Latvian Railways (big pictures)

V

viesturs

Esmu bruņurupucis
Some two years ago I started a fictional route which was situated in Latvia. Back then it wasn't very good in terms of quality. But recently I started reworking all of it to make it very realistic and to reflect the quite undisturbed nature.
Sadly it is plagued by many problems. For example, today I realized that all the signaling (over more than 50km) is broken. Again.
The route is thought to be set in 2010's but with most of the trains just like they were back in 2000.
So here are some screenshots of the few (two) parts which are mostly done :)

A late evening DR1P-402 arriving at Bērzmente stop

A (bit earlier) late evening DR1P-401.7 departing Bērzmente stop

An ER2-1317 at Kastaņi stop with a mid-day regional train

The same train after departing Kastaņi


I hope you liked it :)
 
I got fed up with non-real lines so I decided to start making a prototypical route :)
Rīga-Skulte: a 52km long 2nd category DC electrified mostly double track railway line.
It was built in 1930ies and back then it connected with Estonia. In 1996 "due to a massive landslide" part Limbaži - border was closed. (In reality there was minimal damage that didn't even disturb train services) Then in 1999 the line was shortened by 26km to Skulte where the end of electrification is.
So I can't decide when should it be set. The options which I am willing to do are:


  • 1999 with electric trains to Skulte, 3 diesel trains per day to Limbaži and freight
  • 2001 with electric trains and freight
  • 2013 with electric trains and freight
Can you help with the decision?

Making of it is coming very slowly as I have to check everything with Google Earth for distances, Bing maps for better detail, driver eye view video for infrastructure and a Soviet topographic map for landscape :D
Some screenshots of current progress:

Sarkandaugava station with a branch to the now disused (but not 2001 or 1999) Vudison terminal.


A 9,9 mm/m gradient and a 300m radius curve in the outskirts of Rīga - the toughest place on our mainline railways.
 
Since you people are so unresponsive, I had to decide the year myself. It will be 2001. :)
I don't have much time for this so two screenshots of the little progress in shape of some nature and railway electrification. All the poles are in the correct place and of the correct type. :)

 
Thanks! :)
Currently those DMU's aren't available anywhere... They are reskinned and a bit enhanced versions of DR1A by Vold.
I will release them after I iron out some bugs...
 
I would've voted with 1999, as diesel trains are always preferable, but alrighty then
 
It's not hard to make it 1999 as nothing much has changed.
I will make it afterwards as I will just have to extend the existing line. But firstly I have to model to Skulte :)
It would be hard to convert from 2001 to 2007 as much new roads and stuff has been built. And I would need also new train meshes and stuff as most of them were modernized. Here I can use simply reskinned Soviet trains.
 
Update

Recently I've been working on scenery near Mīlgrāvis and making Mangaļi station shelter. :) The texturing is proving to be difficult...


Viestura prospekts with the memorial to Roberts Mūrnieks who was killed in 26.01.1991 by Soviet OMON forces...


The same place from a different angle. In the background is Ozo golf course and lake Ķīšezers.


@Vitaliy616 I don't have the time to open that route, but I'm sure that they are built-in assets...
 
The bridge over Mīlgrāvis. The unused track isn't connected to anything; it is there if some day there will be a need for double track.
 
Love your screenshots. I had no idea about Latvian railways, but this is very informative. I'm intrigued though, why do you say, "Latvia is the best country in the world...because new lines are closed!"?

I like your shelter. I'm already wondering if it could be reskinned for use in a British context.

Paul
 
If I understand how to fit a high-res texture in those 1024x1024, then the shelters* will be on the DLS and open for reskins :)
*because there are many with similar style. Currently I have made models for 2.

"Latvia is the best" is meant to be sarcastic in these cases. I put all the stupid and/or funny things that have happened here, that a normal country wouldn't do. :D
That line in the picture is 6km long, was built in 2011 and, a correction - was never actually open.
And we spent our and EU money upgrading 30 km of a railway line from 70 to 120 km/h for the non-existent passenger service there. Freight trains by law are restricted to 80.
There will be many more reasons :D
 
Some very WIP shots with THE FIRST COMPLETED SHELTER!!! :udrool:




This asset takes up exactly 1,90 MB and I think it looks quite good. This is my 3rd ever made asset. :)
Note: this shelter is meant for a different station. the one for this is not ready yet.
The real life one is in a worse shape...
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I always try to build the route very precisely so then I look at it hoping to see much done. But no. Turns out I haven't even done one station. :D
This is the one where actually my shelter belongs. (See previous post) Ziemeļblāzma or, in English, "Northern lights" station of capital city.


This is the last station which allows 57 cars long freight trains. Beyond here freight trains can only be run with a maximum of just 28 cars. EMU's usually run with just 4 or 6 cars. They used to be even 10 cars long but then due to decrease in passengers, train age, our limited funds and inability to buy new trains even with 100 millions from European funds and a working railway factory, we had to scrap the excess cars and run short, old trains. Don't get me wrong - the national freight and rail infrastructure company has plenty of money. Last year paid 118 million EUR in taxes, spent 135 million EUR in major projects and still made an excess revenue of 35 millions. And it's getting ready for 1,3 billion EUR electrification project. Sadly, the national passenger company doesn't have money...
 
Ok, a minor setback - turns out I read the topographic map wrong. That wasn't the absolute height of the railway, but the height of the embankment :D
I'll have to redo all the spline heights and embankments... :(
 
Yesterday evening all passenger trains on Skulte line terminated not in Riga central station, but Sarkandaugava due to trackworks. I plan on doing the same for my Trainz route, because I'm not going to bother making the city center as it has to have many custom assets and I have to pay huge attention to detail. Basically, my route will start from the 4th station.
Onwards to the screenshots! ;)

In an early afternoon an ER2 full to the brim with beachgoers rushes through the outskirts of Rīga


An M62 heads in the other direction to pick up some freight cars along the line.


The young pine trees covering the endless sand dunes which are interrupted only by the railway embankments and cuttings...

Also, I would like to hear some feedback :)
Maybe something that I could improve to make the line seem more real? (I will add the power line that parallels the railway eventually)
 
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