Latest News
Page last updated
2300 31 Jan 2009
(AU Eastern Standard Time)
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Saturday 31 January 2009:
Released at last is the third and final instalment of Brian Bere-Streeter's Illawarra lines project - the Main Illawarra v3, based on the Main Illawarra railway lines running down the coastal strip of the Illawarra region of New South Wales, Australia, around the 1950 to 1960 period, from the Steam Platforms at Sydney Terminal to the terminus of the line at Bomaderry (Nowra). MSTS pioneer route-builder Paul Woozley's original "Illawarra Stage One" has been merged into and forms the southern part of this route.
The route includes the giant AIS Port Kembla integrated steelworks complete with 'private' steelworks lines enabling the user to simulate most of the steelworks traffic, including coal traffic, coke traffic, hot metal traffic, slag traffic, hot ingot traffic, and steel slabs and shapes traffic.
Other work includes about seven miles of the famed Moss Vale line which veered away from the Main Illawarra at Unanderra, and clawed its way over the Illawarra Escarpment in a series of long sharp curves on a fierce, but constant, grade of 1 in 30. This is taken only as far as the Illawarra Range Tunnel No. 1
Click here to go to the Main Illawarra page to commence downloading this route: the route is packaged in a Clickteam installer in both a single-data file installer as well as a multi-part installer for MSTS users on dial-up internet access. Xtracks 3.20 and Newroads 4.00 are required.
Thursday 25 December 2008:
Morning:Your Christmas present this morning proves that you don't need big presents to really enjoy Christmas. This morning Chris Nelson, Brian Bere-Streeter and team-ALCO are proud to release the exquisite Tumulla Bank route. Only 16km in length, the real Tumulla Bank tested the skills of the great steam drivers of the 50s and early 60s. You will delight in running trains both up and downgrade on this short, but challenging piece of railway infrastructure. Budding route-builders could benefit from examining this route and seeing that big is not necessarily better.
Click here to go to the Tumulla Bank page to commence downloading this route: the route is packaged in a single-file Clickteam installer. Xtracks 3.20 and Newroads 4.00 are required.
Afternoon: The Victorian Railways's North Eastern route of Russell Beer has now been added to the download lists! It's been upgraded to v1.2 by making all mainline junctions fully "noded", meaning that signals will now work correctly and interlocking will (hopefully) prevent collisions with AI trains in activities. Activities written for v1.0 will need to be updated with new paths.
Click here to go to the North-East page to commence downloading this route: the route is packaged in a EXE plus data pack (2-file) Clickteam installer. Xtracks 3.20, Newroads 4.00 and UKFinescale 3.1.6 are required - links for all of these are at right.
Monday, 01 December 2008:
It's back! And better than ever! The long-awaited upgrade of the Central West route is now available for download. There are new tracks, improved yards and access and many additional scenic items - Brian Bere-Streeter has performed a "makeover" on this popular route.
Click here to go to the CWRv1.6 page to commence downloading this route: the route is packaged in a Clickteam installer. Xtracks 3.20 and Newroads 4.00 are required.
Friday, 28 December 2007:
Well, Christmas is over and you've opened all your presents; in the interests of family harmony (mine), today's release was held over till now as this route is so engrossing you are likely to lose track of time.
Yes, Brian Bere-Streeter has been working hard on his "Northern Illawarra" route and this new version (v2) now covers all the way from Coniston (just south of Wollongong) to Sydney Central station. Sydney suburban goods lines are included as well.
This is an excellent piece of work - I thoroughly recommend it to you. Do read the PDF on installation as you will need some rolling stock to run the default activity.
"Northern Illawarra v2" awaits - Click here to go to the Ni2 page to commence downloading this route: the route is packaged in a single full installer (114MB or a three-part ~40MB installation package. Xtracks 3.20 and Newroads 3.30 are required.
Friday, 3 August 2007:
An old favourite is back - Mike Simpson's Blue Mountains route is back after a nine month holiday. Mike's route was one of the first for MSTS and has been much sought-after while it's been away.
Mike has modified the route to remove copyrighted images and well-known SAR route-builder Allan Lownsborough has given the route a once-over, adjusting track and terrain to add that final polish to the route. In addition, the route is one of the first in the world to be equipped with Wayne Campbell's Hidewire technology - an MSTS modelling technique that makes wire disappear over non-electrified parts of the route.
Blue Mountain v4.2 awaits your driving pleasure - Click here to go to the BM4 page to commence downloading this route: the route is packaged in a single full installer. An upgrade from v3.1 to 4.2 is also available.
Tuesday, 26 June 2007:
It's been three year in the making - over 6,000 hours of work: 1,300km track, 1,200km road and over 1,400 custom items - but it is with extraordinary pride and respect that I announce the immediate availability of Allan Lownsborough's epic route - Adelaide, Hills and South-East".
