Maple Leaf Tracks Inc.

Forum Information:

Maple Leaf Tracks does not host a forum. However, Clinton Durand and Frank Burns have combined websites and are once again hosting MLTdownloads forums and downloads sections. Check out the new location at MOPHOUSE forum.

More About Maple Leaf Tracks

This is a new section intended to give our customers both past and future, more insight as to our philosophy behind our products, where we came from, what we are doing now and what we hope to do in the future will also be discussed. This will be updated periodically.

MLT products are intended to be for home entertainment for all ages to enjoy. In our routes, we try to include activity levels from quick and easy to difficult and challenging. There is a specific era or time period for these routes and we try to emulate the prototype in an effort to give the look and feel of railroading during that time. These are not intended to be photo accurate models of real life in the areas modeled. Many generic objects are used that look to be correct as opposed to the real thing. We also had to reduce the size of yards and leave out some industries/buildings as the numbers would be overpowering to the sim.

Microsoft Train Simulator (MSTS) has much going for it and has certain limitations that route builders must stay within for reliable operation of the sim. In the beginning, it was mostly the limited resources of the personal computer that created the most challenge. We reflected that in the detail and size of our first route, Kicking Horse Pass V1.0. Now, it seems the MSTS program itself has reached its limit in capability. This is quite evident in our latest route Cascades Crossing. The level of detail and size of route and especially the detail of the rolling stock and locomotives is causing new errors and shutdowns that we have not seen before. In our forthcoming routes, we will have a much better idea how far we can push the envelope and limit these types of problems.

Something very interesting is also happening with the sim itself. The newer more powerful computers are outrunning the ability of the sim to process the data. It is still necessary to reduce the level of graphics and details to help prevent computer lockups and crashes. Some experimentation and application of personal preferences must be applied to these options for any computer to run as well as it can.

Andy Hockin

Maple Leaf Tracks