Hello all,
A few years ago I started a route project representing operations on the D&H in the summer of 1982, in the area around Binghamton NY. The route includes all 3 major yards at Binghamton, and then extends east to Bainbridge NY via Belden Hill, Belden Tunnel and Nineveh Junction. It also loops south to Susquehanna PA (the location of the Starrucca Viaduct) and then runs north again along part of the old Penn Division to join up with the Belden Hill line at Nineveh Jct. There are also a few other branches that were included to allow space for trains to arrive and depart more realistically via portals.
In my time frame, Conrail is a major presence, and the NYS&W is also a big player in the area. The D&H also had a lot of leased power in those days, which would make for some interesting lashups. The part of the Penn Division I included was in fact still in use then as a high-wide detour around Belden Tunnel, and of course this is pre-Guilford so all of that mess is avoided.
As it stands now, I have the full DEM in TS12 49922 (created in TransDEM), and all track and roads (interstates, highways and minor roads) are accurately laid out with colored marker splines (manually traced from Google Earth). The DEM exists as both 1 large entity and as a series of smaller chunks that could be worked on separately if desired. I also have USGS topo maps and georeferenced Google Earth imagery for the entire route, plus 3D basemaps for the entire route that were created using the initial version of my RubyTMAP tool. I have a full set of track charts showing grades & curvatures for the D&H and Conrail portions, and Bing Maps has excellent coverage of the entire area in Bird's Eye view as well.
All the track is roughly laid (in the 1-piece DEM), and some work has been done on the major yard at Conklin NY and in a few other areas. All of the signature bridges and trestles (including the Starrucca Viaduct), and most of the significant landmark structures, have already been created by Bendorsey (many thanks to him for an awesome job on these), and are roughly in place; Ben has also indicated he would continue contributing to this project if it was taken over by someone else.
Unfortunately, due to certain events in my life, I am not going to be able to devote any significant amount of time to the actual construction of this route from this point forward. As I have been told that it has great operating potential, and historical value as well - and of course could also serve as the basis of a modern-day CP route through the area - I have decided that it would be better to offer what I have done so far to the community, rather than leave it languishing on my hard drive.
So, my thought is that perhaps a few of the really proficient route builders might be interested in taking over what I have started, in terms of actual route construction, with an eye toward making this available for T:ANE when it arrives - either in full or partial form. While I am not going to be able to do much in terms of route-building per se, I do have a LOT of research material to offer. I also live in Binghamton, and thus have easy direct access to all areas of the route to gather (more) photos, etc. as might be needed, so I would defintely want to (and certainly can) remain involved from a research & support standpoint.
Looking forward to seeing what you all have to say. Thanks...
Regards,
-Mike
A few years ago I started a route project representing operations on the D&H in the summer of 1982, in the area around Binghamton NY. The route includes all 3 major yards at Binghamton, and then extends east to Bainbridge NY via Belden Hill, Belden Tunnel and Nineveh Junction. It also loops south to Susquehanna PA (the location of the Starrucca Viaduct) and then runs north again along part of the old Penn Division to join up with the Belden Hill line at Nineveh Jct. There are also a few other branches that were included to allow space for trains to arrive and depart more realistically via portals.
In my time frame, Conrail is a major presence, and the NYS&W is also a big player in the area. The D&H also had a lot of leased power in those days, which would make for some interesting lashups. The part of the Penn Division I included was in fact still in use then as a high-wide detour around Belden Tunnel, and of course this is pre-Guilford so all of that mess is avoided.
As it stands now, I have the full DEM in TS12 49922 (created in TransDEM), and all track and roads (interstates, highways and minor roads) are accurately laid out with colored marker splines (manually traced from Google Earth). The DEM exists as both 1 large entity and as a series of smaller chunks that could be worked on separately if desired. I also have USGS topo maps and georeferenced Google Earth imagery for the entire route, plus 3D basemaps for the entire route that were created using the initial version of my RubyTMAP tool. I have a full set of track charts showing grades & curvatures for the D&H and Conrail portions, and Bing Maps has excellent coverage of the entire area in Bird's Eye view as well.
All the track is roughly laid (in the 1-piece DEM), and some work has been done on the major yard at Conklin NY and in a few other areas. All of the signature bridges and trestles (including the Starrucca Viaduct), and most of the significant landmark structures, have already been created by Bendorsey (many thanks to him for an awesome job on these), and are roughly in place; Ben has also indicated he would continue contributing to this project if it was taken over by someone else.
Unfortunately, due to certain events in my life, I am not going to be able to devote any significant amount of time to the actual construction of this route from this point forward. As I have been told that it has great operating potential, and historical value as well - and of course could also serve as the basis of a modern-day CP route through the area - I have decided that it would be better to offer what I have done so far to the community, rather than leave it languishing on my hard drive.
So, my thought is that perhaps a few of the really proficient route builders might be interested in taking over what I have started, in terms of actual route construction, with an eye toward making this available for T:ANE when it arrives - either in full or partial form. While I am not going to be able to do much in terms of route-building per se, I do have a LOT of research material to offer. I also live in Binghamton, and thus have easy direct access to all areas of the route to gather (more) photos, etc. as might be needed, so I would defintely want to (and certainly can) remain involved from a research & support standpoint.
Looking forward to seeing what you all have to say. Thanks...
Regards,
-Mike
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