't Hart Van Nederland V2 - And Other Great Freeware Routes

Thx. I am piecing this together from the RWInfo map:
https://sites.google.com/view/trainsimulatorcontent/europe-routes/sw-belgium
Listing of Scenarios provided are included (as always)

 

Meanwhile, I'm driving this DDZ (here at Middelburg / ZWNL)



... nice to be able to toggle saloon lights

 

Only 4208 scenarios left to complete on my database! lol

 

Note that BLXT have their own database with all requirements per scenario linked

Currently playing this:
https://www.beluxtrains.net/trainsim/en/index.php?page=file&code=ZWNL007

 

Arnhem station

 

The DDZ is unusual in having three bogies on the power cars

 

Mini Centipede

 

it needed six powered axles to match the load the EMU's power car was originally designed for, 10-12 DD passenger cars rush hour trains.

 

Spoorlijnen Zuid Limburg is als a gem of a route.
Not so flat as the rest of The Netherlands, Germany and Belgium are close.
There even is a preservation society with its own track, stations and facilities, so you can run almost any retired steam or Diesel locomotive.

This is Maastricht in the previous century, when the Mat 46 still ran local services.
The signal box is a modernistic structure preserved from demolotion.
NS had several noted architects design post WWII iconic stations and utility buildings.

 

Where did you find that route?

 

I have been to Holland many times but never saw them running with more that 5 trailers

 

https://www.simtogether.com/files/file/2329-spoorlijnen-zuid-limburg

 

I believe I now have most of the important Netherlands routes complete.
A Windows 'refresh' didn't quite get rid of the accented letters problem in TSC's editor and TS_Tools.

Now of to complete the scenario requirements. There are dozens of scenarios to certain routes, hundreds of scenarios for the whole route collection. Some require quite obscure repaints, esp in the modern era with privatized carriers changing paint schemes every new lease period.

What to get for Belgium 3 KV DC and France's 1.5 KV DC and 25 KV AC networks? I've got a lot of Simexpress rolling stock, but the rest of France's trains seem mostly MSTS conversions.
Belgium was well served with SKTrains, but he unfortunately closed shop.

 

Simtogether has a well structured file library. You'll find almost each repaint there. Mandatory are all DutchDriver and Rubku repaint packs, some on Dutchsims, some on Simtogether. Nice thing is they come with installers, so no Geo copying needed.

 

Simexpress' store is back online.
I got myself the new Z2N 20500 EMU, even though it is a quite ugly train, a boxy and edgy, typical utilitarian design. Perhaps not meant to last for decades in heavy duty Transilien service?

Now, about French routes, preferable with a suburban theme, including a terminal for long distance trains and some freight handling facilities?
On v78.1 none of the installed routes seem to load QD, with LogMate giving out lots of signal scripting errors from GSi and TerLor's assets ...
Also a forest of pink chimneys arose ....

A quick and dirty downgrade to v75 by dropping its Plugins folder into the game didn't help. AFAIK, the whole of TSC's game engine is contained in GameManagerVC64.dll

 

There is a French local route for the Paris area - 91-77-45 RER D
https://www.railsim-fr.com/forum/index.php?/files/file/2091-91-77-45-rer-d-by-zawal/
But it only has one QD Scenario from what I read.

 

French routes are the toughest. They hardly give full dependency lists. Most assets are hiding in other route's asset packs. I have a good library of french assets now, so let me know what's missing.

 

Never mix files. Yes, GameManagerVC64.dll is the actual game. RailWorks.exe ist just a wrapper.

 

Thanks for the offer, Spikee.
Best start at the source:
I still have a valid railsim-fr login, and also a valid rwcentral to get me this ZAWAL Road Pack - Train Simulator - RW Central
That site is download limited with a free registration, so it takes a couple of days to get a complete download and all the dependent assets.

Paris-Maubeuge/La Ligne du Nord has been with my RW/TSC since the beginning and it is very detailed, but hugely resource intensive, bringing my older i7-6700 with 16 GB and a Titan X GPU to a crawl at 1440p and my preferred settings (2 x super sampling being the culprit I'd think)

 

Some also link to their assets packs on Mega.nz, to not put too much load on the forum servers.

 

Here is a run we can recreate on 'Oosten van Nederland:

shows the effort the route builders and asset creators have put in the Netherlands' routes to get this feeling you're driving a real route

 

Those mega.nz links unfortunately die because of inactivity

 

Not the one I've just shown.

GoogleDrive links are very volatile though.

So let's see how this one looks


Looks like I already got the assets

 

Just discovered this: https://pk10.fr/projets

Ligne de la Petite Ceinture d'Aujourd'hui

A very detailed section of an old Parisian route how it would look today. Highly detailed. Wow.

 

Nice looking route, and very suitable for my new Z2N, since it is a bi-courant EMU.
However, ....
the route Origin is wrong
there are no scenarios, nor location markers.

However, there is a thread about this route on RWCentral, which has links to few scenarios and QD:
and it seems DevMares is developing another suburban EMU that could run on these lines.

Those guys also are building their own control desk with salvaged parts: Railway Simulators: Saved Driving Consoles - PK 10 Les Enraillés

Routes like these would also do well in TSW

 

Route Markers are easy to make, a simple xml file with coordinates. I'll make one.
As for the origin, it's not that important other than it will give you tropical vertical sun paths when using 3D weather

 

Exhausting my 1 GB daily quota at RWCentral, I got myself a few other routes.
Thankfully, some assets or scenarios are also available at railsim-fr or from the developers' personal web sites.
Catenary, signalling, signs and trackside items, one needs a lot!

