Trainz Community Newsletter Nov 22.

I couldn't help noticing this quoted response from a recent poll in the newsletter.

"No more steam trains! More electric/diesel urban passenger train scenarios."

I wonder what child of the 1990's wrote that. I would just like to point out to N3V that there are a lot of us who think just the opposite. In fact when was the last time a true steam era scenario offered that wasn't something recycled from the past; - which does make me wonder what the writer of the poll response was complaining about.

The post (which was offset by a "we want more steam trains" post) was merely to point out that everyone sees a different problem or solution, and that our challenge is to identify and address the most important issues that will affect the majority of users. Rest assured we won't be removing steam trains!

Thanks very much for your response Tony. I really don't envy the task that you and the team are faced with in trying to pick what to offer Trainz folk when there are so many different aspects of railways we are passionate about.

I did guess by the way that you weren't planning on removing steam from Trainz, I was just a little bemused that someone had an opinion about Trainz that was the complete opposite to my own.

Notice that, by omission, the so-called opinion also excluded all freight services. I suspect that it was very much "tongue-in-cheek" and possibly a "wind-up" (which clearly worked).

To keep my post respectful I will say that I like the idea of more scenarios, but the part that really irkes me is the very idea of removing steam engines which I see as a mistake, its rather sickening and I take that very personally and is straight up insulting, everyone has their own taste locomotive power source but for me, it is always steam.

The people that sent those remarks in are probably the ones that post routes to the DLS, you know, the ones with stupid titles and a screenshot of a piece of track on a bare baseboard in the wrong orientation.

Don't get worked up about it, feeding the trolls is not encouraged, so take a deep breath and move forward.

I hope this entire thread is in "jest." That anyone would think twice about the value of a SINGLE response to an email poll is a waste of time. Reply could have been made by anyone, at any place, with any motive, for any reason. It is not worth discussion, let alone "worry" that it will lead to no "Steam" in Trainz. The odds of me being taken by aliens to explain the following to them are far more likely.
(from the Wiki "Material emissive color" page)

fragment_lighting = emissive_color + (diffuse_color * light_color) + specular_term

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And for clarity: I am not reducing the value of anyone and their poll reply or forum post. I would regard my own single reply pretty much worthless. To gain any true insight from a poll would require large and controlled samples.

KotangaGirl said:

I couldn't help noticing this quoted response from a recent poll in the newsletter.

"No more steam trains! More electric/diesel urban passenger train scenarios."

I wonder what child of the 1990's wrote that. I would just like to point out to N3V that there are a lot of us who think just the opposite. In fact when was the last time a true steam era scenario offered that wasn't something recycled from the past; - which does make me wonder what the writer of the poll response was complaining about.

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This person doesn't know what they are talking about! I actually said something about improvements in T:ANE SP4, including:

Fixed derailments
PBR Support (build 4.6 models supported)
TS12 Railyard (although 'Preview Asset' is basically the same)

I think that he might've been brainwashed by British Rail - get rid of steam traction in favour of diesels and electrics (I'm joking when I say brainwashed, but you probably get the idea).

Euromodeller - are you talking about those Trainz Mobile users? Because I use to be one of them, except I actually thought of good ideas.

I want more Yugoslavian narrow gauge content, oh hang on...

The newsletter did strike me as a bit oddly worded. What we actually need is more rolling stock creators coming in and building locos and trainsets from all eras and regions, along with decent cabs and sounds to go with them.

Anecdotally though, I read on the BBC News a few days ago that the West Somerset (Heritage) Railway here in the UK is in somewhat dire financial straits, partly due to falling attendance and also some management/enforcement issues which presumably require money to fix. So maybe fewer people are in to steam or even vintage diesel these days. From the UK point of view, it puts it in perspective when you consider the Class 158 DMU's, which usurped many of the remaining loco hauled regional services, are themselves getting on for nearly 30 years old. By any standards these would be regarded as modern trains but there is a whole generation out there now, anything up to 40 years of age, who probably had little or no experience of travelling by regular loco hauled (or heritage DMU) services, let alone steam.

I can't really operate Steam engines very well in cab mode, but that doesn't mean I don't want any more. I run them in the easy mode. I download everything that I think is a nice or purchase. Steam, diesel or electric. They are all Trainz.

RJ Artim

RJArtim said:

I can't really operate Steam engines very well in cab mode, but that doesn't mean I don't want any more. I run them in the easy mode. I download everything that I think is a nice or purchase. Steam, diesel or electric. They are all Trainz.

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Same here. I have what our friends overseas call a heritage railway where I'll do some mainline steam runs as well a circular run around the park. For the mainline steam specials, I'll pull out and run a nice K&L Trainz locomotive and passenger consist with crowds of people and rail fans standing around as if they're taking pictures of the train at various places on the route.

RJArtim said:

I can't really operate Steam engines very well in cab mode, but that doesn't mean I don't want any more. I run them in the easy mode. I download everything that I think is a nice or purchase. Steam, diesel or electric. They are all Trainz.

Click to expand...

I drive my mid-19th century engines using the advanced steam controls and I love the challenge. No using anything else except the brakes on the engine either when it comes to slowing down or stopping. Going back to 'turn the knob and it goes DCC ' is dead boring after using the advanced steam controls. Yes there is a learning curve with it and I certainly ran out of steam and stalled on hills a few times before I got the hang of it, but it is a huge amount of fun and a real sense of achievement with successfully working a loose coupled goods train over a steeply graded line. (Uk mid-19th century era in case you were wondering).

I began my rail 'career' at Portmouth and Southsea signal box as a signal lad back when steam was being phased out. Those who have lived and worked with steam will remember the love and care given to those locomotives. Whilst seeing a steam engine in operation these days is a bit of a novelty to many, some of us remember sitting back in awe of their majestic appearance. The smell, the sound, the pure power has never left me. Modernisation is inevitable but nothing will replace the spectacle of steam.

I very much agree.

Tomorrow I've got a 2 1/2-hour drive ahead of me to the theme park Dollywood where I'll be riding their Dollywood Express, pulled by one of two Ex-White Pass & Yukon 2-8-2's, either #70, named Cinderella, or #192, named Klondike Katie.