Railroad Forums 

Discussion of the past and present operations of the Long Island Rail Road.

Moderator: Liquidcamphor

 #1492186  by mirrodie
 
https://live.dovetailgames.com/live/tra ... the-island

Some time ago, there was a thread here by member Vince about the open rails project he was working on. I understand his undertaking was impressive but a bit beyond my pc skills.

A friend of mine just got the LIRR sim above. Check it out. Looks amazing but I want to see if they add Diesels to the mix first....
 #1492194  by ConstanceR46
 
no diesels in a sim that includes LIC is unforgivable

the yards are amazingly empty without any diesel trains and most weekdays there is no m7 sets in the yard
 #1492234  by vince
 
I checked out the LIRR sim to/from Hempstead. Not bad . . . but it'll cost you.

The Open Rails Train Simulator is available to all for free with thousands of pieces of rolling stock available also for free.

Open Rails has been developed by and for the Train Simulator Community.
There isn't much to learn except go to the download page and get the Program and the Users Manual.
Learn about Open Rails here: ===> http://openrails.org/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
++Install the Open Rails program.
++In Open Rails Options set the location of any MSTS install you have and you're running trains.
PLUS . . . A new Route Editor taking the place of the horribly buggy Microsoft MSTS Editor is out and pretty much tested by me and several other route builders to where it is easily useable by anyone familiar with MSTS experience. Others will take a bit longer but the new software has (unlike MSTS) very good documentation, a PDF Users Manual that is fully indexed.

regards,
vince cockeram
author NECv4 Route & LIRR Route (beta)
LIRR Videos >>>===> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vkJzw0MwL1k" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jq8UjULESpk" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qAHtDQk2HSI" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
LIRR Route Pictures >>>===> https://www.trainsim.com/vbts/album.php?albumid=248" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
 #1492240  by mirrodie
 
Vince, I appreciate your help and your advice. But I gave up on the windows years ago and it’s hard to consider going back just for a game. Once I gave up my Windows run Dell And went to a MacBook Pro, I never looked back. My Apple is now wait it’ll be 10 years old in a month. And it still runs awesome. Whereas with windows I had nothing but problems.

With that train world sim that I talked about, they run on Xbox and PS4 which is far simpler for me.

Who knows maybe I’ll get my middle Schooler a windows laptop and have him set it up for me. I could be a really cool project for him.
 #1492271  by MattAmity90
 
As of November 26th, the LIRR Sim for PC has the following sections programmed into it:

1.) Hicksville/Main Line to Jamaica (Hicksville, Westbury, Carle Place, Mineola, Merillon Avenue, New Hyde Park, Hillside Facility)
2.) The entire Hempstead Branch (Hempstead, Country Life Press, Garden City, Nassau Boulevard, Stewart Manor, Floral Park, Bellerose, Queens Village, Hollis)
3.) Belmont Park (Belmont Park, they actually added two additional island platforms making it 4)
4.) Jamaica to Atlantic Terminal Brooklyn (Jamaica, East New York, Nostrand Avenue, Atlantic Terminal Brooklyn)
5.) Jamaica to Long Island City (Jamaica, Hunterspoint Avenue, Long Island City)
6.) Jamaica to Penn Station (Jamaica, Kew Gardens, Forest Hills, Woodside, Penn Station)

Hopefully they add more routes, and in previous comments the DM/DC30 and C3 cars.
 #1492457  by MattW
 
Can anyone comment on the accuracy of the signaling? Of the physics?
 #1492478  by RGlueck
 
Can you sit in the cab of a Pennsy K4s, a G5s, or and H-10s? What about ALCO RS1's, 2's, or 3's? FM's, or a C420?
I'm not being "flip" here, I want to know about these real LIRR power sources.
 #1492553  by MattAmity90
 
With the use of a mouse you can rotate yourself and move about the cab and train. Unfortunately they only have the M7 fleet programmed into the Sim. However you can do the following:

1.) Obviously sit in the cab.
2.) Work all of the instruments at the click of the mouse button from the cab (horn, power, brakes, lights, locking and unlocking of doors) and rotate to the back.
3.) Walk down the train both in and out of it.
4.) Walk the platform, exit and enter the train. They had to add that because one of the objectives is if you are going round-trip, you have to go to the other end of the train.
5.) Walk to the maintenance office at LIC.

Physics are to a T, but the graphics need to be a improved a little. They have the same power line design down all the routes (modeled after the ones seen at Queens Village), the whistle posts are missing to tell you a crossing is coming, and some of the stations facilities have been enhanced. Belmont Park has four hi-level island platforms, and most of the stations have mushroom lights despite what we know. Signal gantries and pedestal signals come in both position and tri-color, and exceed my expectations.
 #1492607  by NaugyRR
 
I've got the Xbox One edition and was extremely pleased with how well the M7 turned out. While I've never ridden the LIRR model, I've ridden plenty of their Metro-North cousins. The sounds are spot on despite a couple bugs were the traction motor sounds cut out while traveling over switches. I actually keep expecting to hear "*bing bong* This is the train to... The next stop is... As you leave the train please mind the gap between the train and the platform" (Do the LIRR M7's do that too?) The cab is exceptionally well modeled and just about everything functions, even the shade on the engineer's door and the flip down seat across from the cab, as well as windows, door/intercom switches(incl. key). The only thing I've found that doesn't move is the bathroom door, haha.

I can't say much for accuracy of the route or signalling. I did notice the West Side Yard seems a bit off (incorrect buildings, no cleaners platform, no 11th Avenue bridge, no High Line, track numbers posted overhead, etc). Penn Station also feels a bit empty as the platforms are empty, there's not really any AI traffic (One or two M7 sets, but no NJT or Amtrak. I did see a set of Amfleets sitting there during a scenario yesterday where I transferred a train from West Side to Hillside, but there was no engine attached to it.), urban areas feel too quiet, and there are no pedestrians or traffic on the streets. Standing in West Side yard you could almost hear crickets... no horns honking, sirens, helicopters, nothing, just the sound of ballast under your feet. And the lack of whistle posts is obnoxious.

I've also run into one bug where rail traffic is stuck on one scenario, not allowing you to complete it. You actually get stuck nosed up behind another train at one of the stations.

Route graphics are decent, better than what my computer could handle, but nothing like what they show on the high-end PC screenshots. I wish they would release an Xbox One X enhanced version so I could see its potential on my 4K OLED TV. Games like Forza, Battlefield, Battlefront, and Red Dead look stunning in 4K, I feel like Train Sim should too. I'd also like to see a DE/C3 set released for the route at some point.
 #1494138  by PlaneLoverA380
 
Yeah, I’m getting TSW with the LIRR route for Christmas. That’s good and all, and I’ll comment on the route. But what I really want to see is the sim programmed into the M7 cab at OBRM.
 #1494155  by PlaneLoverA380
 
Well, it wouldn’t be their first priority, obviously. People including me would much rather see a 1950s original P-54 before playing a game in a 2000s M7 mock-up. Besides, I’m getting the sim. I just thought of that insane idea.
 #1494212  by PlaneLoverA380
 
Good advice, man. I’m getting the sim for Christmas, confirmed. I’ll make sure to review it here. What this means is that I can stop working, finally, on that godforsaken route I built in Trainz 2008 for the LIRR.
 #1494344  by mirrodie
 
Have Trainz for Mac, prob 2008 version. How did yours come out?