Civil War Era Archroof Box Cars for Trainz

W&A #101 Box Car

This Trainz model of a freelance American Civil War era archroof box car, as shown at left, is nowe available at the Trainz Download Station (DLS).  The model will work with Trainz versions TC3, 2009, and 2010. I plan to make a TRS2004 and TRS2006 version of the car available soon.

Search for KUID 123250:1141 at the DLS, or use this link to install the car via the Trainz Content Manager.

Car #101 is gray in color, and lettered for the Western & Atlantic Railroad (W&A).

W&A Box Car #110

A yellow version of the box car (#110)  painted to match Pencil42's Western & Atlantic Railroad (W&A) passenger cars, is also available on the DLS.

Search for KUID 123250:1142 at the DLS, or use this link to install the car via the Trainz Content Manager.

W&A Box Car #301

Car #301 varies slightly from the other two cars. It should be available on the Trainz Download Station (DLS) within a day or two.  Please check back here regarding availability.

Woodbeam Trucks

To use the car, you'll also need to download and install the following two trucks -- one with brakes and one without.  These trucks are for Trainz TC3, 2009, and 2010.  TRS2004/2006 versions will be available shortly.

Search for KUID2:123250:10014:1 and KUID2:123250:10015:1 at the DLS, or use the following links to install the woodbeam trucks with brakes and woodbeam truck without brakes using the Trainz Content Manager.

Civil War Era Conductor's Car for Trainz

W&A Conductor's Car #10

This Trainz model of a freelance American Civil War era Conductor's Car, as shown at left, should be available at the Trainz Download Station (DLS) later today. A conductor's car is just another name for a caboose car. This model will work with Trainz TC3, 2009, and 2010. I plan to make a TRS2004 and TRS2006 version of the car available sometime soon.

Search for KUID 123250:1137 at the DLS, or use this link to install the car via the Trainz Content Manager.

W&A Conductor's Car #11

A gray-colored version of the Conductor's Car, also lettered for the W&A RR, is now available on the Trainz Download Station (DLS).

Search for KUID 123250:1140 at the DLS, or use this link to install the car via the Trainz Content Manager.

Woodbeam Trucks

To use either car, you'll also need to download and install the following two trucks required for the conductor's car.  These trucks are for Trainz TC3, 2009, and 2010.  TRS2004/2006 version will be available shortly.

Search for KUID2:123250:10014:1 and KUID2:123250:10015:1 at the DLS, or use the following links to install the woodbeam trucks with brakes and woodbeam truck without brakes using the Trainz Content Manager.

The Civil War Era Caboose Car

This is a freelance model of a conductor's car with a canvas covered, arched roof, from the era of the America Civil War (1861-1865) based on historic photographs and dimensional data of various cars from the period. Early caboose cars were typically "one of a kind", each fashioned from whatever box car might be available by the railroad's car builder shops -- the variety used and actual location of crew-conveniences such as doors, windows, ladders, steps, etc. varied during the period.

Visit this page to view a photo showing a conductor's car on the Atlantic & North Carolina Railroad during the American Civil War.

The N&W Steam Streamliner that Never Was

This is a Trainz model of a fictitious locomotive. It's basically a N&W J-class 4-8-4 scaled down to 2-8-4 size.  The Norfolk & Western never made a streamlined 2-8-4, but in the wonderful world of Trainz, things that "never were" are possible!

By the use of a little imagineering, it's possible to create a "back story" on this  fictional streamliner. But that's a tale for another day. ;)

I plan to make the Trainz model of this steam streamliner available as freeware in the near future. Check back here for updates...

In this Youtube video, the steamlined 2-8-4 stretches its legs on a run on B&O trackage that crosses the scenic Allegheny Mountains. What is a N&W steam locomotive doing on the B&O? What that is yet another tale for telling at a later date! Besides, it's 1942 and the mission of the train is offically "classified", according to the War Dept. ;) In this video, the locomotive makes use of the Steam Soundz: Modern Medium NA Steam enginesound files,which can be found by searching the Trainz Download Station (DLS) for: kuid:123250:1103

Trainz Civil War Era Cars

I'm dusting off some stuff I'd made some time ago. Anyone interested in these?

Conductor's Car

Virginian Railway 2-8-2 Mikado Steam Locomotive

A Baldwin Mikado Type Locomotive in Service on the Virginian Railway East-bound from Roanoke, Va., the rating for these Locomotives was 100 loaded cars averaging 7850 tons total weight. The maximum ascending grade is 0.2 per cent.

