Woodhead Line - Released 26th January! - Railworks 3

RailSimulator.com have now announced the official release date for the Woodhead expansion pack for Railworks 3. The scheduled release is now for 26th January. The following was taken from the RailSimulator.com website.

The Woodhead Line, complete with Class 76 electric locomotive, will be available as an expansion pack for Train Simulator 2012 from 26 January. Running from Sheffield to Manchester, the Woodhead Line was a vital link across the Pennines for the transportation of coal, and of course passengers. Electrification of the line in the 1950s saw the introduction of the Class 76 (as it later became known by British Rail), which hauled trains over the viaducts and through the famous Woodhead Tunnels alongside the steam locomotives of the day. Traffic reduced in the 1970s and the line finally closed in the early 1980s.

Now sadly missed by many who remember this wonderful scenic line in its glory days, the 60-mile Woodhead Line will soon be alive once again in Train Simulator 2012. Complete with the Class 76, plus 8F and Class 08 locomotives, the Woodhead Line will be available from 26 January.

Class 153 Advanced - Railworks 3

Just Trains have posted a new video on Youtube giving a preview of the advanced version of the Class 153 and all of the included features. If you already own the Class 153, you should be eligible for a free upgrade to this newer version. The expected release date is 25th January.

Bishop Auckland to Darlington - Railworks 3

Just Trains have announced an upcoming route release for Railworks 3, the modern day Bishop Auckland to Darlington branch line in North East England, part of the famous Stockton and Darlington Railway which opened in 1825. More information can be found on the Just Trains website.

Iron Horse House - Class 25 Upgrade - Railworks 3

Iron Horse House have announced the next of their stock upgrades to take account of TS2012 technology, the Class 25 pack. This pack is a free upgrade for all existing owners or otherwise is priced at £9.99 + VAT.

As usual, this is a very highly detailed model and comes in both the 25/0 and 25/3 variants along with eight scenarios. More details can be found here.

ICE 1 - Available 19th January - Railworks 3

It has been announced that the ICE 1 will be released this Thursday (19th January) for Railworks 3 via the Steam Store. The following is taken from the RailSimulator.com website.

Available from 19 January with all new scenarios!

The ICE (Intercity-Express) is Germany’s high-speed flagship, linking cities such as Frankfurt, Mannheim, Berlin and Hamburg in great comfort and with short journey times. The 410-metre long ICE train is capable of up to 300kph (186mph) and looks after its passengers with air conditioning, electric power points, on-board music and radio listening and more. It also looks very sleek and impressive on the move! Developed by Virtual Railroads and fully optimized for TS2012, the ICE 1 is a recreation of the original ICE 1 trains introduced at the beginning of the ICE services in 1991, which have since been refurbished and improved for the 21st Century. With realistic features including automatic drive and brake control and moveable cab blinds, plus more than 20 scenarios on the Haagen-Siegen and Seebergbahn routes including free roams, the TS2012 ICE 1 offers hours of exciting high speed driving.

If you want to drive something cool, you need the ICE… available 19 January.

Fort Kent Eagle Lake "Optimized" - Railworks 3

It has been announced that the Fort Kent Eagle Lake route for Railworks 3 will receive optimization to include TS2012 features. It is to be released this Thursday (19th January) and will be free of charge to existing users of the product. The following is taken from the RailSimulator.com website.

Available from January 19, the Fort Kent – Eagle Lake expansion pack has been optimized for Train Simulator 2012.

Developed by All Aboard, Fort Kent – Eagle Lake is set in the state of Maine, USA and runs for 19 miles almost to the Canadian border. The local industries provide plenty of switching work for the railroad engineers, and hours of entertainment for TS2012 players. Fort Kent – Eagle lake includes 20 scenarios so you have plenty of time to learn your way around this rural route with its industrial yards and small passenger stations.

Optimized from January 19 and upgraded free of charge to owners of the original version.