A scenic real-life Swiss mountain route for those who like
endless turns, tunnels and viaducts
FIXES:
A few users get a "Train World Initialization Failure" when starting
this route. This is usually due to the fact that this route uses
MSTS' reflective water layer in some of the new environments present
in this route. (The same problem can occur in environments installed by
Jeff Bush's Kosmos software, simply because the Albula 2.1 environments
are also part of Kosmos.)
The main cause of this failure seems to be an MSTS setting: go to the
MSTS Options, and select Advanced Display; the option Textured Skies
should be checked on. After checking it on, exit by clicking on Save.
If this Display setting does not solve the problem, it may be caused by
an incompatibility of your video card (especially if it is an older
Voodoo or ATI card) with the reflective water layer. The solution is
then to remove the reflective capability of those water layers, as follows.
In that case, follow the installation instructions: the route package
RhBpack2.zip contains the necessary replacement files.
If you have that problem with the older version 2 of this route, try the
following: download Alb2-noreflenv.zip
(8 kB) and unzip the
four *.env files contained therein to the Albula Line 2 ENVFILES folder,
overwriting the existing files. This will eliminate the reflections
of the blue skies and clouds from the water surface.
NOTE: If you already applied the first fix announced Jan. 11, 2003
(replacing the "Albula Line 2.trk" file in the route's main folder),
you must restore the original "Albula Line 2.trk" file from MValb2.zip
for this new fix to work. Otherwise you will only see the default MSTS
environments.
NEW IN VERSION 2.1:
Version 2.1 of this route adds photoreal station buildings, older-style
gantries, 16 new pieces of rolling stock,
4 new activities, 12 new types of
water, changed snow terrain textures, cows and people that disappear in some
seasons and weather, and many other details.
NEW IN VERSION 2:
Version 2 of this route doubles its length to about 50 km, updates
many objects (such as more authentic gantries and stations), adds much
detail, includes 12 tailor-made "environments" (new weather and water),
uses authentic locomotives and wagons,
and provides new activities.
GEOGRAPHY:
This route simulates a 40 km section of the real-life Albula line, and a
10-km section of the Landwasser branch line to Davos. The Albula Line models
the stretch from Surava to Bever, including stations at Alvaneu, Filisur,
Stuls, Bergün, Muot, Preda and Spinas. It climbs through a series of reversal
and helicoidal tunnels, and includes the 6 km long Albula Tunnel between Preda
and Spinas. The Landwasser branch joins Filisur with Wiesen and Monstein
through a narrow gorge with many more tunnels.
REALISM AND DETAIL:
This part of the Rhätische Bahn network is made as realistic and
detailed as we could within MSTS, based on maps and photographs.
It has a high scenery density, often resulting in slow frame rates.
LIMITATION:
The low frame rates require a fast computer.
The new environments make this route incompatible with Sky! Conductor.
DESIGN:
The route uses only the default standard-gauge MSTS tracks
(not Xtracks) instead of the actual narrow gauge (1 m) tracks.
A high density of default MSTS signals is used to compensate
for their non-prototypical logic and to allow more interesting activities.
This route uses mainly the default objects of the nearby Innsbruck-St. Anton
route, but shows heavy snow on the ground in winter. It also uses many
add-on objects and rolling stock that are included in this package.
ROLLING STOCK:
Almost 60 authentic locomotives, passenger and freight cars are available as
a pack in a two (separate) download files, and are required to run the
activities of this route.
Click here for more information about the
RhBpack collection.
NOTE: You do not need to install the add-on rolling stock to run Albula Line,
but you will only be able to run it in Explore mode. If MSTS gives you error
messages when trying this, try deleting all the route's activities, services and
traffic (all files in the route's ACTIVITIES, SERVICES and TRAFFIC folders).
DON'T delete the paths (in folder PATHS)!
USE:
Driving this route requires one's full attention, since it has a high
density of turns and slope changes, as well as signals. Sightseeing is
highly recommended, but requires slow driving!
Over a dozen activities are included. They last from about 15 to 120 minutes.
CREDITS:
We gratefully thank Jim Ward, Don Ultimax, Julianne Tolson, Terry Thornton,
Steve Thompson, Ronald Spalding, Antonio Sopeña, Mike Simpson, Silvan Schwab,
Josep Maria Puig, Maarten Pontier, Ron Paludan, OldieDaddy, Ian Morgan,
Jan Martínek, MadMike, Sjoerd Lafeber, Kami Kiafar, Ian Jenkins,
Ruben Geerling, Paul Gausden, Richard Garber, Jordi Forgas, Joan Migó Eslava,
Jeremy A. Engleman, Stig Christensen, Pere Casulleras, Jeff Bush,
Bill Burnett, Axel Boey and William A. Barbur, Jr. for their add-ons,
textures, tools, methods, beta-testing and advice.
DISCLAIMERS:
This route and its associated rolling stock are in no way affiliated with
the Rhätische Bahn, the Furka Oberland Bahn (FO), or the Zermatt Bahn (BVZ).
