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Dampf en Werratal
(Steam in the Werratal)

By Brian Eckard

Originally published in Woodbridge's Train Simulation Craftsman Volume 2, Issue Number 4, Fourth Quarter 2003; Published with permission. --Ed

German Railroads has done it again! Their new route Dampf en Werratal brings MSTS route building to a new height in authenticity, accuracy, and realism. If you like steam, this route will excite you! Included with the route are all the locomotives and rolling stock to run trains right out of the box.

Werratal is located in a beautiful mountainous region of Germany, and the route faithfully recreates the terrain of this area. The route is designed for operations as they were towards the end of the 1960’s. You can run diesels and steam on the line, which is approximately 100 km.

Packaging 

The route comes professionally packaged in a CD case with the CD securely fastened inside. Like all of the German Railroads products, when you insert the CD into the drive it will automatically boot and present you with a menu. Documentation is also included, which is also available in PDF format on the CD. Menu options allow you to read the documentation, load the latest Acrobat reader, and install the scenery to your hard drive.

Installation

Installation was easy, quick and automatic. Simply click on the appropriate buttons and the process takes care of itself. The installation professionally installs the scenery, and there is no extra effort required afterwards to get the scenery to work within MSTS. Once installed, when you go into MSTS, you will find the route in the menu system. When selected, all of the activities will appear in the activity window, ready for you to select one. Activities are also included to help you learn how the German signals work. 

Documentation

German Railroads always includes professionally written documentation with their products. The documentation provides a thorough explanation of the scenery and how to use it with the included locomotives and rolling stock. Speed limits and other vital information needed to properly drive the trains is also provided with the documentation. Maps of the route are included.

Locomotives and Rolling Stock
The following locomotives are included with the scenery:

Steam

Series 44 for freight handling

Series 38 (former P8) for passenger traffic

Diesels

V 200 for freight handling

V 180 for passenger traffic

Koef in DR lacquer finish for yard work and other light duties

Observations

My initial run on this route was with a steam train. I am a big fan of steam, and when I used to model in Z-gauge had had quite a collection of German steam locomotives. It was a real thrill to actually be able to drive one of these locomotives! My train consisted of a xx type steam locomotive and a string of double deck passenger cars. The section of the route that my run was on consisted of a single track with passing sidings located around the various stations.

Conclusions

German Railroads has established a reputation for high quality commercial routes for MSTS. Volume 3 continues this tradition, and as with all of their products heightens the bar of excellence for all MSTS routes. The scenery is superb, the models are excellent, and the activities will keep you busy for hours. If you haven’t purchased your copy yet, I highly recommend this professionally designed route. It is well worth the investment and it will provide you with endless hours of fun running trains in the Werratal!

Articles and screenshots ©2003 Brian Eckard. All rights reserved.






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