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I thought I’d share some more screenshots from Car Mechanic Simulator 18. These are the cars I have completed rebuilding this week. If some of the names seem a little strange it’s because those vehicles are not officially licensed by the manufacturer.

Reptilia R2…

Chieftain TBX…

DC Typhoon…

Chieftain Bandit…

Sceo LX550…

The last was a complete basket case when I bought it from the scrapyard but diligent searching for the the missing body parts meant that the rebuild didn’t cost an arm and a leg 😉 I probably made around 60K on that car alone when I sold it – I don’t keep detailed records like I do for my trucks! The other cars all made a good profit with the exception of the DC Typhoon which I’ve decided to keep. And all that money washing around means I’ve been able to treat myself to a Porsche 911…

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I’m still not back on the tracks as we try to reduce the risk of spreading Corona Virus. So this response to Cee’s Fun Foto Challenge is archive shots from quite a while ago.

A couple of friends and I visited the railway lines on the Derby-Nottinghamshire border back in 1978. We were there to witness a dying industry though we didn’t know it at the time. The Coalfields in the area were a major industry and the main reason why the railways were built here in the first place. These images were taken near Tibshelf on the Erewash Valley line before the collieries closed in the 1980’s. In both photos we see Class 20’s being used as prime motive power for stock being moved back to Tibshelf sidings in preparation for the next week’s work. These locomotives, operating in pairs, formed the backbone of much of the freight traffic in the area at the time because their combined 2000HP and low axle weight meant they could go anywhere, even on poorly maintained tracks.

In this shot, 20173+20068 arrive at Tibshelf Sidings with a train of empty mineral wagons. They will continue under the bridge before setting back into the sidings which are visible on the right behind the semaphore signals. The tracks on the left are the main line from Sheffield. Tibshelf Sidings, along with Blackwell Sidings and Westhouses Depot served the many collieries in the area.

Here, another pair of 20’s come off the Alfreton-Sheffield main line as they approach Tibshelf Sidings with another rake of empty mineral wagons. The line to Blackwell Sidings from Blackwell South Junction is visible on the left. On the top left are wagons in the private siding of Alfreton Explosives’ Rough Close Works. With the closure of the collieries in the 1980’s the Blackwell Branch closed and the tracks have been lifted…

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The Kids – I christen them as such purely because they’re so much younger than me – have recently discovered Car Mechanic Simulator 18. I know this because they’ve been excitedly tweeting about it 🙂 My long suffering followers will recall me first showing some screenshots from this game and even a spoof car sales advert quite some time ago. In fact, I bought the game when it was on early access so I have some history. I’ve played it in spurts because it’s that sort of game – addictive in short bursts, after which a break is probably wise. But, with other games taking my attention, I haven’t played for a year! With the reawakened interest generated by the youthful enthusiasm, I guess it’s time to take another look. Now where did I leave that Wrench?

Things, or more importantly this Plymouth……were exactly where I left them. It became a simple case of rebuilding the engine……and the running gear before selling the car for a good profit…

I make it sound simple but it actually took me something like 20mins to remember what keys do what and how to use the camera to take images 😉 In fact the Camera has had some changes and now works much better than it did before. That’s a positive improvement. There have also been a number of upgrades to the game in the form of new DLC’s with licensed content from several car manufacturers. A couple of other vehicles have been snuck in by the developers in the upgrades like this Sceo XL550 that I bought from the junkyard… It wasn’t as clean as that when I bought it – I’ve already fixed the frame and started repairing the bodywork and doors. I’ve also rebuilt the engine… The car is now already worth $50k more than I paid for it despite the scrapyard charging over the odds in the first place – If you’re buying from the junkyard remember to choose your cars well to counter that overpricing unless it’s a vehicle you simple must have for your collection like this Alfa Romeo Giulietta……There’s a lot of work to be done on that classic before it’s showroom ready! That’s an example of the huge number of fan created mod cars also available from the Steam Workshop for this game!

Coming back to the game has made me do some reassessment of the cars in my personal parking. Some will be fully refurbished and sold like this ‘Salem Flamino’ for example……and this Plymouth Volare……in which latter case, I really want one with the wood trim! Other cars will just pass through – being rebuilt to showroom condition to make money. For example this Chevelle SS……which I fully rebuilt including the engine……and repainted to a deep metallic blue… You might wonder why I didn’t keep that Chevelle? Because I already have one in my collection that I lucked upon in a barn – unlike the standard one with 290HP or so, the one I’m keeping has…..an 820HP supercharged engine! I think it will get repainted in that lovely dark blue though 🙂

That brings us up to date with Car Mechanic Simulator 18. I’m now trying to play a little of each of my favourite games every week. That’s more variety for me and more variety for you 😉 Hope you have enjoyed the images – more from CMS18 in a future post 🙂