…and we’re back!

Hello! Is there anybody here?

Thank you all for making the release of the Steam Simulator such a success. I really hope you are enjoying it. I love reading about what people have learned from the sim. And since you have come back to read this blog, I guess you are still looking for more 🙂

You may have noticed that the functionality of the website was reduced a few days ago. Unfortunately, the website suffered a malware injection attack, but we are now back to being fully operational, which is timely for me to announce an upcoming update to the simulator.

Thanks to everyone that took the time to find these bugs and report them to me. Here’s a list of features and fixes in the upcoming update:

  • macOS version! More info about this closer to the release of the update
  • Keyboard remap – allow for remapping of the keyboard controls
  • Speedometer fix – speedometer works when moving backward
  • FPS lock – add a FPS lock option
  • Crashes – fix a crash when operating some valves with the auto-firing option active

If all goes well, I anticipate finishing the update in about 2 to 3 months. Of course, you’ll be the first to know when it is available if you check this blog regularly.

See ya, and high ball!

35 Comments

Filed under Steam Engine Simulator

35 Responses to …and we’re back!

  1. Matt

    Good to see everything’s back up and running well! Keep it up man!

  2. J.D.

    Hey there Preston! I am so thrilled to see the website up and running again. You cannot imagine the joy inside me when I read that the up-coming update will bring the macOS version. I can’t wait to take Ripley out for a spin around Walt’s kingdom! Now, at this point, all I have seen of the simulator is videos and images from you and then videos from other “foamers” and their simulation experiences. From my standpoint, although I could be wrong, it looks like the whistle on Ripley is incorrect. It looks like the Lunkenheimer 1 chime of the C.K. Holliday rather than the Lunkenheimer 3 chime that Ripley has. Would you mind verifying this? Also, what do you think about the Ward Kimball getting Ernest S. Marsh’s spare Powell chime whistle since Kimball’s Crosby chime broke? Thank you for all your time and for creating this wonderful simulator.

    • preston

      Hi JD. Are you referring to the sound of the whistle or the model? The sound of the whistle can be selected as either single or dual tone, regardless of which engine you’re running. The model currently does not change though because they really are similar enough.

      • J.D.

        I was referring to the model of the whistle. The sound is excellent and a superb quality sound of her chime. I just saw a single slit in the vrass plate rather than 3 half-ovular openings of the chime. But I can understand since Ripley and Holliday are sister engines, twins in fact mechanically speaking.

      • Hi there Highball Sim (Preston), are there going to be all 5 locomotives in this next version? P.S I absolute in love the version that you gave out this past Christmas! I can’t wait until the next version comes out!!

    • is there a new park coming on the simulator?

  3. Steve Cobb

    Hi, I just wanted to offer thanks and encouragement for the MacOS version. I know I’m excited to get my hands on the Mac version, and I’m sure others are too! It’s all clearly a labor of love, but one that means a lot to me! Thanks!!

  4. Alex the Historian

    Hi Preston!
    I love the simulator. Since I bought it, I’ve run it nearly every day, I never get tired of taking the Ripley out for a trip around the park. I was wondering are there any plans in the future to add more versions of the park? I find myself always running the 1956 version of the simulator but I would love to ride around the park as it exists today mainly because there are a lot of bridges and scenery.
    Your biggest fan,
    Alex the Historian

    • Is there any way that I can change the auto fire to 150psi instead of 125psi? Thank you in advanced Cody Osborn

      • preston

        Hi Cody, I think that is a good idea for an update. In fact, I’ve been thinking to overhaul the whole “auto firing” thing and make it less “static”, so you the engineer will have to react to fluctuating steam pressure.

  5. Stephen Schroeder

    There seems to be a problem in the Freebies section. None of the downloads are available for the drawings. Please help, id really like to see some of your work before ordering the plan book.

    • preston

      Hi Stephen. You’re right. The freebies section is still not back up since the site restoration. This is not on purpose. But, I need to dig into my archives to find the files and reupload them. Meanwhile, if you’re in a hurry, you can try asking around Burnsland for a copy of the drawings—I’m sure someone out there has one.

  6. Evan P.

    Loving the sim but is there any chance of having multiplayer functionality in the future for 2 man crews?

    • preston

      Multiplayer would be an awesome feature! Right now I settle with inviting someone over and we both sit in front of the computer lol.

  7. Alex the Historian

    Hi Preston!
    I love the simulator. Since I bought it, I’ve run it nearly every day, I never get tired of taking the Ripley out for a trip around the park. I was wondering are there any plans in the future to add more versions of the park? I find myself always running the 1956 version of the simulator but I would love to ride around the park as it exists today mainly because there are a lot of bridges and scenery.
    Your biggest fan,
    Alex the Historian

  8. Matt F

    Hi Preston! Love this Simulator, you may have seen my comment on one of your youtube videos from a long while back, but my Frames per second seems a little low on the highest settings and I have a more powerful processor then what you replied to on your video, is there possibly a bug in the game causing a slower performance? Thanks again Preston, love the Simulator!

    • preston

      Hi. It takes more than an adequate processor to drive the game properly. Does your graphics card meet the minimum or recommended requirements?

  9. Mat

    Hi Preston… Anything new on the update?

    • preston

      Yes, actually, but it’s quite boring! Basically, I’m moving the sim development platform to macOS so I built a new computer and transferred the files over. There’s some housekeeping stuff… really mundane, but it’s progress!

      • Mat

        Thanks for the reply….As wonderfully done as this sim is I was hoping for a little more content to liven things up. I’m looking forward to the update either way!

  10. Hi Preston,
    I love the simulator. So much so that I was wondering if you or someone may be making a similar program for operation a Steamboat. I have looked online about a Simulation for a Steamboat Pilot, but have not found anything like that as yet.
    Many thanks for all your good work,
    Mike

  11. Roger Clay

    Amazing looking work, and from what I understand, the sim is off-the-charts realistic. What is the best way to get in contact with you? Very interested in the Mac version under development and also VERY interested in your modeling of the back head and your plans that appear to out-of-print

    • preston

      You found the best way! 🙂 The Mac version is close to being finished. It’s been delayed because both the Windows and Mac versions are being brought up to date together with a handful of new features. We’re almost there!

  12. J.D.

    Hey there Preston! Any further updates for the simulator today on Disneyland’s 63rd birthday?

  13. Mathew Horning

    Hi Preston…. Now that we’re just about in September do you have any updates on the update?

    • preston

      Hi Mathew. You’re not wrong at all to think that this update is taking waaaayyy too long to release. I think so too! I had my second son in July and he sure is a time sink! I wish I had more time in the day to work on the sim, but the reality is that this is just not a very big update at all. Other than the OSX version, the list of new or fixed or tweaked features are very small. So if you have the sim now, it’s really 99.9% the same.

      • Will there be more trees, rides, tomorrowland station, grand canyon prime evil world of the dinosaurs and the roundhouse after fantasyland station and before tomorrowland station? And engine number 4?

Leave a Reply to preston Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *