Freelance USA mountain railroad

[handlaidtrack]

Some of you may remember the layout I created and added to the DLS a few months ago.

I've been slated for resurrecting old threads before, so instead of adding to the original discussion, I'll just start a brand new thread.
The first section of the layout was covered in these threads:

http://forums.auran.com/trainz/showthread.php?t=72960
and
http://forums.auran.com/trainz/showthread.php?t=73121

Well, guess what...

I've just started on the first of several planned additions.
Here are some early views of the first three days' progress. I will add to them as work progresses, although the new posts may be somewhat sporadic. I recently got married, so I don't know how much time I will have to devote to this layout.

1) Here's a first look at the new section just south of the widget works


2) Here's a view looking into the next valley to the west, reached via the long tunnel just visible at extreme left in the previous picture.
(two more half boards have since been added to the right where the baseboard edge is visible here).


3) Here's a view looking south down the new river valley
(tunnel at left is the same one shown top center in the previous view)


4) Looking north at the same hills
(I've since added another pair of boards to the far end where edge of the baseboard is all too obvious)


5) Current end of track. Helper junction is just starting to take shape.


Merry Christmas everyone. I hope you enjoy the pictures.
More to follow.

Please feel free to add your own comments.

 

[handlaidtrack]

Here's another two days of progress on the same areas...

6) Here's another view looking north, a little beyond the camera location of photo 4.

7) Helper junction taking shape, looking north

8) Another view of helper junction, this time looking west

9) Hilltop view showing the twin valleys. Mine branch to the left, main line right.

10) Current end of the mine branch (no mine yet). 70-car coal drag ready to roll. Only one locomotive at the moment, because it's a slight (0.5%) downgrade to the junction. Helpers will then be added to get it over the big hill.
(yes, I know the hoppers are all empty - Like I said, there's no mine there yet)

 

[mattm]

Merry Christmas, and congrats on getting domesticated, uh, married, sorry.:hehe:

Looks good so far. You're landscaping and texturing is a damn sight better than I could do. Just wondering about that shot where you said you added another board, would the edge really have been that obvious from the cab?

Look forward to more.

Matt.

 

[handlaidtrack]

Just wondering about that shot where you said you added another board, would the edge really have been that obvious from the cab?

Probably not, especially with the steam locomotives I like to run. The trouble is, I don't often drive from the cab. Normally I sit on the roof several cars back as I like to see the train snake through the curves. Sometimes I follow it using a 'helicopter view'. I guess that comes from being a model railroader.

 

[handlaidtrack]

It's been a few days since I've been able to spend any time on this route, but here are a few screenshots of this evening's progress.
Hope you enjoy them. Please feel free to let me know what you think.

11) Early landscaping at the south end of Helper Junction sidings with a drag freight ready to depart after stopping for water and adding a helper locomotive to the rear.
(additional water tank and supply columns have since been added to this end of the sidings)

12) Helper Junction, looking south. Two trains are awaiting helpers to tackle the big hill.

13) View of the area just north of the wye at Helper Junction. Shame about the edge of the road showing up as a hard gray line - I'm not sure what to do about it - maybe replace it with a dirt road, nearer the color of the surrounding terrain.

 

[handlaidtrack]

14) First landscaping south of Helper Junction.

15) The same area looking the other way, showing the main and branch following opposite sides of the river (Still one more mountain to shape, but no more time today).

16) After negotiating the loop to gain height, the main line crosses the river for the third and final time. Still several more miles of grueling 1.8% grade before the summit.

 

[handlaidtrack]

Well, this thread seems to be about as popular as poke in the eye with a sharp stick.
Is there any interest at all in this route I'm creating?
Stage one created quite a lot of feedback, but this thread appears to have been still-born.

 

[Thai1On]

I very interested and I like following your work. May I ask how big is the route. I'm working on a freelanced route through the Appalachian mountains myself and it's a big job.

 

[sawyer811]

eh, everyone's just waiting for it to be a bit farther along. That or just bum-rush the DLS when it comes out.:hehe:

Personally, I love it. If the work on the first "section" is anything to go by, this will be an amazing railroad.

