During a cold Winters morning Union Pacific Railroad GE U50s '50' and '53' operate the UP Extra 50 East service with 50 flat cars loaded with large steel pipes from Geneva Steel in Utah and assisted with a caboose on the rear are seen on the Overland Route departing from the sidings at Hermosa, Wyoming in the United States of America after waiting for passing trains. Facing a few adverse signal aspects along the way, the train proceeded 38 miles eastwards where it would then pull into Cheyenne Yard. Motive Power: GE U50 Route: Sherman Hill Scenario: Geneva Steel Works Tonnage Enhancements: Armstrong Powerhouse Sky & Weather Enhancement Pack 2.0 + Armstrong Powerhouse Cloud Enhancement Pack, RW Enhancer PRO
Loadhaul Class 60 '60075' starting from Tapton Junction, England in the United Kingdom on the Midland Main Line just north of Chesterfield operating service 6M83 during a Summers afternoon is seen hauling a mixed freight train of 10 wagons with the service traveling nonstop 25 miles southwards until reaching Derby aside from a few stops due to red signals along the way. Motive Power: British Rail Class 60 Route: Midland Main Line: Sheffield-Derby Scenario: [SD] 6M83 Doncaster Belmont - Bescot Yard Enhancements: Armstrong Powerhouse Sky & Weather Enhancement Pack 2.0 + Armstrong Powerhouse Cloud Enhancement Pack, Train Sim Community AP Sky Accurate Time of Day, Major Wales Design Class 43 Revamp Pack, RW Enhancer PRO
Installment 20 in a multipart pictorial depiction of a mid-autumn morning stopping passenger service faux Heritage Rail Tour QuickDrive, from Crewe to Holyhead, on North Wales Coast Line, acquired during Steam's Winter 2023/24 sale. Having belonged to LNWR in pre-grouping days, I power the train with a favorite steam-era loco, Caledonia Works' LNWR "Greater Britain," No. 3435 "Queen Empress" to be exact, seen in Lilac & Cream livery. Although Greater Britain appears to be a conventional 2-4-2 tender locomotive, it is, in actuality, a 2-2-2-2 three-cylinder compound locomotive. It pulls four LNWR coaches, the last of them an observation coach, which I failed to capture adequately. This installment sees us departing Llanfair and en route to Bodorgan (not Borogan, as I misspelled it in that earlier posting). NOTE: To my embarrassment, I discover that this installment was posted here half a year ago. There is therefore no need to post it again, except that I spent a decent amount of time enhancing these images with free-tier Gemini and like the results, warts and all, enough to want to show them off. 1) Departing Llanfair: 2) En route to Bodorgan: I was unhappy with Gemini's first enhancement but couldn't figure out why until realizing that the locomotive's exhausts were still in their original undoctored state. I asked Gemini to make them realistic. It went a little overboard, but I am not displeased. 3) as above: Gemini initially showed the loco and tender colorings incorrectly. It took several passes and me showing it another image of the loco to use as a model before Gemini finally produced acceptable results. 4) as above: I initially considered this my pick of the litter but am now not quite so sure. RWE2 (which might not matter here), AP S&W2+Clouds+Veggies, free-tier Google Gemini (the dumb Gemini) TO BE CONTINUED (hopefully with the correct installment number)...
Time for a railtour sequence, I haven't done one of these for a while. Last weekend in the real world I was on the "Shap Mountaineer" behind 60163 Tornado - not having this loco in TSC means I've been able to enjoy the run again but with 35028 'Clan Line', a similarly powerful Class 8 locomotive. I didn't take any screenshots of the run over Grayrigg and Shap (passed at 48mph and 44mph respectively, very similar to Tornado's efforts) but here are a compilation of the return S&C run. Even as a predominantly GWR-fan I think the Rebuilt Merchant Navy in lined Brunswick Green, in good light is possibly the most photogenic locomotive of them all. My TSC effort on 11 coaches covered the 'Blue Riband' challenge section from Ormside Viaduct to Ais Gill Summit in 15m52s, which knocked the record 16m24s set by 46229 in 1993 out of the park... although I was running with one coach less. Tornado's effort last week was exceptional by today's standards, reaching Birkett Tunnel in 13 minutes, approx 2 mins behind the record time, so was on-course for a sub-18 minute run but spoiled by a 20mph TSR in the cutting south of the tunnel. The recovery to 46mph at the summit was extremely impressive however.
