First Train Sim Since The Cornish Riviera On The Bbc Model B

Discussion in 'Introduce Yourself!' started by Daytona, Dec 1, 2018.

  1. Daytona

    Daytona Active Member

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    Hullo, hullo - my last train sim was the Cornish Riviera on the BBC model B - pure text but an absorbing experience back then.

    I've been wanting TS since the videos of Railworks 3 blew my mind back in 2012, but I run cheap laptops and its Intel Celeron B815 and integrated Intel HD Graphics 3000 and 2Gb RAM were below the minimum spec. Roll forward 6 years and it died about a month ago and has been replaced by another cheap laptop (AMD Ryzen 3/AMD Redeon 3 Vega/8Gb).

    Last sunday I accidently stumbled across the Christmas Steam sale and was stunned to find that I could purchase the core along with the West Somerset line for £4.49, then even more stunned to discover that my laptop spec exceeded the minimum. So after double checking on the forum I purchased it and it ran perfectly, although the installation sensibly and automatically reduced the graphics settings. Installation was seamless.

    So I went on a buying spree and hoovered up -

    West Somerset Railway Route
    WSR Diesels Locos Add-On
    Malmesbury Branch Route Add-On
    WCML North
    Somerset & Dorset Railway
    Western Lines of Scotland
    Riviera Line in the Fifties: Exeter - Kingswear Route Add-On
    Great Western Main Line

    A mix of low cost routes reflecting childhood holidays (WSR), places I've lived (Malmesbury), Betjeman's evocative documentaries of the S&DJR, the highly regarded WLoS & RL50 and some cheap main lines.

    Classic good marketing - offer a bargain and people buy in volume.

    I've been testing them out and they all work fine, I really do appreciate mature software :) For the first time in many years, time has stood still and, to my surprise, I've found myself driving into the early hours of the morning, completely absorbed and completely oblivious, then waking up stupidly early to do it all again - a wonderful experience.

    I've read some of the many guides and think that I have basic understanding. When I was a child I used to drive my father and grandfathers 5" gauge LNER B1 Springbok, 5" BR Class 7 Britannia and 7½" LNER V1 Enterprise but it's been so long ago that it hasn't stopped me from making basic errors - getting the reverser function the wrong way round - thinking 25% was low gear and coming to a gentle and inexorable halt on an incline, and coming to thundering halts because I wasn't using bypass/running to apply partial braking.

    Memorable drives have included the Class 801 on a wet and wild night smoothly negotiating the WCML at 140mph. I recall there used to be a bit of a hill somewhere along there.

    Whilst everything's new I've decided to concentrate on driving Black 5s on the stunning WLoS and have been running tests on the relatively flat Carlisle to Dumfries section to get a handle on the reverser settings and pressure management.
     
    Last edited: Dec 3, 2018
  2. Cat

    Cat Well-Known Member

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    Sounds like the bug has bitten you. Hope you enjoy TS as much as me, having just clocked up 4,000 hours on it. :))
     
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  3. Daytona

    Daytona Active Member

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    Thanks Cat, I hope so ! :)

    Where and what do you drive ? Love your profile pic - what is it ? I love steamers and retro locos but don't know much about Southern Region. I also enjoy the odd blast in modern locos because they're so easy.
     
  4. Cat

    Cat Well-Known Member

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    Hi Daytona, I drive mostly UK and sometimes European routes, I have all the routes that you have recently bought Western Lines of Scotland is one of my favourites. My preferred era is 1950s to 1980s with steam and the older diesels, Much more character than modern trains. All regions have their individual appeal but I'm a Southern man by location. The profile picture is the Class 205 Thumper made by ArmstrongPowerhouse who make high quality UK rolling stock and sound and enhancement packs, well worth a look. For a fast blast I take their HST125 Valetta over the West Coast Main Lines over Shap.
     
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  5. JJTimothy

    JJTimothy Well-Known Member

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    Welcome to the other support group. :)

    I had a train simulator on my Amstrad CPC in days of yore. It did have graphics (how does a text only train sim' work?) but it must have been a Spectrum port because it looked awful even by contemporary standards. You were meant to be driving a 9F on the S&DJR but I never got the hang of it. As train sim's got better I thought it best to avoid them on the grounds that I'd never get anything else done again. I may have been right.

    Got the WLoS in the sale myself (but with some Diesels) and really like it so far.
     
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  6. HD41117

    HD41117 New Member

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    Hello! Thanks for the heads-up about this; I love the idea of a text-only train sim - and even more so on the BBC model B! I was a Speccy child, back then and didn't get much of a chance to work with the BBC Micro. This sounds like something I have to set up and play with, now. :)
     
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  7. Daytona

    Daytona Active Member

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  8. Daytona

    Daytona Active Member

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    aaannd here we go again... the Steam Winter Sale is on until 3rd January :o:D
     
    Last edited: Dec 21, 2018
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  9. HD41117

    HD41117 New Member

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  10. Daytona

    Daytona Active Member

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    Time for an update - I've been picking up items from the sales and see I have spent almost £100. That an insane amount for me and it's been worth every penny. And that's just the start; because I'm waiting for the Summer Sale to do most of my buying. I've been making tentative steps towards picking up some Pro and third party steam locos as I'm running on a budget laptop so need to make sure they don't bring it to a standstill.

    I've switched scoring back on and have been trying to do one career scenario a day and after making a complete hash of S&DJR Black 5 Last Orders scenario the other day, I've just redone it and got my first ever gold star on an intermediate route - a hilly (max 1:50 1:72 not uncommon) all station stopper.