 

[SD45T-2]

It's great, Have you thought about replacing the track?

 

[gremlin1812]

G'day handlaidtrack, you’re additional work is looking good. You will probably find a lot of people away on holiday at this time of year, just got back myself and waded through the new postings a lot are newbies and threads can get buried in amongst them. Keep at it and you will find interest will come back. Congrats on you’re tying the knot and hope you have many years of wedded bliss.

Regards
Barrie

 

[cascaderailroad]

I like the 1.8% grade ... any steeper and you will need more than 6 locos on a 13,000 ton train.

The route looks great !

 

[stouthm]

Looks very interesting. Did you make the terrain or use a DEM? I've always liked mountainous railways so I'll keep an eye on this one (maybe even two eyes).

Duh, freelance USA Mountain route. Forget my question.

 

[davesnow]

Looks very nice to me. Keep going!!

BTW, how long will the finished route be?

Good luck,

Dave

 

[handlaidtrack]

Okay, that's promising. I was beginning to think no-one was following it.
To answer the various questions...

How long is it?

Terminal to terminal, the main line is expected to be about 40 miles (I don't want to make it any longer because I want to be able to drive it in an hour, not to mention all those extra baseboards to landscape).
As for the mountain grade itself, I'm aiming for about 12 miles because I want to come down the other side on a much gentler grade that does not require helpers.
Branch lines will add probably another 20 miles.
Stage two will end at the summit, with the other side divided into two more stages. I'm hoping to complete one stage per year.
The full route will probably total about 400 baseboards altogether (ouch, that's a lot of landscaping!)

Have I thought of replacing the track?

Yes, but I have yet to find a track that I like (see discussion in earlier thread). The one that everyone suggested to me last time looked too immaculate for me. My original intention was to create my own tracks (different ones for main line, branches and yard tracks), adding a tall ballast shoulder that would eliminate the problems with the gap under the track. Unfortunately, I didn't get very far with Blender, and I've now decided that I don't really have time to learn it along with all the other things I've got going on (marriage, family, church callings, writing a book, etc).

About the 1.8% grade.

I'm not running monster 13000-ton trains with 6 locomotives. It's designed as a steam-era line. The passing sidings are set up for trains of up to 70 40' cars. I'm figuring a single 2-10-2 for road power, with a pair of 2-8-8-2's cut into the middle for the grade.
Other than that section, no grade exceeds 0.9% (branch lines) or 0.7% (main line), although I'm planning to eventually add a short harbor branch out of the southern terminal that may have a grade in excess of 2%.

Hope this answers the questions.

 

[handlaidtrack]

Here are some more pictures showing recent progress just beyond the loop:

17) Gradually shaping the mountains in the canyon.

18) A southbound freight, watered up and ready to tackle the grade.

19) Landscaping in all stages of progress.

20) A local passenger drifts downgrade on the branch to Riverside, passing below a freight climbing the grade on the main line.
Since leaving Helper Junction, the main line freight has traveled more than four times as far as the passenger, but has climbed almost 200 feet vertically.

Hope you all enjoy the pictures. Have a great day.

 

[sawyer811]

this route is going to be EPIC WIN.

 

[handlaidtrack]

this route is going to be EPIC WIN.

Thank-you for such positive feedback.

 

[clam1952]

Your route looks excellent, heading towards a classic methinks.

 

[handlaidtrack]

21) Yet another mountain added earlier this evening. Still many more miles to go.

22) I came back after dinner and textured the same area.

23) A very long freight wraps itself around the loop and crosses over itself (105 cars, 6 diesels, and a 2-8-8-2 on the rear). I don't plan on running trains this long but I couldn't resist setting up this shot.

24) A 50-car freight struggles up the 1.75% grade after crossing the river for the third time (2-10-2 in front and 2-8-8-2 on the rear).

25) A double-headed 12-car passenger train storms upgrade around the back side of the loop.

26) A diver's eye view of the daily branch passenger returning to the junction.