The RSC DLC k4 payware unit has been relettered in the North Eastern style. It is now available with new installation instructions. If you have the old one running then you do not need this one.
You can find it here North Eastern K4 and Tender
NEP - The NERW Enhancement Package v 2.0 by Doc (Machinist) Lisboa
This package enhances the lights on the following NERW engines, outside and in the cab.
NE - ES44AC Black NE - SD40-2 CSX-BC
NE - ES44AC Blue NE - SD40-2 CSX-BC-dirty
NE - F7 A Unit NE - SD40-2 CSX-Grey
NE - SD40-2 Black NE - SD40-2 CSX-S
NE - SD40-2 Blue NE - SD40-2 CSX-YN3
NE - SD40-2 CSX-YS
NE - K4s Steam Engine Clean
NE - K4s Tender Clean (now with soft rear lights)
NE - SW1200 Black NE - EMD GP9
NE - SW 1200 Black dirty
NE - SW1200 CSX NE - ES44AC Blue Eagle
NE - SW1200 CSX dirty NE - ES44AC Commemorative
NE - SW1200 HC
Note: NC and NN SW1200 engines weren’t enhanced.
You also get modfied popups windows that are more transparent and do not block your view out the window as much.
Bonus: A severe thunderstorm weather option. Lighting and dark skies.
Get it at NEP Version 2
Michael Stephan has released a patch to fix some minor functions of the CB&Q Big Horn Sub route. You can download it from the CB&Q main download page.
Driving Your Train by Jim Moeller
There have been a lot of articles in the past about getting out on the rails and going from point A to point B, and making cuts, picking up freight, and shuffling cars. These just simply cover the basics of it though. It's as though everyone has the knowledge and skills required to just jump into an engine and start moving cars around in any area. This just isn't true, and we know it on some level, but rarely think about it in any detail.
But what are we actually doing when we run a scenario? We are, in fact, simulating moving several thousand tons of material and cars over two small ribbons of steel, trying to keep (somewhat) to the schedule, fighting with visibility problems programmed into the scenario to keep things interesting, steep grades, darkness, and the realization that “These things don't behave like we expect them to some of the time”
When we're driving a train in Rail Works, we still, at times, think of it with the GAMING portion of our brains, and that's fine, until we get to the point where we go to make a pickup and we're watching the tail of a cut of 50-75 cars, and we start backing into a siding, and after 10 or 15 seconds of notching up the throttle, we discover that the end of our train isn't moving....initially, our instinct is to give it some more gas and get things moving. When we do this though, bad things can happen and it can get ugly very quickly. The rear of our train suddenly lurches toward the cut of cars to be picked up and smashes into them at a speed that, in the real world, would cause thousands of dollars in damage, injuries to the switching crew, and derailments.
Why is this? We're used to thinking of our train as a single unit, moving along the tracks, and for the most part, that's fine, but when we have to do something delicate, then things can go bad for us. Partly, I believe, is that what we don't realize is that what we're actually dealing with is more like a chain, in links, rather than a rod. Think about it, if you move a rod, then when the front moves, the rear moves, and everything is very predictable, but when we move a chain, things aren't quite so clear cut...especially if there's any slack in the chain. The front moves, but the rear does nothing until that slack has been taken up. Then if you're on any kind of an incline, as soon as you allow the front to move, the end of the chain is already in motion, and you have to slow down moving the head end, otherwise the tail end will become wildly unpredictable..
With a freight train of any length, the similarities become obvious in this analogy. How many times have we been stopped to make a pickup from a siding, and we go to the back of the train to keep an eye on our distances, give the engine a notch of throttle, and the rear just sits there? Then after, what seems like, an eternity, the rear end starts moving. Maybe slowly if we've been careful, or taking off like they've got a green board and miles of track? It can make you a bit crazy. If you're lucky, then you can jam on the brakes (not good in the real world), and slow things down and try again, but sometimes, all you can do is watch helplessly while the end of your train smashes into the cut of cars and sometimes cause a derailment and we get the dreaded view from the “Orbiting Helicopter”, and a note that says “You've screwed up”.
If we keep thinking of our trains as chains and not rods, then we can forestall a lot of problems, and the train will behave more like what we need it to. Slow applications of power...then wait to see. Switch between the head end view and the rear view to be sure of your progress. Rarely do you need much more than Notch 2 to get the train moving in either direction, and be sure to leave yourself enough room between where the train stops, and where you need to make the pickup, that way should you start off a little enthusiastically (planned or not), then you'll have time for corrections, and make your hook smoothly.
