Just a bit of an update -

Main Illawarra V3 has gone off to the 'publishers' who have to do a bit of work 'polishing' it and preparing it for release. Should be available in the very near future!!!

Also there will be a new 'Illawarra Private Railways' stock pack, which will have locos and wagons for the AIS steelworks, Lysaghts, Corrimal colliery and South Bulli colliery.

Regards, Brian

That sounds great Brian. I look forward to seeing it and running some 48's on some L cars circa-1982.

Great news Brian. I can't wait for this version as I greatly enjoy version 2.

Will

Great news Brian I await this with much anticipation.

Main Illawarra V3 <<< IS >>> finished - it has been for some time - I sent it to the 'publishers' some time back, but the 'publishers' have a very big backlog of MSTS stuff to process, that was in the queue before they received my route - so, it is simply a matter of time - you (and I) will just have to wait until the 'publishers' have time to weave their 'magic wand' over the route and create a professional installers package out of what I sent them!!!!

As far as the exact release date? - how long is a piece of string!!!!

For all those who have been waiting a long time.............the wait is over!!!

Main Illawarra V3 - Sydney to Nowra is now available on the Steam4Me website - thanks to Yuri for doing the 'prep' work for the installers and hosting it on his site.

The new V3 extends south from where V2 left off at Coniston, all the way down to Nowra (Bomaderry) - I've merged Paul Woozleys original 'Illawarra Stage 1' (Bombo to Nowra) onto the bottom of my route.

Also included is the giant AIS steelworks at Port Kembla, along with many other industries in the area, and the NSWGR line to Port Kembla station - the 1963 Inner Harbour Coal Loader is also included, and I've added 7 miles of the Moss Vale line from Unanderra to Illawarra Range Tunnel No1, including the unique 'passing sidings' at Dombarton.

Sometime over the next few weeks or so, there will be a series of new 'Illawarra private railways' stock packs released to let you get the best out of the Port Kembla steelworks and associated industries.

ENJOY!!!

Regards, Brian Bere-Streeter

Thank you so much Biran. I'm looking forward to being able to drive from Sydney to Bombaderry.

Hi Brian,Thanks heaps for your time and effort in giving us another fine Route in MI3. My first run on the Route has been to climb the escarpment from the Coast towards Moss Vale getting near my home turf, the old CPH really gets a work out. thanks again,
Robert.

Hi Brian,
I am sitting here amazed at all the track work now in the route.
The AIS complex drags you in like a moth to a flame.
The scenery in the new parts is excellent.
Wow!!!!!!!!!!!
Thanks Brain.
Regards Geoff.

Will have to wait to download it, i'm away in North Queensland atm, hold on, I might just try to knock it down at this telstra hotspot at the airport while i'm waiting for my plane. Been looking forward to this one for a while, thanks Brian.

Cheers,

Craig.

I fully agree!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I have always had a fascination with Steelworks and their railway systems.

I was born in Newcastle NSW (which had one of the two biggest steelworks in the Southern Hemisphere). Although I left Newcastle at the age of two, in regular return visits to see relatives, I often saw trains of raw materials and trains of finished products going to and from the Steelworks precinct. In Newcastle the Steelworks is in an isolated position where it is not easy for the public to see a lot of the daily activities. One of my uncles spent his entire working life as a senior electrician at the Newcastle Steelworks.

After leaving Newcastle, we moved to Wollongong, near Port Kembla (which had the other of the two biggest Steelworks in the Southern Hemisphere). Now this was a different scenario, the Port Kembla Steelworks has the unique situation of a major public arterial road running right through the middle of the Steelworks. On one side of the road, the coke ovens, blast furnaces, etc. and on the other side of the road, the open hearth furnaces, primary rolling mills, etc. But best of all, alongside the road the extensive rail system saw lots of locomotives bustling about doing their daily duty. There are also other public roads around the area, which allow easy viewing of other Steelworks activities, such as slag trains. As a child, I used to love being driven through the Steelworks area.

After another twelve years, we moved away to Sydney, and my interest in Steelworks then subsided, with only the occasional spark of interest being awakened, when seeing occasional articles in prototype and model rail magazines.

Another forty odd years passed, when I acquired two books, ‘Steel and Rails in Newcastle’ and ‘Men, Steel and Rails’. This re-awakened my dormant interest in Steelworks and their railways. At about the same time there was an interesting article in Model Railroader (Jan 99) about modelling steel mills and their railways.

When participating in the hobby of railway modelling, three main factors show their influence, Time (how long to build the model), Space (how big is the model), and Funds (the cost to build the model). Unfortunately I am short of all three factors, but I still enjoy the thrill of research and planning.

Therefore, I have been given the 'unique gift' of re-creating a big part of my early life through the medium of MSTS, even though I cannot fulfill my desire to build a realistic OO or HO model of a steelworks railway system, at least I can record my research, planning, thoughts and ideas, so that other modellers can benefit from them.

My two week visit to Wollongong and Port Kembla in January last year (including a tour of the Bluescope [ex-AIS, ex-BHP] steelworks), and all my research in Wollongong City Library 'sealed the deal' - the AIS steelworks in Main Illawarra V3 is the result - unfortunately, you will have to wait a few more weeks for the custom steelworks stock to go with the route.

Regards, Brian

GREAT NEWS!

But before downloading this creation, does it render Illawarra V2 obsolete?

