jukeboxblues
Driver Tom
Absolutely. Just be mindful of the compass while building the smaller segments so you can fit them together properly down the road.
Prototype vs. Fun to run
- Thread starter Thai1On
- Start date
This is a lot like what I do. The long stretches of mainline with little towns in between. I too let the AI drivers do their thing while I go off and handle the local switching, or a local commuter train if I don't feel like doing a switching job.
I too have also put in towns first then the branchline or mainline afterwards. This makes it a bit of a challenge trying to lay the tracks without disturbing too much. With a DEM and the TIGER overlay, it becomes a bit more of a challenge trying to keep the streets and the terrain accurate along with putting in the railroad elements, particularly if they never existed there in the first place.
Here's a link to the Sandy Point branch. With the story I developed about the route operations.
http://forums.auran.com/trainz/showthread.php?t=57986&highlight=Sandy+Point
John
Hi Everybody.
As I said in an earlier posting I always like to complete a small section, usually one baseboard at the time. I always lay the track first complete with Sidings, signals and gradients etc. I then put in the more distant surrounding topography followed by the flora and fauna and then the buildings and anything else that is needed.
The reason my routes are always created using the above system is that I do not like going back down the track to complete things that were not done following the track laying. That always gives me a feeling of never completing anything and always going back over what you have already done. However, I can understand why creators would wish to lay the entire track first and then add all the subsidiary items (each to his own). For me completing fully one baseboard at a time always gives me a feeling of “onward and upward” or “that's done now I can move on” and down goes the next baseboard.
Using the above I can also put some “humor” into my routes. The other evening I placed a road alongside the track and then some houses on the far side of the road facing the railway track. However, somehow it looked a bit boring “you know the sort of same again look”
They where older 1920s type houses so I them found a rather modern looking sewage farm on the DLS and placed that right next to the houses as though it had only been built very recently. I then converted some station signs to make them into “for sale signs” and placed them in front of each of the houses. (It looks great looking out from the carriages as you go past). As said it's your creation, you can put anything into the world you are building including my warped sense of humour
I'm sure it was never in the planning permission.
Bill
As I said in an earlier posting I always like to complete a small section, usually one baseboard at the time. I always lay the track first complete with Sidings, signals and gradients etc. I then put in the more distant surrounding topography followed by the flora and fauna and then the buildings and anything else that is needed.
The reason my routes are always created using the above system is that I do not like going back down the track to complete things that were not done following the track laying. That always gives me a feeling of never completing anything and always going back over what you have already done. However, I can understand why creators would wish to lay the entire track first and then add all the subsidiary items (each to his own). For me completing fully one baseboard at a time always gives me a feeling of “onward and upward” or “that's done now I can move on” and down goes the next baseboard.
Using the above I can also put some “humor” into my routes. The other evening I placed a road alongside the track and then some houses on the far side of the road facing the railway track. However, somehow it looked a bit boring “you know the sort of same again look”
They where older 1920s type houses so I them found a rather modern looking sewage farm on the DLS and placed that right next to the houses as though it had only been built very recently. I then converted some station signs to make them into “for sale signs” and placed them in front of each of the houses. (It looks great looking out from the carriages as you go past). As said it's your creation, you can put anything into the world you are building including my warped sense of humour
I'm sure it was never in the planning permission.
Bill
Hi Everybody.
As I said in an earlier posting I always like to complete a small section, usually one baseboard at the time. I always lay the track first complete with Sidings, signals and gradients etc. I then put in the more distant surrounding topography followed by the flora and fauna and then the buildings and anything else that is needed.
The reason my routes are always created using the above system is that I do not like going back down the track to complete things that were not done following the track laying. That always gives me a feeling of never completing anything and always going back over what you have already done. However, I can understand why creators would wish to lay the entire track first and then add all the subsidiary items (each to his own). For me completing fully one baseboard at a time always gives me a feeling of “onward and upward” or “that's done now I can move on” and down goes the next baseboard.
