Steam: South African Garratt

LAST EDITED ON Mar-01-04 AT 02:01 AM (EST)

Please forgive me posting this in the MTS area but there will no doubt be a lot of people who would be interested but don't visit the other fora.For steam-sim buffs, you simply must visit this site and download the beta (9MB download).
It is, without a shadow of a doubt, the best steam driving sim to date........and it is still a work in progress!Basic control only at this time - reverser, regulator and train brake - but the physics are excellent, the graphics are brilliant, the interface (mouse LB/RB + key) is so smooth, and the sound......!Note:....the cab sways and bobs as the train speed increases!Two trains to enjoy, both hauled by the Beyer-Garratt. One is a 13-coach passenger and the other a mixed goods (freight) train.The "route" appears to be endless......I reached 102 kilometres before having to quit......is prototypically South African and is a mix of grades and sweeping curves.Anyway....go and grab it, read the ReadMe for the control info, and take part in a steam-driving experience the likes of which you have not found in anything up until now.http://homepage.ntlworld.com/slsim/Bruce.

AustRail

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RE: Steam: South African Garratt., K36487, Mar-01-04, 05:57 PM, (1) RE: Steam: South African Garratt., whleighton, Mar-01-04, 06:09 PM, (2) RE: Steam: South African Garratt., Woozley, Mar-01-04, 11:57 PM, (3) RE: Steam: South African Garratt., Vern, Mar-02-04, 02:55 AM, (4) RE: Steam: South African Garratt., philskene, Mar-02-04, 05:40 PM, (5) RE: Steam: South African Garratt., brucek, Mar-02-04, 09:03 PM, (6) RE: Steam: South African Garratt., Yank84, Mar-02-04, 10:51 PM, (7) RE: Steam: South African Garratt., macey, Mar-03-04, 05:23 AM, (8) RE: Steam: South African Garratt., black5, Mar-03-04, 03:49 PM, (9) RE: Steam: South African Garratt., brucek, Mar-03-04, 11:16 PM, (11) RE: Steam: South African Garratt., Bill Hobbs, Mar-03-04, 09:42 PM, (10) RE: Steam: South African Garratt., Johansteam, Mar-03-04, 11:28 PM, (12) RE: Steam: South African Garratt., brucek, Mar-04-04, 01:19 AM, (13) RE: Steam: South African Garratt., Tim Frost, Mar-04-04, 02:52 AM, (14) RE: Steam: South African Garratt., brucek, Mar-04-04, 06:20 AM, (16) RE: Steam: South African Garratt., Johansteam, Mar-04-04, 03:44 AM, (15) RE: Steam: South African Garratt., OhioCentral6325, Mar-06-04, 12:11 PM, (17) RE: Steam: South African Garratt., niknak, Mar-06-04, 03:21 PM, (18)

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I'm not Garratt fan, but it is one awesome sim!!
Future Cumbres & Toltec or Durango & Silverton Engineer. Go to my informative K-36 page:
http://www.freewebs.com/drgwk36 Visit the Pheasant Hill Railroad's (My G-scale) official site!
http://www.freewebs.com/phrrVisit the Red Mountain Gorge Narrow Gauge R.R.'s official
site:
http://groups.msn.com/MSTSNarrowGauge/narrowgaugerouteformsts.msnw

*Proud to be a "Friend" of the Cumbres & Toltec.*

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Hey Bruce,Thanks for the link. I had a very early version of this and I thought it was a dead project.Thanks again,Bill

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Somebody hire this guy !!!If this simulator becomes freely extendable it could give the commercial products a run - I'm in for content creation if he needs it.PW

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Magnificent - lots of little touches too like the oil splatters on the glass spectacle plate.A lot of work still to do with the full control interface and of course whether the route will be fully signalled etc., but I was quite happy blatting along at 70 - 75 km/h as things stand.

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Bruce -No need to ask for forgiveness with this one - just my thanks for drawing it to our attention.This is outstanding! Well worth trying.A few rough edges, like not being able to control the locomotive in the external view, but the graphics are very smooth and the atmosphere of being there great.It will be interesting to see how this develops.Many thanks,
Phil

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The "route" appears to be endless......I reached 102 kilometres before having to quit......It's not a self-generating line.
It runs for another 58 km (total 160 kilometres) before terminating at another platform.This is good news, because it means that routes, signalling and operations may well be a future possibility.
A self-generating line would not allow any of that.Bruce.

AustRail

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OH!! YES!!! This is incredible! This is what MSTS should be!!!
The amount of realistic control that is avalible now is far better than anything in TS (in my humble opinion). And this is a work in Progress!!!!!!!!!!! OH My Stars!! Mr. Vockerodt, you deserve the thanks of every "Steam Head" in the world who can access your program. You know you have mine. Thank you Mike the Yank

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this is a great game.. if u dont have it u should get it.. if u do have it than tell other people to get it.. a game all train fans will love..

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Is that sim accurate in terms of driving (a real challenge...lovely!!!)or is MSTS just too easy(as in got the 'physics wrong' again!!??).
Do you use the regulator or the reverser for driving it...???
Let's hope MSTS2 ..etc etc..!!!

Georges

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Do you use the regulator or the reverser for driving it...???Both, and usually in conjunction with each other.Watch how the AI (press the Tab key so that the vacuum flask disappears from the little shelf above the firebox) handles the job then try it yourself.
You'll see that the reverser and the regulator are moved in small increments, a couple of "clicks" at a time - no large movements.Bruce.

AustRail

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I just tried this sim today. This should give both Microsoft and Trainz folks a pause. I hope he can expand the basic ideas: I would be a customer if it continues.

Bill Hobbs

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Charl,
Here you go! Please give some encouraging words to all of us.
Johan.

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Johan!
G'day from Oz!
Remember BVE and Heavy Coal? Could you please contact me via e-mail? It's in my profile.Thanks,
Bruce.

AustRail

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This is remarkable. I'd seen the next most previous version, and though impressive, it was nothing compared to this.I'm not a fan of steam any more than I am other types of train, but the detail and accuracy in this sim is fantastic... as Vern noted, the soot and grease on the glass, also the ambient noise as the train rolls along.The groundwork is in for what could be quite a remarkable simulator... Tim Frost

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also the ambient noise as the train rolls alongAnd the sighing of the breeze when viewing in the F3 mode.
Now that is a neat touch!Bruce.

AustRail

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Hi Bruce,
Yes, I remember it well. Ok, will contact you from home...( 3 hrs from now.) No E-mail facility here.
Johan.

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This sim is excellentThe sound and performance charateristics far exceed anything on the market today. Train Simulator does a good job of replecating diesel-electrics from the 1930's up to the modern day. But its steam has always been lacking. Probably because of the increased difficulty of modeling steam and a lack of steam knowledge.I have heard good things about MSTS add-ons for British steam, but I'm yet to try them. Anyway, if you are a steamfan, this trial sim is a must. Fortuantely, the trial is easier to operate than it should be. Mainly because the boiler pressure maintains it self at full operating pressure no matter what your throttle settings are.So give it a try, it's free, and you wont regret it. If you like feathering the whistle, this locomotive is one you've got to have.Mike

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I've been following this simulation for a year or two now and it really amazed me in version 1. Now it's even more amazing! Mike mentioned the whistle. I've checked the files but it doesn't appear to be a wav file. Anyone know if it's possible to migrate it into msts? (Author's permission accepted of course.)Nick. (UK)

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