New to Railworks

[dmcchaser]

Hello everyone,
As the subject of this thread says, I'm new to Railworks and Railsimming in general.
I've been trying to figure out how to install custom rolling stock, scenarios and routes. I really like the look of the logging pack that Britkits sells, but I'm unsure what else I need to get to make it work. Early 20th century steam logging has always fascinated me, and I would like to try my hand at running some geared locomotives in the big timber.

What else do I need to get to set up a good logging run? I assume the pack from Britkits is just the locomotives. Do I need to get logging cars from another website? Where do I get the proper scenarios and routes? I have been doing a lot of looking online, but I have yet to find a definitive answer.

Also, are there any tutorials or instructions online for adding or installing add-ons to Railworks?

[Mark]

Let me start off by saying both welcome to the forum and also welcome to the world of simming

I will answer this is parts as to best of my ability, hopefully you can make some sense from it.

Installing addons into Railworks :-

Depending on the addon depends how you would install it . Most places use an .rwp file extension (means rail works package )
This can be anything from a scenery item to a full blown route with loco's and scenarios already built it.

Others involve loading files directly into the steam folder, ( usually found on main hard drive under program files /steam/steamapps/common/railworks (if i remember rightly)
These folders usually are Assets Contents and sometimes Manuals. all you need to do with those folders is copy them into this parent folder, don't worry too much about losing your default stock as it usually just adds into this folder that is already there ( will get to restoring Railworks soon )

Finding loco's scenario's etc can be a tedious long and time consuming affair ( I found this out the hard way ) I can reccomend a site though and if Hawk doesnt mind me posting links it is http://www.railserve.com ( if you do not agree with this Hawk please delete it sir ) . The site has a list of a LOT of sites that have Railworks assets available online, a lot are free but there are also quite a few to pay for .Also this very site right here has a few routes , loco's and scenarios at your disposal.



Back to problems

If you encounter a problem with Railworks such as sudden crashes in scenario loading etc, when you open Steam go to your library section and right click on Railworks, then selct the 3rd option it is something along the line of verify integrity of game cache ( if there are items missing from default folders or from purchased addons steam automatically downloads and installs them for you . When you do that open Railworks to the loading screen,. It usually has an image of an upcoming release for the came, then click on tools tab at the top and click on clear cache . I have found this helps a lot of the time with problems, and I have read other users that also swear by this method .



Hopefully that is clear enough and you can understand it

Anything else you need just come back and ask away, we all started somewhere and will be glad to help

All the best

Mark

[Gunloon]

To expand on Mark's reply:

To use the utility he mentioned, open the Steam library, then right click on RW2. Select 'properties' then when the small GUI opens, select the 'local files' tab, then run the 'Verify integrity of game cache' option.

It will indeed fix many things, not least of which is any files for RW2 content purchased through Steam that have problems or have been inadvertently deleted. However, you should be clear that it will not download any missing assets or files for third party routes or scenarios you're trying to get running.

If you're assembling assets for these and the sim crashes, the quickest way to find out why is by using RW_Tools. It's a third party utility made by Mike Simpson. It's donationware, so you want to send him some dough if you want it to work more than the limited 21 times for the freeware, and he'll send you the license key to unlock it for unlimited use. I'm quite new at all this and haven't begun to get a handle on the program, but it's already been very handy for diagnosing problems and swapping out assets to get a scenario working.

As far as logging scenarios, there really aren't any yet. I'm slavering over Dick Cowan's logging pack too and plan to purchase it soon, but until/unless I learn scenario writing, I'll just have to wait until someone capable tackles it. Now, the Sherman Logging Company route was recently released here on RWA, but I haven't got it running yet since it crashes to desktop when I try loading it...I suspect the Britkits logging pack is needed, although the route's readme says it's optional. Could be I'm missing something else, even though I have all the other assets listed like the payware AllAboard scenery and the freeware ScaleRail and ScaleRoad from 3DTrains, I'll have to use RW_Tools to figure out what's missing.

BTW, Dick's logging mega pack includes log cars, and Michael Stephan offers one too as freeware at his Golden Age of Railroading site.

You can use any assets you buy or download as freeware by using the editor to add them to an existing or cloned copy of a free roam scenario. Then you can at least run and play with them as you would newly purchased cars or locos on an existing model railroad. As Mark pointed out though, route building and scenario writing are very involved activities! You might have better aptitude than I for these, but personally I suspect I'm a looooong way off from learning how. Happily, there are some tutorials (especially Marleyman's scenario writing tutorial) on these, so you can get to learning if you're inclined.

Good luck...I'm finding patience is a virtue myself and am enjoying others' routes and scenarios a lot in the meantime

[dmcchaser]

Thanks for the replies. I think I'm starting to understand how the add-ons work.

Do you have any suggestions for a good add-on route to start with? Something simple to install would be good, and I prefer switching cars about rather than long mainline hauls.
I was looking at the "Golden Age of Rail" sets, but I'm not quite ready to jump into all the things that need to be installed to make that work. Perhaps it's not quite as complicated as it looks though.

