Sorry Folks, but it's getting out of control again. I've had to lock down "Guest" access.
If you're a legitimate user who doesn't want to create an account just to browse, you can try logging in with Ghostuser as the user and password.
Older members, queue up Thin Lizzy: https://youtu.be/X5SrvSeYe9k?t=22
Younger members... here's the modern AI generated version:
Guess who just got back today? Those AI bots that went away But they were never really gone, you see Just lurking, scraping, wild and free. Trainsim.com, a hallowed place Started slowing down its pace Each page they hit, a server groan Our beloved forum, overthrown.
The bots are back in town! (The bots are back in town!) To scrape every byte, they’re breaking us down! The bots are back in town! (The bots are back in town!) Performance degradation, turning frowns!
Remember how the lag would sting? Our threads delayed, a frustrating thing. Downloading files, a crawl so slow "Is this a modem from long ago?" They’d hit the news, the screens, the hacks Leaving digital footprints in their tracks A million requests, a constant flood Sucking the bandwidth, spilling our blood.
The bots are back in town! (The bots are back in town!) To scrape every byte, they’re breaking us down! The bots are back in town! (The bots are back in town!) Performance degradation, turning frowns!
Then a whisper spread, a growing plea "We need a wall, for all to see!" A login screen, a simple gate To keep the automated menace straight. No longer free, no easy crawl You wanna browse? You gotta stand tall And prove you’re human, flesh and bone Not just a bot, all on your own.
(Guitar Solo - think Thin Lizzy, but with more synth and whirring sounds)
And now the pages load so fast The forum flows, built to truly last. The screenshots shine, the news is clear No bot can spoil our viewing here. The community's safe, the wisdom's deep The secrets that the members keep. A victory won, a battle grand For every railfan in the land.
The bots are GONE from town! (The bots are GONE from town!) We logged them out, we shut them down! The bots are GONE from town! (The bots are GONE from town!) Our performance is soaring, no more frowns!
Yeah, the bots are gone, it's true! Trainsim's back, for me and you! No more scraping, no more strife Just pure Trainsim, back to life!
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#3jbtower commentedEditing a commentI never was a Thin Lizzy fan anyway...lol -
#4dlfrenchmd commentedEditing a commentToooo good. Humor ALWAYS helps! -
#5npbruce commentedEditing a commentGreat job, Eric, keeping the site going! And you are a poet/singer/song-writer, too!
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During the time I've been managing the site, I've tried to be as transparent as possible regarding its operational and financial stability. Like it or not, there are aspects that need to be managed like a business, mainly making sure costs are covered adequately by donations and memberships.
As mentioned on a few occasions, the price of the First Class Membership has remained at $29.95 since 2012, even though the costs of running the site have changed. Some (particularly storage) have... -
Sorry Folks, but it's getting out of control again. I've had to lock down "Guest" access.
If you're a legitimate user who doesn't want to create an account just to browse, you can try logging in with Ghostuser as the user and password.
Older members, queue up Thin Lizzy: https://youtu.be/X5SrvSeYe9k?t=22
Younger members... here's the modern AI generated version:
Guess... -
Yep, it's May. And I skipped the April monthly site update entirely.
To be more accurate, I wrote an update, and then the bot attacks hit (all remedied....), so I scrapped it. And then, well....... as I've found out a few times in life, God has a sense of humor.
As some might recall, my wife and I bought land in Tennessee last year, with the plan to move sometime in late 2026. In early April, our plans got moved up with very little notice, and we put our house up for sale.... -
I'm sure you've probably noticed some server instability over the last couple days.
There's no clear smoking gun, but what I did discover digging around is that we saw a huge jump in site access starting on Saturday. By Monday, there was 20 times as much activity...
I suspect the real issue was the access logs. When you have increased activity, logs grow accordingly.... As a log file size increases, the amount of time needed to insert each new transaction also increases,... -
Geez, time flies. I just realized what week it was.... I really hate forgetting things like an anniversary, and here I just did that.
As of March 12th, we've been a fully independent site for two years. I couldn't be happier with how the community has responded since "The Split", and how you've all continued to help make this site a fun place to stop by.
Thanks to the moderators and others who help keep the forums moving along, those who contribute to the library,... -
HyRail Simulations and Run8Studios are out with a new route expansion to their Jacksonville Region -- the CSX Savannah Sub.
The new route starts about 50 miles north of Savannah, and continues south another 40 miles, where it joins with the CSX Waycross Sub and ultimately to the A-Line Sub.
There are two major yards in Savannah, two smaller yards, and some 20 industries along the way. CSX also hosts eight Amtrak movements a day across this line, including the AutoTrain,...