The inauspicious moment has at long last arrived: below appears Installment 25, the final installment, in a seemingly endless, chronological depiction of a mid-autumn morning stopping passenger service, faux Heritage Railtour QD, from London to Peterborough, on the ECML London - Peterborough route. Motive power is Caledonia Works' GER T69 4-6-0 tendered steam loco, seen in LNER B12 Lined Black Livery. It hauls what QD terms the "1936 Queen of Scotland Coach Set." As such, I selected Queen of Scots for the loco's headboard. We take the "slow" track, which permits us to stop at every station. As with my most recent prior screenshot posting, all images seen here are enhanced with free-tier Google Gemini. I doubt this will become a norm, but its fun (and too often frustrating when things go awry) to mess around and see what can and can't be accomplished. 1) We are now within greater Peterborough, not far from terminus: 2) as above: 3) as above: Terminus Station, our journey is at an end: I told Gemini that the two photographers on the left, seen in the process of capturing an image rather than simply holding their equipment, needed to have their cameras pointed toward the train's locomotive; it repeatedly refused to comply. Eventually, I conceded and gave up the attempt. Furthermore, only later did it dawn on me that I could ask Gemini to supply the devices attaching track rails to sleepers. They are thus absent here. RWE2 (gimped), AP S&W2+Clouds+Veggies, free-tier Google Gemini (the dumb, sometimes perverse Gemini) END OF THE LINE
I have always been a fan of the Crabenmore Branch (and it's relative GNoSR lines) but felt it needed a few sidings at Glenait (junction) easily accessed from the branch itself and that we have a Gas works at the end of the line at Portdornoch without rail access. Gasworks pre North Sea gas, needed lots of coal from which the gas was extracted leaving coke and tar as by products all of which were commonly rail supplied or removed - hence Glenait has extra sidings and the Gas Works has a rail connection. The coal train has a Guards van at each end to simplify shunting moves, the engine runs round at Portdornoch station then pushes the coal up a short gradient to the Gas Works. Once the coal is unloaded the same wagons are loaded with coke, a valuable smokeless fuel in the day. Thus we have a railway rarity a loaded mineral train each way. Top to Bottom: Departing the "branch" yard at Glenait ex CR class 812 No. 57604 (Caledonia Works) En route Coal delivery to the Gas Works
My apologies (for some reason I cannot edit the above) the Class 812 is by Digital Traction not Caledonia Works.
I've just one image today, a free-tier Gemini enhancement of what is my favorite screenshot in a Settle & Carlisle series posted here several years ago, right about when AP's Veggie Pack was released. Here we see the train stopped at Appleby, boarding passengers: For once, Gemini closely adhered to my instructions on its initial attempt, which is a rare occurrence.
Still mucked around with reshade presets - they're available to download from the trainsim community site.
DB BR407 speeds over the viaduct between Petersberg-Tunnel and Moritzberg-Tunnel with the 15:07 Altenburg to Cologne ICE working:
GNoSR lines but with Caley locos (oh the pain for true GNoSR fans) but there aren't any GNoSR locos, only one North British (Caledonia Works class C 0-6-0) and Caley locos do at least wear kilts unlike the GWR locos used by the workshop scenarios. This is the Portbyvie Dock Branch - you will only find it here - with a train of empty Fish vans dropping down the 1 in 64 gradient to the dock, then the train is seen crossing the Dock Street road junction and finally the loco in the process of running round its train. The vans are here in good time as only one boat has returned and started unloading, the rest of the fleet will be in later. I have some detailing to do on the dock but you can see the rationale (if there is one).
DB Class 66 hauls an aggregate freight train as it is seen passing Hedborough North on 22nd April 2026:
I agree, I think driving the 87 through the Lune Gorge and then up Shap is one of the best TSC experiences available, even with an older route! (Various track, signalling and weather/lighting mods really enhance things of course.)
One of Europe's most iconic diesels the V200 in it's V200.0 form takes a train from Freiburg to Donaueschingen (Black Forest Journeys) an interesting secondary route with some fearsome gradients (including 5.5%, 1 in 18.2 for a long stretch about 3.2 kms with a max gradient of 5.65%, 1 in 17.7).
