Armstrong Powerhouse - Class 168/170/171 Enhancement Pack - Coming Soon

Although some of you are no doubt already aware, Armstrong Powerhouse have recently announced their newest upcoming release, the Class 168/170/171 enhancement pack. I am fully aware many users don't use Facebook, so i've pulled together a selection of screenshots that have been shown on the Armstrong Powerhouse page.

Although I cannot see any details regarding features in the pack, it was confirmed that there are a massive 23 liveries included, some of which are shown below.

For those who do wish to view the Armstrong Powerhouse Facebook page, you can do so by clicking here.

 

Weekend Showcase - North Wales Coastal - The Eighties

I'm often asked about routes, or stock that can be used on certain routes in particular time periods and there isn't always a simple answer, different people own different things.

I've therefore decided to do a weekly screenshot showcase to offer a view of a particular route in a particular time period, these will generally range from the 1970's through to modern day. At this moment in time we now have a vast range of rolling stock available for Train Simulator and although there are still gaps, it's possible in most cases to run prototypical rolling stock on many routes covering a large time period. In some cases the route itself may not look exactly how it did in the time period depicted, but a little imagination can go a long way.

This first showcase features the North Wales Coastal route from Crewe to Llandudno and depicts rolling stock in the 1980's when blue was still very much the colour of choice.

150143 awaits departure from Crewe with a Chester shuttle service - September 1988

90002 sits at Crewe Electric TMD after a traction motor failure earlier that morning - June 1988

142052 & 142001 wait time at Chester before departing on a service to North Wales - February 1987

33045 rumbles through Shotton with a Crewe to Bangor service - April 1986

45144 approaches Prestatyn on a Newcastle to Llandudno service. This locomotive would shortly be withdrawn and scrapped the following year - August 1987

25083 takes the centre road at Rhyl with a rake of ballast empties bound for Penmaenmawr - July 1983

156408 & 142053 call at Colwyn Bay whilst working a Stalybridge to Llandudno service - March 1989

56082 breaks the silence at Llandudno Junction while heading back to Fiddlers Ferry to collect more flyash for the A55 Expressway construction project - May 1983

31101 stands at Llandudno and is due to form a service to Manchester Victoria later that morning - August 1989

A 2-car Metro Cammell Class 101 DMU passes under the iconic town walls at Conwy while working a service from Blaenau Ffestiniog to Llandudno - May 1986

If you have any questions about the rolling stock or repaints used above, feel free to leave a comment below.

Dovetail Games - Steam Publisher Weekend Sale

The latest publisher sale on Steam is dedicated to Dovetail Games this weekend. With discounts of up to 75% and with many items at 50% off, there are some bargains available. The base TS2018 package which includes the North Wales Coastal line is also part of the sale with 50% off at only £12.49.

You can access the Steam sale page by clicking here.

 

CRH2A EMU - Now On Steam

Today has seen another add-on released on Steam for Train Simulator in the form of the CRH2A EMU from Union Workshop and Just Trains. This high speed train includes six scenarios, four for the South West China High-Speed Network and two for the Western Sichuan Pass route. The following is taken from the product page:

Authentically crafted high-speed action awaits you with the striking CRH2A for Train Simulator! Experience an integral part of the Chinese railway network’s modern history with this revolutionary locomotive.

To compete with road and air traffic, the railway network of China needed a massive improvement to average journey times. This was done through several rounds of “Speed Up” campaigns, which saw dramatic changes to the infrastructure between 1997 and 2004.

The next stage however would be the most radical, the construction of passenger-dedicated high speed links between cities, and of course brand new traction to run upon them. The first of these new lines opened in 2007, and a handful of modern electric multiple units were especially constructed for the job, one of which was the CRH2A.

Unlike the state-of-the-art traction introduced nowadays, which is uniquely designed, the first generation of Chinese high-speed EMUs were built to various existing family designs from companies across the world; Bombardier delivered the CRH1, and Alstom the CRH5, however the CRH2, specifically the 2A, was from Kawasaki in Japan and entirely derived from the E2-1000 Series Shinkansen of JR East.

The first of the CRH2A EMUs was delivered as early as March 2006 and the fleet would enter service 13 months later. Despite being Shinkansens, only a few train sets were actually constructed in Japan, a handful more were sent in knock-down form as a ‘kit’ for CSR Sifang who would produce the rest of the fleet by means of technology transfer from Kawasaki, Mitsubishi and Hitachi. The initial order of CRH2A EMUs called for 60 sets, however a further 40 would be ordered by 2010, a tell-tale sign of in-service success.

Capable of 250 km/h, the 100-strong fleet of 8-car CRH2A EMUs rapidly revolutionised travel in China, and helped lay the foundation of the record-breaking high-speed network which today outmatches all others. While not related to the Shinkansens like the CRH2A, further derivatives such as the ‘2B’ and ‘2C’ would further decrease journey times, and rather importantly, the Shinkansen/CRH2 family was chosen as the basis of the landmark CRH380A.

You can access the Steam store page for this product by clicking here.

 

Medway Valley Line - Rolling Stock

Following the recent announcement that the Medway Valley line is coming soon to Train Simulator, a further announcement has now been made that shows which rolling stock will be included and the biggest surprise comes in the form of a Class 59/0 locomotive. The rolling stock is as follows....

Class 59/0 

Class 59/2

Class 375

Class 377

Class 465

JNA, JHA, MEA, MFA and MXA freight wagons.

With such a range of rolling stock provided with the route, it should be possible to create many third-party scenarios that do not require a great deal of additional requirements.

More information on this announcement can be found on the Train Simulator website by clicking here.

Bessemer & Lake Erie Route - Coming Soon

Developed by well respected developers G-TraX, it has been announced that their new route is coming soon to Train Simulator.

Set in the 1920's, the Bessemer & Lake Erie route includes the 140 mile (approx) main line from Conneaut, Ohio to North Bessemer, Pennsylvania along with various secondary branch lines to different points of industry.

More information on this announcement along with further screenshots can be found on the Train Simulator website by clicking here.

All screenshots taken by Gary Dolzall.