Hello people who are viewing this thread, I have created this thread for me and others to inform people of what Armstrong Powerhouse is working on and to discuss things AP is working on. I hope this thread will give good information for people curious to know what AP is doing, I apologise if there is already a thread like this but I couldn't seem to find one. Let's kick this thread off with something AP posted on their facebook recently. They seem to be working on a wagon pack with Bossman Games!
Some more wagons are always nice. However I hope some more enhancement packs are on the horizon too, the class 165/166, 47, 323 spring to mind as deserving of some tweaking.
Now revealed as British Steel liveried JTA/JUA/PTA Hopper Pack, which will be absolutely ideal for our older South Wales and Glasgow routes. I can just see now double-headed Class 37s on a trip out to BSC Ravenscraig fully loaded from Mossend Yard, I can't wait...... Cheerz. Steve.
I think the Turbo EP must seem a little more feasible now. The argument (from AP) against them was a lack of quality route to run them on, and I sympathise with that. But since their migration westwards IRL and JT's upgraded SWEX route I think the case for them just got a little bit stronger.
Plus South Wales Coastal which isn't exactly a shabby route. I am pretty sure I remember a Facebook post a few years ago where he had recorded one.
Well, he needs to do some research then, we've had quality DLC routes for decades on Steam, and the older ones have been enhanced with new track and vegetation since release. Thomsons did Edinburgh to Glasgow in 2011, Keith Ross created WCML North, featuring Mossend Yard down to BSC Ravenscraig, another top quality route also from 2011. Darren Porter did his North East England layouts York to Newcastle and his latest incarnations now feature Teesside Yard which had these tipplers in from BSC Lackenby near Redcar full of iron ore. Our own RS Derek developed his very own Wear Valley Railway route, which took him about 7 years to complete, and with a bit of imagination we can play with these tipplers on that route as well as British Steel became a nationalised company in 1967, so the era of this route would also fit in very nicely, and they were seen all round the Darlington and Consett regions. And these are just the DLC routes for purchase from Steam off the top of my head, doesn't AP consider these as quality offerings?? So, you can take what he says with a pinch of salt, it's just piss poor excuses, and that's why we have to go without stuff. We've had plenty of polls and requests to the British developers on the other forum for years as to the types of equipment and rolling stock we would like making, so, they cannot possibly turn round and say they don't know what the community want, since Kuju days in 2007. Cheerz. Steve.
Yeah, I tend to agree. The argument has always been for realism/high quality in the routes the stock runs on. But then, and maybe it's just me here, I find London-Peterborough looks a bit dated today, for example. But he's produced a number of scenarios for it on Powerhouse. I also recall him either saying or posting that he had sound recordings - something he tends to do when he gets access, even if he doesn't plan to develop the unit at any point soon afterwards. I think he's referring solely to accuracy in terms of the route the stock should run on (and the quality thereof). In the case of the 165/166 I could see why he wouldn't want to develop them solely for the old Western Mainlines and Chiltern Mainline routes, as for a lot of people these routes turn into powerpoint slides as soon as you put a couple of trains into a scenario for them. And the Thames Valley trunk of WML looks dated (as well as not being built using Google Maps, IIRC). My post was specific to the Turbos. So I don't think he's invalid in not wanting to produce one to run on lines further up north, as they've never been there, even if those routes are high quality. Re the Class 47, I keep seeing murmurings that one is in the works and hopefully those rumours come to fruition. They were ubiquitous, with there once being well over 500 of them, so not having one in the sim rules out a massive amount of both BR operations and post-privatisation ones. ROG have even spot-hired them out to be used on one or two Chiltern Railways operations in the last 5 years or so. But for the Turbos, realistic modern operations are within scope of TS for them now, given their migration westwards towards Bristol. At least two good payware routes exist for them to run on now, and at a stretch the Aylesbury branch of CML is pretty decent even if it does stutter around London.
These gondola-type freightcars look similar pretty much anywhere in the world. There are just so many ways you can build that type of car.
I think he is being too picky to be honest and of course a lot of people who purchase AP packs probably use freeware routes as much as any other or maybe make their own scenarios. I haven't purchased the Aylesbury route yet because of the lack of a decent class 165. I have the CML but only drive the AP class 168 on it or a Sprinter at the Birmingham end. Caledonia Works make steam engines, for many there are no payware suitable routes at all, some are so obscure they didn't survive the 1930's but presumably people buy them. From what I can see a new or enhanced 165/166 is regularly requested so I am sure AP would do well out of it, it would be a day one purchase for me. A new or enhanced 47 seems to be a no brainer given the scope of the different variations, liveries and operations.
I often wonder how many sales they actually make. I suspect CW may be operated for reasons other than profit.
Well he clearly puts a lot of love and care and attention to his models, so certainly it isn't just to make money. I am sure I read that it is his living, but I may have dreampt that up. It would be interesting to know how many he does sell.
