In response to your important feedback on a variety of add-ons available for Train Simulator 2017 we have now released updates for the following Add-Ons.

Northeast Corridor: New York - Philadelphia

Improved a number of scenery assets and textures
Improved a number of object placement issues throughout the route
Fixed the moon to remove the black halo
Fixed an issue with road traffic throughout the route
Fixed an issue with floating track throughout the route
Fixed an issue with Simple controls on the AEM-7
Fixed an issue with dark Cab textures on the AEM-7
Fixed an issue that would cause the wipers to disappear on the AEM-7
Fixed an issue that caused couplings to stretch between the Amfleet coaches
Fixed a number of timetable issues in scenarios for the AEM-7
Fixed a number of text issues in scenarios for the AEM-7
Fixed 'The Big Apple' Free-roam scenario marker so trains can be selected

Amtrak Acela Express

Added a new Passenger View mode to the consist
Fixed an issue with the cruise control system
Fixed a number of timetable issues in scenarios
Fixed a number of text issues in scenarios

Amtrak HHP-8

Fixed an issue that caused couplings to stretch between the Amfleet coaches
Fixed the Quick drive consists to have the correct numbers of cars

PRR GG1

Fixed an issue with AI trains
Fixed a number of timetable issues in scenarios
Fixed a number of text issues in scenarios
The duration of scenarios are now properly represented

These updates will download automatically from Steam. If you have any problems/queries with regard to the update, leave a comment below or submit a ticket to our support site where our Support Team will be ready to assist.

If you own any of the above content, the updates will download automatically from Steam. If you have any problems/queries with regard to the update, leave a comment below or submit a ticket to our support site where our Support Team will be ready to assist.

In response to your important feedback on a variety of add-ons available for Train Simulator 2017 we have now released updates for the following Add-Ons.

Northeast Corridor: New York - Philadelphia

Improved a number of scenery assets and textures
Improved a number of object placement issues throughout the route
Fixed the moon to remove the black halo
Fixed an issue with road traffic throughout the route
Fixed an issue with floating track throughout the route
Fixed an issue with Simple controls on the AEM-7
Fixed an issue with dark Cab textures on the AEM-7
Fixed an issue that would cause the wipers to disappear on the AEM-7
Fixed an issue that caused couplings to stretch between the Amfleet coaches
Fixed a number of timetable issues in scenarios for the AEM-7
Fixed a number of text issues in scenarios for the AEM-7
Fixed 'The Big Apple' Free-roam scenario marker so trains can be selected

Amtrak Acela Express

Added a new Passenger View mode to the consist
Fixed an issue with the cruise control system
Fixed a number of timetable issues in scenarios
Fixed a number of text issues in scenarios

Amtrak HHP-8

Fixed an issue that caused couplings to stretch between the Amfleet coaches
Fixed the Quick drive consists to have the correct numbers of cars

PRR GG1

Fixed an issue with AI trains
Fixed a number of timetable issues in scenarios
Fixed a number of text issues in scenarios
The duration of scenarios are now properly represented

These updates will download automatically from Steam. If you have any problems/queries with regard to the update, leave a comment below or submit a ticket to our support site where our Support Team will be ready to assist.

If you own any of the above content, the updates will download automatically from Steam. If you have any problems/queries with regard to the update, leave a comment below or submit a ticket to our support site where our Support Team will be ready to assist.

18/11/2016

http://store.steampowered.com/app/448181/

Directly connecting England and Wales, running under the longest river in the United Kingdom, the South Wales Main Line is one of the most important cross border routes in the country, as featured in the beautiful new Extended South Wales Coastal route for Train Simulator.

Isambard Kingdom Brunel was rapidly expanding the Great Western Railway out of London Paddington. By June 1841, the line to Bristol had officially opened and set in stone was a railway line that has proven vital to the west throughout the years. To extend the usage of this revolutionary line, an extension was built out from Swindon and headed north towards Gloucester, only to then turn tail, breach South Wales and head for Swansea via Caldicot, Newport, Cardiff and Bridgend.
The new line to Swansea opened in 1850 and provided Wales with a much needed, albeit quite lengthy connection with London and other major towns along the Great Western Main Line such as Reading, Didcot, Swindon and Bristol. Until 1872, the railway was built utilising Brunel’s 7ft broad gauge, as was the entire GWR network. However, despite the potential benefits of this larger gauge over standard gauge, the latter was already gaining momentum as the primary choice for all railways and Swansea through to the west of England was rapidly converted.

