. This is a 30-inch gauge single baseboard route with beautiful scenery and plenty of operation.

Cheers,
Al

And Another Map for Locomotion

2008-02-07T22:42:00.000-05:00

OK, three's the charm This one is called Neighborhoods because it places a series of small towns in relatively close proximity to one another. It is perfect for building transit and commuter systems on both sides of the dividing river. It's available at the VR Downloads page in the Locomotion section.

Next up will be the Lincolnpin Rail Road - a 30-inch gauge line for TRS2006. It's finished except for the sessions. I've already submitted an article on it to Railroad Model Craftsman. (I also have an article on my M-Line in the queue there, so we'll see which one gets the nod.) I expect to have a simple article and downloadable route and sessions available before long.

Al

Another map for Locomotion

2008-01-23T14:14:00.000-05:00

Moving east along the coast from Shoreline (posted a few weeks ago),
we now have Ocean State (aka Rhode Island) maps for Locomotion.

I've added a landscape and scenario to my Downloads page

The map, called Ocean State, covers Rhode Island and a tiny bit of
Massachusetts. The scenario is for beginners.

The landscape map is a raw landscape with no cities or industries; the
scenario uses default content set to begin in the year 1900. You can
use the landscape map to create your own scenario or generate random
scenarios. You can use the scenario to play a game or you can modify
the scenario to suit your preferences as to beginning time, available
vehicles, and so forth.

There's more Trainz on the way. We have a 30-inch narrow gauge route
in the works. You can see a screen shot at the Virtual Railroader home
page .

Cheers,
Al

United Central 2008 for TRS2006

2008-01-19T16:24:00.000-05:00

See John D'Angelo's article "Union Central 2008" at the VR Reading Room. The article describes his update to this venerable route. The revised route for TRS2006 with SP-1 is available for free download at the VR Downloads page. No additional assets are required.

Thanks, John.

Al

New at the VR Reading Room

2008-01-10T22:04:00.000-05:00

Sanford Mace completes the cycle of building the same route in four simulators: BVE, Rail3D, MSTS and now Trainz. See his latest "Trainz Dogbone Traction Lives Again" at the VR Reading Room. All routes are available at the VR Downloads page.

Cheers,
Al

New at Virtual Railroader

2007-12-27T19:40:00.000-05:00

We have two new items for you:

1. "Payware for Trainz" by John D'Angelo reviews some of the great payware websites and items available for Trainz. See the VR Reading Room.

2. Now at the VR Downloads page : Boston To Portland Final is John D'Angelo's update for TRS2006/SP-1 of his earlier Boston To Portland route at the Trainz Download Station for TRS2004. The new version is fully winterized.

Happy Holidays!!!

Al

Trouble in River City

2007-12-20T18:48:00.000-05:00

Briefly, for those who haven’t yet heard, Auran has voluntarily filed a chapter eleven for its Fury developments segment of the organization. Trainz is a separate branch. However, the umbrella part of Auran employs all the personnel. As a first step, all personnel were fired last week. Some were hired back to continue work on the next delivery of Trainz Classics 3.

See the full article at the VR Reading Room.

Al

Operations at Grand River Junction

2007-12-17T13:21:00.000-05:00

There is a new TRS2006 route, session and descriptive article at Virtual Railroader. See the VR Reading Room.

GRAND RIVER JUNCTION was designed to demonstrate the use of Portals and iPortals. It also works as a standalone module that will keep you busy switching cars and monitoring train movements indefinitely.

Cheers,
Al

"White Mountain Winter, A Holiday Gift" by John D'Angelo

2007-11-25T12:38:00.000-05:00

New at the VR Reading Room: "White Mountain Winter, A Holiday Gift" by John D'Angelo. The gift includes a free snowy route and session at the VR Downloads page.

Enjoy, everyone, and have a great holiday season.

Cheers,
Al

Shooting the TC Harlem Line - Virtually

2007-11-14T22:41:00.000-05:00

"Shooting the TC Harlem Line" by yours truly is at the VR Reading Room. This is about one of my favorite train-sim activities - train-sim photography.

Cheers,
Al

Meet John D'Angelo

2007-11-10T19:54:00.000-05:00

New at the VR Reading Room:

Meet John D'Angelo, author of numerous articles at the VR Reading and its predecessors, Virtual Railroader e-zine and Virtual Model Railway Journal. John is also the creator of a number of very popular Trainz routes.

Al

Colorado Narrow Gauge route for TS2006

2007-10-14T13:53:00.000-04:00

"Colorado Narrow Gauge: Rebirth of an Old Friend" by Alfred Barten has just been posted to the VR Reading Room.

CNG is an update to John D'Angelo's Black Canyon route for TRS2006, adding Portals and interactive logging, lumbering, mining and passenger service.

