Alternative sources for essential MSTS/OR files

This topic will cover the known alternative sources of essential MSTS/OR files required to keep our simulators running after UKTS closes.

ESSENTIAL FILES TO INSTALL BEFORE INSTALLING A NEW ROUTE

MSTS came with its own 'basic' track system, OR relies on third-party track systems. Literally, every available route WILL REQUIRE the installation of either X-Tracks or UK Fine Scale Tracks, and in most cases, New Roads as well, BEFORE you install the desired route. All of these were readily available on UKTS, but will be lost when UKTS closes. Copyright conditions imposed on those files prevent them being able to be copied over to TSSH for future use by simulator enthusiasts.

Luckily, I have found the most important files are dual-hosted on the Australian 'steam4me' website :

https://msts.steam4me.net/utilities/index.html#xtracks

X-Tracks, UK Fine Scale and New Roads are all available for download here, and the files are the current and latest editions. You may in fact already have these files installed on your system - if not, here is a readily available alternate download source.

This topic will cover the known alternative sources of essential MSTS/OR files required to keep our simulators running after UKTS closes.

ESSENTIAL FILES TO INSTALL BEFORE INSTALLING NEW ROLLING STOCK - SOUNDSETS

EVERY locomotive, carriage or wagon requires the inclusion of 'someone else's SOUNDSET'. Over the years various authors developed common sound sets for locomotives, carriage stock and wagon stock. UKTS had the largest selection of soundsets, many made especially for a specific class of locomotive - again we will lose most of these when UKTS closes. Copyright conditions imposed on those files prevent them being able to be copied over to TSSH for future use by simulator enthusiasts.

Luckily, I have been able to find SOME alternative sources :

The Australian 'steam4me' website has the 2-cyl generic soundset, the 3-cyl generic soundset, and the UK 4w short-wheelbase wagons soundset :

https://msts.steam4me.net/sounds/index.html

The Australian 'Coals to Newcastle' website also has the 2-cyl generic soundset, the 3-cyl generic soundset. Additionally the GWR loco sounds (steamsoundsorg) and the UK whistles pack (UKShared) are also available.

http://www.coalstonewcastle.com.au/stock/sound/downloads/

UNFORTUNATELY, I am unable to find an alternative site for the UKSteamTrack - Part1 - Bogie Coach Enhanced Sound.

The closest file I can find to be able to provide realistic sounds for bogie carriages is the NSW Bogie Passenger Carriage Sounds - v2.1 - by Don Martin. This is readily available on the CTN site. HOWEVER, there is one MAJOR stumbling block in using these sounds - it will mean every carriage author (myself included) WILL NEED TO AMEND the .WAG files for every existing carriage they wish to upload to TSSH, by redirecting the sounds from the former UKTS carriage sounds to the new CTN carriage sounds.

There may be other models which currently have specific soundsets applicable to specific stock, but it will mean the affected stock authors will need to find their own alternative soundsets before copying their models over to TSSH.

This topic will cover the known alternative sources of essential MSTS/OR files required to keep our simulators running after UKTS closes.

ESSENTIAL FILES TO INSTALL BEFORE INSTALLING NEW ROLLING STOCK - CABVIEWS

EVERY locomotive requires the inclusion of 'someone else's CABVIEW'. Over the years various authors developed common cabviews for locomotives, and multiple-unit stock. UKTS had the largest selection of cabviews, many made especially for a specific class of locomotive - again we will lose most of these when UKTS closes. Copyright conditions imposed on those files prevent them being able to be copied over to TSSH for future use by simulator enthusiasts.

The whole question of CABVIEWS covers a very wide range, and may need to be addressed by any 'currently active' cabview authors before upload to TSSH.

In the case of my own locomotives, which are basically all LMS pre-group (LNWR, LYR, NSR, etc) or LMS pre-war (exLNWR, exLYR, exNSR, etc) I am lucky, in the respect I have used Darwin Smith's excellent LNWR, LYR, exLNWR, exLYR CABVIEWS, and he has confirmed they will be copied over to TSSH. So, the problem of finding alternative cabviews has a minimal impact on me.

However, authors of other railways locomotives may have to find their own source of alternative cabviews before uploading their models to TSSH.