[buzz456]

I'd like to add to this to say that in problems and peculiarities there is no post that goes unanswered by someone in the know so anything that comes up just holler and one of us will try to work you through any problems.

Buzz

[RedWhistle]

Do you have any suggestions for a good add-on route to start with? ... Something simple to install would be good, and I prefer switching cars about rather than long mainline hauls.

Hi dmcchaser and welcome. I'm pretty new here myself, though I've been simming on-and-off for, golly, a few years now (a while back with Microsoft Train Simulator [MSTS] and now RW). There are some absolutely beautiful and, well, just plain awesome work coming out of this community. I, too, was smitten by Dick Cowen's logging locomotives, and when I started to look into what was going on in the RW world, I found this forum and all that's going on.

For a switching route suggestion... I really like Michael Stephan's "Industrial Interactive Route", so that might be right up your alley. Actually, that one has the track and switch stands that I'm using in my route, I liked them so much. It's available on the RW America routes files page.

Happy simming!

Red

[Gunloon]

I really like Michael Stephan's "Industrial Interactive Route", so that might be right up your alley.

Totally agree! The route itself is wonderfully laid out, and Michael's scenarios for it are a blast, especially since he used the Penn Central repaints for Dick Cowan's freeware RS-3 and SW-1200.

I got into them within a couple of weeks of getting RW2, actually they were my first ventures into assembling a 'recipe' with free- and payware assets.

A word of caution, however: While the 'Penn Central Foundry Service' scenario ran fine from the start, I couldn't get the 'Penn Central Quarry Run Scenario' going, it crashed on loading every time.

A few emails back and forth with Michael (he's gotta still be sick of seeing my name) and with his help we got it running...I used RW_Tools to diagnose the problem and it turned out there was one teeny .bin file that belongs in Dick Cowan's payware high nose GP-9. I had already learned about having to copy and paste all those .GeoPcDx files in the default folder I could find, there are a bunch in the Cabview and Fittings subfolder that needed to go in the Penn Central repaints' folders.

The problem still wasn't solved. Sure enough, I located more .GeoPcDx files in the Default/ Engine subfolder too. Copied and pasted those into the PC- and PC-red repaints' appropriate folders. Then the high nose GP-9s were at least showing up in the editor...prior to this, all I saw was a pair of couplers in the editor...this is how I learned about copying and pasting those .GeoPcDx files when adding repaint skins

But still the scenario kept crashing, it seems there was one more .bin file missing, the x-gp9_hi_db-nv.bin...and it wasn't in the default GP-9 folder! Michael sent me the file, with this comment:

This is very strange... the engine BIN file *should* be there, it is supposed to be in the repaint I uploaded a long time ago.
I just checked, it is NOT there!!! The missing engine file is for a version without crew. The missing file is attached.
This is also the reason why I could not replicate the error, as the file is not missing on my system.

What really bugs me now, why didn't I or the packager include it in the repaint... and why didn't anybody notice until now? It's been over a year that the repaint is online, and several months that the scenario is online. Looks like it is high time for a patch!

My apologies for this so far undetected bug!!! And thank you very much for finding it!

Best regards,
Michael

Now, I don't know if Michael has since added that .bin file, but dmcchaser, if you want to try this scenario you'll need this file if Michael hasn't fixed the repaint package. After you copy and paste all those .GeoPcDx files from the default engine, cabview and fittings folders to the corresponding folders of the pc and pc-red repaint folders, you need to add it to Britkits\EMD\railvehicles\diesel\gp9\penn-red\engine\x-gp9_hi_db-nv.bin.

Confused yet? I sure was at first! But I suspect you'll find it's well worth the effort and small expense to get these and other scenarios running.

If you want a quick start for new scenarios without all the work of assembling , just purchase the Norfolk Southern SD40-2 HighNose add on pack from Steam...it comes with some fine scenarios along with a really good switching scenario, 'Cement Puzzle.' That NS SD-40's a well rendered loco, of course, too. Recommended. It's also handy to have since it's needed for Michael Stephan's '4 scenarios for the Bay of Quinte,' along with a couple of payware items. Jason Sill's route here is flat out gorgeous, and Michael really knows his stuff about writing scenarios, the four for the Bay of Quinte are lots of involved switching fun.

Ah, one other thing...go right now to the Miscellaneous Files section of RWA and grab Walter (Krellnut) Jaeschke's excellent 'Wagon Sound Pack' mod. I liked it so well I started a thread just to call peoples' attention to it.

Easy to install in a couple of minutes, it adds a zillion real sounds that Walter recorded himself so your freight cars sound real, lots of screeches, hisses, and thumps. A huge improvement over the tame wussy stock sounds. PS- someone goofed, the readme has gotten mixed up, but the same data that comes with the sound pack itself is fine. Just ignore the readme that's next to the download link. You'll be mighty pleased with those new sounds, I'm sure.

[dmcchaser]

Wow! As a new user to this forum I never expected such a great response to my questions. Thanks to all who have taken their time to respond and help a new user.
This weekend I hope I have some time to sit down and try to get the "Industrial Interactive Route" working with that RS-3 or SW-1200. That looks like it'll be just what I'm looking for (at least until a good logging scenario shows up) :)

Cheers all, and I'm sure I'll be back with more questions as I try to install whatever I need to make that route and scenario work.

