South Australian railway content

dangavel

Well-known member
I'm considering making an SA route, but there doesn't seem to be much in the way of locomotive and rolling stock around. I see Paul's trainz has made one engine, but can't see much on DLS . I did find a screenshot in the gallery online that had a consist of SA engine and coaches , does anyone know if there are any third party sites or individuals who have made content that can be used? no point in making a route if there's not a lot to run on it, mainly looking for RX and 700 class steamers and carriages for the Willunga line .
 
Very little indeed, but I have an SAR 520 Class loco, SAR NG Y bllast wagon and a SAR Guards van. I see on the DLS Alco SAR Federation 2001 but that's old, build 1.5! An AN SAR 500 diesel but I can't be sure if that really is SAR as it doesn't give any info. Then further down philskene SAR 400 class garrett and quite a few others.
 
There are 6 ex-SAR T Class narrow gauge locos I have placed on the DLS under the name of TGR T Class. All are reskins, with permission, of the original loco by trw1089. All are in their original SAR running numbers - the TGR never renumbered them. The reskinning simply "aged" them.

I am also working on a upgrade to TRS19 standards of my original (TRS2006) early 1960s (pre standard gauge conversion) SAR Petersborough Narrow Gauge Division layout with the addition of the Wilmington branch line. Completion date unknown. Fortunately, my research has indicated that at that time the only locos in use in the division were the T Class and a few 406 class (SAR 406n) by billegulla.
 
if one looks in the australian screenshots thread, there appears to have been a fair amount of SAR content floating around back in 2010.

... and before 2010 as well. Unfortunately a fair bit of it was standard gauge after the gauge conversion of the Broken Hill and Maree lines. Also look for SAR locos under the ANR brand name.
 
this is what i found in the trainzportal gallery last night, it appears someone has made some SAR broadgauge content. I know an RX exists for the microsoft simulator. not much use of course. I do remember driving red hens in a hills line route to Belair under 2010, i should have a look at all my older assets. of course, much of it would be out dated i suppose.
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I'd love to see the Wilmington branch, considering my dad was born and raised at the Wilmington general store.
There are some very old Bluebird railcars on the DLS and maybe a Budd car as well. SG stuff is passable if you don't look to closely.
cheers
Graeme
 
There a surprising amount of old SAR stuff on the DLS once you look for early builds and most of it appears to be usable in TANE , still no RX tho, which is a great shame, might have to commission one as there's none around. I'm considering having the willunga line as a side project whilst I finish off the Uintah railway , moving from one to the other might provide some light relief .
 
Hello everyone,
Its good to hear there are still a few SAR rail enthusiasts around on trainz like myself :)
If you have Facebook there's a group called Trainz Simulator South Australian Railways (SAR) Page which you may want to join, there's updates on the next version of SARN4T and a few other things.
As for my stuff, recently I commissioned a DEM of the whole Adelaide Metropolitan network, and I am currently awaiting its completion so it can be sent to me and I can work on it. I honestly doubt I'll be able to complete it fully so I'll release different updates of it (First version will be with track only, second version will have signalling, then stations and scenery etc) once I do end up getting it.
Good to hear you're working on an update for the Peterborough route pware, in TRS19 the route textures don't load :( so its good to get a new version.
I was actually going to ask if I could make and release a modified version of the Peterborough to Terowie route (Or that section of the Peterborough route at least) with broad gauge track and based in the 70s-80s in case you weren't working on the route anymore, though now I hear that you're updating it I won't need to :)
dangavel, there's locomotives SAR 520, 523 and 526 on the DLS by Alex23, and I have seen a few photos of 526 working on the Willunga line so you'll probably want to download that. There's quite a few SAR wagons (SAR M, OB, OBF and other stuff) on the DLS too. If you search up SAR on the DLS I guarantee there will be a lot of good stuff :)
If you make a Victrainz forum account and put SAR into the search function, you'll find the SAR 700, 710, 720, 720b, 740, and 750 class steam locomotives. There are a few faults with them though they are easily fixable. I'm considering asking the creator for permission to fix them up for either TANE or TRS19 and putting them on the DLS.
This now inactive site has a few SAR wagons you might want https://sartrainz.webs.com/downloads.htm
They'll need the SAR XSC Black bogies off the DLS to work.
Hopefully this helps with finding SAR content.
EDIT: I have gotten permission to update the SAR 700, 710, 720, 720b, 740, and 750 class locomotives to release them to the DLS! I will be working on them over the next few weeks and hopefully they will be ready soon :D
 
