Amtrak P42DC 'Empire Builder' Super-Pack

This pack is a complete rework of the “Amtrak P42DC 'Empire Builder' Loco Add-On” you can buy here: https://store.steampowered.com/app/222627/?snr=1_5_9__205

It combines version 3.0 of the “Amtrak P42DC Upgrade Pack” and version 2.0 of the “Amtrak Superliner Texture Upgrade”, which now includes the phase III Superliners as well.

P42DC Version 3.0 Change Notes:

• Tweaked prime mover sounds

• Improved brake sounds

• Headlights look more incandescent (Best seen at night)

• Improved textures

Superliner Cars Version 2.0 Change Notes:

• Improved textures (Phase III and VI)

• Improved jointed-rail sounds

• Brake sounds

• Wheel rolling sound

• Passenger view A/C sound

This upgrade includes improved textures, getting as close as possible to Amtrak's color schemes (the default colors are way off)

P42DC Locomotive (Phase V):

• Anthracite Gray underbody.
• Amtrak Red sill stripe.
• Platinum Mist body
• Amtrak Blue nose, roof, “Travelmark” logo and numbers.

Superliner Cars and Heritage Baggage Car (Phase VI):

• Black underbody (Untouched).
• Amtrak Red sill stripe.
• Stainless steel body
• Amtrak Blue stripe and “Travelmark” logo.
• Amtrak Red and white pin stripes

P42DC Locomotive (40th Anniversary Phase III):

• Black underbody, nose, and roof.
• White sill stripe.
• Platinum Mist body
• Three stripes: Amtrak Red (Top), white (Center), Amtrak Heritage Blue (Bottom)

Superliner Cars and Heritage Baggage Car (Phase III):

• Black underbody (Untouched).
• Stainless steel body
• Three stripes: Amtrak Red (Top), White (Center), Amtrak Heritage Blue (Bottom)

This pack also includes a sound upgrade since the default audio sounds nothing like a P42DC. I'm not a computer programmer, so I had to work within the limitations of the game. However, these sounds are from actual recordings:
GE 7FDL-16 prime mover in normal mode (200-1047 RPM) and HEP mode (900-908 RPM)
The sound is directly linked to the RPM. So, for the HEP engines I gave it 1 RPM per throttle notch. That way you can hear the change in sound according to the throttle position. As you give it more power, the rhythm/beat of the engine stays the same like in real life (900 RPM regardless of throttle notch). But, the base sound becomes more powerful and the engine sounds more "grouchy". Also when you have non-HEP and HEP engines combined, the sound from the HEP engines will overpower the much quieter non-HEP engines. That is until the non-HEP engines surpass 900 RPM (notch 7 & 8). Then, they become KING!

Ignition and shutdown sequence
The ignition sequence is from a P42DC that idles at 200 RPM, which works fine for the non-HEP engines. But, because of the way the audio program works I was forced to modify the ignition sequence of the HEP engines. So, they take 2 minutes, 10 seconds to reach 900 RPM (Anything faster and the engine sound will overlap badly over the startup sound).

Amtrak K5LA Horn and Horn Sequencer
SPEAKER ALERT: This is not the typical “bystander” recording of a P42DC passing by. The sound was recorded up close to the horn assembly itself, so it's REALLY, REALLY LOUD.

HEP Implementation:
For simplicity of installation, I made the non-driver engines operate in HEP mode. Since Train Simulator doesn’t implement HEP loads according to the type and length of a consist, I decided to simulate an 800-kW load, which takes 1072 hp from the engine. On HEP mode, the engine runs at a constant 900 RPM, regardless of throttle position. This limits the power output to 3655 hp, without a HEP load. When you add an 800-kW load, it reduces the power available for traction to just 2583 hp.
NOTE: If you try to tinker with the power settings in the engine’s configuration file, please bear in mind that according to the “Train Simulator Developer Documentation” (Available here: https://sites.google.com/a/railsimdev.com/dtgts1sdk/), engine power values are expressed in kW and tractive effort in kN.

Requirements

Train Simulator: Amtrak P42 DC 'Empire Builder' Loco Add-On
https://store.steampowered.com/app/222627/?snr=1_5_9__205

Installation Instructions

INSTALLATION INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Go to your Rail Works directory.
   (Typically: C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common\RailWorks)

2. Drop the “Assets” folder in the directory

And that’s ALL you have to do.
ENJOY!!!!

Additional Comments

You can watch this super-pack in action here:
https://youtu.be/NXJUVc5hXrM

Tags: amtrak empire-builder enhancement ge mod p42-locomotive superliner