Marias Pass is now out.

[pschlik]

I can say I'm glad that I'm subscribed to RSC on YouTube, otherwise I wouldn't have heard about this and I'd still be playing SimCity! I'm surprising myself by not actually having it yet, and I'll say I'm being illogical and waiting until it's on sale, because, right now I can (but it might become unbearable soon). I also even have the money for it, but I want to wait for the sale! Anywho, RSC did an EPIC job on the screenies and the trailer, I think they did a very nice job overall and I can't wait until I buy it. Who knows, I might even get into scenario creation!

[Arklight]

Question regarding the ES44 models...

I noticed that the Engineer that sits on the right side is seated about 1 foot lower than the Conductor on the left. Is this normal in this loco or is it a bug?

[stuart]

Good man. I did a similar thing spread over three scenarios, but haven't done anything with them...

I'm sure you'll find that the abandoned tunnel between West Glacier (surely?) and Essex resulted from re-routing made possible by more advanced surveying technology? The route was known as the Hidden Pass IIRC, and the fact that they managed to cross the pass at all is pretty remarkable, so I guess the current line just represents an easier routing for modern needs.

There's a similar location just west of Browning where you can see evidence of the original routing.

Thanks for the info!& I was wondering what the embankment was for near Browning. You guys did a great job at adding all the small details and I must say I am enjoying this route! Just uploaded my second scenario to the workshop and working on a third!

Actually, I think the embankment there was already in the DEM. However I did manually put in the one near Lubeck lake, which was also another diverging line it would appear. Its quite astonishing how many areas on the route where they did diverge from the original.

[_o_OOOO_oo-Kanawha]

Apart from a few glitches in the Quality Control department, this route has been received favourably by most of us.

While the cab instrumentation on the ES44DC could still be better, the controls are improved considerably.
We now have a nine notch throttle lever, and a dynamic brake lever with a proper setup position and 8 subsequent DB notches.
Since the engine scripts are compiled lua now, it is not easy to tell wether the action is still linear or exponential. It will take some more effort to decipher the .out files and make possible alterations.

from me to RSC.

[Chacal]

But to RSC for not including the lua scripts now.

[PapaXpress]

They are called .OUT files. Still doesn't help though.

[_o_OOOO_oo-Kanawha]

.out is compiled/obfuscated .lua, probably made using the luac.exe from the Railworks root folder.

You can make a sort of cleartext out of the .out file, but it still doesn't equal the old enginescript.lua. Using the cleartexted .out you'll have to write your own .lua.
The old enginescripts still work, it is only the digital instrumentation and other recent features that have been added. So with some trial and error you can still set any engine to your hand.

Compiled lua and those mashed up textures are RSC's idea to keep the EULA enforced and the assets standardized and under their control. Making it difficult for us to repaint and tinker with the mechanics. Understandably for the console market, the Quick drivers and the Steam Workshop. But a real PITA for the railroad enthusiasts amongst us.
Notice that in the latest routes all of the signalling scripts are obfuscated as well, so as to maintain a route's integrity.

[PapaXpress]

Kanawha, all LUA scripts are being compiled. Even with the work that I do. RSC made it the default like DXT5. There are ways around it by compiling your textures using the command line and leaving out the alpha inter command (nice when you need binary alpha DXT3), but it is still a pain.

[buzz456]

Waaaaay off topic guys.

[_o_OOOO_oo-Kanawha]

Exactly, Papa. RSC wants to keep the platform closed and under control. For the sake of quality and integrity I can understand. For the sake of openness and expandability it is a nuisance.

They still don't seem to have grasped the USA market or listen to its US customers. Maria's Pass opens up new territory in the GN/BN/BNSF domain, so as a route it is OK. But like many posters said before me, with it should come more specific GN/BN/BNSF motive power, like those F45's, which also could be sold in Santa Fe livery for Cajon Pass. But what have we got for motive power over the last year or so apart from the very useful F40 and LordMannu's SD45: the Baldwin Centipede, a white elephant. Now a GP20 is in the works, which doesn't look that much different from a GP9 for me to start saving up for each and every paint scheme right away. I feel sorry for Reppo when the 'Pede and the GP20 won't sell to expectation, while one could be sure an AlCO PA, FM TrainMaster, U30 or GP40-2 would have sold well. At least I would be buying these, perhaps even full price, while I only will buy RSC's less appetizing offerings when at least 50% off. I really feel bad about the current policy of charging for every roadname and making repainting therefor impossible. It is totally against the nature of US railroading.

I feel reluctant to continue investing time and money in Railworks at the moment, as the persistent bugs like those darned couplers are still being ignored. Then there are the even more aggrevating bugs in the editors, many parts of the game's physics and execution that finally need to be eliminated if Railworks wants to grow into a simulator instead of a console game. When can we expect the first 'crash your train as best as you can' scenarios to please the Konsole Kiddies?

So I agree with Buzz here and let my wallet make the decision and wait for the next sale to pick up a few items down my list.

[MikeK]

We now have a nine notch throttle lever, and a dynamic brake lever with a proper setup position and 8 subsequent DB notches.

Wow, I never though we would ever see that! Does the brake pipe pressure recharge at realistic rates with this release?

[BNSFdude]

Everything has been made to work as the real stands do. The SW15s 26-L has a max release rate of 4.3psi/sec and apply rate of 2.5psi/sec. The ES44s KNORR electronic air brake is set up for 4.6 release 2.8 apply.

[Toripony]

I think RSC is getting better at U.S. landscape and "feeling". Like, there's a feeling that comes with seeing the traces of former routes/paths; it's the historical significance that's important to some of our routes and community. Sometimes it's the story that matters. Our landmarks and varied landscapes are part of our [relatively young] heritage and it's nice to see attention to those details.

[GSkid]

I'm looking forward to getting this route, but I'll wait until a sale. Bought a lot of content from RSC over the last few months, but haven't touched the sim in weeks. Why? For a couple reasons....

First... Steam had the March Madness sale and they reeled me in. Between that and some daily deals.... I purchased 17 games and game DLCs. I've been playing those a lot and have put my train sims on the back burner.

Second.... I was put off by some of the bugs in Railworks. Like when I made that video that had my SP SD45 keep derailing in the same spot time after time on Donner Pass. Then for whatever reason, it stopped derailing. The same problem happened with my ES44ACs in SB yard of Cajon pass. Then all of a sudden it stopped derailing. These derails all seemed to start happening after the sim update that happened a couple weeks before the SP SD45 was released. That's why I think it's an intermittent bug that was introduced with that update. Then there was the Donner Pass floating tracks issue when the new DP update was released. Now we had the coupler issues immediately upon release of Marias Pass. RSC doesn't seem to have quality control before things go out the door. We seem to be paying beta testers at times.

So I'm shaving back my spending on Railworks for the time being due to the issues in the sim and me fully engrossed in the games I bought on the Steam sales.

Otherwise this route looks great. I will get it eventually. Just not until a sale most likely.

[BNSFdude]

Now we had the coupler issues immediately upon release of Marias Pass. RSC doesn't seem to have quality control before things go out the door.

I assure you I had couplers before release. Some files seem to be lost between RSC and Steam Occasionally, and it isn't their fault.
Btw, despite them being gone for a day, they were back as soon as possible, and they also do not stretch or compress. They have realistic slack now.