Using the above I can also put some “humor” into my routes. The other evening I placed a road alongside the track and then some houses on the far side of the road facing the railway track. However, somehow it looked a bit boring “you know the sort of same again look”
They where older 1920s type houses so I them found a rather modern looking sewage farm on the DLS and placed that right next to the houses as though it had only been built very recently. I then converted some station signs to make them into “for sale signs” and placed them in front of each of the houses. (It looks great looking out from the carriages as you go past). As said it's your creation, you can put anything into the world you are building including my warped sense of humour
I'm sure it was never in the planning permission.
Bill
A lot of good points in your post Bill. Like most people I guess, when I started I would just jump in and start building the biggest and best layout ever seen by modern man. Unfortunately the interest of planting every individual tree quickly wained and they were never really finished before I'd eventually move onto the next one. I've recently joined two DEMs that I found on the DLS into one large route but this time I'm approaching it differently.
While I have laid all of the track I'm working my back from the end of the line one station or siding at a time, treating each location as a module in effect. I find that this gives me more continuity than just jumping from one place to another as whim takes me. It does take some self discipline though!
I also like your idea of laying the town first. A couple of times I've been working on the local town only to realise that the station, in real life, would have been on the wrong side of the town to make access easy without the population going miles out of their way to get to it. I think I might try your suggestion.
As for the sewerage farm, a case of art imitating life I think. I've seen a number of similar situations throughout the years and if you don't mind I might copy it.
Railwayz
Some more great ideas there Bill.
I think part of my problem is that it is easy to start taking it all too seriously and worry about what the rivet counters might think - maybe having fun with it is the best approach. I had a route coming along based on all things an Indian prototype but ditched it because I thought it might not get a very good reception. (Will have to see if I have a backup).
It's probably also an idea to channel some of the "positive thinking" employers keep sending you on courses for these days. Rather than regard the next 1km strip as a daily chore, look on it as a challenge to do what you do best. (Of course in the case of employers, their motivation is usually because they're cutting out a post next week and landing you with extra work is dressed up in such terms!
).
Would definitely agree that laying mile upon mile of bare track is not the best way to do it - can be a real hurdle to get around when you come back to it. Maybe 4 or 5 km at a time, that also means if you do get fed up, you can always slap a fictional terminus on the end and at least release something.
I think part of my problem is that it is easy to start taking it all too seriously and worry about what the rivet counters might think - maybe having fun with it is the best approach. I had a route coming along based on all things an Indian prototype but ditched it because I thought it might not get a very good reception. (Will have to see if I have a backup).
It's probably also an idea to channel some of the "positive thinking" employers keep sending you on courses for these days. Rather than regard the next 1km strip as a daily chore, look on it as a challenge to do what you do best. (Of course in the case of employers, their motivation is usually because they're cutting out a post next week and landing you with extra work is dressed up in such terms!
).Would definitely agree that laying mile upon mile of bare track is not the best way to do it - can be a real hurdle to get around when you come back to it. Maybe 4 or 5 km at a time, that also means if you do get fed up, you can always slap a fictional terminus on the end and at least release something.
Hi Vern and Everybody.
Vern,the above is exactly how I think in many ways. In work and employment there are things which have to be done as quickly as possible due to modern-day demands. If I have accident investigation or report to do it has to be in as quickly as possible as people wish to prevent further accidents occurring through same situation or problem (and I do not get paid until the work is in, always just a little thought) those jobs can be interesting but I view them as a chore, something which has to be done with deadlines met.
When I come home and settle down to my hobby (Trainz) that I view as leisure, entertainment and interest. It is something to be enjoyed with my evening glass of wine, chuckled at when I make mistakes and to take pride in at the end of a good evening creating a section of my route (if I have not had to scrap it all due to a cock up). Nobody puts any deadlines on me and I make sure that I do not insert any targets for myself.
Also interesting that you say that you worry about uploading content to the DLS due to what the rivet counters might think. That is exactly the reason I have never uploaded any route or asset I have created as I do not wish anybody to criticize it in any way. What I have created remains on my system, I have created it, I like it and it will remain with me and only to my satisfaction.
