Northeast Corridor Newport News, VA to Boston-South Station, MA (1024x 768 pixels)

rusty6896 said:
Just a quick note. Took VRE from Fredericksburg into DC today with my 6 year old son Steven. Could look out the lower front window the whole trip in. South of Franconia/Springfield Metro/VRE stop is a double crossover (Ravensworth Interlocking). Just north of the platform off track 2 (the east most track, the west most is track 3, track 1 is down in Fredericksburg), they have started to cut in the third main which will run from here north to AF. There is already a 3rd main from AF to long bridge. The rail is waiting for the roadbed to be built. They are busily working on it, but not sure if they are 6 months away or 12 months. The new signal bridges are in place with the signals turned. I presume there will be at least 1 or maybe 2 cross overs between Springfield and AF, maybe one at the top of the Franconia Hill. Control boxes were installed and being wired up. There is a "no signal" weekend next weekend which will cause havoc for VRE trains on Mon the 16th of Nov to the point that only 3 northbound trains will run in the AM and 3 in the PM southbound. Not sure if it's related to the 3rd track, I presume it is.
Hope this helps, if I can get over to Franconia by car (you can see the action from a public street, Franconia Road), then I'll post updates.
Rusty
Click to expand...

Thank you very much for the update. I'm glad to here that this project is going well. If you have any pics or later get some pics then feel free to post them.

**Oh and a quick note: I will be posting a couple of screenies this afternoon showing off a new little bit of content a friend made specifically for this NEC route. Don'tget too excited its nothing big but it is very useful and great for prototypicality.

Thanks

Davis:)
 
i so cant wait!:udrool: i would love to have the ne corridor (btw is this a freeware route?) i hav alot of amtrack content (but im having problems with the acela) it would be a nice change from MSTS. grate work by the way! :clap::Y::clap::Y:
 
looks great! i live like a 1/4 mile from the NEC through the suburban area of philelphia south of trenton, theres about 4 septa regional rail stations alonge the path that i know of.... let me know if ya need some pics..
 
Very Nice! I lived in Bowie MD not far from the Junction where CSX splits off its coal trains. Currently Living about 4 miles away from the Lorton Loading Facilities for the auto Train. Cant wait to see this one done.
 
Last edited:
NEC Speedboards

Thanks guys for all of the comments and yes this a freeware route. I am currently working in the Bowie Area as of now. This weekend progress should be made and I will share some more shots.

Anyways what I would like to introduce is my friend Robby's NEC Speedboards he made. They hang in the catenary like the prototypes and he made them from 5 to 150 counting by 5's (i.e. 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, 20, 35) which will definitley cover every speed zone.

They will probably be released at TCR and/or on the DLS. He asked me to look at them in 2009 which I am running and they worked fine so they should be compatible from TRS2006 and up!

My friend (whose name I will not disclose) who works for Amtrak has the papers for me that say what speeds are for what areas. They are specific by milepost and direction. So for example, MP 180.7 to 193.9--110mph NB.

So here are just some sample shots from them in my route on '09:

Hanging in the cat:
strench707_20091103_0001.jpg


By the way I haven't mounted the wires yet and when Nexusdj releases his NEC Electrification kits I think I will replace my current cat with his. Anyways another shot:
strench707_20091103_0003.jpg


That's all for now guys. :wave:

Davis

Alone, floating:
strench707_20091103_0004.jpg
 
Thanks guys for all the comments!

@srr89:
LOL man u know it.

@milkyoreo27:
Thanks its all thanks to srr89 up there ^^^^. I just provided the proto pictures.

@cascaderailroad:

I'll be able to get on, on Firday, tommorow I guess lol, so I can count them then. Ill count from L'Enfant North because track goes all the way from Newport News, VA to Bowie, MD. Do you want me to count length of baseboards or just overall because i can tell u its like 3 to 4 wide in most places.

@UP5521:

Thanks man! Believe it or not its these comments and support of my team over at TCR that keep me rolling with this. Well, that and my love of the NEC.

Thanks guys!

Davis
 
Amazing

Greetings from Chester, PA one of the towns along the NEC between Wilmington, Delaware and Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. I would like to say based off the photographs of the real NEC and the one you're making I can honestly say this is amazing and it's like looking into a mirror. Very acurate portraying of the NEC. I just have one question how busy is the NEC in your area. I'm just curious because up here we only have the typical Amtrak trains, Acela and SEPTA. (South Eastern Pennsylvania Transit Authority) We also have a Conrail Shared Assets line running along the Delaware River and an occasional night time NS (Norfolk Southern) freight on the NEC in the middle of the night. In conclusion I am pleased with the route and just curious about how much NEC traffic including commuter and freight runs through your area.
 
Alex99al said:
Greetings from Chester, PA one of the towns along the NEC between Wilmington, Delaware and Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. I would like to say based off the photographs of the real NEC and the one you're making I can honestly say this is amazing and it's like looking into a mirror. Very acurate portraying of the NEC. I just have one question how busy is the NEC in your area. I'm just curious because up here we only have the typical Amtrak trains, Acela and SEPTA. (South Eastern Pennsylvania Transit Authority) We also have a Conrail Shared Assets line running along the Delaware River and an occasional night time NS (Norfolk Southern) freight on the NEC in the middle of the night. In conclusion I am pleased with the route and just curious about how much NEC traffic including commuter and freight runs through your area.
Click to expand...

Thanks for the comments! I hope to make it up to your area eventually but I doubt it will be any time soon.

I live in Annapolis, MD which isn't exactly what I would say "on the NEC", its about a 1/2 hour a way at most. However, I do understand your question. I am assuming that most people would consider my area of the NEC from DC to Baltimore. My nearest Amtrak stop is a close call between New Carrollton and BWI and if I got on via MARC it would be probably Bowie State.

Down here we get every Amtrak train Wilmington does. All Acelas and NE Regionals so in that respect its about the same. The only difference is we have MARC down here while you have SEPTA. I am almost positive SEPTA runs a lot more frequently than MARC. MARC also only runs on weekdays. So to answer your question more simply let's just say:

Amtrak's (All, Regionals, Acelas, LD Trains, Work Trains, etc.) can be expected every 30 to 60 mins.

MARC's can be expected every 30 mins on peak and some off peak. What adds to the action is after most MARC's make their run they can't layover at DC so they make a deadhead run back up to Baltimore and then backl down again later in the day to DC.

CSX: In Bowie there is a wye that lets on the CSX Popes Creek Sub onto the NEC. Local freights will either come on North or South and Coal Drags randomly as well. Ive seen some during the day and some in the middle of the night. They typically stay on the NB track whether or not they are going North or South.

So I'd say a fair amount maybe less than your area. The CSX coal drags are sometimes fun to see blasting down the NEC.

Hope this helped and if you have any further questions please dont hesitate to ask!

Davis
 
looking good.im about to start my B&O/CSX DC to philly DEM route that includes the NEC line. gonna have to get some info from ya about the line.
 
SEPTA R2

strench707 said:
Thanks for the comments! I hope to make it up to your area eventually but I doubt it will be any time soon.

I live in Annapolis, MD which isn't exactly what I would say "on the NEC", its about a 1/2 hour a way at most. However, I do understand your question. I am assuming that most people would consider my area of the NEC from DC to Baltimore. My nearest Amtrak stop is a close call between New Carrollton and BWI and if I got on via MARC it would be probably Bowie State.

Down here we get every Amtrak train Wilmington does. All Acelas and NE Regionals so in that respect its about the same. The only difference is we have MARC down here while you have SEPTA. I am almost positive SEPTA runs a lot more frequently than MARC. MARC also only runs on weekdays. So to answer your question more simply let's just say:

Amtrak's (All, Regionals, Acelas, LD Trains, Work Trains, etc.) can be expected every 30 to 60 mins.

MARC's can be expected every 30 mins on peak and some off peak. What adds to the action is after most MARC's make their run they can't layover at DC so they make a deadhead run back up to Baltimore and then backl down again later in the day to DC.

