Yes Steve and RS.com also charge a fortune for everything they release mate.
Really, the Trainz Blue Comet has just been released for the same price as a lot of RW content, so, hardly a fortune.
It`s a payware platform for raking in money, probably something that was decided on from day one.
No different to a lot of Trainz creators for the last umpteen years or so. Since day one the Americans who set up websites have been charging for their Trainz content, very nearly every locomotive created by Virtual Motive Division, Jointed Rail and RRMods has to be purchased, World of Trains from Phil Campbell, eldavo (Dave Renshaw) charged us for his UK locomotives the same with the "Peaks" by Perchpole, George Danzey-Smith had a freight wagon webiste, Railwaves also have one for their coaching stock, locomotives and signals, the Polish charge for their steam locomotives, the same with a few British creators, the Hungarians charged for their authentic layout, the Italians charged us for their renditions of Rollins Pass and West of Denver layouts, with scenery to match, the Murchison route was Payware, also Josef Pav and Lothar Hake's Marias Pass route, there are the Swiss electric locos from Yojimbo and I also have TRS2007 German version with Payware add-ons from ProTrainzPerfect, so, nobody is immune to charging customers, Trainz creators have been doing it for many, many years.
You also might have brand new locos that do not need "faffing about" with.
Not just brand new locos, it's EVERY item of scenery, rolling stock, locomotives, etc, it's up to scratch before it gets downloaded, there are no config.txts in the folders, because, none are needed to be amended.
But the sounds are crap, the steam effects are rubbish.
Initially, yes, I would agree, but, they are all being updated and sound much better and the chuffs are now in line with the wheel turns and wheel slips, it's getting there, slowly.
Plus as an ex-fitter i can say with some authority, that the diesel physics are pure fiction.
Very true, a problem that has existed since the outset, but, as it is a core problem, it's nothing that the game players can do about it.
Mike.