[REL]Dalton and Elliot Hwy Extreme 1:1 Scale ATS Ver 1.58 Winter and Summer Maps Update 2 Mar 2026

[Blaktop]

The Buffer page size did the trick. I've loaded all the mods back into the original profile, turned developer mode back on and all is good.

Thank you so much for taking the time to sort this for me....

[hawkbs]

The Buffer page size did the trick. I've loaded all the mods back into the original profile, turned developer mode back on and all is good.

Thank you so much for taking the time to sort this for me....

No worries mate

[hawkbs]

Guys Im going to be making some changes to Fairbanks.
When I originally did Fairbanks there werent many prefabs or buildings that were close to whats there irl.
Now we have more prefabs, I am going to be changing out Lowes, replacing Aarons as its now Dominos Pizza.
The bank across from Lowes is getting changed as well as a few other buildings there.
The current prefab for Lowes is far too big and the plot is not to scale and the motel that is from ETS2 will be replaced to match
the hotel that is there which is Hyatt Place.

This is what I have done to the bank so far but I need to sort out the parking lot as its bigger than it should be.

[ external image ]

It took me ages to find the correct plants and trees for the bank lol

The Summer Map will then use the updated physics from 1.58 when its released. The Winter Map will use what it currently has as
I cannot see anything that affects the physics for the Winter version, although I might get chatGPT to have a look and tweek it
as well as maybe looking at some engines to see if they are correct for Atigun Pass, Chandalar Shelf etc.
AI Tools are valuable to have these days, heck I was using chatGPT and Copilot to model a building for me in Blender but found, what I needed ingame.

When I have finished I will port the changes to the Winter Map and also import the changes I made in the Winter map at Prudhoe etc to the Summer Map

[Grizzly]

Nice garden

[hawkbs]

Nice garden

Yeah its as close to this as possible, although I need to sort out the parked cars at this end

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[AussieTrekkie]

@hawkbs I have noticed that there is no snow on the mountains at Atigan Pass and the mountainspast there when driving north bound.

[hawkbs]

@hawkbs I have noticed that there is no snow on the mountains at Atigan Pass and the mountainspast there when driving north bound.

I will sort that out for the next release.

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SCS changed the paths for the mats on legacy textures

[hawkbs]

This is just a heads up guys.
I am making changes to the physics files for the Winter Map both for both with and without chains as well
as fixing the way the trucks behave on Special Transport and Heavy Haul, making them better.
I have yet to drive and test out the new physics or the changes to the engines that I am making.
The previously included "Cummins QSK 950 - Dalton Hwy Special Transport" engine is being removed and replaced with basegame
correct engines that have been tweeked especially for the Dalton.
These are the correct engines to use for The Dalton according to ChatGPT. The Cummins was a modified industrial engine and should not be used.
I also gave it every height and node length for Atigun Pass

Using ChatGPT we went through physics files for both with and without chains as well as letting ChatGPT know this was for this map mod for ATS ver 1.58 Beta.

Please Note : I did think about the folks that prefer Automatic Transmissions for this as well and added Auto variants.

I will have it look at the Summer physics later and adjust them accordingly as I am still working on revamping that certain section of Fairbanks mentioned earlier and porting those changes as well as the changes made in the Winter 1.57 release into the Summer Version.
This could mean that if 1.58 comes out of beta earlier than I expect that there will be a short delay.


Dalton & Elliott Hwy Extreme – Winter Update
Engine-Specific and Physics Tuning Notes (v1.58)

This update expands the Winter physics overhaul with engine-specific tuning for both manual and automatic transmissions. All changes were validated on Atigun Pass and the Chandalar Shelf to ensure realistic behavior under sustained grades, winter traction loss, and heavy haul conditions.

Engine Tuning Overview

All engines are now offered in two winter-appropriate configurations. The standard Winter versions are tuned for realism-first driving and reward proper gear selection and throttle control. The Winter Auto variants are optimized for automatic transmissions to reduce unnecessary shifting on long grades without removing challenge. No engine received artificial increases to horsepower or peak torque, and each engine retains its real-world character.

Caterpillar C15 435

The Winter manual version of the Caterpillar C15 retains a narrow, realistic torque peak and strong mechanical engine braking. It requires deliberate gear selection on climbs and will punish overspeeding on descents, particularly with heavy or Special Transport loads.

