Question on Marias Pass Approach

Hi! I had not bothered to check to find Marias Pass Approach on the DLS, but I knew I had it in my 2009 install. So I saved the route and the three sessions to CDP and loaded them into TS19 SP4. No errors, but of course some downloads, but no issues really (Haven't tried it yet). But when I got it installed, it said "Modified, Newer version available", That is how I found out it was actually out there on the DLS! . My only question is, the one from ts2009 says version 3.0 and is 39.8MB, whereas the one on the DLS says it is version 2.9, and is only 19.6 MB. Does anyone know how the DLS version came to be a dot one version older and 20MB smaller than the one in TS2009? The KUID is a :1 from the original on the DLS.

Forester1 said:

Hi! I had not bothered to check to find Marias Pass Approach on the DLS, but I knew I had it in my 2009 install. So I saved the route and the three sessions to CDP and loaded them into TS19 SP4. No errors, but of course some downloads, but no issues really (Haven't tried it yet). But when I got it installed, it said "Modified, Newer version available", That is how I found out it was actually out there on the DLS! . My only question is, the one from ts2009 says version 3.0 and is 39.8MB, whereas the one on the DLS says it is version 2.9, and is only 19.6 MB. Does anyone know how the DLS version came to be a dot one version older and 20MB smaller than the one in TS2009? The KUID is a :1 from the original on the DLS.

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I've no idea. The original (3.0) came with 2009. The 2.9 version is dated 13 Mar 2017 so is in fact considerably newer. I haven't updated and am still using 3.0.

When I ported 3.0 over to 2012 I had an issue with the Cut Bank bridge - if memory serves, the track was faulty or missing. I resolved that by subbing another bridge track by josefpav, which worked just fine. I don't recall any other issues. When I ported my 2012 mod into T:ANE there were no further issues.

My mods now include procedural track, signalling revised in places per Google Earth and some work on the grade crossings. I'm happy as is so I'm not going to try the 2.9. If you do, please let us know what you find.

:B~)

Thank you for the response! I guess I will look both over really well and keep te one I like! Have a wonderful holiday season!

Oh, I did find that in T:ANE the wolf howls on the Great Falls line are inactive. I have yet to do any work to see if they can be restored.

:B~D

Ha! Thanks for that, I will have to check that out!

The first place I saw Marias Pass Approach was in Trainz 2006. The creators, HP Trainz, were also selling a much longer version, Marias Pass Route, that runs from Shelby over Marias Pass to Whitefish -- which I purchased. They are still selling the route for older versions of Trainz.

I haven't tried the DLS version of Marias Pass Approach.

Marias Pass X and Donner Pass are two payware routes I have long been meaning to pick up, but with the exchange rate right now, I am reluctant to pay 25 Euros for a Trainz 12 route, which the site says Marias Pass Route X45 is, and that is the newest version they list. I know Donner Pass was being updated to 2019, but haven't heard an update in quite a while. When it is available, I still have to weigh paying out $50 euros, if it is the same price as current.

Another thing that has me laughing when I run MPA is all the trees! I guess Josef, Lothar and the gang don't quite grasp the meaning of "Great American Desert!" To see what I mean, got to Google Earth street view on US 2 and "drive" west from Cut Bank to Meriwether.

:B~D

True that, but I suppose it breaks up the boredom a little. I am thinking of doing some updating to my copy with new textures and, well, maybe trees, so maybe I will do some Street view research to see what should go there. A few shelterbelts on the farms anyway.

I remember playing around with that route and noticing too many trees on that stretch. The HP Trainz crew did a great job on their Marias Pass X route where they got it mostly right. In 2012 I traveled through that area along US 2 from Essex up to Browning. We passed through Shelby another day and ended up visiting Glacier National Park. I saw many trains including the Empire Builder running in both directions. Sadly, I wasn't in a good seat to catch the trains on camera.

Wife and I looped through Glacier Park and up the back road to Waterton AB a few years ago. There's one pullout where you get out of the car and on one hand the mountains shoot out of the ground and reach the sky in spitting distance. On the other hand you're looking out over the Plains and it goes on forever. Fantastic.

Yes, trees around the farmsteads for windbreaks. Trees in town around houses and in parks. For the rest, low willows and live oak along the watercourses and ponds/lakes and the occasional lone pine. That's about it. How's our DLS selection of sagebrush?

Running one of my own sessions this evening I spotted some bare grid in Shelby south of the freight house. And there are more ringing grade crossings to replace. A good route is never done.

:B~)

RHKluckhohn said:

Oh, I did find that in T:ANE the wolf howls on the Great Falls line are inactive. I have yet to do any work to see if they can be restored.

:B~D

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Spent the evening on the wolves. Found five, 1 "Wolf1 with sound," 4 "Wolf with sound" all by josefpav. (Found them in 2009 by replacing them temporarily with the Russian 9-floor apartment building.) Once you know where they are, they're fairly easy to find again. They are each in version :12 which contains no sound file, hence no howls heard as in earlier versions. There are several wolf howl sound assets available on the DLS, yet to be evaluated.

For reference, the locations are:

Wolf1..............X 23568.62 Y 68072.25 From trigger TrNaismith13 160' S 50' W. It's behind a tree.
Wolf................X 22492.43 Y 67493.33 From MP 93 roughly 14 utility poles S, 200' E
Wolf................X 1723.69 Y 66325.61 From MP 96 ~45 deg, 1665' (I think I transcribed the X wrong. Prob'ly 17723.69. The critter's on the tip of the point of the river bend.)
Wolf................X 16889.19 Y 66626.38 ditto, 2975'
Wolf................X 16301.74 Y 66671.39 From MP 97 800' railroad east, 1575' E

The XYs are in T:ANE. You'll need the descriptions if working in 2009.

:B~)

<kuid2:68787:35064:12> Wolf with sound and <kuid2:68787:35065:12> Wolf1 with sound both have a version :2 with sound available at the DLS.

Peter

p-dehnert said:

<kuid2:68787:35064:12> Wolf with sound and <kuid2:68787:35065:12> Wolf1 with sound both have a version :2 with sound available at the DLS.

Peter

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Thanks! In the event, I settled on <kuid:95230:104590> Jons LM Wolf Howing2 and <kuid:95230:104588> Jons LM Wolf Howing

They are IMO more suitable than josefpav's originals, having a greater variation in howls at a more moderate volume. Tucking a howl under the each of the two wolves nearest the tracks (and farthest from civilization) along the bluffs gives a very nice effect without being overpowering.

These two assets do show in Driver, so they are now buried about 15cm below each wolf.

:B~)

Nice tips, I will give that a try!