A true newbie

[emd guy]

I just installed TS2012 and Steam. Way out of my comfort zone. I have been a railroader for 25 years and have a young son halfway across the country that loves trains so I am trying to get accustomed too it so he and I can eventually play online.
All this stuff about downloading, Steam, and that sort of thing is WAY over my head. Just getting here has been a real stretch for me.

Anyway, I am VERY impressed with program and what everybody has been creating. Glad to try and help where I can but I am rookie at forums, developing this sort of thing, etc. I can offer all sorts of technical hoopla and "real world" info on EMD's as I was a field engineer for them for about 15 years and travelled extensively. I was also a mech superintendent for shortlines, and now work at a Class 1 and do consulting on the side.

Thanks

[Samwolf]

Welcome to RWA. You'll find many people here wiling to help with any questions you have and I'm sure your RR knowledge will be put to good use here.

[LoneWolfDon]

Welcome aboard to the wonderful world of RailWorks.
It can be a bit daunting at first, but just go at your own pace, little by little you'll better get the hang of things.
The main thing (for me anyways) is to just try to have fun with it.

Best wishes,
--Don.

[KCJones]

Wecome aboard. As mentioned earlier, the main thing is to have fun, go at your own pace and do the things you enjoy.

Dick C.

[emd guy]

To All.

Thank you all for the kind greetings. I am really enjoying this thing just wish I was more "geeky".

Dumb question. How dow I download/install some of these great sounding add ons that have been developed?

I would be glad to throw my 2 cents worth if taught. 20+ years of fixing EMD's of which 15 years was with EMD as a field engineer has got to be useful somewhere in this "world". For example, how about throwing in a cantaquerous locomotive tripping ground relay, not making transition, or tripping a governor shutdown enroute. It certainly would add an element of additional reality.

The other question. I have a son halfway across the country. I would like to work out a way to play online with him. Basically he and I reverse roles as engineer/conductor perhaps using gotomypc.com or steam. Is that doable?

[RSPaul]

Indeed welcome, this is a nice place to chat. I am so glad you are enjoying TS2012.
My son is a long way away and I hope to be able to drive with him online soon as well.

Been a long day and your comment lifted my heart, thank you.
Paul

[arizonachris]

Wow, seems we have a good candidate for the RW/ VORA runs! Also please check out the "Dodgy Physics" Topic. As a real life engineer, I welcome more insight to this simulator!

Right now, there is no multiplayer. The VORA is about the closest you will get, but nothing like swapping positions with your son on a long run. RSC says they are working on multiplayer. When is anyone's guess. They have an awful lot to fix with the base sim right now.

OK, add on's come in two flavors for the most part, and two ways to install. You have payware, and freeware. Once you download either (I use Firefox and download everything to my Desktop so I know where it is, CRS sux sometimes) It will 99% of the time be a .zip file. I use 7zip to unpack the file. Launch RW, but don't click Start just yet. Go to Package Manager. Click Refresh. Once that's done, click Install and browse to the folder you unpacked. Left click on it until you see a .rwp file. Clikc on that, then open.

Second add on type is still a .zip file that you have to unpack, but inside is a .exe. Just double click and "run" that one.

It's a lot to learn, take your time, we'll be here. I'm sure not going anywhere, I have a VORA mini session Monday then another Wednesday, plus some beta testing of Don's new route.

You won't be bored. Only drawback is not being able to run at the same time with you son.

[Bothersome]

He might need a little more help than just a bunch of acronyms thrown at him.

7-Zip is a program that compresses and un-compresses (not called decompress) files into what is called an archive file. It's like putting a bunch of paper files you have into a bag and then vacuuming out all the air to make it take up less physical space. You can get it here http://www.7-zip.org/, it's free and is probably the very best of the archiving/compression programs out there.

As arizonachris has stated, most downloaded files from web sites are either in .RAR or .ZIP formats. 7-Zip handles them all (that I know of). Inside most of them are a file that ends in .RWP or lower case version of it. That is the main file you are interested in. It is installed using the launcher for RailWorks. Some of those files come with an executable file ending in .EXE or .exe. It's generally not safe to just run any old exe file from someone you don't know. Viruses can hide inside exe files and when you execute them, the virus (if there is one) can infect your computer with that virus. Just trying to educate a little here, not scare the crap out of you. Most files you run will be virus free. Just saying.

The other way and simplest way of getting DLC (download content) is by buying it from Steam. It will install automatically and be kept up automatically for you from Steam.

Once you get the DLC into your sim, you sometimes will have to manually add the content like rolling stock to some of the scenarios you want them in. Because the DLC didn't come with a scenario that utilizes the rolling stock for instance.

Say you want to add some box cars you downloaded from this site on Castle Rock scenario... You will first have to "un-lock" the Castle Rock route. Here is what I do:

1. From main menu in the game click editor.
2. Click scenario editor.
3. (Assuming it is locked) click create new scenario.
4. Click OK and then give it any name.
5. Once in the editor mode, click the lock icon at the bottom right to unlock it. You get a warning, click OK.
6. Click the play icon. (looks like a triangle point to the right)
7. Click no for saving. You don't need to save it. This so far was done just to unlock the route. Crazy, I know.

Now that your route is unlocked you can go back to the main menu then back to the scenario editor and edit any scenario on that route. But if you use Steam, then you should clone the scenario you want to edit first and edit the cloned scenario. Because Steam will fix your original scenarios back to factory default eventually. And re-lock the route from editing.

Hope I helped a little more than I confused you. Good luck and have a happy Thanksgiving.

[Hawk]

It's generally not safe to just run any old exe file from someone you don't know. Viruses can hide inside exe files and when you execute them, the virus (if there is one) can infect your computer with that virus. Just trying to educate a little here, not scare the crap out of you. Most files you run will be virus free. Just saying.

Files downloaded from the file library here at RWA are virus free. All files submitted for the library downloaded to my hard drive and checked before they are made public.

[emd guy]

Wow! You guys are great! Shows me how much I have to learn. Sigh..... Guess I am content with 60 series EMD's that scream with 3 Mhz (yes 3) CPU's and being able to plug in the old Radio Shack TRS-80 to make it sing at a mind numbing 700 baud rate. MS DOS shall rise again! LOL. We wont discuss the machine I am running the game on as it is a joke by todays standards.

In short, I am about 20 years behind the times. I guess the secret is to not get frustrated and as pretty much all of you have suggested, just kind of plunk along. I must admit it is kind of fun though at work. All the "kids" just come in and get all charged up on the 70Aces and Evo's but put something without a fancy screen on it and they are totally lost.

Is there ever such a thing as a "webinar" on RS2012 on installing add ons, tweaking it, creating new scenarios, etc?

And so, as one of the few (even with EMD) that really liked 50 series control systems and could fix them without a wheelbarrow of parts, does anyone have a GP or SD50 (or to get really wild GP40x or GP49) available to download? And then the another question I have, how are the calculations done to determine performance a locomotive has in this program to ensure accuracy? Don't take this as a nit pick but just curiousity.

If anyone is interested in "tweaking" the inside of the cabs of say the Dash 2 to incorporate some features/challenges/complexities like traction motor cutouts, end of train devices, trainline alarm bells, etc, I would be glad to help.

Thank you all so much.

[arizonachris]

There is an update pack coming up for the ES44's and the SD40-2's viewtopic.php?f=36&t=3980

Hmm, found another one here: viewtopic.php?f=30&t=3991

Lots of "stuff" around here if you look around.