Cheers,
Al

New at the VR Reading Room

2007-10-04T23:36:00.000-04:00

New at the VR Reading Room:

A Busy Day at Union Terminal by John D'Angelo. This article
describes John's route that makes use of portals and a signal box (aka
switchtower) to watch all the action at busy Union Terminal and
control the traffic. The route is available for fee download at the
Virtual Railroader downloads page .

Cheers,

Al

Getting And Keeping Their Attention: A Good Use For iPortals

2007-09-27T08:23:00.000-04:00

New at the VR Reading Room:

Getting And Keeping Their Attention: A Good Use For iPortals by Alfred Barten.

This article explains the usage of iPortals for Trainz and describes the differences between Portals and iPortals.

Cheers,
Al

Conquering Vista

2007-08-22T04:52:00.000-04:00

"Does Trainz work with Vista?" I've been asked a number of times at train shows. Until now I could only cite what I've seen on the forums: "Yes, BUT ....."

Some people seem to have no difficulty; others do. I now am one of the latter. I've read on the forums that you can get around Vista's over protectiveness by installing Trainz using the Run as Administrator command applied to the installation executable. That didn't do it for me.

Chris Cordes, the US Distributor for Trainz, passed on a solution that had been brought up in his programming group: Install Trainz someplace other than in the C:\Program Files directory. In other words, instead of this (which is the default):

C:\Program Files\Auran\Trainz

use this (for example):

C:\Games\Auran\Trainz or C:\Auran\Trainz

It worked. I now have TRS2004 and TRS2006 running without a hitch. I haven't tried Tainz Classics on this new machine yet.

Al

Rail Simulator Release Date Announced

2007-08-20T13:44:00.000-04:00

Rail Simulator, the new train simulator from Kuju and Electronic Arts, is scheduled to be released in Europe on Friday, 5 October 2007. A US release date has not been announced.

Al

New at the VR Reading Room: Jamesport Route

2007-08-11T14:16:00.000-04:00

JAMESPORT IS A FICTIONAL SEASIDE SWITCHING RAILROAD that can be used
in modular fashion to be added to any route or operated on its own
using portals.

This new article by John D'Angelo is at the VR Reading Room

This Trainz route is at the VR Downloads page

Cheers,
Al

Bearpaw Lumber Company Route for Trainz

2007-08-10T10:45:00.000-04:00

THE BEARPAW LUMBER COMPANY ROUTE is a simple switching layout designed to demonstrate the workings of Trainz dynamic industries. You may find it addictive.

The complete article is at the VR Reading Room. The route and sessions are available for free download at the Virtual Railroader Downloads page.

Cheers,

Al

MN Harlem Line from Trainz

2007-07-15T22:26:00.000-04:00

Read about the Metro North Harlem Line just released by Auran in their new Trainz Classics series, here.

Cheers,
Al

The Urge to Create

2007-07-13T12:18:00.000-04:00

Every now and then I slow down long enough to think about what I'm doing. It's a human thing. What got me started was a comment by a neighbor made at a recent party. He complained about today's music and how it just doesn't measure up to the classics of Bach, Beethoven and Mozart. He could see no redeeming value in today's music and connected it to some cultures other than the one he thought most highly of. I responded, less succinctly than I am here, that just because I don't like a particular artistic effort doesn't mean it's bad or unsuccessful. My impression of many musicians is that they are serious in their efforts and are driven more by their artistic sensibilities than by popular opinion. I also suggested that the artist holds up a mirror to the times he/she is living in. Sometimes we don't like what we see. If that's the case, don't blame the messenger but look more closely at ourselves and begin to make changes to ourselves rather than demand it of others (no matter how much we may object, we are almost certainly more a part of the "condition" than we care to admit). That's one way to end a conversation!!!

The point I wish to examine is the premise that the artist holds a mirror by which the rest of us can see ourselves. I consider myself an artist, not because I was an architect for many years, or because I have sung in choral societies and played in orchestras and now a band, or that I like to write. Under those terms I never considered myself worthy of the mantle. I consider myself an artist because I have an urge to create. This urge is what ties most of us in the model railroading (including virtual modeling) hobby together.

My urge to create goes back as far as I can remember. Whenever I saw or heard something that moved me I responded by imitating it or building a model of it or drawing a picture of it or humming it. As a child I looked out the window of our 9th floor apartment in New York's Manhattan Island and saw buses and trucks. I responded by making a fleet of buses out of colored construction paper, making a template, tracing it onto the paper; and cutting, folding and pasting the cutout to form a bus. Later I made trucks, which were more complex in form. I placed my wooden wheelbarrow on its side on the end of my bed so that the wheel was in a horizontal position. I then sat crosslegged in front of the "driving wheel" and "drove" my imaginary bus up and down Lexington Avenue (it was two-way then).

I also built one-armed bandits out of cardboard. If someone dropped a nickel in the slot I would drop a pack of Chicklets down the chute. I even tried to make a banjo out of a box and rubber band strings.