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Hello everyone,
Its good to hear there are still a few SAR rail enthusiasts around on trainz like myself :)
If you have Facebook there's a group called Trainz Simulator South Australian Railways (SAR) Page which you may want to join, there's updates on the next version of SARN4T and a few other things.
As for my stuff, recently I commissioned a DEM of the whole Adelaide Metropolitan network, and I am currently awaiting its completion so it can be sent to me and I can work on it. I honestly doubt I'll be able to complete it fully so I'll release different updates of it (First version will be with track only, second version will have signalling, then stations and scenery etc) once I do end up getting it.
Good to hear you're working on an update for the Peterborough route pware, in TRS19 the route textures don't load :( so its good to get a new version.
I was actually going to ask if I could make and release a modified version of the Peterborough to Terowie route (Or that section of the Peterborough route at least) with broad gauge track and based in the 70s-80s in case you weren't working on the route anymore, though now I hear that you're updating it I won't need to :)
dangavel, there's locomotives SAR 520, 523 and 526 on the DLS by Alex23, and I have seen a few photos of 526 working on the Willunga line so you'll probably want to download that. There's quite a few SAR wagons (SAR M, OB, OBF and other stuff) on the DLS too. If you search up SAR on the DLS I guarantee there will be a lot of good stuff :)
If you make a Victrainz forum account and put SAR into the search function, you'll find the SAR 700, 710, 720, 720b, 740, and 750 class steam locomotives. There are a few faults with them though they are easily fixable. I'm considering asking the creator for permission to fix them up for either TANE or TRS19 and putting them on the DLS.
This now inactive site has a few SAR wagons you might want https://sartrainz.webs.com/downloads.htm
They'll need the SAR XSC Black bogies off the DLS to work.
Hopefully this helps with finding SAR content.
EDIT: I have gotten permission to update the SAR 700, 710, 720, 720b, 740, and 750 class locomotives to release them to the DLS! I will be working on them over the next few weeks and hopefully they will be ready soon :D
That's great news SAR, I am doing a dem of the willunga line once I've completed the timber ridge in a week or so, have booked all the available books and DVD's from the local library and will devote a day or so a week to getting it moving. Fantastic to know those 700 class locos are going to eventuate on the DLS. I will be posting some photos of the line soon and will use photo textures from the locality to get the geological details right.
 
Thanks! That would be great to have a route of the Willunga line. If you make a victrainz forum account, you can head to the DEM requests thread and you can ask the user "jerker" on there for one, just make sure you detail whether you want it as a dem map or satellite view textures, and the start and end locations.
I had a bit of mesh troubles while updating the the 700 class loco, so I asked the author if he could provide me with the meshes (which he will try to retrieve for me) so I could update them and make LOD meshes. I must say its very generous of him to provide all the meshes since most authors don't let you modify the meshes, so I'm quite happy about that :) :) :)
I've also found out there's someone making Adelaide to Port Pirie as it was in the 60s, the guy making it showed some screenshots on Facebook and he says that the only thing left to do is scenery. He's completed Adelaide on the route and I must say it looks great!
 
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Thanks! That would be great to have a route of the Willunga line. If you make a victrainz forum account, you can head to the DEM requests thread and you can ask the user "jerker" on there for one, just make sure you detail whether you want it as a dem map or satellite view textures, and the start and end locations.
I had a bit of mesh troubles while updating the the 700 class loco, so I asked the author if he could provide me with the meshes (which he will try to retrieve for me) so I could update them and make LOD meshes. I must say its very generous of him to provide all the meshes since most authors don't let you modify the meshes, so I'm quite happy about that :) :) :)
I've also found out there's someone making Adelaide to Port Pirie as it was in the 60s, the guy making it showed some screenshots on Facebook and he says that the only thing left to do is scenery. He's completed Adelaide on the route and I must say it looks great!


I will indeed try out the victrainz forum as making Dems is quite hard work and if somebody else likes doing them I'm happy to forego that particular chore.

Sorry to hear that youv'e had issue with the 700 class locos. Good luck with the project, hope it all goes well.
I'm currently trying to get all content on the route I'm working on sorted so that users don't have to search high and low for the kuids and its taking longer than I had hoped. Just got the DVD on the Willunga route from the local library , it has 55 mins of great material which will give me a very good idea of what the region looked like back in the 60s .
Hopefully i can get this route completed and begin to work on the SA route in the next month or two.
 
