(Big Pix Warning) Hardly Workin': My Attempts to be a Contributing Member of Society

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opus722

Electric Love!
I spent the past 6 months to a year toying around with Blender, GIMP, and other programs trying to forge something presentable. I learned a lot along the way from LODs to efficiently using resources. During the learning process I posted a few renders here and there of my attempts in various threads, but I am finally confident enough to open my own thread to comments and/or criticism. So, allow me to introduce my first public project that will, hopefully, see some sort of large release.

So, enough with that and on to the screenshots! Please note these are still in pretty rough stages so please don't ask for a timeline. I just want to get them out into the public arena. I am working on exteriors and interiors concurrently on several different cars so I don't burn out and get bored on one single project.

Thank you all.
 
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I'm still being challenged to make things out of square lumber like a freight platform...

Looks nice!
 
Thanks!

I went back inside the Heritage Diner for a little bit more work.
 
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I didn't post this originally since it is, on the exterior at least, just a coach with two less windows, but here it is anyways. Getting all the underbody details on this correct is going to turn the rest of my hair gray, but research is half the fun of building something.


Something struck me when making this too though - if animated brake hoses are possible then shouldn't all the HEP and other assorted doodads that connect passenger cars also be feasible? Something to think about.

Anyways, more practically, I was thumbing through various Amfleet floorplans and these changed over the years. Right now they are configured for a modern car, but I am curious to know what everyone's favorite Amtrak era is. Personally, I like the modern and Phase III stuff, but I would like to know what others think.
 
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This will probably be the last update for a few days and I hope to get back at it on Thursday or Friday at the latest. The Amfleet Is are almost there though. I just need to do some small stuff on the exterior other than the trucks.
 
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opus722 said:
I didn't post this originally since it is, on the exterior at least, just a coach with two less windows, but here it is anyways. Getting all the underbody details on this correct is going to turn the rest of my hair gray, but research is half the fun of building something.

Something struck me when making this too though - if animated brake hoses are possible then shouldn't all the HEP and other assorted doodads that connect passenger cars also be feasible? Something to think about.

Anyways, more practically, I was thumbing through various Amfleet floorplans and these changed over the years. Right now they are configured for a modern car, but I am curious to know what everyone's favorite Amtrak era is. Personally, I like the modern and Phase III stuff, but I would like to know what others think.
Click to expand...

You're doing a wonderful job and I wish you success in this project.
Don't let "obsessive" realism bog you down. Just have a general picture in your head how it should look like, then close the photo and wing it as you deem fit. It's not like most people would notice whether or not that obscure box underneath the 3rd window should've been fillet instead of chamfer and should be 3 inches closer to the brake line...you get what I mean. I wouldn't. And people who chastise a freeware creator on rivet-counting issues deserve to have their Trainz databases corrupted.
:p

I think PhIV's were the nicest looking. PhV is good on coaches, but the whole wavy thing on locomotives kind of turn me off. Animated brake hoses and HEP cables would be a pleasant surprise. Ocemy's coaches are a nice learning example.
 
The thing I liked about Phase IV, that is lacking in Phase V, is how the stripes ran uniformly all the way down the side of the consist from the nose of the locomotive to the last car. I don't know why, but it just looks strange to have the wavy gravy on the P42 then the straight stripe on all the other cars. I do prefer the new logos though.
 
Irregardless of which paint scheme, the stripes seldom lined up especially when different rolling stock was used, probably due to unspecified uniform height when painting cars. The engine's stripes would be here, and then the baggage car's stripes slightly lower, perhaps the Amtrak boxcars' abit higher, the diner again lower, transition car, and so on. Still, the "messiness" contributed to Amtrak's character. If I wanted spick n' span and lined up stripes I'd go to Germany! :hehe:
 
I guess I should have worded that differently since I meant more the general uniform pattern rather than an actual unbroken line. The nonuniform uniformity of Amtrak is what makes it so special. One of my favorite Amtrak eras is the rainbow years when you could a see three or four railroad hodge-podge mashup before they started repainting stuff.
 
I managed to grab a couple of hours of free time today to spend on the dining car again. The Budd fluted side cars are just too cool looking.



Sorry if I am posting too much too quickly. I just get excited about things.
 
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I went back and completely redid all the under body equipment from scratch. It took a little while to track down all the right photographs and diagrams, but it should be as close to prototypical as I can get it. I'm not sure what they all do, but they are there.


Now, I know that is not the most interesting part of an Amfleet, but my mind wouldn't let me move on with the inaccuracies of the originals I had under there.
 
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One thing at a time. I'd need to dig up all the appropriate diagrams, they're more than just Amfleets with a cab ya know, but there is a whole list of other stuff I would rather do first - The #10031 Dome Car, Heritage Baggage Cars, and so on....
 
That's not to say that I would completely ignore what people want though. I'm interested to see what the highest demand things are in Trainz and, perhaps more importantly, if they match up with my interests. I guess you could call it collective requests? I don't know I just want to play with my Amtrak stuff.
 
From what I've heard, the most wanted stuff are P32's (DC/3rd Rail), HHP-8's, and the Acela Sets
 
Anyone happen to know what the differences between a Grill Diner, Temoinsa Rebuilt Diner, and a plain ol' Diner are? The are all of Budd vintage and, except for some differences in the fluting and placement of name plates the original owners used, are essentially uniform in appearance on the outside. The differences on the inside are what I need to find out. The internal differences don't necessarily equal internal either. Three of the ex-NP diners, for example, are Temoinsa rebuilds while the last is not. Most of my photographs are of the Temoinsa rebuilds, which make up a little under half of active diners, or are from the early 90s and are, I assume, no longer accurate. Finding up to date photographs or information on the others, particularly the Grill Diners, is proving to be difficult at best.

Thank you in advance to anyone that can clarify what is going on there.
 
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