CSX: In Bowie there is a wye that lets on the CSX Popes Creek Sub onto the NEC. Local freights will either come on North or South and Coal Drags randomly as well. Ive seen some during the day and some in the middle of the night. They typically stay on the NB track whether or not they are going North or South.

So I'd say a fair amount maybe less than your area. The CSX coal drags are sometimes fun to see blasting down the NEC.

Hope this helped and if you have any further questions please dont hesitate to ask!

Davis
Click to expand...
I think you have it more. We only have the R2 Regional Rail. SEPTA is all electric and MARC has diesel and electric operations if I'm remembering correctly. The only other SEPTA service we have are a bunch of suburban bus routes. EXAMPLE: SEPTA Bus Route 113: Runs from Tri-State Mall (Claymont, Delaware) to 69th Street Terminal. (Upper Darby, Pennsylvania)
 
Okay everyone. This weekend was very busy for me but I did manage to make substantial progress!

I have scenery complete from the Seabrook MARC station up through just past the North end of the BOWIE Interlocking Limits. I also decided to make the full wye with the connection to CSX's Popes Creek Subdivision. I have created and applied all scenery for the PCS for about a mile down the line and maybe at some point I'll expand on that. It has a portal at the end of the trackage.

The Bowie downtown area is as prototypical as 8 hrs of work could make it. The museum has been made spot on and the whole town feel is present. Every last detail of the wye itself up the PCS has been included. Entering the NEC on both the North and South legs there are ex-PRR dwarf signals which I was able to add thanks to gFisher's creations. Also, the wye legs have proto speedboards of 10mph and another speed board raising the limit to 30 mph after clearing the wye. All speed signs and signals have been placed prototypically.

There are also two grade crossings (both unprotected) across the wye, one on the North leg and one where they meet. The whistle posts have been prototypically placed. Both crossings have the ATLS LCM Mode enabled so cars will stop.

The PCS only has three signals.

One dwarf on South leg.
One dwarf on North leg.
One high signal distant signal coming down the main.

I built up to the latter one making that mileish track just to include it. Right where it is, there is a nongated grade crossing that does have flashers on either side. This is also ATLS LCM equipped.

NEXT STEPS:

Finish the less than a 1/4 mile of scenery to Bowie State MARC Station.
Go back between Bowie and Seabrook to add finishing details.
Complete Bowie State station area.
Lay track from Bowie State to Odenton MARC Station.

--Most of this should be able to be completed in a weekend or two.--

My time to work on this (I only have Trainz at my dad's house) :

Next Monday night for an hr maybe.
The weekend after that and maybe some of Thanksgiving Break.


Maybe pics if I can afford the time.


If anyone has any questions or concerns please post.

Oh and maybe this weekend I may be able to head down to the Odenton MARC Station to get some proto photos. I'll try to post some if I can.

Thanks

Davis Strench
TCR
 
when this route is fished will it be free? (and agen im haveing problems with the acela i need help) grate work by the way!:clap::clap::clap::Y:
 
drrt4 said:
when this route is fished will it be free? (and agen im haveing problems with the acela i need help) grate work by the way!:clap::clap::clap::Y:
Click to expand...

Yes it will be freeware because so far its cost me nothing and for whatever reason if it does cost me something it will syill be free.

I'm not sure what your problem is with the Acela but if you could clarify maybe I can (or someone else here can) help.

Thanks for the kind words.

Davis:)
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

T
Catenary for Northeast Corridor Portion of my Route!
Replies
5
Views
1K
Forester1
F
N
Content Needed For Northeast Corridor and Others.
Replies
3
Views
1K
barn700
B
L
Northeast Corridor Project (WIP)
3 4 5
Replies
81
Views
15K
Railwoodman
R
L
Are RRS signals and G Style signals compatible?
Replies
6
Views
3K
JCitron
J
J
Boston MA North South Rail Link Feasibility Reassessment Study --- Good News!
Replies
4
Views
2K
JCitron
J
Back
Top