Can anyone create St. Louis Union Station for Trainz 12?

That diagram is before the extension. After the second wye was installed the setup was reversed. I'l try to find a diagram of the later track arrangement.
 
Friends,

Google can maybe save a bit of work, here.

1) There is a model of St. Louis Union Station in the Sketchup Warehouse (I know Sketchup is not really Trainz compatible, but the model could be downloaded, loaded into Blender, and re-topo'd);

2) Google street view shows all four sides of the current building;

3) There are a number of Panoramio shots taken in the vicinity of the Building accessible from Google Earth;

3) Overall dimensions can be approximated from the ruler function in Google Earth; and

4) There is historic aerial imagery accessible through Google Earth back to 1988.

The appropriate USGS Quadrangle map would give a more accurate estimate of overall dimensions.

Finally, the St. Louis Public Library (or another Library in the area) might have Sanborn fire insurance maps from several different years. As I recall, the Sanborn maps provide dimensions, and show outbuildings.

ns
 
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Any pictures after about 1985 would be of the station as the Mall it is today. The last train was in 1978 as I recall. After that Amtrak stopped using the St Louis Union Station. 1985 is when it was reopened as a mall / hotel I remember my father taking me there soon after it had reopened.
 
A little help please.

Anyone have a texture that looks like the one on the walls of the station? If you look at the photos you can see its alternating layers of large blocks and much thinner blocks. I don't have anything even close.

Thanks,

Ben (and yes - I've started on it, lol)
 
G'day bendorsey,

Ben, I suspect the only way you're going to find the 'image' you want is for someone to head over to the building and actually take a photo of the facade, specifically for that purpose (I'd offer to do that for you but it's a 'little difficult' for me, under the circumstances). I also suspect that you will be in need of more than one such image, as I have noticed that there are a number of different 'styles' used in this stonework, images (in the form of 'textures') of all of which you will need to be truly authentic...

Jerker {:)}
 
That's probably true. I'm a little to far away too (South Florida, lol). I can get a lot of the basic building done without it but eventually when I start working on the masonry details I'll need the correct textures.

If some kind soul does this they will need to convert the photos into actual textures (something I've never done).

On the other hand a lot of the smaller details appear to be concrete. I have quite a number of concrete textures.

Ben
 
Basic building coming along but I'm having big problems trying to extract a useable texture from any of the photos. The biggest problem is its a random tone texture so anything I extract tiles like crazy and looks worse.

I may have to end up using a somewhat different looking texture. About the same color but not random stone unless someone can come up with something resembling the actual texture on the station.

Ben
 
Yes - it does help (though obviously not with the random stone texture, lol). It gives me a better idea if the two ramps in the front of the building (though I think one is a staircase).

Interesting - - - it seems to show 32 tracks under the canopy instead 30 in the other diagram. The canopy also looks longer. I wonder if this is after the canopy was extend by 180 feet. If there is a date on it can't read it.

Thanks,

Ben
 
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I know there was one more revamp which moved the buildings to he left of the double throat into the center but I don't know when it was done
 
Definitely been some changes over the years.
This track plan shows two completely separate wyes.
The other shows only one wye.

If the tracks were extended along with the canopy (and I can't imagine they weren't) I'd think the single wye would no longer work (not enough room for the longer switch ladders) so the double wye might be the later arrangement.

In either case it has to be a switch tower controllers nightmare (Maalox by the 55 gal drum, lol).

Ben
 
Hey Ben I was wondering if you ever considering making the Chattanooga Choo-Choo Hotel, and/or it's original form as Terminal Station? I think it's current form could be a starting point. I don't need it made, but I was wondering if you considered making it. Also, where's some websites that show blueprints or pictures that shows the station in it's heyday?
 
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I've never considered making it since I never knew it existed, lol.

On the other hand if you would like to gather up the photos and dimensions and I'll give it a try - just not right away (St. L. is gonna take a while, lol).

Have the front and side walls made except those for the tower. Rear walls are next. Do the tower walls last.

Ben
 
So... I got the screenshot of your progress and I have to say it's looking pretty good Ben. Right now I'm currently unable to get content on the DLS as I get a 530 security error so when you finish the main building I won't be able to download it for awhile.
 
I won't be uploading things helter-skelter. Rather I'll wait until all the parts are done and tested and upload all at the same time so you have time to sort out your 530 error (whatever that is, lol).

Working on the roof(s) today so it starting to actually look like a (big) building.

Ben
 
Just a heads up.

I haven't forgotten this project. Been making windows and doors for weeks (well it seems like weeks, lol).

Ben
 
Sorry i haven't been posting on the forum lately but Ben has been keeping me posted on how St. Louis Union Station is coming along. Here is some of the screenshots he sent me.

progress4.jpg


progress3.jpg


progress2.jpg


progress%201.jpg
 
I see he is having as much luck posting screenshots as I used to have (so much I gave up years ago).

The actual building is done including nightmode (and with as many windows it has it looks like a field full of Christmas trees at night, lol).

Working on the concourse at the moment. That's the part that makes the transition between the station and the long canopy. It includes the end-of-track bumpers which are spaced so folks can us them as guides when adding and aligning the interactive platforms.

Ben
 
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