Coming Soon: Calabash & Tuscarora R.R.

[jrcrawford4]

Given the reshuffling and new look of Forums, I apologize in advance if I'm posting these in the wrong place. Here are a few shots of my Calabash & Tuscarora R.R. It'll be available soon.

Cheers,
Rob




http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v676/PocketPlane/051_TuscaroraRiver_sm.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v676/PocketPlane/065_TuscaroraRiver_sm.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v676/PocketPlane/076_Tobacco_sm.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v676/PocketPlane/089_PickupReefers_sm.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v676/PocketPlane/165_Tusc_sm.jpg

[Pencil42]

Looks nice! I'm looking forward to seeing it!

[jjslll54]

Amazing pix. You are a true artist.

Jack

[jrcrawford4]

Thanks, Jack (and Pencil42); coming from an indispensible content creator that's quite a compliment. I've learned a lot (or tried to) from other route builders, and nothing would be possible without all of the great content the community has made (I'm still trying to figure out how to incorporate Pencil's pin-connected truss bridge and Ben Dorsey's bridge - in the screenshot - on one layout)! I just put it together - and I'm happy if I can do it in a way that people like. Thanks again,

Rob

[nikos1]

wow, that looks spectacular:cool: really looking forward to this one
by the way is it proto and what region of the country is it set in?

[jrcrawford4]

Hi nikos1,

Thanks! This is a short fictional route (about 15 baseboards) that is supposed to be set in eastern North Carolina about 1915-192x. It's based on several prototypical railroads that existed at that time and in that area. The DEM map is actually a part of the Aberdeen & Rockfish, the industries are typical of eastern N.C. at that time (especially the cypress and pine logging industry), etc. There is a real fishing village of Calabash, N.C., but it has no railroad. "Tuscarora" is the name of a Native American tribe that was pretty significant in colonial North Carolina. And there's also a real town of that name, too. This road interchanges with an as-yet-unnamed Class I, which in my mind is either SAL or ACL. Or it could be the old Norfolk & Southern.

A couple of things I did: most of the trees are native species to eastern N.C. Or at least look that way. Also have made a bunch of sound files of bird calls - all of which are either year-round residents or early visitors each year. Tried very hard to recreate as much of the atmosphere and feel of coastal places in my home state that I've often visited. There are numerous tobacco and corn fields - and if anybody makes some cotton crop and soybean splines, I'll add them in! :) - those are typical crops.

More pics on the way. :)

[jrcrawford4]

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v676/PocketPlane/001_CalabashWaterfront_sm.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v676/PocketPlane/026_Italianate_sm.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v676/PocketPlane/028_Stick_sm.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v676/PocketPlane/091_Switching_sm.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v676/PocketPlane/122_LogRun_sm.jpg

[ish6]

nice screenies!!

[gfisher]

Man, that is just my cup of tea. That will be a must download for me, and great screenies too.

[jrcrawford4]

Thanks much, George! Your routes are among the very best, so once again, I'm flattered.

Thinking of how well you've used DLS content (have always liked the way you did the trees for CC&LE - as in your sig) reminds me that I should probably make a couple "disclaimers" here and get it out of the way.

1. I did use some payware and some non-DLS content - ALL of which is available from sirgibby's Trainzone.

2. True to my tendency and as you can probably tell from the pics, I didn't worry overmuch about "resource usage." ;) The map runs quite well on a CoreDuo 2.4 with two 7900GTX cards and 2 gigs of RAM. I'm not saying that to brag - I only mean to explain that I'm aware that my PC is, for now, pretty high end and that many people may not be able to run this.

3. Am thinking of making this route "donationware" - depending.... I don't want to go the payware route and some creators' licenses forbid the use of their stuff in payware routes anyway. I'm not trying (or even expecting) to make big bucks. But if content creators are ok with it, and if it doesn't lead to a lot of "hue and cry," I might make donations an option (would have to host the route somewhere other than the DLS).

Call it "minstreling." :)

[Pencil42]

This route just keeps looking better!
Are you wanting to integrate my bridge with one of Ben's? If so, the source files for my bridge are posted on my website (near the bottom of the downloads page); and Ben's usually pretty good about requests - if he's willing, it shouldn't be too hard to integrate my model into one of his.

[Padster]

Fantastic! Just great. The realism in the pictures is stunning. What are the crops in the third picture? They look a bit like cabbages.

Love the townscenes. Excellent work, well done!

Best wishes,
Padster

[Spookymufu]

wow, this looks great!!!

[jrcrawford4]

Thanks, everybody!

@Pencil42 - I've managed to put in the Pin Truss bridge; it's not really where I want it but I love that bridge (and it's attendant cut stone abutments). Thanks for the suggestion about combining it; had not even considered that possibility and will definitely want to do that - if not for C&T then definitely for "the other" project! :D

@Padster - The crop in the third pic (I think you're talking about the first set of pics) is tobacco. "Planta Tabaco Spline" by waterbond (KUID2: 112428:37010:1). Eastern N.C. is full of flat, expansive tobacco fields.

