Skodatrainz

2011-09-12T15:14:00.000+01:00

September already .... how time flies when you're having fun !

Been busy extending and updating the Midshire route so I thought I'd post a few screenshots to show whats been done so far .

Minimap showing new extensions (Grey boards) . There's a few more to add yet !!
Plus 2 views of Tyscot yard on the extensions south from Glauston Central .
Based on one side of a yard with a similar sounding name in the West Midlands .

Hungry hippo

2011-07-01T14:56:00.000+01:00

It's been a while since I posted any updates , I've been busy helping a couple of trainzers with their routes but I'm not allowed to post any screenshots until they are completed , so I've not really had anything to show up till now .....

The Alstom built class 175 or "Hippo" as they are nicknamed .
An older shell that was originally built for my son ,
I'm now in the process of remapping and updating
the textures ready for a general release .

HST update : The power cars are almost complete along with the matching Mk3 coaches which are about 75% complete.

High Speed Trainz ....

2011-04-04T14:05:00.000+01:00

Currently in the Gmax works....

Midshire Mainline route map

2011-03-17T20:01:00.000Z

A simple route map to tie the location of the route in with the timetables in my previous post .

Being Midlands based this is how I see and operate the route .
The route was designed though not to represent any specific area so that users can base the route in which ever area they choose .

Midshire Mainline Timetables....

2011-03-15T19:59:00.000Z

Had a spring clean today and found some old BR timetables I'd put away for a rainy day....

Mk 1 style Catenary

2011-03-10T22:28:00.001Z

Next up after tackling parts of the Mk3 style Catenary comes the harder stuff .... Mk1 !!

Midshire Mainline

2011-01-24T14:27:00.002Z

Now available to download from the Auran DLS .

An excellent modern image UK electrified route produced by Fudginator

with additional signalling ,track alterations , remodelled catenary system and custom buildings produced and added by myself .

With many thanks to Fudginator for allowing me to alter and add to his already excellent route.

Also IC125 for his near continuous testing of the routes AI capabilities.

We are already planning the next route ........

Stafford 1980's ...

2011-01-03T20:37:00.003Z

Into the new year so it's time for a blast from the past.....

Parkway

2010-12-30T01:40:00.000Z

Pretendolino goes green...

2010-12-23T12:34:00.001Z

Extendolino

2010-12-02T22:50:00.000Z

Due to arrive in the UK tonight is newly built 390054 the first of the 11 car Pendolino's ....

Going European...

2010-11-09T20:40:00.001Z

Austrian to be more precise ...

For those night time journeys .

Apendositus !!

2010-09-18T00:08:00.001+01:00

Love it or hate it the unit railway is here now !!

Woodhead Electrics

2010-09-17T23:10:00.003+01:00

Another one of my passions is all things Woodhead ..... The route , the loco's , the traffic all long since gone (30 years next year (2011)) .
I was too young to have travelled over the route in it's DC days but I do remember the 506's on early 80's trips to Manchester Piccadilly and seeing the wires on the over bridge north of Sheffield (Midland) on a trip up to york and the NRM in 1980 (Also seeing a Deltic at York later in the day ..... but that's another story ! ) .

Being an " Electric" man the route has always fascinated me and for a few years we've been blessed with a compatible "Woodhead type" OHLE system in Trainz , but with only "Tommy" the original class 26/76 to keep the copper wires clean boredom set in not long after....

Until about a 2 weeks ago ......

Using the original "Tommy" shell TMZ06003 has been allowed to superbly recreate the Woodhead "Beast of Burden" the Class 76...... and what a Beast it is :-)

The shots show Hadfield station (top) and Torside crossing (bottom 3) .

Info on the Woodhead route is plentiful either via the Interweb , DVD or Reading material .

Interweb :
The last day 17/07/81 on YouTube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IEGq-OGwTwU
EM1's + EM2's                              http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UuJ-urypCa0
woodhead line July 1981                http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zT0iZy-wUqc

The woodhead site                         http://www.thewoodheadsite.org.uk/

DVD :

Cinerail the woodhead route           http://www.cinerail.com/archive-series-volume-1.html

Reading Material
Woodhead the Electric railway       http://www.transportdiversions.com/publicationshow.asp?pubid=3030

There are numerous other websites , DVD's and Books . I'll try to add a few more over time .

Who said grey boards can't be sexy ..... !!!

