UKTrainSim to close soon

[AlistairCowell]

Evening folks

I've just learned that UKTrainSim.com is closing down in the next few months, according to Matt Peddlesden last Friday.
He said: "It is going down at some point permanently, little while yet, but no longer has a future".

https://www.uktrainsim.com/index2.php?form_news=readreport&form_report=1937

Community members please be aware that the UKTrainSim site will officially close 31 August 2023.

If you require any files from the library please download them at your earliest convenience.

A heartfelt thank you to ALL members and contributors over the years for your support.

UKTrainSim was a number one website for hosting freeware for MSTS, Rail Simulator and later RailWorks (now TS Classic).

The site also hosts the forums for a chat and posting screenshots, and until a few years ago attended exhibitions known as UKTrainSim Live.

Just letting you know.
Alistair Cowell

 

[Iskra]

A minor shame, as it was instrumental in helping fledgling sims get going by allowing 3rd parties to chip in to create more variety. Obviously, it no longer really has a purpose now everything is packaged DLC through steam and 3rd parties don't have widespread access to the Editing Tools for TSW.

 

[Flange Squeal]

Well that certainly is a shame. I joined UKTrainSim (UKTS) as a pre-teen back in early 2000s and got involved in the development of several projects, volunteering on the UKTS Live stand at model railway exhibitions and over the years uploaded a variety of my own Microsoft Train Simulator (MSTS) repaints to the site. Although later in life becoming a driver on the real railway saw any desire to then spend my free time driving trains on my computer diminish to zero, lockdown saw me return to the community - this time as an occasional casual user rather than an active participant - to see what was going on these days and for something to do when not at work. BVE Trainsim and MSTS were very much still the in-thing when I left, with mumblings of Kuju Rail Simulator on the horizon, but I of course found that Dovetail Games' Train Simulator was now very much the in thing when I returned. It was clear that UKTS was by now somewhat a shadow of its former self, so I can't say I'm surprised by this news to be honest. I certainly have a lot of happy memories growing up as an active part of the UKTS community, with some people I met there - and essentially grew up with - still counted as friends today.

 

[Class325Guy]

Well that certainly is a shame. I joined UKTrainSim (UKTS) as a pre-teen back in early 2000s and got involved in the development of several projects, volunteering on the UKTS Live stand at model railway exhibitions and over the years uploaded a variety of my own Microsoft Train Simulator (MSTS) repaints to the site. Although later in life becoming a driver on the real railway saw any desire to then spend my free time driving trains on my computer diminish to zero, lockdown saw me return to the community - this time as an occasional casual user rather than an active participant - to see what was going on these days and for something to do when not at work. BVE Trainsim and MSTS were very much still the in-thing when I left, with mumblings of Kuju Rail Simulator on the horizon, but I of course found that Dovetail Games' Train Simulator was now very much the in thing when I returned. It was clear that UKTS was by now somewhat a shadow of its former self, so I can't say I'm surprised by this news to be honest. I certainly have a lot of happy memories growing up as an active part of the UKTS community, with some people I met there - and essentially grew up with - still counted as friends today.

I guess I'm not aware of the issues they had, but for me the best thing about them was their forum was the best place to get help for things such as scenarios creation and route building. I'm not sure if there is any other place where people who have experience with that stuff congregate.

 

[InkyScrolls]

That is a real shame - they've been a boon over the years. I've been a member since 2007 and will miss it.

 

[Sad Sprinter]

That's a massive part of my childhood going. I haven't played MSTS for a few years but I refuse to get the "new" simulator because of it's ridiculously short routes. Tbh MSTS was a pretty unstable game to play though.

 

[Inversnecky]

That's a massive part of my childhood going. I haven't played MSTS for a few years but I refuse to get the "new" simulator because of it's ridiculously short routes. Tbh MSTS was a pretty unstable game to play though.

I think you’re referring to ‘Train Sim World’ - Train Simulator Classic is also available, which doesn’t have the limitations of TSW, such as short routes.