Time for some more main line steam. Today my train-sim self is a passenger on the 'Kernow Streak' operated by Heritage Railtours Ltd. Having boarded at Chesterfield at the ungodly hour of 05:25, the journey south to Birmingham, Bristol and finally Taunton was diesel-hauled and uneventful. Our 9 coach train was then passed over to A4 Pacific 60007 'Sir Nigel Gresley', which, complete with support coach, was at the head of a train weighing roughly 350t tare / 400t loaded. Even for a Class 8 locomotive, a sizeable prospect for the climbs ahead. The first ascent of the day was Wellington to Whiteball summit, 4 miles of 1:90/86/80. A measured departure from Taunton turned into a healthy 71mph at Wellington station and a minimum of 54mph through Whiteball tunnel. An excellent beginning and followed up with a quick dash down the 1:115 through Burlescombe and Sampford with a maximum of 83mph (ahem) at Tiverton Junction. Today's path was unusually clear and signs were good as we drifted through Exeter St Davids at 30mph on clear signals, before reaching 75mph again at Exminster. As we then traversed the stunning estuaries through Starcross and the seawall at Dawlish and Teignmouth, No.7 was being prepared for more challenges ahead, if the grey clag from the front end was any indication. Our clear run was interrupted approaching Newton Abbot as a Paignton-Exmouth service train crossed our path out of platform 1 and speed through the platform was only 26mph; this had however recovered (loudly) to 57mph by Aller and we hit the 'nursery slopes' pretty much at linespeed. On a dry rail the 1:57/41/36 to Dainton Tunnel was 'rushed' without excessively extending the loco to achieve 34mph at the tunnel portal. Our descent to Totnes followed, and then the (inevitable) brake applications indicated that our swift progress was being halted; we'd caught a preceding service making its stop at Totnes. We'd lost our run at the fearsome climb ahead; crawling onto the down Through line the signal ahead was sighted - green. 60007 was opened up, the syncopated beat from the front end nudging us back in our seats as 18mph quickly became 34mph as we roared through Totnes station and mounted the initial 1:76. Nevertheless gravity is unyielding and the following 1:47 dragged speed back down to 28mph, with a minimum of 23mph as we sighted Tigley church; excited heads at windows all along the train. The following 1:90/95/65 slog up to Rattery Viaduct was completed at 28-33mph and by Marley Tunnel pressure must have been falling as the loco was eased, probably to get some more water into the boiler. The following undulating 12 miles through Brent, Wrangaton and Ivybridge were covered at 55-60mph cruising speed, the A4 being eased back to a gentle drift; more gravity after Hemerdon summit saw a maximum of 78mph on the 1:42 descent to Tavistock Jn. A sharp 1:83/72 climb alongside Laira depot took us up to Mutley Tunnel and we rolled into Plymouth platform 7 roughly 11 minutes ahead of schedule for a well-earned lunch break. Cornwall to come! 60007 'SNG' storms through Tigley at 23mph with 400t on the drawbar Drone-shot of the ascent towards Rattery Approaching Rattery with GPS speed readout and boiler conditions on display Marley Tunnel - nearly there! The fireman has already put his shovel down. A giant at rest in Plymouth platform 7. Just an hour and a half for the crew to do some light servicing and prepare for the run to Penzance.
Avanti West Coast Class 390 with the 12:52 Edinburgh to London Euston service at speed near Harburn, West Lothian, on 28th April 2026:
Tonight's escapades...... Drax Empties to Tuebrook then a run from Man Picc - Warrington BQ with a Llandudno service, Nice to give the 37 a thrash again
After the lunch stop, by 14:20hrs we were off again. No.7 had been serviced and watered and with a fresh crew, was ready to tackle the switchback gradients of Cornwall. A brisk start up the 1:100, 1:59 through Devonport... ... and rumbling across the Royal Albert Bridge into Cornwall a few minutes later. The run through East Cornwall was exhilarating, with 46mph maintained on the 1:78, 1:68 climb out of St Germans followed by 54mph from Menheniot through Treviddo. The only delay of the journey occurred after Doublebois summit, as we were held approaching St Pinnock to allow an eastbound service train to pass through the single line from Largin ahead of us. About 45 minutes into the run, 60007 drifts over Lostwithiel LC... ... and is opened up for the 1:57/72/64 climb up to Treverrin Tunnel, which was cleared at 42mph.
The final photos of the run. The 'Kernow Streak' has passed Truro and the regulator is being opened for the mostly 1:80 ascent to Baldhu. A little earlier on, the 4-mile 1:61/64/60 climb from Par to St Austell had been flattened at no less than 48mph with the summit at Burngullow Jn cleared at 55mph about 2 miles later. The final major summit at Scorrier. Through the tunnel into Redruth at the regulation 40mph limit... And across the viaduct high above Hayle town. The weather really held out for us! The fireman hasn't had to trouble his shovel since passing Roskear Signal Box just east of Camborne and the fire and boiler were run down in preparation for the final arrival into Penzance. This didn't, however prevent a final 74mph flourish on the downgrade after St Erth, before braking for the 50mph single line junction at Marazion. The final approaches into Penzance, at just after 1605hrs. I hope my creative imaginings are enjoyable and maybe help inspire anyone in doubt that Train Simulator is still a magnificent piece of software - in this day and age, with much less steam - and almost no unassisted steam - on the UK network and (perhaps understandably) all the hard restrictions preventing enthusiasts from enjoying a 'head out' view, being able to appreciate these joys on a PC is a godsend.
