At Last! 3ft 6in Gauge for SA MSTS

News on developments with a South African Flavour for MSTS - locos, rolling stock, routes etc. Screenshots should be no larger then 800 pixels wide and 600 pixels deep. No larger then 130k as well!
RussellWestwood
Posts: 9
Joined: 18 Apr 2010, 17:03

At Last! 3ft 6in Gauge for SA MSTS

Post by RussellWestwood »

It is possible that we nearly got 3'6" from Day 1 with MSTS - 2 of the included routes <should> have been in that gauge!

OK, better late than never. Some of you will have heard of, and even downloaded Natal Midlands Mainline, or (recently replaced by) Natal Mainline v2 - which models the modern line (1960s onwards) 180km from Ladysmith to PMB as faithfully as I am able to.

The really good news is that Niel Wilson and I have now worked out how to convert the track to 3'6" and how to regauge the rolling stock - wheels and bogies.

I am planning to upload both a full version and a conversion kit for Natal Mainline to 3ft 6in gauge (v2.36 ?) in a couple of months.

I will post screenies as and when I get time from the really tedious task of converting the different points (switches) - everything else is almost done!

Best Regards,

Russell Westwood
User avatar
John Ashworth
Site Admin
Posts: 23606
Joined: 24 Jan 2007, 14:38
Location: Nairobi, Kenya
Contact:

Re: At Last! 3ft 6in Gauge for SA MSTS

Post by John Ashworth »

Thanks for this, Russell, and welcome to the FOTR forum - your first post. May there be many more.
Image
User avatar
Greg Hart
Posts: 92
Joined: 06 Dec 2009, 16:55

Re: At Last! 3ft 6in Gauge for SA MSTS

Post by Greg Hart »

hey Russell.

Will send you stuff when I have it all together.

Cheers & welcome here
Kevin Wilson-Smith

Re: At Last! 3ft 6in Gauge for SA MSTS

Post by Kevin Wilson-Smith »

Welcome Russell!

Feel free to post what you want. Screen shots should be 800 pixels wide max and 600 high max. In size no more then 130k.
RussellWestwood
Posts: 9
Joined: 18 Apr 2010, 17:03

Spot the Difference Kompetisie

Post by RussellWestwood »

This is just to whet your appetite. I will take some more as we get our act together on converted rolling stock and activities.

I don't know of anyone else doing 3ft 6in trackwork in MSTS (or any other sim for that matter).

Cheers,

Russell Westwood
Attachments
XPD36.jpg
XPD36.jpg (110.71 KiB) Viewed 4703 times
XPD48.jpg
XPD48.jpg (121.71 KiB) Viewed 4703 times
User avatar
John Ashworth
Site Admin
Posts: 23606
Joined: 24 Jan 2007, 14:38
Location: Nairobi, Kenya
Contact:

Re: At Last! 3ft 6in Gauge for SA MSTS

Post by John Ashworth »

Very nice, Russell. That really has the feel of a South African railway - I could almost imagine myself on the outskirts of Pretoria there! And what a way to whet our appetite - the back end of a tank car, leaving us hungry for more!
Image
RussellWestwood
Posts: 9
Joined: 18 Apr 2010, 17:03

Re: At Last! 3ft 6in Gauge for SA MSTS

Post by RussellWestwood »

Actually, there are at least 2 significant differences, given that we are all train nuts. For v1 (4'8" track) I just somma placed the gantries. For v2 (which is now being converted to 3'6") I realised that on straight track, alternate gantries pull the overhead wire in and out, so that the wear on the collector (pantograph) is more even. So in the 3'6" picture, the nearest gantry is now the "pulling in to the middle" type.

You must watch these little points, you know.

Cheers,

Russell Westwood
Kevin Wilson-Smith

Re: At Last! 3ft 6in Gauge for SA MSTS

Post by Kevin Wilson-Smith »

Looking nice Russell!
RussellWestwood
Posts: 9
Joined: 18 Apr 2010, 17:03

Re: At Last! 3ft 6in Gauge for SA MSTS

Post by RussellWestwood »

Hi Guys,

This is a "some assembly required" picture - I am sure you can work it out: the old Drakensberg express passes the Wagendrift dam between Estcourt and Beacon Hill - you can catch a glimpse of this dam from the N3 highway.