The thought that you not only have slack in your train when you start out applies equally to when you have to stop and possibly reverse. This is somewhat alien to us. In our everyday lives, unless we actually do work for a railroad, when we stop and start to backup, everything is moving in concert, but it's not so with 75+ cars behind us, each with their own inertia, and mass and friction...then we have to start thinking ahead of where we are (or well behind), and give the slack a chance to work itself out or we'll wind up with mashed knuckles again. The scenarios are written to have a good time, there isn't a time schedule (other than on the occasional PAX run) to make it from one point to another. Sometimes we need to clear a specific section of track by a certain time, but most writers of scenarios give us plenty of time to do this, so it's more of a steady movement from point A to point B, rather than an Indy car race or a drag strip. Like in the real world, our scenarios are written (whether consciously or not) with the thought of SAFETY FIRST. So go easy on the throttle and brakes. When you see or know that a stop or a slow order is coming up, start backing off and braking well in advance...I use a rule of 2 miles from standard track speed (50 or so) to start slowing down for a siding, farther for a stop, and sometimes even that's not enough I've found. I'm seriously considering making that 2.5 or 3 miles depending on the length of my train and what's required.
Which brings me to the scenario writers. If there's something coming up (which most of you writers are very good at), give us a heads up a mile or two ahead. It's kind of distressing when you come around a corner, or across a bridge and find that there's a flashing red indicating that you're going into a siding and you're still at 40 MPH. YIKES!!
So, there's my rant, and take it for what it's worth. This procedure helps me keep things under control and allows me to actually enjoy testing scenarios on a consistent basis. Let's get underway!
North Eastern ES44AC Commemorative Set
These are repaints of the default RW3 ES44AC. They are issued as North Eastern Commemoratives.
The purple swirl was painted by Joe XDriver.
North Eastern has been in operation since 2001. Each year from 2001 to 2012 are the engine numbers of the commemoratives. Making a total of 12 engines, 6 Purple Swirls and 6 Blue with the NERW Eagle.
In the scenario editor they are listed as:
NE - ES44AC Commemorative
NE - ES44AC Blue Eagle
No Crew version are also included and have NC prefixed to their name in the scenario editor.
They are installed to the standard folder structure of Assets\Kuju\RailsimulatorUS\Railvehicles\Diesel\ES44AC\NE_COMM and NE_BlueEagle.
Included in this is an updated texture for the NERW Blue ES44AC. It fixes the wrong yellow stripes on the back sides of the engine.
Unzip and install with the Railworks Package Manager.
File size - 17 meg
DOWNLOAD -> North Eastern ES44AC Commemorative Set
The NERW Container cars have been updated. There are now 23 of them. 20 have new container models and textures. Ten of the textures are by Rick Foss and 10 are by G-Trax. The G-Trax Huskies freeware is required to use these.
You can find them here. NEW NERW Container set
NERW GP9 in Blue
You must own the GP9 DLC package from Steam.
Install the RWP file with the Railworks Package Manager.
The unit will be installed to Railworks\Assets\RSC\GP9Pack01\RailVehicles\Diesel\GP9\NE_Blue.
In the scenario editor it will be prefixed with NE - to make it easier to find, like this NE - EMD GP9.
To finish the install, you must manually copy 2 geometry files from the CN GP9 folders.
1. Copy GP9_01.GeoPcDx from Railworks\Assets\RSC\GP9Pack01\RailVehicles\Diesel\GP9\CN\Engine
2. Paste it to Railworks\Assets\RSC\GP9Pack01\RailVehicles\Diesel\GP9\NE_Blue\Engine
3. Copy gp9_cab.GeoPcDx from Railworks\Assets\RSC\GP9Pack01\RailVehicles\Diesel\GP9\CN\CabView
4. Paste it to Railworks\Assets\RSC\GP9Pack01\RailVehicles\Diesel\GP9\NE_Blue\CabView
To use in a scenario you must have the RSC/GP9Pack01 turned on in the object browser.
The heads out view of this unit has been modified to be where you are actually looking out the side windows. A second engine file is also included that has no driver character. These have an NC in the display name, as in NE - EMD GP9 NC, standing for No Crew.
DOWNLOAD-> NERW GP9
North Eastern Rail Works - G-Trax Light Weights
This is a repaint of the G-Trax freeware Light Weight car set. The doors do not open on them when loading passengers. There is passenger view in the Observation car.
You can also get the freeware set in SP colors at http://www.gtraxsims.com/
Install the RWP with the package manager.
This unit will install to:
RW\Assets\NERW\RailVehicles\Trains
Their names are prefixed with NE - Ltwt_(car-name) in the scenario editor list.
Included are:
DOWNLOAD -> North Eastern Rail Works - G-Trax Light Weights
NERW Prototype PS-1 Boxcar set
This is a set of PS-1 Boxcars in protoype liveries I made by scanning my HO boxcars. I used Michael Stephan's PS-1 models.
Set includes the following:
DOWNLOAD -> NERW Prototype PS-1 Boxcar Set
NERW 40ft ACF Prototype boxcar set
This was set was almost abandoned but it cropped up in a few scenarios so we will be keeping it.
40 foot ACF Boxcar set
In 3 liveries
Repaint of Larry Goss model. These models do not use autonumbering. You only get one of each. They are conversions from my MSTS set.
DOWNLOAD -> NERW 40ft ACF Prototype boxcar set