Wednesday 13 August 2014

A Look inside the Workshop

Lets have a peek inside the doors of the Steam Sounds Supreme workshop and we'll see what we find

New Sound Pack Coming Soon

 It is with great pleasure that we announce a new sound pack nearing completion - the GWR 56xx Sound Pack. This will feature all the usual sounds you have come to expect from a Steam Sounds Supreme sound pack.
   We are pleased to be working alongside Pete from Victory Works on this pack. He has donated this lovely repaint in BR Lined Green livery.

Sound Pack Features:
  • New exhaust sounds featuring our second valve setup
  • High speed exhaust loops
  • New whistle sounds
  • Injector sounds
  • Blasting cylinder drain cocks
  • Four stage safety valve sounds
  • New motion sounds
  • Running sounds
  • New loco in BR Lined Green
A Bit About the 5600 Class

  Built between 1924 and 1928, the 5600 class were designed specifically for the Welsh valleys. They replaced the many pre-grouping types which didn't fit the GWR's standardization programme. An astonishing 200 were built in that period, lasting in service until withdrawals occurred between 1962 and 1965. These locos weren't all that popular with crews, suffering many failures. They also had a tendency to derail when running forwards, not having a leading pony truck. So, not surprisingly, crews favored running in reverse. With Barry scrapyard being so close, it's no surprise that 9 examples of the class escaped the cutters torch. Preserved examples include 5619, 5637, 5643, 5668, 6619, 6634, 6686, 6695 and 6697.
   Our recordings were taken from 5643 at the Severn Valley Railway in 2013 and 6695 at the Swanage Railway this year. Here's a sample of our trip behind 6695, departing from Harmons Cross, heading towards Corfe Castle:

GWR King Enhancement Pack Underway

  In the capable hands of Stephen Gurney, the GWR King Enhancement pack in in progress. It's early days, but here's a peak at the first repaint taking place
  This new pack is to feature all appropriate liveries carried by the Kings in single-chimney form. These locos will also be enhanced by Chris Barnes' wonderful steam effects and scripts. Due to various difficulties, the BR version will not feature dynamic numbering. This is because a smokebox numberplate will have to be added as a child object. We'll provide a selection of Kings in BR livery, but not the complete class, as we originally hoped. Sounds will be recorded from Didcot-based King Edward II. This loco is soon to go out on the main line. We hope to catch up with her one way or another very soon. 

  PLEASE NOTE: Due to the way the default textures are applied on the original model by RSC, we will have to use the Settle and Carlisle Specials King, in order to do the BR versions. This is unavoidable.

  Watch out for progress reports on Facebook and here on our blog

Guess the Route

  We have a new route that is very near release. However, we are not going to reveal the identity of the route until the week of release. So, over on Facebook, we've been playing a little game. Here are the clues so far. Can you guess what the route is going to be??

Clue 1
Clue 2


Clue 3
'When you decide to share something, it's a good idea to double it'

Clue 4

Clue 5
'Time to take an alternative route'

Clue 6

A delightful mix of motive power would be appropriate for this line!

Clue 7
Clue 8

Clue 9

Those are the clues so far. Can you guess the route??

Well that concludes our peek inside the SSS workshop. There's more at the back......................