SLI UP pack for Feather River.

[uli2]

Overall I am very pleased with this set. I noticed only one small glitch: The "Don't Be Fuel-Hearty" sign on SD40-2 #3611 is visible in ORTS and in Shape Viewer but not in MSTS.

[opskeeper]

The solution there is to stop downloading these newer repaints of outdated models with the Flintstone wheels. Maybe you have noticed it, too, because I sure have, but there still are Flintstone repaints being put up to the libraries long after refreshed models have been made available. I guess the rationale is the uploader already owns the old one and doesn't yet own the new one. But lets not allow one person's impoverishment to "boat anchor" the entire community. The power is in your hands to "just say no" and wait until repaints based on better models are out.

Before peaches stormed off in a huff recently, a very eloquent pitch was made to use the Open Rails v1 rollout as a reason for everyone to "take out the trash" from their trainset folders. And I could not agree more.

I am sorry to make such a flap.... My point has more to do with F/A's than the actual repaints. I really like the WSOR, WC, SP - High Nose & the DMIR SD40's that were done using the BN Pack shape. But they all have F/A's so really repainting them is a mute point. I have "taken out the trash". Over the last 18 months I have repainted all my 40ft, & 50ft boxes, grain/cylindrical hoppers, gondolas, flats, coal hoppers, TOFC's, wells & tankers to models with updated wheels. Also coverted most of my BN, CNW, NP, CB&Q, & UP motive power, to Lou Volland, & Dick Cowan models with round wheels. It has been a daunting task. I don't know enough about the modeling end, but it seems to me, that Larry Goss, & the whole FF Hardware upgrade was easy, and does not mess with old textures, that something like this could be done to the BN pack. Sure round wheels is not such a big deal, but since here in the MSTS world, is not much different than the MSFS world where we strive for the "Real as it Gets" thing, round wheels are kind of a big thing. Now You have my nickel's worth.

[dredick]

I have purchased this set and yes there are 12 cars that have appeared in other sets but in this pack they have DDS textures for the first time, but there are a hell of a lot of new cars over 40 in the pack some very nice units that make it more than worth the price, the 2 straight SD40 engines are new plus SD40-2s in the earlier paints.

Other than the new DDS textures, were any other files "updated" from the previous releases, as far as you could tell?

Re: the U-50 - I asked BLW some time back about it, and was told that without cab pictures and sound specific to that engine, they wouldn't attempt it. It would be nice to see updated models than what we have now (at least a decade old and based from an HO? scale model).

[chosenfrozen44]

As old as MSTS is, I think its great to see SLI or anyone...Marc at 3D....the DW guys too...release quality things that they do. I appreciate it, support it....will order it and cant wait for the next to be released. DW has some great models of Uboats...especially the updated shape. I would like to see the UP/SP/CR models with the new shape....but we can definitely use better SWs and Uboat models. But to cut things down only deters talented people for producing more. With the Sherman Hill route, and the UP Feather River update.....we've just added some cool stuff!

Thanks for the enhancements .....

[Don6218]

Yeah, what chosenfrozen44 said!

The newer models are by far getting better and better and those "flintstone wheels" have to go! I will be getting the SLI pack this weekend, it is just too good to pass on!

[burgerbern]

Other than the new DDS textures, were any other files "updated" from the previous releases, as far as you could tell?

Re: the U-50 - I asked BLW some time back about it, and was told that without cab pictures and sound specific to that engine, they wouldn't attempt it. It would be nice to see updated models than what we have now (at least a decade old and based from an HO? scale model).

hard to tell, the pack is so vast that after my first run through checking to see what was new and what was recycled, i have been soleyoccupied with setting up the new stuff as i alter almost everything when setting up, move things from one big folder of mixed engines for instance into seperate folders for each class, all of that alone will take me weeks and only then will i look closely at the repeated stuff, move the DDS textures in to the folder i have them in now and check the shapes to see if changed, but at the glance i did textures looked untouched no idea on the shapes

[lateagain]

Yeah, what chosenfrozen44 said!

The newer models are by far getting better and better and those "flintstone wheels" have to go! I will be getting the SLI pack this weekend, it is just too good to pass on!

A retro fix on the wheels would be good ....BUT

Do me a favour (that's all complaining about flintstone wheels).

Load any older SLI model into Shape Viewer. Preferably with the Scale Rail "display base" rather than the original

Set up an "average" exterior viewpoint that you might see in the Sim itself.

Now go to the "Animate" tab.

Increase the speed of the animation from standstill slowly increasing it.......

At about 25% up the slider the wheels look OK don't they?

OF COURSE round ones would be better!
.....but frankly there are other things that some publishers do that are far more annoying IMO. Take "Hi Shine" textures for instance. They render all clever "trompe l'oeil" effects (the art of making flat objects look 3D) useless in the Sim. If you start to look carefully an awful lot of the best skins use this effect. The first thing I do with any model that has this it open it up in Shape File manager and make all textures "normal". NOT a problem with SLI models but DW and BLW use these textures and changing them to normal is a real drag? especially as some BLW packs have dozens of textures. (I should say in fairness that Gatean included a texture switch in the Milwaukee pack)


So ....."horses for courses" but for goodness sake don't throw the baby out with the bathwater?

[lateagain]

Just to settle the debate I've done some SView shots of the three SLI UP packs I own.

These include the 1st pack they did.
The Green River Route UP pack
The latest Feather River pack
and finally
The "Centennials"
BTW in the shot of the DD40's the ones centre screen are from the Feather River Pack.
You can see the contents on the SLI page but this is just so you can see what each loco looks like. I'll need two stabs at this because I can only upload 5 at a time.....

[lateagain]

So in the previous post that's the original UP loco set on the left and then the Centennials (FR ones centre) next the rest of the FR loco's and the final two and the pictures on this page are from the Green River pack. Not a bad selection for someone who's not a big UP fan

[Curt C]

Thanks, Geoff. That's great of you to do that. Really helps those who may be considering making a purchase. I'm hoping, over time, to see shots of the rolling stock as well.

[lateagain]

Thanks, Geoff. That's great of you to do that. Really helps those who may be considering making a purchase. I'm hoping, over time, to see shots of the rolling stock as well.

SWMBO is demanding my time on less interesting chores right now but I'll see what I can do.

BTW Jason ...if you're looking in? Whilst the screengrabs on the site are fine I've often thought just some shape viewer grabs of all the stock in a pack would be more useful.

As far as the freight stock in the Feather River pack is concerned the open auto racks and flat cars with vehicles are excellent and that sold the pack to me on it's own. Considering how many excellent models of modern autoracks there are the freeware DW open ones were just about all there was till now. The vehicles themselves are excellent.

[geepster775]

[geepster775]

[geepster775]

[geepster775]

There. That's 30 of them, either new shapes, new paint schemes, or new numbers - no car number redundancy.

$25 / 30 = $0.83 each, and that's not counting the locomotives, other cars I didn't show, or the activities.

Anybody who has to have more value than this needs a mental health assessment.

And I can assure you these bi-levels and tri-levels don't require $120 in prerequisite purchases, either.