Extending from Serviceton in Victoria to Adelaide and beyond to Gawler in the north, from Mount Gambier in the south-east to Outer Harbour, from branches such as Victor Harbour, Mount Pleasant and Willunga to Adelaide, this is an incredibly detailed and polished route. You will marvel at the smooth trackwork, imperceptible changes of grade, realistic trackside foliage, trees and scenery. It's brought some old-time ex-SAR drivers to tears with its superb quality.
And now, finally, you can enjoy it, too.
Click here to go to the Adelaide page to commence downloading this masterpiece: the route is packaged in a one-shot installer with several options: single complete installer, multi-part complete installer, single upgrade-from-v1 installer, multi-part upgrade-from-v1 installer. Please note you must have the latest Xtracks (3.18 or higher) and Newroads 3.2 for this route to run properly.
Activities packaged with the route will give you a taste of the once-great SAR. Links to the rolling stock required are in the readme. Note also that while the Railpage server is down, steam4me is mirroring four James Brook's files: just read the download page and you'll be right.
Friday, 26 January 2007:
Simon Gray releases his long-awaited Puffing Billy route version 1 - 2'6" narrow gauge from Cockatoo up to Gembrook in the Dandenong Ranges of Victoria.
Click on the "Puffing Billy 1920s" link in Permanent Content at right to go to the download page for the route.
Please note you must have the latest Xtracks (3.17 or higher) and Newroads 3.2 for this route to run properly.
A range of additional locomotives, passenger and good vehicles will be released at a later date, as time permits. You will find rollingstock appropriate for this route in the "Steam Locomotive" section (scroll down to "nA") and the Passenger vehicle (scroll down to "NG Passenger")section.
Thursday 9 March 2006:
Allan Lownsborough's labour of love, the South Australian Adelaide and Hills route is now released and available for download.
Click on the "Adelaide & Hills" link in Permanent Content at right to go to the download page for the route.
Please note you must have the latest Xtracks (3.16 or higher) and Newroads 3.2 for this route to run properly.
Enjoy this magnificent work from Allan.
Please note that there will be a delay in the release of SAR locomotives and rolling stock for a couple of weeks due to other commitments by the webmaster. I apologise for any inconvenience, but time constraints at this time make further releases impossible.
Saturday 24 December 2005:
Chris Nelson and team-ALCO are proud to announce the much-anticipated release of Chris' "Central West" route from Orange to Dubbo
via either Molong or Wellington. Click on the "Central West" link in Permanent Content at right to go to the download page for the route.
Please note you must have the latest Xtracks (3.16 or higher) and Newroads 3.2 for this route to run properly.
Enjoy this Christmas release from Chris and team-ALCO.
Wednesday 29 June 2005:
Craig Walton's Mornington Railway ver 3 is now available for download. Click on the link below to reach the MR3 page.
The line has been extended from Mooroduc to Baxter giving a run of about 13km. The route is packaged in
a single 10MB installer and is a significant improvement over version 2.
Friday 24 September 2004:
Paul Woozley's "Illawarra Route is now available for download from these pages in a single
21MB installer.
This route is a highly detailed, delightful 40km single line through the lush open farmland
of the south coast of New South Wales.
Scroll down the page and click on the image of Kiama station for more details or click on
"Illawarra" link at right.
Wednesday 15 October 2003:
The long-awaited "Melbourne- Ballarat" route - an epic 110km route lovingly designed and
slaved over by Russell Beer for more than a year is now released and awaits
your downloading pleasure. Scroll down the page and click on
the image of Ballarat station.
Friday 10 October 2003: With the
addition of distant mountains, upgraded shapes and a path to run trains
on the ZigZag railway, the tireless Mike Simpson has upgraded "Blue Mountains"
yet again.
We've now released version
3.1 on this site in a "full install" version, an upgrade version
(upgrades 2 to 3.1), and a patch version (upgrades 3.0 to 3.1); click
here to jump to the link to the Blue Mountains page.
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INSTRUCTIONS
Click on the image to the
left of the description for more details and images of the route.
model and for instructions on how to commence downloading your model:
after downloading each item, full installation instructions
will be found in the readme.txt file located within each ZIP file, or you simply
run the .EXE file (from the web site or from your "Downloads" folder).
 Indicates
a Zip file: unzip, read the readme.txt file and extract. You're
on your own in setting up folders, copying across cabview and sound
files and folders, setting up consists, putting the files in their correct
positions etc. |
 Indicates
an EXE file which, after you've downloaded and run, will install the route
or other item for you. All files will be placed into newly
created correctly named folders. As close as it gets to "plug
and play". |
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