 

[Giugiaro]

Weird that this is happening even though OpenRails Simulator is a thing. In Portugal, CPVirtual has since returned, using GitHub as a medium to distribute and update all of the content related to the Portuguese MSTS scene.

I guess that, by being a very small community with a short pool of developers, it was easier to get everyone inside the open-source approach and bring the enthusiasm back to the community.
All while pushing heavily towards the recently released SimRail.

It's a shame to see UKTrainSim go. Hope their content isn't lost though. It's a shame to see it all go.

 

[Inversnecky]

I think the main issue isn’t having alternative platforms, but issues with permissions needed for thousands of assets to be re-uploaded elsewhere.

 

[heathrowrail]

It's closing August 2023. Some of their content was great, other's wasn't so good or was corrupt and impossible to download. Luckily I have a lot of Railworks/Train Sim assets saved if anyone needs anything. I think UKTS biggest problem is more competition from Dovetails marketplace and others launching their own websites, plus their lack of wanting to stay relevant after the UKTS freeware packs. It's sad but the site has been slowly dying off for some time now.

 

[Flange Squeal]

Currently just getting a message unable to connect to the server when trying to view the website. Anyone know if this is just a coincidence, or whether the site has indeed closed earlier than expected?

 

[heathrowrail]

Still working at the moment

 

[Darandio]

Still working at the moment

Doesn't go until the end of August apparently.

 

[Trackman]

did Matt Peddleston of Dovetail run UKTrainSim?

 

[Darandio]

did Matt Peddleston of Dovetail run UKTrainSim?

Yes

 

[Peter C]

I've been playing a bit more Train Sim recently, and I'm wanting to install the Railways of Devon and Cornwall route - but it requires a lot of UKTrainSim assets. I did have an account with them at one point, but I can't remember the password and the email they're supposed to send me to create a new account isn't coming through. Does anyone have any advice? Thanks in advance!

-Peter

EDIT: Problem solved - I found the relevant files in an old backup of my TS files.

 

[LowLevel]

It'll be a shame to see it go. I first interacted with my now partner of 15 years on that forum 20 years ago, having signed up in 2002. In the early days of the mass Internet it can't be overstated how important UKTS was for those with an interest in rail simulation, or perhaps rail.

I was a moderator there many years ago and made a lot of good friends.

I think it is fair to say quite a few of the staff of this forum first came across each other there as well!

 

[rg177]

This thread has reminded me that at one point, I was beta testing UKTS Freeware Packs and writing scenarios for them - at age 13!

It'll be sad to see a part of my childhood go - as it did eventually lead to me having a brief flirtation with JustTrains and writing a couple of scenario packs for them. In fact, I've just realised that they're still selling one of them - I doubt it's made any money in close to a decade but I should ask for any outstanding royalties

 

[InkyScrolls]

I uploaded my full first activities for MSTS aged just 11 - despite the painful editor UKTS made it that bit more accessible.

 

[Trackman]

Seems to have shut down now before the 31st August date given

 

[AlistairCowell]

If it does shut down, I would one of the last person to use UKTS
UKTS seems to have frequent outages in recent months and every time this happens, there's always one of us saying the same thing.

I've joined UKTS in November 2003 and I have been a member for nearly 20 years. Repainted trains for MSTS and TSC, and I have been building trains for MSTS for 8 years. Did a few activities as well. And of course downloaded thousands of trains to play. I have served well with UKTS! Made a lot of friends, although not in person.

My nickname at UKTS - GlasgowWorks

 

[GatwickDepress]

I remember spending my pocket money on a subscription to UKTS, back when everyone was on dial-up and you would wait hours for the 'download depot' queues. Spent a lot of time in the activity editor, particularly on the Making Tracks London & South East route, although I never made anything particularly good. It will be a shame to see UKTS finally disappear into the æther.

