General North American 3rd Party News

Lizard Head Pass
Quite impressed by the snow fences

 

Amazing

 

New Release from Machine Rail today: NYC 999. Complete with matching Empire State Express rolling stock.
https://www.machine-rail.com/

 

The 0-6-0 from Smokebox have begun:

 

So this was discussed on the TSC, but decide to share it here, G-Trax has teased a new route on their website.





Seems like a New York Central route, and seems like one of the locos is an ALCO RS-3.

 

The Alco was made by Virtual Railroads? Are they involved with the project or is someone just reskinning their loco?

 

Thats an RS-11.


The RS-3 was an older ALCO loco, and the one in the G-Trax photo was possibly rumored to be Diesel Workshop's one.

 

G-Trax made an ALCO RS1 specifically for the RWA donationware route “Lakeside”, maybe they have developed an RS3 from it. The cab windows and roof are the biggest difference visibly.

 

My mistake. I know I saw Alco reskins at RWA, and I think it was a Dogmouse model that is available in original form actually at RWA.

 

2 more photos.

 

More Alcos - FA1 and FB1 top picture and S2 in bottom - so definitely set in the 1950s

 

GTrax has provided some of the best TSC routes. I very much look forward to this one!

 

Yeah, Stevens Pass remains one of the best routes available. I expect the route itself will be nicely done. The loco and the scenarios, we'll have to see; I have an idea who might be doing both.

 

Judging by the cars on the road and the presence of what appears to be an Interstate highway in the first batch of images, I'm gonna take a stab and say that at the very least this route is set sometime after 1956. Possibly in the early to mid 60's.

 

More Milepost teasers

 

drgwfan3005 is hereby summoned to locate these along the route we already know it is.

 

So the first image is on the Telluride branch somewhere between Keystone and Telluride itself, and the second image is in-between Sawpit and Vanadium.

 

So that was the Telluride branch? It pretty much just adds to validating my boundary guesses. My guess remains unchanged. Especially because Sawpit is at 30 and Vanadium is at 33.

 

Some images have already been on the Telluride Branch. The bridge at Keystone, which was in the 3rd teaser, is on the Telluride branch

 

More from G-Trax:



The images indicate the ALCo PAs and lightweight coaches are also included

 

Release is gonna be just Alcos.

 

I mean, only ALCO's aren't a bad thing. While the S-2 is a returner from Springfield, the PA might be a new model from G-Trax themselves (They had that Unity ATSF PA advertised for awhile) And the RS-3 will be nice to have officially in game (Since its only been 3rd party only at this point either on RWA or Diesel Workshop. )

Its also nice to not have the GP9 reused for the 10000th time on a retro route.

 

For what the locos are seen so far from this new route:
FA/B, PA/B, S-2s & RS-3s (or RS-1s, either way).
It's not bad to have an all ALCo diesel powered route, compare to other routes with EMD and GE locos (and a bit of Baldwin) from the early years. A different change of variety for sure, and all in NYC liveries.

 

Well yeah I don't think all Alcos is a bad thing, I do wish there was some representation in the form of an E unit or something, but it's not a big deal.

 

I remember that. Just happy that we nailed this one down exactly. Just a matter of waiting now.

 

Machine Rail's B&O C-16 model is set to release sometime within the next week according to their most recent Facebook post.

 

what route is that

 

The B&A line, with the line potentially going from Boston to Springfield.

 

Speaking of, more G-Trax screenshots:

 

I've got an idea for future content for after this route comes out: "The Winter of '38 Scenario Pack"
Scenario 1: Take a mixed train out of Ridgway and over Lizard Head Pass
Scenario 2: Take a flange spreader to go dig out the train stuck at the top of Lizard Head
Scenario 3: Borrow an engine and rotary from D&RGW to go dig out the flange spreader that got stuck
Scenario 4: Borrow another engine from the D&RGW to go re-rail the other borrowed engine that derailed with the rotary
.....
Scenario 10: Take every available man with you on your last remaining engine to dig out the 5 other engines, rotary, Galloping Goose, and flange spreader still stuck at Lizard Head
.....
Scenario 13: Retrieve the engine you abandoned on the mainline several weeks prior now that the snow has melted and return it to the D&RGW

 

about accurate lmao

 

Scenario 25: the line is closing. Take the train for scrapping.

 

Also DTM is working on a U25B and U25C pack with BN and predecessor paint.

 

Looks interesting. I'm (slowly) working on the ex-Frisco mainline between Kansas City and Springfield, via Fort Scott, KS, set during some ambiguous time from the early 80s and late 90s-early 2000s. It would definitely be nice to have some Frisco content in the game, other than the SW1500 from ages ago.

Given that it's a DTM product however, I'm going to have to think about how much I really want it, since his stuff really isn't the greatest of quality IMO.

 

G-Trax now has a page up for their upcoming B&A route.
https://www.gtraxsims.com/


And photos of all 4 locos for the route

 

The U25B is interesting as a number of railroads had them so - repaints

 

DTM U25b Progress.

 

Included Rolling Stocks for DTM's U25s Pack:

 

DTM apparently forgot what era his loco was made for on the 2 Bay covered hopper.

 

How? Pretty certain those hoppers have been around since at least the early 70s

 

It's the yellow strips that's making the confusion

 

Smokebox S-6 update.

 

I'm taking about the yellow side striping, not the car itself.

Those should NOT be there in the era this pack is set.

 

Here's another look at what Machine Rail is up to per their most recent Facebook post:

An Illinois Central 2-8-2:


And a Western Maryland I-2 Decapod:


In that same post, they've stated that they'll soon begin work on a Frisco T-54 and a Pere Marquette N-1.

 

I'm not much of a steam guy but...

 

...

 

Ooh, what is this? I don't think it's Boston and Albany, is it? I didn't think BNSF went there.