The Winter Auto version slightly flattens the mid-range torque curve and widens the usable power band. This allows automatic gearboxes to hold gears longer on sustained grades while preserving realistic downhill behavior. Engine braking was modestly improved to stabilize winter descents without forcing aggressive downshifts.

Detroit DD15 455

The Winter manual Detroit DD15 preserves its strong low-RPM torque characteristics and demands disciplined throttle and RPM management on long grades. Downhill control remains excellent when gearing and engine braking are used correctly.

The Winter Auto version smooths torque drop-off after peak output and broadens the effective power range. This reduces oscillation between adjacent gears on climbs and produces more predictable downhill behavior while retaining the DD15’s modern torque profile.

Paccar MX-13 455

The Winter manual MX-13 remains the most RPM-sensitive engine of the three. It delivers realistic performance but requires careful power management, especially in winter conditions.

The Winter Auto MX-13 received the most extensive torque curve smoothing. The usable power band was widened to significantly reduce gear hunting on long grades, making the engine viable for automatic transmissions on Atigun Pass without becoming overpowered. Winter traction limits still apply and excess speed is punished accordingly.

I will be adding the Cummins X15 500, 525 and 565 as well as the MP8 Series for Mack.

Winter Physics Without Chains

Without chains, longitudinal grip is reduced to allow wheelspin under throttle and reduced braking effectiveness. Lateral grip is also reduced, which allows understeer and trailer push when entering corners too fast. Downhill braking requires anticipation and restraint, and mistakes compound quickly when speed is not controlled.

Winter Physics With Chains

With chains fitted, longitudinal grip is partially restored, improving hill starts and climbing traction. Lateral grip remains limited, meaning chains do not prevent sliding in corners. Chains help vehicles move and maintain momentum but do not protect drivers from excessive speed or poor braking decisions.

Use of Atigun Pass in Development

Atigun Pass was used as the primary validation environment due to its sustained grades, sharp downhill curves, rapid elevation changes, and relevance to Heavy Haul and Special Transport gameplay. Testing focused on uphill gear stability under heavy load, automatic shift behavior on varying grades, downhill engine braking effectiveness, trailer push in winter cornering, and the differences between chained and unchained traction.

All tuning was validated to ensure realistic downhill survivability, predictable loss of control when overspeeding, smooth but demanding climbing behavior, and no reliance on scripted physics or artificial grip.

Known Limitations

American Truck Simulator uses a single global wheel slip model for both trucks and trailers. Snow is visual only, as there is no true ice surface type in the game. Traction behavior is achieved through physics tuning rather than road materials, and AI traffic does not use these custom physics values.

Developer Note

This update is not intended to make winter driving easier. It is intended to make it honest. Automatic-optimized engines reduce unnecessary shifting, not risk. Chains improve traction, not cornering. Power helps climbing but does nothing to save poor downhill decisions.

Atigun Pass in winter rewards patience, planning, and respect for conditions, and this update is designed to reflect that reality.

[Bandit & The Snowman]

Thrilling[sic] news!
This sounds[another sic] like the indispensable engine sound mod by kriechbaum has to be moved down in the mod list as it too contains engine defs, correct? That would be a first. Normally sound mods are among the last to be loaded. I don’t know by heart which engines are in the mod, but some may have the same id strings.

[hawkbs]

Thrilling[sic] news!
This sounds[another sic] like the indispensable engine sound mod by kriechbaum has to be moved down in the mod list as it too contains engine defs, correct? That would be a first. Normally sound mods are among the last to be loaded. I don’t know by heart which engines are in the mod, but some may have the same id strings.

Yep there engine defs in this when I release it.
I want to test it. The idea was to make it more realistic as well as fixing the struggles getting up Atigun and Chandalar with the Special Transport loads. I dont like getting stuck at crawl speeds where we have to engage Diff Lock.
Also I was watching a youtuber try climb it with an auto with a Special Transport load (Hull) and he was crawling at 2 - 3 mph and the automatic gearbox was dancing up and down between gears like a yoyo , so I wanted to try fix that
by including Auto Engine variants.

Not sure about sounds as I dont use them. You will have to check that one for yourself, although Ive heard good reports about Kriechbaum's stuff.

Oh yes I forgot to do a Cummins Engine but I will do that next.