A breakthrough for the residents of South Wales occurred in 1886 when the 4 mile, 624 yard-long Severn Tunnel finished completion after a difficult 13 year construction phase. The new tunnel was the longest in the UK, a record it held for over a century, only being superseded by the High Speed 1 tunnels surrounding Stratford in 2007. The tunnel allowed for a new route into South Wales which would bypass the line via Gloucester, massively decreasing journey times beyond no doubt. Following the opening of the new path under the Severn, the former Gloucester route became known as the ‘Great Way Round’.

The construction of the tunnel came with many struggles, thanks to a vast pool of water, separate to the Severn River, workers who were cutting away under the terrain were faced with multiple, and occasionally severe flooding. Having water pour into the bore of the tunnel on a constant basis was naturally a concern, so pumps were installed to move water away from the tunnel wall exterior in an effort to prevent major incidents.

Severn Tunnel Junction station opened as part of the new route, along with an extensive marshalling yard which would be used to easily distribute Welsh coal to London and the Midlands. Many of the heavy freight services in the steam era were not able to navigate the Severn Tunnel without a pilot or banker locomotive, as the steep gradients could easily bring a heavy service to a halt or cause almost uncontrollable acceleration. In the later years of British Railways, ex. GWR 5101 Class locos were used for this purpose.

With routes running to Bristol, Manchester and Gloucester, the line between Cardiff and Severn Tunnel Junction is 4 tracks wide to ease any potential congestion between the mix of express and local passenger services. With all the passenger services, and also the sheer volume of freight traction which is seen along the line, the tunnel itself has seen upwards of 200 trains run through it daily. In comparison, the railway beyond Cardiff and onto Swansea is only twin-tracked, providing a much more rural feel for the final stretch across South Wales.

Nowadays, the tunnel is accompanied by the M4 Motorway Bridge which connects London to Wales. The bridge, alongside the closure of much of the Welsh coal industry, has seen some decline in rail freight traffic however there are still industries keeping freight alive on the rails. Port Talbot, home to one of the largest steelworks in Europe, sees constant traffic out of its extensive railway yards and sidings, with steel trains travelling the breadth of the country. Back at Severn, the motorway bridge is carefully designed so to avoid putting any weight over the tunnel, as the increased pressure load on the walls could lead to flooding and collapse.
Today the line sees operations from Great Western Railway which mainly provide express services from London into Cardiff and Swansea with Arriva Trains Wales running both local and longer-distance journeys throughout Wales and beyond. One local service in particular, named Swanline, is an every-other-hour timetabled service that operates between Swansea and Cardiff Central. Swanline was introduced in in 1994 to coincide with 5 additional stations which had recently opened on the main line; Llansamlet, Skewen, Briton Ferry, Baglan and Pyle and was initially an hourly service formed of doubled up multiple units. In recent years, proposals have been assessed which aim to increase connections in the Swansea Bay area by cutting journeys off at Port Talbot, before returning to Swansea. Any resolution is yet to be brought into fruition.

The Great Western Main Line, and of course the South Wales Main Line, are currently undergoing a major redevelopment to ensure that the Greater West is well suited for the future. As decades have gone by, many of Britain’s key routes have been electrified to allow for higher speeds, cleaner trains, for both the environment and the passengers, and more comfortable journeys. The west coast, the east coast, the south coast, all these railways were fully fitted with electric capability by the end of the 20th Century. The Great Western Railway network however, despite being one of the busiest commuter corridors in the country, had managed to avoid the wires.

The South Wales Coastal – Bristol to Swansea route for Train Simulator recreates the 85 mile section of main line from Bristol Temple Meads and Bristol Parkway to Swansea, via the Severn Tunnel. Also included are a large selection of locomotives and freight wagons to replicate services on the line as seen today, including the Arriva Trains Wales Class 175 ‘Coradia’ DMU, Freightliner Class 70, DB Schenker Class 67 and Great Western Railways Class 43 HST.

18/11/2016

http://store.steampowered.com/app/448181/

Directly connecting England and Wales, running under the longest river in the United Kingdom, the South Wales Main Line is one of the most important cross border routes in the country, as featured in the beautiful new Extended South Wales Coastal route for Train Simulator.