 

[Ayman Ilham]

Luckily I have plenty of their notable routes archived on my computer for both MSTS/OpenRails and RailWorks/TSC. For the former, there were massive route packs (15 part downloads) that covered an insane amount of fully scenerised route networks (insane they were basically free once you paid a £2 monthly subscription) such as Dorset Coast (almost the entire SWT route network out of Waterloo all the way to Weymouth and Yeovil Junction) and North West England (not particularly good quality-wise but covers a huge network from Crewe to Carlisle on the WCML with every branchline inbetween plus full networks around Liverpool and Manchester) complete with a full fleet of rolling stock included.

 

[AlistairCowell]

When I first joined, non-premium members had to wait until 20:00 until 2004, (I remember I had to wait until then) then UKTS brought out the "Download Depot" system, which consists of queuing system and very slow speeds, which remains to this day.

However I was a premium member for about 13 years, and I've got plenty of routes downloaded. Got a number of community CDs as well.
The best route I had was the Glasgow Carlisle route.

 

[Sad Sprinter]

The activities editor in MSTS was the stuff of nightmares. The amount of hours of frustration that thing contributed to my childhood. I gave up with MSTS completely a few years ago after I painstakingly inputted the 1988 summer timetable into my Great Eastern activity, only for none of the trains to actually spawn. As painful that game was at times the UKTS website will always been a massive part of my childhood.

 

[GatwickDepress]

When I first joined, non-premium members had to wait until 20:00 until 2004, (I remember I had to wait until then) then UKTS brought out the "Download Depot" system, which consists of queuing system and very slow speeds, which remains to this day.

However I was a premium member for about 13 years, and I've got plenty of routes downloaded. Got a number of community CDs as well.
The best route I had was the Glasgow Carlisle route.

Yes, I recall having to wait until 20:00 to download! Luckily, Tesco Dial-Up was cheaper after that time as well, so it wasn't a huge bother unless mum wanted to telephone granny at that time.

MSTS will always have a place in my heart for sparking my love of Japanese railways with the Tokyo - Hakone route and the 7000 series Romancecar. I was absolutely chuffed to bits when I bought an N Gauge 7000 a while ago.

The activities editor in MSTS was the stuff of nightmares. The amount of hours of frustration that thing contributed to my childhood. I gave up with MSTS completely a few years ago after I painstakingly inputted the 1988 summer timetable into my Great Eastern activity, only for none of the trains to actually spawn. As painful that game was at times the UKTS website will always been a massive part of my childhood.

Or you just loaded up to a bunch of fatal errors because one consist in one rolling stock pack had something corrupted or missing and you'd painstakingly hunt down the correct file...

 

[SprattyHeath]

Just gonna bump this thread slightly, about several minutes ago (as of writing this) UKTS has now officially died marking it's 22 year lifespan.

Many many MSTS files hosted on that site now lost to time which is just a massive shame.

Some great memories downloading stuff from that site plus waiting in those never ending queues and throttled download speeds for those who didn't have premium!

 

[LowLevel]

A shame. I think my first cringeworthy messages (about trains!) with my now partner of 15 years from 20 years ago have died with the forum. RIP UKTS, and a passing thought too for the many people who are no longer with us regarding whom that site served as a reminder - Laurie Dickerson, Dale Stewart and many more.

 

[SprattyHeath]

Okay so I turns out (and I clearly missed this) the files & apparently all the forum posts themselves are not actually permanently gone, according to Matt they're still there but it's just the servers themselves that have now gone offline.

So all the 22 year odds worth of content is still there, just inaccessible to the public.

 

[computerSaysNo]

Okay so I turns out (and I clearly missed this) the files & apparently all the forum posts themselves are not actually permanently gone, according to Matt they're still there but it's just the servers themselves that have now gone offline.

So all the 22 year odds worth of content is still there, just inaccessible to the public.

How is one supposed to access or delete said content?
I wanted to delete my data but forgot my password and none of the account recovery options were being responded to.