Noobmountain & Western WIP (medium-sized pics)

[Isegrinns]

Hi fellows.​

I just started a map of my own, it´s my first one.​

It will feature a double-tracked mainline, including a small divison-point yard, a 1.2% helpergrade and an interchange with another class-1 railroad, including a diamond grade-crossing.​

There will be a small riverside harbour, which will feature a small dockyard, a tankfarm and two small cold storages. Additional operation will be provided by some grain elevators, a scrap yard, a small powerplant and a busy teamtrack/general-goods district.​

A coal-hauling branchline with some mines and tipples will be the main operational focus. It will transport the coal to the division point, where it will be collected to make up eastbound unit trains. The line features grades of 2.2 to 2.5% uphill, which is the direction of the empties.​

So far, I´m far from done, not even near the detailing level. The tracklaying process for the main is done, the mountain-branch is not completed. Terra-forming is about 50% done, greening/browning is just starting.​

My main inspiration was the awe-inspiring "The loops" from gfisher. I know, I´m not half as good as him, but I´ll keep on working on it, and maybe he can teach me a thing or two! I try to keep everything in late 50ies style.... So if you see something totally anachronistic, please tell me!​

Thats how it should look like when I´m done. Can anyone tell me when those crossings were introduced?​

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One of the mainline staging-yards. With some steam-show-off, hehe! There are 5 tracks which are long enough to provide space for longer trains.​

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Two screenies, which I already posted.​

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Halfway between staging & division-point.​

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That´s it for now. Comments and critics are highly welcome!
I hope some of you like it.
Greetz
André

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[cascaderailroad]

Track Spacing

Tighter track spacing sometimes helps with a more prototypical look and feel. The GFisher "PRR Track Guide" and "MB Quad US Track" make perfect guides for closer together tracks, but could be edited out in the end process of your routes creation.

3.5 m http://i525.photobucket.com/albums/cc339/cascaderailroad/Screen_022-2.jpg

4m http://i525.photobucket.com/albums/cc339/cascaderailroad/Screen_023-2.jpg

5m http://i525.photobucket.com/albums/cc339/cascaderailroad/Screen_024-2.jpg

http://i525.photobucket.com/albums/cc339/cascaderailroad/30mRuler2.jpg

BTW the route has great looks to it already, keep up the great screenshots !

 

[Isegrinns]

Thank you, that looks great. I´ll keep them in mind. Maybe I´m rebuilding my main yard with them... Then I could expand it some more...

Any idea how many through-tracks in the yard would be enough? I´ve got 5, where incoming freights can arrive and depart. Their main purpose is to slab helpers onto the freights, classification is handled in an adjoining flat yard.

I think 5-10 another tracks for coal traffic should suffice, what´s your oppinion about it? 3 to 5 coal extras a day is what´s in my mind for the branch. Plus one way freight orriginating here to each direction on the main. The rest ist through-traffic.

Edit: I found the PPR Guide, but the MB thingy is not on the DLS... :-(

 

[Dermmy]

Watch out for too many tracks in a yard, keep them as tight as possible. While a ten-track yard looks better than a five-track yard the number of freight cars required to fill a large yard will over-work your computer and give you a slide-show as trains pass through. To me nothing looks worse in a Trainz screenshot than a huge beautifully built classification yard capable of holding thousands of cars with only one train and a dozen loose freight cars in the thing....

Andy

 

[motorbreath]

I think it looks quite promising. For it to be not finished, the scenery is looking very nice and realistic. The only thing I personally don't like is the old school puffy track. I also noticed the road is not connected to the crossing, it looks like you may have LP roads or a similar floating road, which will not work properly with the crossing (it will float over it). I am assuming that is why it isn't connected, or you just haven't gotten to it yet. Oh well, that's all I have. You are building a great looking layout.

 

[cascaderailroad]

Actually the "Old School Puffy Track", which you refer to, in this case appears to be "MP Wood", is more bendable, more smooth, and is less prone to kinking in switch's. Many a fine route has been create using this Auran "Built In" Chunky Mesh track (and includes the "MP Rusty", and "MP Tunneltrack Dark" types). I am presuming that this route is not 09 ? ? ?

If you want kinky tracks: Alot of Higher Poly, Higher Detail tracks do this objectionable funky 4m Kinking in switchs: http://i525.photobucket.com/albums/cc339/cascaderailroad/Turnout4mRepeat.jpg

I have been taking precise notice of all the tracks on several super looking routes, lately. I have come to my conclusion, that a DEM is not absolutely necessary, and chunky tracks fairly acceptable to all persons, and in most cases are not even noticable at all, as the route creators lately are doing an absolutely fabulous job on scenery, and ground textures. This route has a great prototypical feel to it.