Isambard Kingdom Brunel was rapidly expanding the Great Western Railway out of London Paddington. By June 1841, the line to Bristol had officially opened and set in stone was a railway line that has proven vital to the west throughout the years. To extend the usage of this revolutionary line, an extension was built out from Swindon and headed north towards Gloucester, only to then turn tail, breach South Wales and head for Swansea via Caldicot, Newport, Cardiff and Bridgend.
The new line to Swansea opened in 1850 and provided Wales with a much needed, albeit quite lengthy connection with London and other major towns along the Great Western Main Line such as Reading, Didcot, Swindon and Bristol. Until 1872, the railway was built utilising Brunel’s 7ft broad gauge, as was the entire GWR network. However, despite the potential benefits of this larger gauge over standard gauge, the latter was already gaining momentum as the primary choice for all railways and Swansea through to the west of England was rapidly converted.

A breakthrough for the residents of South Wales occurred in 1886 when the 4 mile, 624 yard-long Severn Tunnel finished completion after a difficult 13 year construction phase. The new tunnel was the longest in the UK, a record it held for over a century, only being superseded by the High Speed 1 tunnels surrounding Stratford in 2007. The tunnel allowed for a new route into South Wales which would bypass the line via Gloucester, massively decreasing journey times beyond no doubt. Following the opening of the new path under the Severn, the former Gloucester route became known as the ‘Great Way Round’.

The construction of the tunnel came with many struggles, thanks to a vast pool of water, separate to the Severn River, workers who were cutting away under the terrain were faced with multiple, and occasionally severe flooding. Having water pour into the bore of the tunnel on a constant basis was naturally a concern, so pumps were installed to move water away from the tunnel wall exterior in an effort to prevent major incidents.

Severn Tunnel Junction station opened as part of the new route, along with an extensive marshalling yard which would be used to easily distribute Welsh coal to London and the Midlands. Many of the heavy freight services in the steam era were not able to navigate the Severn Tunnel without a pilot or banker locomotive, as the steep gradients could easily bring a heavy service to a halt or cause almost uncontrollable acceleration. In the later years of British Railways, ex. GWR 5101 Class locos were used for this purpose.

With routes running to Bristol, Manchester and Gloucester, the line between Cardiff and Severn Tunnel Junction is 4 tracks wide to ease any potential congestion between the mix of express and local passenger services. With all the passenger services, and also the sheer volume of freight traction which is seen along the line, the tunnel itself has seen upwards of 200 trains run through it daily. In comparison, the railway beyond Cardiff and onto Swansea is only twin-tracked, providing a much more rural feel for the final stretch across South Wales.

Nowadays, the tunnel is accompanied by the M4 Motorway Bridge which connects London to Wales. The bridge, alongside the closure of much of the Welsh coal industry, has seen some decline in rail freight traffic however there are still industries keeping freight alive on the rails. Port Talbot, home to one of the largest steelworks in Europe, sees constant traffic out of its extensive railway yards and sidings, with steel trains travelling the breadth of the country. Back at Severn, the motorway bridge is carefully designed so to avoid putting any weight over the tunnel, as the increased pressure load on the walls could lead to flooding and collapse.
Today the line sees operations from Great Western Railway which mainly provide express services from London into Cardiff and Swansea with Arriva Trains Wales running both local and longer-distance journeys throughout Wales and beyond. One local service in particular, named Swanline, is an every-other-hour timetabled service that operates between Swansea and Cardiff Central. Swanline was introduced in in 1994 to coincide with 5 additional stations which had recently opened on the main line; Llansamlet, Skewen, Briton Ferry, Baglan and Pyle and was initially an hourly service formed of doubled up multiple units. In recent years, proposals have been assessed which aim to increase connections in the Swansea Bay area by cutting journeys off at Port Talbot, before returning to Swansea. Any resolution is yet to be brought into fruition.

The Great Western Main Line, and of course the South Wales Main Line, are currently undergoing a major redevelopment to ensure that the Greater West is well suited for the future. As decades have gone by, many of Britain’s key routes have been electrified to allow for higher speeds, cleaner trains, for both the environment and the passengers, and more comfortable journeys. The west coast, the east coast, the south coast, all these railways were fully fitted with electric capability by the end of the 20th Century. The Great Western Railway network however, despite being one of the busiest commuter corridors in the country, had managed to avoid the wires.

The South Wales Coastal – Bristol to Swansea route for Train Simulator recreates the 85 mile section of main line from Bristol Temple Meads and Bristol Parkway to Swansea, via the Severn Tunnel. Also included are a large selection of locomotives and freight wagons to replicate services on the line as seen today, including the Arriva Trains Wales Class 175 ‘Coradia’ DMU, Freightliner Class 70, DB Schenker Class 67 and Great Western Railways Class 43 HST.

11/11/2016

Today, we have released an update for the Arriva Trains Wales DMU Pack which adds the bonus First Great Western Class 158 livery!