The Virginian's Class MC Mikado Type Locomotive

Steam Soundz for Articulated Locomotives Var. 1 and 2 Released

You can find these two enginesound files on the Trainz Download Station (DLS) by searching for KUID:123250:1122 and KUID:123250:1123, or click the following links to download and install from DLS: Steam Soundz: Large American Articulated Locomotives - V1 -- Steam Soundz: Large American Articulated Locomotives - V1

Virginian Triplex 2-8-8-8-4 Articulated Steam Locomotive

Click the < button to page-up to read the article regarding the Virginian Triplex.

The Virginian Railway's 2-10-10-2 Mallets

The following article regarding the Virginian Railway's 2-10-10-2, class AE, Mallet steam locomotives, is from the "Railway Journal", published in 1921, by the National Association of Railway Agents. The locomotives were built in Schenectady, N. Y. by the American Locomotive Company (often shortened to "Alco") in 1918. Because they were too large to be shipped assembled, the huge locomotives were shipped partially dismantled. Each locomotive required one flat, one gondola and one box car to carry the loose and detached parts. When built, the Virginian's 2-10-10-2 locomotives were the largest locomotives in the world. The locomotives weighted 449 tons, were 105 feet in length, developed 5,040 horsepower, and had a tractive power of 147,200 pounds. According to the article, the railroad expect to be able to haul 78-car trains over the steep grade between Elmore to Clark's Gap, on the Virginian's Deepwater division in W.Va., by using a 2-8-8-2 on the head-end, along with a 2-10-10-2 as a pusher on the rear of the train.



Click "more about this book" to read (or download) the book via Google Books.

Steam Soundz: Little Big NA Steam Locomotives

The Trainz sound experiment continues, this time with sounds suitable for little big North American steam locomotives, e.g. the smaller Mikado, and Pacific type locomotives, as well as Consolidations, Ten-Wheelers, etc. This enginesound file should be uploaded to the Trainz Download Station sometime later this week...

You can listen to the sound file via the embedded player below, or view the Little Big NA Steam Locomotives enginesound file directly from YouTube.

Steam Soundz: The Little Engine that Thought It Could

The Trainz sound experiment continues, with a steam locomotive exhaust sound file that literally exclaims "I think I can!"

You can view the video below, or view The Little Engine that Thought It Could at YouTube.

Second "Steam Soundz" Sound File Released

The second steam enginesound file for Trainz 2009/2010 is now available on the Trainz Download Station (TDS). This sound file was produced to emulate the typical crisp, robust exhaust sound typical of modern (U.S.R.A. era and later) large North American steam locomotives, e.g. the Hudson, Northern, Texas, and Santa Fe type steam locomotives.

This enginesound file (kuid:123250:1107) can be found by searching the TDS, or by clicking the following link to install the file.

You can view the following video to listen to this particular enginesound file in use.

About the Video In this exercise, a 4-8-2 U.S.R.A. (light) Mountain type locomotive, pulling a train of several heavyweight passenger cars, accelerates from 0 to about 70 MPH on a downhill stretch of the B&O's "West End", just east of Grafton, WV. As is the case in all of the Steam Soundz videos, the purpose of the video is to provide an example of what this particular sound file (enginesound) sounds like when used in Trainz.

First "Steam Soundz" Sound File Released

The steam locomotive sound file, Steam Soundz: Modern Medium Steam 1, can now be found on the Trainz Download Station by searching for KUID: 123250:1103, or follow this link to install it. This is the first of a series of sound files we've created for use in Trainz 2009/2010.

Steam Soundz #1 was created for modern (U.S.R.A. era and later) North American steam locomotives of medium size, e.g. Mikados, Pacifics, Hudsons, Berkshires, etc. If used with a properly configured Trainz locomotive, these sound files will produce the four chuffs were driver revolution typical of 2-cylinder locomotives. The sound files are based primarily on recordings made in the 1980s of steam locomotive #765, a 2-8-4 "Berkshire" type steam locomotive built in 1944 for for Nickel Plate Road (New York, Chicago & St. Louis Railroad Co.). More information on NKP #765 can be found at the Web site of the Fort Wayne Railroad Historical Society.

You can view the video below to listen to sounds produce in Trainz by the enginesound, or view it directly from YouTube at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hzTCBch-HVk

About the Video In this video, a 4-6-2 U.S.R.A. (light) Pacific type locomotive, pulling a train of five passenger cars, accelerates from 0 to about 60 MPH on an uphill section of the B&O's "17 Mile Grade". As is the case in all of the Steam Soundz videos, the purpose of the video is to provide an example of what this particular sound file (enginesound) sounds like when used in Trainz.

