Aerial Mining Tramways

B

bigboy4010

Hardcore Steam Breather
I know of Bendorsey's mines with the tramways, but I'm in need of something else. is there any kind of spline of a mining aerial tramway, like in these pictures.

http://infobluemountains.net.au/rail/ksr/images/ShaleBucket_2.jpg

http://www.flickr.com/photos/donbrr/3303390998/

http://www.owensvalleyhistory.com/cerro_gordo1/arial_tram_med.jpg

If there isn't any kind of spline for aerial tramways, would anyone be willing to make one? It doesn't even have to be animated. If it's a spline with wires, carts, and supports, that'd be great.
 
Aerial mining buckets

I must admit ....those are some pretty interesting photos, and quite an ingenious unique method of transporting ore, sort of like ski lift funiculars or passenger gondolas:cool:I believe workers used to ride them occasionally to quickly get from point A to point B, or by using a zip line in some mining location (Saw it on a movie somewhere).
 
Your tram line splines have been uploaded. Look for kuid2:210518:5095:1 and kuid2:210518:5096:1 after the next set of DLS approvals (assuming I haven't made one of my usual fumble-fingered typos, lol).

They are not animated (I don't think thats possible). They are roughly the same except the second has taller towers. I may make a few more in the near future. It was a good idea. Thanks.

Ben
 
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Thanks but it really wasn't that difficult. I already had the parts so it was just a matter of deleting what I didn't need, changing what was left slightly, and configuring those parts to make a spline.

Ben
 
It is really great to see this sort of operation between user and creator.
I think it is what makes Trainz such an interesting hobby.
Thanks Bendorsey.
Cheers,
Mike.
 
To Bigboy4010 and to Ben,
Thanks yet again...
An idea and its tranformation into 'virtuality'.
Brilliant!
Cheers,
Dreadnought1
 
I spoke a little too soon. I've run into a visual issue with them.

http://i569.photobucket.com/albums/ss135/bigboy4010/trainz2009-07-0620-19-56-74.jpg

Don't mind the wire between the upper bend. I added that in. But is there any way to have the supports stay vertical and keep the wire from gapping at each point of the spline? My thought would be to make it as four separate pieces: the rotators at either end as a building object, the supports as either a trackside object or a building piece, the buckets also as trackside objects, and the wire as track or spline, but in much smaller segments. Sorry if I'm being overcontrolling, a rivetcounter, and rude. I hope I'm not, but just in case, sorry. Thank you for what you're doing though. I do really appreciate it.
 
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Splines are a strange breed of beastie. They must consist of 3 parts only. Initiator, terminator, and repeating part. The initiator and terminator can look different but must be the same length. The repeating part can look different and be a different length from the other two (tho it doesn't have to). The towers have to be a part of the repeating part and to get them 100 ft apart that part must be something longer then 100 ft because of the base of the towers (you wouldn't see all of them otherwise). To get the first and last towers a reasonable distance from the wheel houses initiator and terminator must be at least 75 ft long. To be blunt - you can't really make this particular spline out of short parts.

There is a line in the config file concerning bending called "bendy" If its 0 try 1. If its 1 try 0. I seriously doubt this will help tho because it wasn't designed to be anything other then flat. Curved yes (tho that won't be easy due to the length of the parts). One of the things I don't like about splines is parts of different length bend at diferent rates. You can get some spectacturly weird looking things with too shap a bend.

One way to make one on uneven ground or with part on an upslope or downslope is to make it as a fixed item (not a spline). It would be custom made for the area.

Another possibility is to make a selection of parts as a kit. You assemble it and adjust to fit. Might not be perfect but it certainly will look better then your screenshot, lol.

Ben
 
I was thinking a kit. It would make a lot of sense to do it that way, like what I explicated before. That was what I meant by four parts, as a four part kit.
 
Hi,

I'm away from home so I can't check it out for you, but there should be a tag called upright or something that should tell Trainz that the towers (or anything else standing in a splice) should point up, no matter how uneven the ground is.

And, it is possible to make a spline with no start (Initiator)/end (terminator) parts - but as Ben (Hi back Ben :)) stated, as a spline is really only a mesh repeating it self for ever - you either have to have the towers as separate items to hook unto the wire (as kind trackside items) or built it into the wire mesh and making the spline a long one in order to have the towers repeat the needed distance.

One way is to have the tower then the wires go down in gmax the needed length - this would make the spline always start with the tower in Trainz and end without the tower.
Or, use the start/end pieces as Ben did, and model the tower in the center with the wires pointing out in each direction about half the lenght needed between the towers.

Either way, this is one model I want to check out, as even a non working one is better then none at all. :-)

I wanted one for a long time, but have not found any good drawign of a tower or the "wagon" traveling the wires.
And, I'm not that good at doing it from pictures only in terms of sizes anymore.

Take care and best wishes from west coast of Norway (my parents house...)

Linda
 
Hi Linda:

Good to hear from you.

If you would like the original mesh I'll be glad to send it to you to play with. I'm sure you can come up with something far better then I could. Splines are not my strong point (making typos is, lol). Let me know when you get back home, please.

Ben
 
Hi Ben,

Thanks!

I will be home sometime next week. :)

And, sure, I would love to check out and refit the mesh if I can into a spline the way I make splines. LOL

Best wishes

Linda
 
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