2010-09-17T22:14:00.001+01:00

Testing times ahead for Trainz ....

2010-05-24T15:02:00.000+01:00

Ipswich

2010-05-21T17:38:00.000+01:00

Ipswich station......

what a great place to go for a day out watching trains . Its a proper day out too , being based in the Midlands means its at least a 3 to 4 hour journey to get there but well worth it : 90's , Mk3's , DVT's , 90's , Liners , 321's ,153's , 90's , 156's , 170's and more ..... oh did I mention the 90's ;-) .

So with the canvas called Trainz .......

Special delivery....

2010-05-20T13:34:00.002+01:00

Work on updating the class 325 shells is almost complete with just the ACS extras to be added to the cab front .....

No warning on this fag packet...

2010-05-14T01:58:00.000+01:00

Received the brand new and superb looking Mk3's from JN114 and after spending most of my time sorting the Intercity swallow livery I just had to try out this livery .....

I can finally consign my battered and bruised versions to the recycle bin !!

May updates and retextured seats !!

2010-05-12T14:41:00.003+01:00

Wow !!

It's been a while since I wrote on this Blog .

Not had much time for the blog as I've been busy trying to clear the backlog of content from my old website that I need to upload to the Auran DLS . Trouble is the reskinners on the full size railway keep coming up with new and exciting livery ideas and well ..... I like a challenge !

I was brought up in the era of BR blue and often wonder if I would still have as much fun with reskinning if everything on the real railway was in just one corporate colour scheme ? I like to think that there's enough liveries out there to give all the UK skinners something to work on without too much treading on toes , but I shudder to think how much fighting there would be be if there was only one corporate livery !!

Enough of my ramblings , here's some pics of my current and finished work ...

Retextured seats ......

your probably wondering why I added that to the title ? Well I've spent most of today remapping the textures on some seats for a project that I'm assisting a fellow Trainzer (JN114) on....

Stafford

2009-11-08T09:09:00.002Z

Stafford station : This was my favourite place to watch AC electrics back in my teenage years in the 80's .A steady mix of roarers (81 & 85's) 86 87's and 90's (towards the end of that decade) EMU's 304's and 310's and not forgetting the diesels , 25's , 31's , 37's , 40's , 47's ,56's , 58's ! The only time I saw the APT actually in use was when it came south through Stafford , I had to pinch myself to see if I wasn't dreaming...

It was always brought up on the visits about how I would love a model of Stafford in 00gauge with all the above plus a few extras thrown in but obviously reality would kick in when you needed to decide whether to spend what little pocket money I had on food or the latest copy of Motive power monthly !

So 20+ years later and I now have the means to build Stafford station and it's surroundings not in 00 but in a virtual setting ....

2009-11-01T14:40:00.003Z

The East Warwickshire Line

2009-11-01T14:22:00.001Z

A Fictitious route I'm working on which is based on the idea that the Hampton in Arden to Whitacre junction line was extended southwards via the small village of Eastcote , to a triangular junction with the GWR Paddington to Birmingham Snow Hill line just south of Dorridge station. An additional connecting line was built in the 1970's to allow trains access off the line onto the Birmingham to Coventry route and into the newly opened Birmingham International station.

Traffic would include Wrexham and Shropshire services to and from London Marylebone , Cross Country services to and from Oxford , An hourly Chiltern Railways service from London to Birmingham International , London Midland stopping service from New street to Snow Hill (giving Solihull a direct service to the NEC and Airport) . Numerous freight services that would normally travel up via tyseley and Landor street junction could be diverted via this route and free up paths through Landor street junction.

The route in trainz is part complete , the area around Eastcote station being almost finished with only the track laid past this point in each direction . The route has been built using scale maps of the area though I decided not to use TransDEM and produce the topography myself .

There's a video of the Eastcote section of the route over on my YouTube channel Trainz action at Eastcote station .

A Start

2009-11-01T13:11:00.003Z

Well I've had this initial page up for a while so I thought it would be about time I made a start on posting....

I've decided to use this blog to basically show any progress I'm making on Routes , Content , Trains , Reskins etc that I'm producing for use in the Auran Trainz series of simulators... http://www.ts2009.com/

Posting on this blog will hopefully allow me to canvas my work without the inevitable rush of "when will it be released" or "Have you finished it yet" comments that follow any postings on forums , which ultimately generate friction between the veteran trainzers and the younger newcomers !

Right enough of my ramblings and on with the show.....