The reason I ask is":
"Main Illawarra V3 - Sydney to Nowra is now available..."
Which conflicts with:
"The new V3 extends south from where V2 left off at Coniston..."
suggesting that the Sydney-Wollongong section still remains covered by V2.

Please clarify V3's coveage of the Northern segments.

Yes, V2 is rendered obsolete - V3 covers the whole line from the buffer stops at Sydney Terminal to Nowra (Bomaderry).

Note also that any existing V2 activities may not work with V3 as some of the track has been updated, particularly along the Botany branch - these changes will render affected Paths as 'broken' - V3 includes a pretty full set of Paths for most types of traffic working - refer to the included 'Guidelines' document for details.

Regards, Brian

Hi Brian:
Excellent route!!!!!!. Very good work
I'sorry, my english is bad.
From Buenos Aires, FCBAP.

Hi FCBAP,
Your English is better than some others on Msts forums who only speak English.
Regards Geoff.

Let me throw this one out to the forum and see if anyone else has this problem.

I cannot for the life of me get a player train to cross an AI train at Berry.

I've tried a dozen different things, changing paths, changing starting points, changing times, consists etc all but to no avail.

Any ideas ?

I did some activities for the original Illawarra route years ago and found I was quite limited in what I could get MSTS to do, probably because of the absence of signals. Memory a bit vague now but I seem to recall relying on the following principles:
~ Having the player drive along the mainline, enter a loop, and wait for an AI train was a lost cause unless the player reversed once in the loop.
~ Getting an AI train to enter a loop and stop in it until the player cleared the mainline only worked if the AI train originated in the block on its side of the loop while the player train was occupying the block on the player's side of the loop AND the player train was moving forward at that moment AND there were no reversing points in the player's path between the player train and the loop.

The most reliable method I had to arrange a meet was to have the AI wait on the player. Commence the AI path such that the rear of the AI train starts on the mainline out the far end of the loop, but the front of the AI train starts in the loop. Commence the service at a time when you know the player will be in the block approaching the loop (earlier commencement -> cornfield meet).

I may have occasionally had problems at Berry with AI trains overshooting and colliding with the player. If it happens try swapping sides of the loop.

A couple of things:

In the original Illawarra Stage 1 route - Bombo to Bomaderry, there were no signals, so any Activities relying on signals to control multiple trains properly simply wouldn't work.

The signaling in MSTS generally relies on having a a series of signals spaced at regular intervals along the line, and reads up to three signal blocks ahead.

The problem with Main Illawarra V3, is that I've placed the signals in accordance with the NSWGR signalling diagrams - the problem is there are signals only at the passing locations like Berry, Kiama etc. without any signalling in the long blocks of single line in between - therefore MSTS cannot read three signals ahead to get the conflicting movements sorted. So, unfortunately, once you get into the long single line sections south of Coniston, it will be almost impossible to set up 'working' passing maneuvers, the only way to get round it will be to place static consists already stopped in the loops.

Regards, Brian

Brian,
I have written an explore route type freight activity that runs from Bomaderry to Bunnerong for Main Illawarra V3.

It has no loose consists, no pickups or drops and no AI trains - it is just a straight run up the line from south to north (Nowra to Sydney) which takes about 3 hours.

Points can be manually changed so you can explore branch lines and sidings off the path. However you will then need to Tab at all the reds!

If you think it would be useful for members who are not able to write activities, maybe it could be made available for them to download (as with VR North Main which has quite a number of downloads).

At present it has non-authentic rolling stock so maybe you could advise a suitable loco and maybe 4 wagons and guards van and I will put this is in as the player's consist.

(The activity actually starts in the Manildra sidings but this could be changed to Bomaderry Yard if more appropriate for rolling stock - or maybe starch from Manildra to Kelloggs at Botany - I can't imagine what Botany would want from Bomaderry! )

Brian,
You took the words out of my mouth, I went back and looked at the original route covering Berry and there it was, or the lack of signals.

Given that MSTS needs to see 3 signals ahead would it be possible to put mid section signals in but bury them beneth the ground ?

I've noted on CTN this seems to be the practice to break up long section and to make passing signals work.

Please, I'm not trying to teach you how to suck eggs as I am a complete route building nobody with the skills of a dislexic camel.

It's only a suggestion using my very limited knowledge and I apologise now if this has already been done and rejected.

By the way, I really love the route and must say those first few miles of the Moss Vale line are very tantalising indeed.

Thanks for your efforts.

Brian,
Just short and to the point, brilliant route and superb effort especially around AIS and Pt. Kembla.

Regards Rick

One thing I'm impressed with is that the detail of the roads, creeks and line names (and when they were closed) were listed in detail.

I have successfully achieved an AI train passing at Berry.

The player train from Bomaderry goes onto the Loop Line at Berry and stops and waits for AI train going south to arrive.
The AI train gets stopped at the red at the level crossing. The player then does the MSTS Shuffle (reverse slightly) and the AI train will then proceed past on the main (platform) line.

The AI train path is short - it starts and finishes each side of Berry just out of sight of the player (Broughton to O'Keefe).
If the player does not arrive at Berry before the AI train then player gets stuck at red on south side of Berry.

somebody help me when i have the illawarra v3 installed msts freezes and doesnt respond when loading the game. when the route is uninstalled the game works fine help

Sounds like you haven't installed Newroads or XTracks, download them on the route's page: http://steam4me.railpage.org.au/trainsim/routes/Mi3.html, under "Additional files"

Nathan