Interesting to hear that there is a Willunga line DVD! Good luck with creating it :)
I have received the meshes though I am going to try and find out how to convert them to an obj file so it can be modified in blender. Seems like something I will have to learn over the next few days since it requires a script.
I took a walk through sections of the rail trail that's on the willunga line alignment, and gee a lot has changed since trains last operated on it. Parts of the alignment have been built over and most stations are now gone.
 
Interesting to hear that there is a Willunga line DVD! Good luck with creating it :)
I have received the meshes though I am going to try and find out how to convert them to an obj file so it can be modified in blender. Seems like something I will have to learn over the next few days since it requires a script.
I took a walk through sections of the rail trail that's on the willunga line alignment, and gee a lot has changed since trains last operated on it. Parts of the alignment have been built over and most stations are now gone.
Yes, the sea and vines section that runs near our place does not actually follow the old route , but after the path gets to south road bridge near Pedlar creek it follows the old line until the outskirts of mclaren vale, the DVD is very useful to show station buildings and layouts and I can identify most places even when they don't mention the location. I joined victrainz but never got the authorisation email, I'll have to have a look in the trash in Gmail to see if the email they sent been seen as spam .good luck with Blender !
 
Yes the trail does leave the actual alignment at some parts, and loads of places are totally unrecognisable from what they used to be!
Unfortunately I had some troubles trying to export the meshes, for now I’ll update the assets to TS12 SP1 just so they’ll be available on the DLS, though if i do succeed in getting the meshes exported Ill definitely start working on the project a bit more than I am now (I haven’t been able to find much time to do it).
 
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Yes the trail does leave the actual alignment at some parts, and loads of places are totally unrecognisable from what they used to be!
Unfortunately I had some troubles trying to export the meshes, for now I’ll update the assets to TS12 SP1 just so they’ll be available on the DLS, though if i do succeed in getting the meshes exported Ill definitely start working on the project a bit more than I am now (I haven’t been able to find much time to do it).


Time just slips away doesn't it ? . I have about an hour of old super 8 footage now of the willunga line , invaluable stuff. there is another thread where someone in the Uk has started he has a number of SAR models that he has to complete and release, including an RX, which would be great if it eventuates. i will find the thread and post the link here.
 
After taking a break from trainz, I came back to the pleasant surprise that my Adelaide Metropolitan Network DEM had been finished. I'll see what I can get done :)
Also dangavel, I thought you'd be interested to hear that your Willunga DEM has been finished too, I recommend that you check victrainz for it.
 
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After taking a break from trainz, I came back to the pleasant surprise that my Adelaide Metropolitan Network DEM had been finished. I'll see what I can get done :)
Also dangavel, I thought you'd be interested to hear that your Willunga DEM has been finished too, I recommend that you check victrainz for it.
Excellent, thanks for the news.
 
Hello everyone,
just thought I’d let you know I have begun developing a small chunk of my DEM. It is the Barossa line, and this chunk starts just after Concordia and ends at Penrice. It is being built as it was around the 2010s.
Below I have provided a screenshot of an 830 at Nuriootpa triangle, with some vineyards in the foreground. I’ll try to post “major” updates to the route here, although it will likely be a very long time before it is complete. I am intending to release it to the DLS if it is ever completed.
I have also completed most work on the SAR 700 class, so hopefully that is ready soon.
Screenshot_2020-11-01_210046.jpg
 
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Yes, the sea and vines section that runs near our place does not actually follow the old route , but after the path gets to south road bridge near Pedlar creek it follows the old line until the outskirts of mclaren vale

Even after a little repositioning where the Seaford extension now occupies the original alignment there are only a few minor deviations I can think of:

- where it goes through the reserve near Patpa Drv.

- where it goes around the culvert at Christie Creek instead of over it, there's a bit like that just south of Hackham too.

- where the new Seaford Rd bridge is a little west of the original bridge.

A few cuttings have been filled and an embankment removed at Reynella but the only substantial deviation is on arrival at Mclaren Vale and that's only for a km or so, it then rejoins the original corridor where the sacrilegiously painted "almond train" is for the rest of the way to Willunga.

So you can ride almost the whole original corridor to Hallett Cove, stay right beside it on the rail trail to Marino Rocks and then in the back streets all the way to Keswick. I've done this many times and catch the train home from the city.

Not right now though, I am avoiding public transport for a while.

The DEM looks great!
 
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