As previously announced following the release of South Wales Coastal: Bristol-Cardiff, the bonus Class 158 in First Great Western Livery has been added to the Arriva Trains Wales DMU Pack! Owners will receive the update automatically on Steam, approximately 45 MB in size, to add the new livery to your collection. If you do not yet own the Arriva Trains Wales DMU Pack, now is the perfect time to pick it up from the Store and get that stylish FGW Class 158 Sprinting along the Greater West!

A total of 5 new Quick Drive consists are included, depicting numerous formations for the FGW Class 158, which are listed below:

• Class 158/7 First Great Western 2 Coach – A Leading
  
• Class 158/7 First Great Western 2 Coach – B Leading
  
• Class 158/7 First Great Western 4 Coach – A Leading
  
• Class 158/9 First Great Western 3 Coach – A Leading
  
• Class 158/9 First Great Western 3 Coach – C Leading

If you own the Arriva Trains Wales DMU Pack, the update will download automatically from Steam. If you have any problems/queries with regard to the update, leave a comment below or submit a ticket to our support site where our Support Team will be ready to assist.

11/11/2016

Today, we have released an update for the Arriva Trains Wales DMU Pack which adds the bonus First Great Western Class 158 livery!

As previously announced following the release of South Wales Coastal: Bristol-Cardiff, the bonus Class 158 in First Great Western Livery has been added to the Arriva Trains Wales DMU Pack! Owners will receive the update automatically on Steam, approximately 45 MB in size, to add the new livery to your collection. If you do not yet own the Arriva Trains Wales DMU Pack, now is the perfect time to pick it up from the Store and get that stylish FGW Class 158 Sprinting along the Greater West!

A total of 5 new Quick Drive consists are included, depicting numerous formations for the FGW Class 158, which are listed below:

• Class 158/7 First Great Western 2 Coach – A Leading
  
• Class 158/7 First Great Western 2 Coach – B Leading
  
• Class 158/7 First Great Western 4 Coach – A Leading
  
• Class 158/9 First Great Western 3 Coach – A Leading
  
• Class 158/9 First Great Western 3 Coach – C Leading

If you own the Arriva Trains Wales DMU Pack, the update will download automatically from Steam. If you have any problems/queries with regard to the update, leave a comment below or submit a ticket to our support site where our Support Team will be ready to assist.

10/11/2016

http://store.steampowered.com/app/376975

The S1 Line of the Hamburg S-Bahn is the city’s second largest, initially traversing the outskirts before diving into the heart and serving many locations including the nearby international airport. This historic line originated in the early 1900s, and still aids in the movement of people day in and day out. Take command of the ever-busy ‘Mass Transit Metro’ over the Hamburg S1 S-Bahn for Train Simulator!

Life, for what would become known as the Hamburg S-Bahn, began in 1906 with the opening of Hamburg Hbf where steam hauled services would run between Blankenese and the city itself. Despite the railway tracks in this area were not exactly ‘new’, this is the first time that they had been used in ‘rapid-transit’ style operations; as such, the new usage came under the name of the Hamburg-Altona Urban and Suburban Railway.

Extensions of the suburban service quickly followed, allowing connections with Hasselbrook and Ohlsdorf on the eastern face of Hamburg. It was also around this time when the decision was taken to electrify the line, by 1907, electric trains were utilising the, once current, overhead catenary throughout the city. It was at this point, when electricity was the source of motive power that the line fell into what could be categorised as an S-Bahn today. It would not be until 1924 that the Hamburg S-Bahn was so-named however, this occurred once the old Alster Valley Railway to Poppenbüttel was acquired and the route to Wedel was on-lease for suburban use.

By the 1930s, it was decided that the Hamburg S-Bahn could benefit from re-electrification, this time however, using 1200 V third rail. Similar in most respects to the Berlin S-Bahn, the introduction of third rail would provide more versatile power needs as trains and services got faster. The under-side contact method was chosen as standard, and the line saw a whole 450 V increase of Berlin’s offering, to further improve acceleration and performance. By 1939, all overhead was abandoned and third rail dominated the line. It would not be until 1959 that the line to Wedel was acquired and electrified.

In 1965, the Hamburg S-Bahn numbering scheme came into play and saw Wedel – Poppenbüttel, the second longest S-Bahn route, become known as the S1 Line. While the line has held a key importance throughout its life, be it steam powered, overhead-populated or otherwise, it was not until 2008 that the mere purpose of the line would change for the busier. An extension was built out of Ohlsforf station and headed westbound, only one station was on the new spur – Hamburg International Airport, the Airport Shuttle was born. Services would now split to serve Poppenbüttel and the Airport simultaneously, and naturally, a connection with the Airport has seen the S1 become even more vital to the growth of business and tourism within and surrounding Hamburg.