 

Still busy cataloging all of these Euro Routes - Just bought a ton of RSSLO in the sales. I have 69 routes I have still done ZERO scenarios! Data overload. I am guessing my web site is starting to get constipated!
https://sites.google.com/view/trainsimulatorcontent/home

 

This might also be interesting: https://647283.8b.io leading to a website "L'Etoile de Laon" route. A secondary mainline to run those big Diesel locomotives

The route still seems to be in active development by a group of individual maintaining a FB page with their progress, showing new assets under construction.

It comes with a few links to -huge- asset collections on Mega and Mediafire, typical of French routes. Downloading those 15 GB in total will get you a huge lot of assets to get you started on (m)any French routes. Like Spikee said, those external asset dumps usually don't last long, and whether the dev will update/upload anew is also unknown. Get them while they last.
Also make sure to get all the JYM26 signaling assets from his website https://www.jymanet.fr

 

Server not found
You think the web page would have a proper address instead of a short cut

 

Try this Peter.. https://647283.8b.io/?fbclid=IwAR1ctJaZzKsEX8ZoRZLvGwxbm8NsAecmB_eNFqje_AlU06lXJuXTiE5O3Hc

 

Thanks Gary - that works fine.

 

To get you started on French assets, here also are huge files with basic assets: https://www.thuthuboutick.fr/simulation/ferroviaire/enligne/TS2013/routes/compagniedumidi/midi_v9/ for the Compagnie du Midi route which covers a large part of the 1.5KV DC network

PierreG tries to keep an up-to-date catalog of French rolling stock: https://ajrailsim.pierreg.org/materfr.htm
On his website, he also host a large collection of locomotives, passenger and freight cars and unique objects.

Also very interesting are the narrow gauge networks of Provence and Corse.

 

I think you need to be logged in to get to the download page

 

I made a typo, please check anew https://647283.8b.io it probably links to a home server?
The Compagnie du Midi should read https://www.thuthuboutick.fr/simulation/ferroviaire/enligne/TS2013/routes/compagniedumidi/midi_v9/

I have the pages open on my PC with all the logins, passwords, cookies and such but type here on my laptop and cannot copy-paste, sorry.

I've checked the links, they open on my laptop so should open at your end also.

About these large collections, they are grabbed from the creator's PC, so best not dump them straight into your TSC as there could be version conflicts. Plus you'll likely find some DLC that isn't supposed to be there.

 

That is great - Thank you

 

Just came across this one by Backdated Trainsim, Cheshire, Borderlands & Wirral Lines.

It requires the South Lancs route assets which I recently installed. Make sure to also get the free Class 503 (WoodheadBR required for Geos).

https://backdatedtrainsim.weebly.com/

Comes with a large amount of scenarios

 

BackdatedTrainSim has a lot of great routes. I just need time (and possibly a better computer) to play them all.

 

Cheshire Wirral on my Web Site:
https://sites.google.com/view/trainsimulatorcontent/uk-routes/cheshire-wirral

 

Oh, I know what that is. That's a metro today. What is it in this version?

 

Not quite.
The route covers the section from Liverpool Central to New Brighton and West Kirby.
Although "Promoted" as a Metro service it is still a normal service run over Network Rail track,

This new Route also covers a lot more track in to Cheshire and down to Wrexham in North Wales.

 

Ah, I took that to mean it was a metro. It seems pretty city-focused compared to other services. Possible mistake on my part.

 

It is what it is. Free route.

 

Just trying this loco

 

Just saw on rail-sim.de that BeluxTrains have released a scenario pack for Milano-Mortara 2.1. Note that a v2.2 of the route is out, but I would not advise to use it. Scenery at Vigevano station is broken, and scenarios not compatible (Edit: I know why the station looks off in 2.2 - the Vigevano canopy model has its origin outside, which leads to it disappearing when the origin is out of sight. The author has probably edited the asset but has not included it, so your local asset will be in a weirdly flipped position.)

Wasn't aware of this route and just trying it. All the stock is freeware btw. (the E656 uses the WCMLNorth Class 86 Cab)

 

Note, to get the signalling assets, you need to check out

https://worcestergeorge.altervista.org/dlc

He's providing high quality freeware, and the E464 is an absolute pro range loco. He's using a Java runtime installer - don't worry, it's fine and harmless, you can install it to your local user profile without admin rights. After that, double-click the wgi.jar and you'll be presented with a downloader interface. Just grab all the stuff from there.

All will be downloaded to Assets\Worcester-George, no cluttered files, so it's safe to use.

 

http://www.rotabili-italiani.org/sito/loco-elettriche---elettrotreni.html

Wow. That E626 "crocodile" is a heavily scripted loco with a nice cold start procedure. It sounds great, and I finally got it moving.

Milano

 

Sadly unable to run the Java script on my pc. Downloaded the latest version of Java, however, getting a Java Exception error. Will have to pass on this one!

 

1. It's Java. JavaScript is something completely different.
2. You must download and install the runtime linked on WorcesterGeorge's site. You can install it for your user only, not admin, so it will install to <user>\AppData not Program Files. Then download and double click the WG Installer wgi.jar file. All that takes you two minutes to get all the stuff. No registering or login.

 

That E626 looks interesting.
Seen a few on my older trips to Italy