This is far off the V Scale Creations track, but since you guys are all so helpful...

I just downloaded an interesting shortline (and I DO mean short!) route called the Rye & Camber Tramway. Anyhow, I found an extra activity for it, but when unzipped it only contained a folder with the activity name. Inside this was an .apk file without a readme. I have never seen an .apk file. The Activities folder only contains .act files so I don't know how to proceed. The activity's author has failed to respond to my query.

What is an .apk and what do I do with it?

As for the route, I found Rye & Camber Tramway at UKTrainsim.com. Though its only 2 miles long, it has the most diminutive and charming engines, making it a fun and worthwhile little diversion, especially when one reads the purpose and history of the line - to shuttle golf and beach enthusiasts to and from Rye, Sussex and the golf course and beach.

Anyone who has an eclectic interest in historical steam and offbeat shortlines should check it out. You will have to dig around the UK site a bit to pick up all the rolling stock and its two steam locos.

The apk file is a packed activity. Double click on it and it should install to the activities folder in that route's folder.

Paul

If Paul's suggestion doesn't work, move the .apk file to your MSTS "Utilities" folder. Then drag and drop it onto the "tsunpack.exe" utility.

Andre

And if it still does not work, download this and run the exe file contained herein.

Steve, The R&C is permanently on my HD - have a look at the link below which shows some screenshots I took of another of the same builder's routes - loads of stock & good quality.

Search for Thaxted.

Rod.

http://www.3dtrains.com/forums/index.php?a...=ST&f=46&t=5117

Thanks Joe Bandit for the tsunpack file. It worked. For some reason, the .apk wouldn't open on its own (no associations). But I also found MSTS's tsunpack in its Utilities folder. Thanks Iaming. You know, I've never opened that folder in the entire time I've had MSTS? 2+ years, or however old MSTS is. Thanks guys.

Great pics of the Thaxted Branch. I will have to go back to UKTrainsim for it.

I am from the States and when I got MSTS it was US engines for me, but alas, I fell under the spell of British steam. Our Steam locos were built by plumbers and heating & cooling men with absolutely no imagination for style, grace, beauty and art save for our American 4-4-0. I've never seen such beautiful engines as British steam. Each is a rolling work of the builder's art.

One British route you may want to look into is "Fairly Up-to-Date England" over at Train-sim.com. Its features a straight, high speed run from Manchester to London which is great for running Mallards full tilt, but the "jewel in the crown" is its shortline, the South Midland Light Railway from Oxford to Worsley. A wonderful single rail track winding its way through the English countryside from one village to the next. Great detail.

If you care to give me your outside email address, I found several great shots of the R&C's Camber, Victoria, the petrol tractor and its stations. "FadedGlory" (Jur Snijder) did an outstanding job recreating each. He could have just done a repaint on Camber to create Victoria, but he didn't. I had to couple both engines together to examine them closely. They look identical at first blush, but yet were different in several specs.