The Hamburg S1 S-Bahn features the 45 km route from Wedel to Poppenbüttel and Hamburg Airport as an extension to the existing 64 km Hamburg Lübeck Railway (also included in this single route totaling more than 100km of German railway).

The DB BR 474 Plus EMU is also included as key modern traction to the Hamburg S1 line; the traction included in Hamburg-Lübeck, DB BR 218, DB BR 145, DB BR 294 and associated rolling stock.

10/11/2016

http://store.steampowered.com/app/376975

The S1 Line of the Hamburg S-Bahn is the city’s second largest, initially traversing the outskirts before diving into the heart and serving many locations including the nearby international airport. This historic line originated in the early 1900s, and still aids in the movement of people day in and day out. Take command of the ever-busy ‘Mass Transit Metro’ over the Hamburg S1 S-Bahn for Train Simulator!

Life, for what would become known as the Hamburg S-Bahn, began in 1906 with the opening of Hamburg Hbf where steam hauled services would run between Blankenese and the city itself. Despite the railway tracks in this area were not exactly ‘new’, this is the first time that they had been used in ‘rapid-transit’ style operations; as such, the new usage came under the name of the Hamburg-Altona Urban and Suburban Railway.

Extensions of the suburban service quickly followed, allowing connections with Hasselbrook and Ohlsdorf on the eastern face of Hamburg. It was also around this time when the decision was taken to electrify the line, by 1907, electric trains were utilising the, once current, overhead catenary throughout the city. It was at this point, when electricity was the source of motive power that the line fell into what could be categorised as an S-Bahn today. It would not be until 1924 that the Hamburg S-Bahn was so-named however, this occurred once the old Alster Valley Railway to Poppenbüttel was acquired and the route to Wedel was on-lease for suburban use.

By the 1930s, it was decided that the Hamburg S-Bahn could benefit from re-electrification, this time however, using 1200 V third rail. Similar in most respects to the Berlin S-Bahn, the introduction of third rail would provide more versatile power needs as trains and services got faster. The under-side contact method was chosen as standard, and the line saw a whole 450 V increase of Berlin’s offering, to further improve acceleration and performance. By 1939, all overhead was abandoned and third rail dominated the line. It would not be until 1959 that the line to Wedel was acquired and electrified.

In 1965, the Hamburg S-Bahn numbering scheme came into play and saw Wedel – Poppenbüttel, the second longest S-Bahn route, become known as the S1 Line. While the line has held a key importance throughout its life, be it steam powered, overhead-populated or otherwise, it was not until 2008 that the mere purpose of the line would change for the busier. An extension was built out of Ohlsforf station and headed westbound, only one station was on the new spur – Hamburg International Airport, the Airport Shuttle was born. Services would now split to serve Poppenbüttel and the Airport simultaneously, and naturally, a connection with the Airport has seen the S1 become even more vital to the growth of business and tourism within and surrounding Hamburg.

The Hamburg S1 S-Bahn features the 45 km route from Wedel to Poppenbüttel and Hamburg Airport as an extension to the existing 64 km Hamburg Lübeck Railway (also included in this single route totaling more than 100km of German railway).

The DB BR 474 Plus EMU is also included as key modern traction to the Hamburg S1 line; the traction included in Hamburg-Lübeck, DB BR 218, DB BR 145, DB BR 294 and associated rolling stock.

Following on from our previous Developer Diary, we are pleased to present you with our next Train Sim World: CSX Heavy Haul Developer Diary episode. This time our team shares more details about the beautiful environment possibilities that Unreal Engine 4 delivers and how this represents a new standard for routes – a first for train simulation. Take in the breathtaking sights of Sand Patch Grade, soon to be featured in Train Sim World: CSX Heavy Haul Beta in early December.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ni-HlKF8AH0

Following on from our previous Developer Diary, we are pleased to present you with our next Train Sim World: CSX Heavy Haul Developer Diary episode. This time our team shares more details about the beautiful environment possibilities that Unreal Engine 4 delivers and how this represents a new standard for routes – a first for train simulation. Take in the breathtaking sights of Sand Patch Grade, soon to be featured in Train Sim World: CSX Heavy Haul Beta in early December.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ni-HlKF8AH0