[Grip]

A few years ago I downloaded what may be the most impressive activity for MSTS ever written, at least in my humble opinion. The activity is "Service #7017" from the file "necarpck.zip" by Norbert Domokos, available at the TrainSim website. I had run it many times in MSTS on my old XPS 630i desktop, and looked forward to running it in Open Rails. When I tried it all it would do was crash. I submitted a bug file on it and went on to other things. Recently I tried it again using release X_2600 and it works to perfection. Not only does it run without crashing, AI trains are showing up that I never took notice of before (and there are plenty of them). I can't imagine what ORTS will be capable of by the time it is finished. The word is AMAZING!. :clapping: Can't wait.

[captain_bazza]

I ran #2600 after a break away from OR and was very impressed with what has been achieved to date with smoke/steam SFXs.

Cheers Bazza.

[railguy]

After being away from simming all summer (12 hr. work days do that), I've delved back in over the past few days. Thank you, thank you to the OR developers for their work on the Dispatch/AI system in OR. I just ran an activity that I built in MSTS for the Birmingham (USA) route. In MSTS, in both the Activity Editor and in-game, it was a mess of stand-offs, hung signals, etc. In OR, with no modifications to the activity, it ran perfectly, to the point that numerous meets were "rolling meets." Clearly, the OR system is dynamic enough to truly be "Artificial Intelligence" and choreograph train movements on the fly. I haven't tried the timetable feature yet (still too busy with work), but I hope to over the winter.

Oh, and I if do run into a standoff or hung signal in OR, I can usually go into the Dispatch Window and get things moving again, then let the System Controlled mode take back over. Way cool.

[R H Steele]

I agree, between the OR software improvements in AI Traffic, the ability to use the dispatch window to control switches and signals, and the ability to switch between manual and auto modes and still have OR managing the traffic is quite wonderful.

Edit: (19:38 PST) I spent most of the past couple of days adjusting the signals on a couple of routes - turned on the experimental Signal light glow option. On the Monon V17 I was running the Era 1965 ATSF Passenger West activity to look at the signals and tinker with some things. Got the signals to a place where I liked them and kept running the activity after pulling into Dearborn Station - found I was on a track that had another way out and decided to continue. Changed to manual mode, cleared a red signal, all the AI traffic had ceased so no worried there, opened the dispatch window and plotted out my route throwing the switches I needed. Turned on the rain, made it a little heavy, some overcast and started my tour on the Monon. Stopped somewhere near Aurora heading towards the CB&Q yard. Going to continue later looping around Chicago until I find a way south to the main part of the Monon.

What a flexible sim, just a pleasure to use. Lots of fun. KUDOS to the OR team and all of the enthusiasts that run OR daily, a global community of volunteer beta testers.