 

[motorbreath]

I understand the benefits of the chunky track. I was just offering both praise and constructive criticism. The only thing I don't like about the track it the rail tops look too wide and soft. TrainzItalia actually has track that is still chunky mesh, but the tops of the rails are painted darker on the edges and the effect is quite convincing. Unfortunately I think you must pay and subscribe to obtain them, and I'm sure they can't be released on other routes. The ballast is also more suited for desert or western US regions. I don't know if anyone else has done anything similar.

Edit: I have also cloned different tracks and adjusted the lengths to 1 or 2m to reduce the kinking in the config file. A lot of narrow gauge track would do that on curves and have an undesirable effect when the train was going around curves. Very jerky side to side.

 

[evan123]

This is actually a very good start, I detect a natural here. Keep it up.

 

[Kon1786]

Looking good, there is lots of talent on here and very help full too. Keep uo the good work.....

 

[Isegrinns]

Thank you all for making comments, thats highly appreciated!

Dermmy:
Yeah, that´s what I don´t like also... And, besides the look, I like to have a bit of a challenge. So the operator has to think before he moves.

motorbreath:
The GF-Roads are now connected to the crossings, using the "Gravel"-spline. Seems like the GFs are overlaying the tracks, which was a thing I wouldn´t tolerate, hehe!

And MP Wood will be the track, definitly, cause I like it. It may be old school, but it fits in my case. I´m old school too!

evan123:
Thank you. A natural? I´m just trying to copy gfisher, so HE ist the natural! I´m just the copy-cat!

 

[tycoonkid6]

Love the name xD

 

[Isegrinns]

Some new ones.

Hi again.​

Some new screenies, to keep it going.​

Out of the western staging....​

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...over the bridge....​

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...towards Avern Junction.​

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This is the main station. Passenger and reefer-tracks in the foreground, in the background freight.​

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This is where freight & passenger tracks reunite.​

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Thats the approach from the west.​

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Not much to see.... Right now I´m terraforming the mainline. I think, in about a week the main will be in the detailing-stage. I´ll keep you guys updated.​

 

[Isegrinns]

Hi again.
I´ve been busy the last nights.
By the way, WHO needs real-life?
​

First we follow the already known ore-haul up the ruling grade, Fishers Gap.​

 

[Isegrinns]

And I had some unused screens for the "Screenshot of the week"-Thread hangin´ ´round.​

A last one for today.
It shows a viaduct near the terminus of the mountain branch. Here we cross the Virginian RR, which is just scenic.
Operational concept and landscape are loosely depicting Cadosia on the New York, Ontario & Western. Mine is named Calonia.
There will be a coal-yard and the second interchange to a class-1 RR.
As before, all is WIP and comments are welcome!​

 

[Sampug394]

This looks like a SERIOUSLY Fun Route sir.

Can you post a Screenshot of the Minimap?

 

[UP5521]

Oh,that is a impressive route you have!

 

[Isegrinns]

@sampug394:
Naaaa, that would spoil the fun! I think that one of the most exciting things is the exploration of a new map. But thank you very much, I try to keep my pace, so you can run on it, too!

@up5521:
Thank you very much, sir!

 

[UP5521]

No problem!

 

[simulatortrain]

May I ask where you got those N&W boxcars in the first picture?

 

[Isegrinns]

Gentleman, thats how I spent the last 24hs.
Up on the branch, a Class-2 RR crosses our line.
It appears out of the hills, crosses the river (which has yet to be named), goes underneath a bridge under our line and disappears behind the hills.
It´s just scenic, has Portals on both ends and makes a nice Eyecatcher in my humble opinion.​

View from the other side. The road will get additional details to wreck havoc upon our HD´s.​

This is the bridge for the scenic RR.​

Now we switch to Calonia, one end of the branch.
The Virginian RR under the viaduct now got 4 tracks and overhead catenary.​

Here we see one end of the Virginian.​

Another jump, this time to the division-point.
Here I integrated a second industrial district.
It features a TOFC-loading facility which loads and unloads "Fruehauf"-Trailers on Flatcars.
(Danke sehr, Epoche3-4!)
Designing is not completed, if you have any suggestions for appropriate buildings, please tell me.​

Here we´ve got a key feature.
It´s a large factory for automobile parts & engines.
It handles round stock and aluminium and produces in addition some scrap.
Made from fabulous FMA-Stuff.
I love it.
Anyone got suggestions or intimate knowledge of what it takes to make engines?​

Thats the underpass between the TOFC-facility and the engine-factory... Included it just for fun. Will be a busy switching area once it´s done.​

On the other end of town is a small harbor. Not the seaside-type, more of a canal-harbour or a riverport.​

That´s it for tonight.
Hope some of you like what you see.​

Comments are welcome!​

@simulatortrain:
Why, sure you can. I gonna look it up ASAP.