The Steam Soundz Experiment, Parts 1-3

Take I: A N&W Y6b Mallet accelerates from 0 to 40 MPH.


Take II: Two N&W Mallets accelerate, each using its own unique set of sound files.


Take III: A single Mallet, using a different set of sound files.

Demo: Synthesized Steam Loops (x)RPM for Possible Use in Trainz

As much as I've enjoyed using Trainz Simulator over the years, I've found the lack of a really good-sounding steam locomotive sound effects to be disappointing. Beginning with Trainz 2009, there seemed to be hope for improved steam sounds via the use of steam (sound) loops in various RPMs. Since getting recordings of real steam locomotives running a given RPM are difficult to obtain, I've toyed with creating steam loops by synthesis, based on sound recordings of real steam locomotives. Here's a demo of what I'm talking about:



Click the "Read more" button (below) to continue reading...

The Big Red Trains of Dunloup Creek Canyon

The big red locomotives of the RJ Corman's West Virginia Line

RJ Corman's bright red diesel locomotives have become a familiar sight along the rails between Thurmond, Mount Hope, and Pax, West Virginia.  Now known as the West Virginia Line, the shortline transverses the routes originally built as the Loup Creek Branch of the Chesapeake & Ohio Railway (C&O) and the Kanawha, Glen Jean, and Eastern Railway (KGJ&E).

RJ Corman took over the Thurmond to Mt. Hope portion of the route in July of 2005, and rebuilt part of the former KGJ&E branch, extending the line to Pax in 2006. Currently, the line serves four industries along the 16-mile route -- Georgia Pacific, Austin Powder and Tanner Industries in Mount Hope, and Pioneer Fuel Company near Pax. RJ Corman is headquartered in Nicholasville, KY.

Click the "Read more" button (below) to read the rest of the story...

Ghost Towns of the New River Gorge

More than 50 communities once existed in the depths of the New River Gorge along the route of the Chesapeake & Ohio Railway (C&O) between Quinnimont and Hawks Nest, West Virginia. Most of the towns were "company towns", owned and controlled by the coal companies that mined the "smokeless" coal of the New River Coalfield. Today, virtually all of the towns are ghost towns, deserted and long since abandoned to the forces of nature.

View Ghost Towns of the New River Gorge in a larger map

Map: Ghost Towns of the Gorge Click on any of the markers on the map to view a brief description of each location. You can view a full-sized version of the map at Google Maps, with the option of viewing the map via a Google Earth 3D perspective. Follow the link in the popup ballon to view additional information on the town, or view the complete list of the ghost towns at our sister site, NewRiverWV.com. A series of articles on the ghost towns at WVExp.com provides more in-depth information at each town, such as historic information, maps, and photos.

Riding the Virtual Rails: Vol. 1, No. 2

This is the second in a series of YouTube videos entitled "Riding the Virtual Rails". Additional episodes from the series can be found in the Riding the Virtual Rails section.

Along the B&O's "West End" A circa 1950s-era depiction of a freight train traveling the West End Subdivision of the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad (B&O), between Independence and Bethany, West Virginia. Filmed in Auran's Trainz Simulator 2009 using Fraps, featuring a Trainz route, the Western Maryland Thomas Sub, by jrfolco.

Riding the Virtual Rails: Vol. 1, No. 1

This is the first in a series of YouTube videos entitled "Riding the Virtual Rails".  Additional episodes from the series can be found in the Riding the Virtual Rails section.

The Magnificent Mallet A short video made in Auran's Trainz Simulator 2009. featuring Virginian Railway #703, a 2-8-8-2 Mallet type steam locomotive modeled by Ben Neal, operating on a Trainz route, the Western Maryland Thomas Sub, by jrfolco.

Find U.S. Trainz Stuff by Using Our New Search Feature

Trainz U.S.R.A. 2-8-8-2 Mallet

We've created a Google Custom Search engine that we hope will make it a bit easier for our visitors to quickly locate Trainz models based on U.S. prototypes.

Why on earth have we done this? To learn the answer to that question (and much, much more) please continue reading the rest of this article by clicking the "Read more" button (below).

Welcome to WVRailroads @ Blogger

Welcome to WVRailroads @ Blogger, an extension of our main Web site,  WVRailroads.net.