@Spooy - Thank you! :)

Rob

[Flamerail]

Looks amazing! Will be downloading this one. Hey george I think you found a rival! :D

[jrcrawford4]

My apologies - a correction here: all payware items are available from Trainzone except Jim Weaver's fantastic Victorian Houses which are available from dmdrake's TT&B page. The two pages downloaders will need are:
http://www.trainzone.co.nz/
and
http://www.ttbwrr.com/

Cheers,
Rob

[jrcrawford4]

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v676/PocketPlane/Screen_037.jpg

Leaving Calabash

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v676/PocketPlane/Screen_044.jpg

Straight and flat most of the way

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v676/PocketPlane/Screen_053.jpg

Arrived at Tuscarora; ready to drop the train and go back to the lumber yard (beyond the train) to pick up the log cars.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v676/PocketPlane/Screen_061.jpg

The log run takes you into th' swomp...

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v676/PocketPlane/Screen_063.jpg

...where you can hear the noisy frogs in the reeds.

Have a safe run,

Rob

[grogstop65]

Awsome Shots Rob!

[sirgibby]

Hi Rob

Those are excellent screenshots. Shes gonna' be a doozy of a layout:) :)
The high standard of detail adds to the realism .. almost like being there:)

Mike

[code_red]

Wow...that looks great!:D:D:D

[code_red]

btw JR where did you get that steamer?:)

[jrcrawford4]

Thanks, everybody! @code_red: that is bdaneal's Baldwin light 2-8-2....

http://steammachine.com/bdaneal/

I "reskinned" it (slapped the lettering on, that is); will upload it after I reskin it according to Ben's preferred procedure (this one uses the mesh instead of aliasing).

@grogstop - Thanks! I took several pages from your notebook to do it; especially the grassy areas.

@sirgibby - Yes, a doozy indeed. Still need to send it your way, too.

Thanks again!

Rob

[leeferr]

Absolutely brilliant. I'll be looking forward to it being up on the DLS. It's obvious that a lot of time, planning and effort went into it. Approximatley how many boards is it?

[code_red]

Thanks, everybody! @code_red: that is bdaneal's Baldwin light 2-8-2....

http://steammachine.com/bdaneal/

I "reskinned" it (slapped the lettering on, that is); will upload it after I reskin it according to Ben's preferred procedure (this one uses the mesh instead of aliasing).

@grogstop - Thanks! I took several pages from your notebook to do it; especially the grassy areas.

@sirgibby - Yes, a doozy indeed. Still need to send it your way, too.

Thanks again!

Rob


Wow so much steam on that website...I must d/l them all now!:)

[seany55520]

Where did you get the steam loco.

[brian1993]

It's bdneal's reskinnable mike available at his website.

[code_red]

Where did you get the steam loco.

Quote:
Originally Posted by jrcrawford4 http://forums.auran.com/trainz/images/buttons/viewpost.gif (http://forums.auran.com/trainz/showthread.php?p=5790#post5790)
Thanks, everybody! @code_red: that is bdaneal's Baldwin light 2-8-2....

http://steammachine.com/bdaneal/

I "reskinned" it (slapped the lettering on, that is); will upload it after I reskin it according to Ben's preferred procedure (this one uses the mesh instead of aliasing).

@grogstop - Thanks! I took several pages from your notebook to do it; especially the grassy areas.

@sirgibby - Yes, a doozy indeed. Still need to send it your way, too.

Thanks again!

Rob

[jrcrawford4]

Absolutely brilliant. I'll be looking forward to it being up on the DLS. It's obvious that a lot of time, planning and effort went into it. Approximatley how many boards is it?

Thanks, leeferr! 16 boards exactly. Operates point-to-point, with a turntable at one end and a wye (albeit kinda jammed in) at the other, with a branch line and portal. I confess that rather than actually decorate a logging camp, I "cheated" and used a portal instead. It makes it easier (for me at least) to manage multiple trains if I can send one to the logging camp and have the computer turn it around and load it while I fiddle with the other, instead of having to switch and load at the camp myself.

BTW the C&T is sort of designed to operate two daily trains - one short merchandise freight (or mixed train, if I ever get around to repainting one of Ben Dorsey's TOTC combines) that handles the reefers and the odd boxcar or two from Calabash to the interchange at Tuscarora - and one logging turn that hauls empty lumber flats from the pier at Calabash to the sawmill at Tuscarora. There it picks up the logging cars and runs to the logging camp, back to the sawmill, picks up loaded lumber flats and back to the pier.

An optional third train can represent the Big Class One R.R.; it can run between two portals picking up loads and dropping off empties at Tuscarora. So three trains total. Depending on the operator's patience, the portals can be set to turn trains around as frequently or as slowly as one wishes. I seem to find that setting the logging camp portal to 20 mins. real time and the Big Class One R.R. portals to 45 mins. real time works well if you want continuous running (i.e., no layover/go make a cup of coffee/read a book time). It takes about 30 mins. to run end to end at 30 mph.

Will post back with a screenshot/map.

Cheers,
Rob

[Edit: Forgot to mention - I've decided to put this on the DLS after all. Waiting for Auran to approve or reject one of my sound effect files first. Assuming it goes up all right, I'll send up the others and then the layout after that. Thanks for noticin' :)]

[leeferr]

thanks for the information. I'll be looking for it.