According to the ATS stream last night, AP recorded some first gen DMU sounds. Appears to be for some future reference and not some immediate project.
Ooh that sounds interesting. I wonder which one they recorded from. A comprehensive pack for one or several first generation DMU's would be very welcome.
Both the Class 101 and Class 105’s in TS Classic need better sounds, though if the original author is who I think it is there might be a licencing issue.
Armstrong Powerhouse did make a sound pack for DMUs that includes the Class 101/117/121 so if you want better sounds for them you should buy that, but it doesn't include new sounds for the Class 105.
According to the AP homepage it applies to the DTG class 105. I suspect that updates for the 105 and 111 was added at a later stage and therefore was not included in the name. Class 101/117/121 Sound Pack (Pro) (armstrongpowerhouse.com) /Måns
The 101 and 105 used almost identical engines so it should be possible to make the 105 use the AP Sound Pack
The pack does also include sounds for the class 105. I wonder if it might be a complete new build in planning similar to the class 411/412 pack.
Armstrong Powerhouse has released 2 screenshots of their new wagons. The wagons seem to have dust features.
Hmmm... Weren't these trains actually hauled by an 86+87 combo (based on the photos I've seen, at least) before they switched to dual 37s and then a single 60?
Single AC Electrics were used - (based on the photos I've seen, at least) https://www.flickr.com/photos/jimnisbet/28747973824/
Only when some 86s were converted to 86/4s from 1982 could they work together with an 87. I'm no expert on London Midlands Region but I can't recall seeing any photos of an 86/4 and 87 double, certainly never seen it. I wonder if it seemed like a good idea at the time but just didn't work very well.
I remember 86/4 and 87 workings in BR days https://www.flickr.com/photos/21611052@N02/12586724033 I have other pictures in a number of books
On the subject of Enhancement packs, I would certainly not mind if there was a Class 360 Enhancement pack. After all, it used to be in a sound pack that also included the Class 444 and Class 450 which was removed due to the Class 444/450 Enhancement pack being released which means they do have sounds already for it which is a head start for making a new enhancement pack, and the Great Eastern Main Line is a good route I don't see why it shouldn't be used with possible scenarios for a Class 360 EP. Would certainly be nice to get some extra liveries other than Greater Anglia like First Great Eastern, East Midlands Railway and Heathrow Connect for example.
Armstrong Powerhouse reveal some new scenarios available for download that utilise their new JTA/JUA/PTA Wagon Pack.
We are awaiting Class 317/2 and (I assume) they'll probably be the vendor for Waggonz' Class 87. Oh and a Mk1 coach pack containing some of the more unusual configurations, like sleeper cars. I feel we're probably up for some traction next.
Unless their attention is moving to TSW. If I was them I would be giving serious consideration to how I could make money from that.
I would love to use the AP scenarios but the requirements usually mean another £50 -60 of extra DLC to work.
And RPOs (yes, there are a couple of freeware Mk1 RPOs dating back to Rail Simulator days, but they're starting to look real aged these days) + GUVs
The way I look at a Scenario that requires AP stock is Do I have or need the Player Train? If a train in the Scenario is going to pass me en-route or is stuck in a siding why do I the AP version? I'm happy to swap out the trains for something else as most AP stock is a variation of what I might own. And Locoswap is the way to do it as it changes every instance of that item of stock in the scenario https://rail-sim.de/forum/thread/34356-locoswap-fahrzeuge-einfacher-tauschen/
In the meantime there is a reskin for the Mk1 Stock that comes with the 6MT Clan loco pack https://store.steampowered.com/app/258641/Train_Simulator_BR_6MT_Clan_Class_Loco_AddOn/ that has Sleeping Cars https://www.dpsimulation.org.uk/rf72coaches.html
They would have to develop a Wherry in TSW for some things to run on. And given they are mostly a train dev, I cannot see this happening. JT mentioned they got access, but AP never has.
Why do you think that? I'm not a TSW user, but I understand it's had loco expansion packs. AP used to cooperate with DTG, they have older products published by DTG on Steam. They might be rejuvenating that relationship, or maybe looking at non train sim products to develop. I recollect a rumour that they were thinking about flight sim addons. Since TSW looks like a rising star, you really have to be thinking about that if you want a commercial future. Look at Rivet. Not much now from them for TSC, it's mostly TSW now. I'm not convinced we'll see much more from AP in TSC.
They would have to let DTG and Valve take a chunk of the money and cannot require 15 other DLC for scenarios. So don’t count on your suggestion to happen. They would make less in their view.
The last product released by AP that is on Steam was the Class 315 in 2018 I seem to remember reading that AP was not going to do anything with TSW.
As said by Matt in several TSW2 streams, some sounds do come from AP but they are in a raw format so DTG has to mix the sounds and tie them to power notches, speed etc. DTG didn't at the time have a sound mixer which is why some of the locos which used the AP files didn't sound right when released.