Actually, just thought of some questions. What should I install first? Can I install it a piece at a time and test to make sure each part installs correctly? Is it usually best to do rolling stock, route or scenario first? Does it even matter?

Thanks again.

[buzz456]

Which way around you do it depends on scenarios you want to run. I try to install one thing at a time because it's so much easier to tell which one is goofed up if there is only one thing to deal with. Obviously for some scenarios you have to have the rolling stock installed before you can run the thing or it will just show you the missing items on start up and not run.

I highly suggest getting Mike Simpson's RW_Tools. It's inexpensive and then you can substitute engines or cars in scenarios if you can't find them or get them to work. You can get it and use it several times before you need to make a donation so it starts out free.

Buzz

[Gunloon]

This weekend I hope I have some time to sit down and try to get the "Industrial Interactive Route" working with that RS-3 or SW-1200. That looks like it'll be just what I'm looking for (at least until a good logging scenario shows up) :)

Actually, just thought of some questions. What should I install first? Can I install it a piece at a time and test to make sure each part installs correctly? Is it usually best to do rolling stock, route or scenario first? Does it even matter?

I'd do the SW-1200/'Foundry Service' first, it gave me no real trouble and is big fun to run. Tackle the RS-3/'Quarry Run' later when this stuff is more familiar to you. As I related, with the 'Quarry Run' scenario, you need to purchase the Xtra Pack from Britkits to augment the free basic GP-9, then you have to get all those .GeoPCDx files copied to both the pc and pc-red repaint folders, then you need to acquire that x-gp9_hi_db-nv.bin and place it in the pc-red repaint folder (assuming Michael hasn't got round to adding it to the repaint .rwp).

It really doesn't matter what you install first, ALL the ingredients of the 'recipe' have to be installed or the scenario simply won't run.

Maybe I'm ignorant, but I don't understand buzz' comment "I try to install one thing at a time because it's so much easier to tell which one is goofed up if there is only one thing to deal with."

In my admittedly limited experience, you'll either get a missing assets error message when attempting to load it, or it'll simply crash the sim on loading as I experienced. It really is like a cooking recipe, unless you include all the ingredients it won't be right.

With these scenarios, I do hope you get that 'Wagons Sound Pack' I recommended, the atmosphere of the sim is SO much more engaging and immersive with all the realistic screeching and thumping sounds the freight cars make as you're shoving them around

[buzz456]

Let me try to explain what I meant. If you install a loco and then go to see if it's there and shows up then you know that is correct. If you install the same loco and then do a route and a scenario and try to run it and it says the loco isn't showing up you really don't know if the loco was installed properly or not. Worse yet if the game keeps crashing you don't know what is improperly installed. I can't say that I always follow this procedure. As I have gotten more used to trouble shooting things get easier. This mainly goes to prove that I am probably headed for the BIG PROBLEM.

Buzz

[Gunloon]

Ah, gotcha. Knowing if new rolling stock will work in a scenario is usually no problem, since when I get my greedy mitts on a new one the first thing I do is jump into the cloned BSB free roam scenario I use to check out new equipment, plop it on the track with the editor, and play with it!

I think the OP was asking if you could try a scenario as you go about assembling assets, which AFAIK ain't happening; a scenario will only run if all the required ingredients are installed in RW2. Sure, you could check for missing assets in RW_Tools, but that'd pretty much just tell you what you already know...that the assets you haven't installed yet aren't there.

I prefer to install everything the recipe calls for and then see if it'll load. If not, that's when I call up RW_Tools to check. That's how I was able to nail down that missing .bin file in the PC Quarry Run pretty fast.

There've been a couple of oddball ones where a scenario wouldn't run but RW_Tools showed nothing missing. As I recall, the problem was that I was missing Lord Mannu's F7 in one of Michael Stephan's scenarios (Michael had the wrong download link in the scenario's readme, it led to a nondescript little freight car on Mannu's site rather than the F7) and as soon as I downloaded and installed it, the scenario ran fine. Why RW_Tools didn't show it as a missing asset is still a mystery to me.

[buzz456]

I agree with all that.

Buzz

[dmcchaser]

I managed to install the Wagon sound pack that you folks recommended. That seems to have gone fairly well so far. However, I have been having a bit more difficulty installing a new locomotive.
I got the Alco RS-3 repaint kit and a BN repaint. (It's one of my favorite locomotives)
I was able to figure out how to add the files using the Package Manager feature. Then using the route editor I cloned TestTrak and I was able to plunk an RS-3 down on the rails, but beyond that I have no idea how to set it up so I can actually load up the route and drive the new loco.
It seems that I am making good progress toward figuring this out, but I have a way to go yet.

[micaelcorleone]

Hi there.

If you've placed your loco down on the tracks in a "Freeraom Scenario", then add the driver icon above the loco.
You can find this driver icon in the left flyout of your scenario editor (it's the driver icon ). Place it on the loco and you can go back to "play" and then drive it.