    19 May, 2019
    TS Marketplace: BR Standard Class 4MT Loco
    - For scenario requirements
    TS Marketplace: SECR 60FT Birdcage SR Green Add-On
    - Love antique stuff
    TS Marketplace: Bulleid Coach Pack 02 Add-On
    TS Marketplace: GWR Churchward Panelled Toplights Pack 01 Add-On
    TS Marketplace: BR Hawksworth Coach Pack 01
    - Love distinctive older stock
    TS Marketplace: Tornado Express Passenger Blue
    - Love pacific shape, love blue (which is why I love Caledonian locos)
    Digital Traction Class 4MT Tank Loco

    - Love the looks
    LNER Black Class A3 "Flying Scotsman" Loco Add-On
    BR Robinson Class O4 Loco Add-On
    Thompson Class B1 Loco Add-On
    - Having driven my grandfathers 5" model, I've a lot of affection for these, more so now I've read up about them
    PRR K4 Loco Add-On
    - Love the story behind these and would love to find an appropriate route
    Western Hydraulics Pack Add-On
    - my favourite diesel, on looks
    Train Simulator: Stroudley A1/A1X Class 'Terrier' Steam Loco Add-On

    - Look and physics
    17 Mar, 2019
    Train Simulator: Rebuilt Bulleid Light Pacific Steam Loco Add-On
    - Love this the look and physics
    Train Simulator: LMS Class 3F ‘Jinty’ Loco Add-On
    11 Feb, 2019
    Train Simulator: Portsmouth Direct Line Route Add-On
    - my adopted home line, but really bought as my first 3rd rail route for the 416 in the electric blue pack
    Train Simulator: Class 67 Diamond Jubilee Loco Add-On
    - wanted the Royal Train, but in retrospect, left me cold.
    1 Jan, 2019
    Victorian Lad - Caledionan Railway No. 123
    - love antique, love quirky, love CR, after my initial training on a Black 5 on WLoS this loco taught me how to drive on F5. It came with a warning that it wouldn't work on low spec machines, but it works fine
    Train Simulator: Settle Carlisle Specials Add-On
    - fantastic selection of locos, if basic
    Train Simulator: East Coast Main Line
    Train Simulator: Isle of Wight Route Add-On
    - gloriously quirky, love old tube stock
    Train Simulator: BR Blue Pack Loco Add-On
    - love retro
    Train Simulator: BR Class 45 'Peak
    - Love 1st generation locos
    Train Simulator: BR Class 14
    - Love 1st generation locos
    Train Simulator: BR Class 27
    - Love 1st generation locos
    Train Simulator: BR Blue Diesel Electric Pack
    Train Simulator: Class 50 Locomotives
    - much loved, first engine I remember seeing was 50043 Eagle at Newton Abbot
    Train Simulator: Settle to Carlisle Add-on
    - love the bespoke? stations. Have been having fun with the Blue Ribbon hill climb
    Train Simulator: Weardale and Teesdale Network Route Add-On
    - stunning. A staggering achievement. Love the 105
    Train Simulator: Woodhead Route Add-On
    - Love 1st generation electric (and diesel) stuff
    Train Simulator: BR DP1 Deltic
    - nice to have the original
     
    Last edited: May 23, 2019
  11. Daytona

    Daytona Active Member

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    Apart from Woodhead in Blue a JT Britannia and AP 205 I think I've got about everything I want now on TS.

    I've also picked up some lovely third party locos and routes -
    Bossman Games Black 5, Turkish 8F
    Caledonia Works CR123, GNR Stirling Single, SECR C
    Just Train's Clan
    Victory Works -
    Saint & Travelling Post Office
    Stroudley
    14xx autocoach
    and everything Ed Fisk/Meshtools has produced, which says everything, I think

    Southampton - Weymouth
    Stroud & Swindon
    Backdated -
    Riviera
    North London Line
    Hastings

    I couldn't resist picking up TSW for £7.63 in January for when I had a better computer. It was pretty jerky on my below required spec laptop (Passmark G3D : 1127), but playable, which is a credit to UE & DTG.

    Roll forward to July and I became another laptop hinge fault victim when it broke after just 19months, taking out the screen connection as well. As it lived opened on my desk most of the time it was a cheapskate design fault. So I bought myself a basic gaming desktop which is midway between TSWs minimum and recommended spec (Passmark G3D : 7854) and have been loving playing the Trans-Pennine and Main-Spessart Bahn (with PZB).
     
    Last edited: Sep 10, 2020
  12. ntypeman

    ntypeman Well-Known Member

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    Off the top of my head the controls are:

    Z - Decrease power
    X - Apply power
    < - Release brake
    > - Apply brake
    [SPACE] - AWS cancel

    I vividly remember playing these on my Acorn Electron & had Mendips Stone, Gatwick Express & South Devon Hydraulics... How I used to sit for hours in front of a text only screen I'll never know but there you go...!!! (and also getting frustrated whilst waiting ages for the cassette to load...!!! - I bet some of the younger simmers amongst us won't know what that's all about!!!)

    While we're on the subject, after Dee Kay Systems went bust(?) I found a man called Ashley Greenup who sold train simulation software called Cab View Driver that you ordered by post!!! No instant download like today... You sent your cheque off (in those days I had to ask my mum to write a cheque for me!!!) and had to wait a few weeks for the disc to be sent out... If you were lucky, you might, just might get it back in a week...!!! Looking back now it wasn't great by today's standards but it was a giant leap forward from what I was used to...

    Despite all our gripes with DTG, after reminiscing about the early days of simming, I don't think we've had it so good (and I dare say someone out there will jump down my throat about my comments!!!)...!!!

    Eric (feeling quite old now!!!)
     
    Last edited: Aug 30, 2020
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