Cheers,

Russell
Attachments
WagenDrakL.jpg
WagenDrakL.jpg (86.87 KiB) Viewed 4683 times
WagenDrakR.jpg
WagenDrakR.jpg (77.12 KiB) Viewed 4683 times
User avatar
Rob Jamieson
Posts: 44
Joined: 15 Jul 2008, 11:40
Location: Pretoria

Re: At Last! 3ft 6in Gauge for SA MSTS

Post by Rob Jamieson »

Russel

The screenshots look great and I look forward to the release of v2.36. Just a little request, if it is at all possible, could the upload be uploaded in smaller segments of 10 to 15 gig each. To download such a massive file takes forever and given the quality of the local SA internet service providers, the connection invariably gets dropped before completion and then you need to start over again.

Thanks
Rob
SA747
RussellWestwood
Posts: 9
Joined: 18 Apr 2010, 17:03

Large Downloads

Post by RussellWestwood »

Hi,

As I am not alone in uploading large files, might I suggest you look at one of the available download managers (eg GetRight) which handle breaks in transmission for you - they just restart from where they left off, or were broken off, the previous time. You can even use them to manage your monthly cap - simply shut down when up to the limit this month, and let it carry on in the new month. I am actually trying to make the download process as easy as possible for everyone - those with a fast connection can do a one-click download (and a 3-click install - just move the TRAINS folder after unzipping), whilst those like yourself with a dodgy or just slow line, can also do a one-click download, and let the d/l mgr look after the pieces.

But if enough people agree with you by posting or PMing or emailing, I will do it as a split zip - 100MB each?

Lastly, if you do already have v2, you will only need to d/l the 50MB conversion kit for v2.36, rather than the full 440MB monty.

One bit of news for this forum - Greg Hart has made a number of night textures for various station and other buildings visible from the tracks, which have already been added to the route. One of the activities will therefore be run at the "right" time!

Cheers,

Russell Westwood.
Johan Pretorius
Posts: 6
Joined: 14 Jan 2008, 13:41

Re: At Last! 3ft 6in Gauge for SA MSTS

Post by Johan Pretorius »

Hi Russell,
I'm noticing that you and your lieutenant are polishing your egos over here, as well.
Using other people's models and give NO proper credit???? Also adjusting, modify etc.???? Taking everything as if it's only your work.
Johan Pretorius
User avatar
Rob Jamieson
Posts: 44
Joined: 15 Jul 2008, 11:40
Location: Pretoria

Re: At Last! 3ft 6in Gauge for SA MSTS

Post by Rob Jamieson »

Russel

As much as I would like to download sapl.zip, at 491,574,644 bytes it is way too large for me to even think about it.
Rob
SA747
RussellWestwood
Posts: 9
Joined: 18 Apr 2010, 17:03

Re: At Last! 3ft 6in Gauge for SA MSTS

Post by RussellWestwood »

Hi Rob,

I am not quite with you on this. What is the largest size chunk that you could consider downloading a chunk at a time? Remember the smaller the chunk, the more pieces it will be in.

What is your objection to using a download manager? Even when it does break, you don't have to redownoad <anything> - it picks up <exactly> where it left off when you restart it. The Surfliner route available on TrainSim.com is one file of > 600MB and has had > 9000 downloads.

Email me (russell<at>bluehorse.co.za) your postal address and I will be happy to post you a CD with the route on it. Your choice - v2 or wait for v2.36?

I make no apology for the size, which is due to the use of Google terrain textures (390MB out of 440MB). This not only makes the medium and distant terrain more "real" but tells me exactly what to put where in the foreground - track, signals, gantries, buildings, trees. Together with photographs and other source material, ther is no excuse for me if it doesn't look at least remotely like the real thing!

Cheers,

Russell Westwood
User avatar
John Ashworth
Site Admin
Posts: 23606
Joined: 24 Jan 2007, 14:38
Location: Nairobi, Kenya
Contact:

Re: At Last! 3ft 6in Gauge for SA MSTS

Post by John Ashworth »

Welcome to the FOTR Forum, Johan - I think this is your first post, although I know you have been around the forum for quite a while. Thanks for reminding us of all the people who are working on the MSTS South African profile. You have kindly allowed us to post some of your own great work, eg here and here. I believe I took photos of the FOTR milk van for you, which you turned into the superb MSTS version.
Image
Post Reply

Return to “MSTS News With A South African Flavour.....”