I have done a lot of work between Narvik and Riksgränsen. It was more difficult than I expected because of the many changes to the route in real life. Without rebuilding large portions, the route is a compromise between different time periods. For example, in reality the stations at Björnfjell and Rombak have changed a lot, but I have kept the old layout. In Katterat on the other hand, the route already has the "new" layout of the station with a long tunnel bypassing the station, so I have updated the signalling to be more realistic for this layout. If you compare the route in TS to videos on Youtube, you will see that some portions are more "modern", reflecting the 2018-2020 era, and some have the old style/layout of the early 2000s.
It hasn't been possible to remove all of the steep gradients, as it would mean rebuilding the whole route more or less, so there are still some portions with up to 3.6%, but I have made all the gradient changes smooth, so hopefully this will make the driving experience a bit more enjoyable (no more spilling your coffee as the train is about to jump off the tracks!
)
Status update
- Update the overhead wires/catenary in those parts of the route that have the old Rail Simulator style wires.
Status: Update complete between Narvik and Riksgränsen, including Narvik station (no work done in the harbour as this part is incomplete with no scenery)
- Adjusting track gradients. There are some very steep gradients in the route, but unfortunately it's impossible to change much of it without rebuilding major portions of the route. I will even out the gradients in areas where it can be done without too much work, and I'll also adjust gradient changes so they are smooth throughout the route.
Status: Gradients adjusted/smoothed between Narvik and Riksgränsen
- Adjusting speed limits. This is a bit tricky as the real life route has changed quite a bit since Swen started working on the route, which means the route is a bit of a mix between different time periods. I'll make sure that all speed limits are reasonable and that there is correct signage to make sure speed restrictions don't come as a surprise.
Status: Completed between Narvik and Riksgränsen
- Adjusting signalling and signage. This is close to perfect already thanks to Swen's attention to detail. I'll just make sure nothing is missing. I also plan to include the special type of block signal that exists in real life on the route between Kiruna and Riksgränsen (two aspect signal that shows flashing green when the next signal is at stop). The focus of this work will be on the Swedish side as I don't have full understanding (yet
) of the Norwegian signal system, and I also lack detailed info about the setup/location of all the signals (is this info available online for Norway?).
Status: Complete between Narvik and Riksgränsen
- Adjusting markers for platforms, sidings etc. I'll update these where needed to make sure trains can be properly routed in scenarios.
Status: In progress
- Other changes. There will be some other minor changes as well, such as changing German style end of track buffers to the Swedish style in some places. I'll also adjust obvious errors in the scenery such as floating buildings or the station clock in Narvik that was running backwards!
Status: The time now moves forward in Narvik.