When I saw my first wet, heavy snow storm I got out my crayons and drew a picture of a tree with snow completely surrounding the trunk and branches, top and bottom. My father was so impressed he took it to the office to show to his friends. When I began music lessons I made some music manuscript paper and began placing notes on the staff. I then asked my father to play it for me so I could hear what it sounded like. Today I woke up thinking about the urge to create and decided to get my thoughts down on "paper" before I did anything else.

My point is that even a 5-year-old boy is holding a mirror to what surrounds him, and as we know from the old Art Linkletter shows, kids can be notoriously accurate. If my childhood mirror was dominated by buses and trucks it's because my childhood world was dominated by buses and trucks. Now that I live in the country, I notice the men and boys collect tractors, real and modeled.

I want to encourage every model/virtual railroader to recognize the artist within. Being an artist is not defined by an ability to draw, paint, write, sing or what have you. It's defined by the urge to create, whether that be trains or treehouses or sculptures or whatever pleases you. When we follow that impulse we are contributing something of value to society, not that many of us were worried about doing so. After all, enjoying our activity is its own reward. But still, if someone asks why you're still playing with trains, don't be caught off guard. You have an answer.

Cheers,

Al

Rail Simulator News

2007-07-07T16:15:00.000-04:00

Kuju, in partnership with Electronic Arts has been working (forever, it seems) on Rail Simulator, aimed specifically at the UK and German markets. In a recent announcement, the partnership has added a German arm, Deutshe Bahn.

The announcement we're ALL looking for is the one that says Rail Simulator has gone gold. So far there has been no such announcement. In fact, any prediction of a release date is conspicuously absent in this latest announcement.

Meanwhile, Auran continues to move ahead with Trainz. Their new/evolutionary Trainz Classics has gone gold and is slated for a July 9 release. Now that's news we can do something with!

Al

Trainz Classics Press release

2007-06-21T21:13:00.000-04:00

You can read it here at Intermode's gaming site.

Al

New at the VR Reading Room

2007-06-18T13:52:00.000-04:00

Creating the Virginia & Truckee for Trainz by John D'angelo and Collin Travena.

Collin Trevena describes progress on a Trainzer group project: The Virginia & Truckee Railroad. The Trainz route currently stands at 1000 baseboards. See the VR Reading Room.

Cheers,
Al

Trainz Classics Goes Gold

2007-06-18T12:43:00.000-04:00

Auran announced in its Trainz News today that the new Trainz Classics, featuring a prototype rendering of a major portion of the Metro North Harlem Line has gone gold. That means the final version has been set and is on its way to the printer for production of distribution copies. Trainz Classics is slated to ship July 9th. Auran is accepting pre-orders now at the Auran Shop.

Al

Modeling NYCTA Subways in V-Scale

2007-06-04T19:41:00.000-04:00

The July issue of Railroad Model Craftsman has my five-page article on Fred Barbieri's New York City's subway modeling in MSTS. This issue is about to hit the newsstand and is probably already in the mail to subscribers. I received my author's issue today.

If you like the article, be sure to let the editors at RMC know. That will encourage them to continue giving coverage to virtual railroading.

Cheers,
Al

New Trainz Classics Website

2007-05-31T09:58:00.000-04:00

Auran has launched its new Trainz Classics Website in anticipation of its first release - now July 9 - under this new series title. First up is the Metro North (former New York Central) Harlem Line.

Al

New at the VR Reading Room, 5 May 07

2007-05-05T13:44:00.000-04:00

A Great New Idea for Passenger Cars by John D'Angelo is now at the VR Reading Room .

This Download Gold series for Trainz article describes Ben Dorsey's namable and numberable Pullman cars. Now you can have Pullman cars with any road name and number you desire.

Al

New at the VR Reading Room

2007-04-17T11:21:00.000-04:00

New at the VR Reading Room : "On the Road to Darjeeling" by John D'Angelo. John brings us up to date on progress with the Darjeeling Himalayan Railway project for Trainz. This article will be featured in the next issue of Trainz News from Auran.

-- Al

How to Run a Virtual Railroad

2007-04-11T02:59:00.000-04:00

Have you run out of ideas for ways to use Trainz? Take a look at Brian Eckard's great article on running a virtual railroad. You can find it here at Brian's Stuck Junction Publishing Company web site.

Al

Locomania from Atari

2007-03-31T04:10:00.000-04:00

There's a new train sim from Atari called Locomania. This is a strategy/dispatching game with 3D visuals. Go here for the most information I've been able to find so far. There's even a free demo, which I'm downloading as I write this

Al

Trainz Routes ready to ship

2007-03-15T10:58:00.000-04:00

In case you haven't gotten your copy of the 15 March 07 Trainz News, the first two disks in the new Trainz Routes series are ready to ship. Those who ordered before March 8 will be first on the list.

Al