They are also totally independent of the commercial routes "Heidi Express"
and "Glacier Express" by mailsoft simtrain. The names "Rhätische Bahn",
"Glacier Express", "Heidi Express", "Bernina Express", "Alpine Classic" and
"Railrider" are property of the Rhätische Bahn;
the RhB, FO and BVZ logos, and the advertisements that
appear are property of the respective companies; all these are used here
only to simulate reality.
INCLUDES:
Complete route, activities, documentation, route and station maps (in
download files MValb2.zip and MValb21.zip);
consists and rolling stock (in download files RhBpack.zip and RhBpack2.zip).
DOWNLOAD:
Download 4 files (MValb2.zip, MValb21.zip, RhBpack.zip and RhBpack2.zip,
each about 18-20 Mb) from:
Train-Sim.com
(select Microsoft Train Simulator, then File Library, then Search File Libraries,
then Search for text: Vone);
Note that much of the rolling stock has been updated compared to the
versions available elsewhere on the web.
Maps
Route map with scenic info and km posts -
This is a point-to-point single-track route (Surava to Bever)
with a branch line (Filisur to Monstein):
Between Bergün and Preda, the Albula Line passes several reversal and
helicoidal tunnels, as well as many viaducts and several galleries:
Screen shots
Click here for illustrations of the
rolling stock available in RhBpack.zip.
Click below to view the following scenes from the Albula Line 2.1 route,
progressing north from Bever:
This first view shows
Bever Station. It has three photorealistic station buildings made by
Joachim Zander. Some of the people disappear in winter, snow or darkness.
The steam locomotive is the RhB G4/5 by MadMike, pulling old wagons by
Sjoerd Lafeber. On the right is a Bernina Express, with panorama cars
(by Jan Martínek) pulled by a Ge 4/4 III (by Sjoerd Lafeber and Maarten
Pontier).
Beverin River valley:
A Bernina Express with panorama cars climbs up from Bever toward Spinas
and the 6km Albula Tunnel. It here crosses the Beverin River, now frozen
and covered with moving snowdrifts.
Varying water (large file!):
The water's appearance in this route varies with the 12 combinations of
weather and seasons. In sunny weather, the water sparkles, shows a rocky
bottom, moves, has "white water", and reflects the sky and clouds.
In rainy weather, you can see the raindrops splashing as they hit the
water, the rivers become muddy and their level rises. When there is lightning,
it reflects off the water. In winter, the water freezes over, with
snowdrifts moving across the transparent ice, and the water level is low.
The sky also varies its appearance with changing weather: in all there
are 12 different varieties of sky, including different densities of fog.
Furthermore, lightning and rainbows can be seen, while airplanes and UFOs
can be spotted.
Preda Station:
Preda lies at the exit of the Albula Tunnel. Here is another
photorealistic station building by Joachim Zander, hosting the Bernina
Express.
Albula III and IV Viaducts:
Descending the Albula Valley from Preda, we follow the Albula River,
crossing it 4 times over famous viaducts. Looking back under the
Albula III Viaduct (over which another Ge 4/4 III pulls passenger wagons,
all by Sjoerd Lafeber), we see Albula IV Viaduct. The viaduct arches are
by Zander.
Four viaducts:
Barely visible in the distance is Albula III Viaduct. Coming down the
Albula River, the Albula Line crosses the Albula II and I Viaducts.
Between these two, the line passes over the Leaning Viaduct (over which
a old loc by Zander pulls old wagons by Lafeber), and loops around
the Rugnux Tunnel.
Two viaducts:
This Bernina Express on the Leaning Viaduct will also soon enter Rugnux
Tunnel and then emerge on the Albula I Viaduct, soon before reaching the
small passing station of Muot.
Three viaducts:
One more view of the Leaning Viaduct, Albula II Viaduct (at top left)
and Albula I Viaduct, over which MadMike's G4/5 steam engine pulls
Lafeber's old wagons.
Berguen Station:
Berguen also has a photorealistic station building by Zander, who also
made the lamps, track numbers and other station objects seen here and
in many other stations. A Ge 4/4 III locomotive arrives, while a
Ge 6/6 I "Krokodil" (number 414), by Joachim Zander, is permanently
parked nearby as a museum piece (as in reality).
Rain in Filisur:
On a gray rainy day, a Tm 85 Diesel switcher (by Lafeber) pulls a couple
of Xk maintenance wagons (by Lafeber and Pontier) through the
Filisur station.
Landwasser Viaduct:
Soon after Filisur, the Albula Line crosses the famous Landwasser Viaduct.
Surava Station:
Surava is the last station along our Albula Line. We here see older-style
gantries by Zander, also placed on the Davos line; otherwise the gantries
are those by Kami Kiafar. The summer-dressed ladies disappear in the
cold seasons (similarly, cows disappear when it snows).
Wiesen Station:
From Filisur, a branch line splits off from the Albula Line toward Davos:
our Albula Line models two stations along that branch line, including
this one, Wiesen, which has three photorealistic buildings by Zander,
shown on a rainy day.
For more screenshots of the route, visit the old
page for version 2:
while many textures (colors) have changed somewhat, you will see many other
aspects of this complicated route there.