However, the above is very sad said statement to make. It demonstrates that some on this forum prevent possibly many others uploading what may be excellent content that could bring a lot of enjoyment to others because of the behaviour of a minority. I have thought many times of starting a thread to try to ascertain how much content and routes may be out there never to be uploaded to the DLS. I thought also that it could bring out the reasons why members do not upload these assets. Perhaps this thread has started to bring out the reason why.
Bill
Vern,the above is exactly how I think in many ways. In work and employment there are things which have to be done as quickly as possible due to modern-day demands. If I have accident investigation or report to do it has to be in as quickly as possible as people wish to prevent further accidents occurring through same situation or problem (and I do not get paid until the work is in, always just a little thought) those jobs can be interesting but I view them as a chore, something which has to be done with deadlines met.
When I come home and settle down to my hobby (Trainz) that I view as leisure, entertainment and interest. It is something to be enjoyed with my evening glass of wine, chuckled at when I make mistakes and to take pride in at the end of a good evening creating a section of my route (if I have not had to scrap it all due to a cock up). Nobody puts any deadlines on me and I make sure that I do not insert any targets for myself.
Also interesting that you say that you worry about uploading content to the DLS due to what the rivet counters might think. That is exactly the reason I have never uploaded any route or asset I have created as I do not wish anybody to criticize it in any way. What I have created remains on my system, I have created it, I like it and it will remain with me and only to my satisfaction.
However, the above is very sad said statement to make. It demonstrates that some on this forum prevent possibly many others uploading what may be excellent content that could bring a lot of enjoyment to others because of the behaviour of a minority. I have thought many times of starting a thread to try to ascertain how much content and routes may be out there never to be uploaded to the DLS. I thought also that it could bring out the reasons why members do not upload these assets. Perhaps this thread has started to bring out the reason why.
Bill
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Reality check, I just download 1 of fishlipsatwork DEM maps. The Lexington to Danville Kentucky map and I'm guessing maybe 20 miles or so worth of track from north to south. Then I looked at trying to fill all of this .
I'm definitely scaling back my first thoughts of a big layout. I guess I was thrilled at the thought of "unlimited space and resources" to fill the layout of my dreams. Now seeing this I think the one baseboard at a time is what I will be planning to do now!
Another thing I have found with these maps are the tiger lines. I like seeing the rivers and lakes but I find I don't like seeing the roads or railroads when thinking of my fictional railroad. For me it takes away the "pioneering spirit" of the early days of Appalachian railroading I want to make.
I think I'll try and get TransDem but I need to find a Thai bank that is PayPal friendly. My present bank will not do international debit card sales. Unless someone is planning on doing a Beattyville to Levi to Booneville Kentucky map
Dave
.I'm definitely scaling back my first thoughts of a big layout. I guess I was thrilled at the thought of "unlimited space and resources" to fill the layout of my dreams. Now seeing this I think the one baseboard at a time is what I will be planning to do now!
Another thing I have found with these maps are the tiger lines. I like seeing the rivers and lakes but I find I don't like seeing the roads or railroads when thinking of my fictional railroad. For me it takes away the "pioneering spirit" of the early days of Appalachian railroading I want to make.
I think I'll try and get TransDem but I need to find a Thai bank that is PayPal friendly. My present bank will not do international debit card sales. Unless someone is planning on doing a Beattyville to Levi to Booneville Kentucky map
Dave
In my not so humble opinion, If you are coming to Trainz from model railroading, it is likely you can understand that a good model railroad "layout" can be more enjoyable than any real world "route".
Dave,
Isn't there a layout you have drooled over? One larger and more expensive than you could ever hope to have? No you can. I sugest you do not try to make a Trainz replica of it but rather make the straight aways longer and the curves broader. This will leave you room to to make it even better.
That is sort of what I did on my first Trainz layout, Elko and Lincoln (multiple versions on the DLS). It is the Trainz version of a 5.5 x 10 foot N scale layout in my garage that never got more than 60% complete. I expanded it to fill a base board. By the way, one base board would fill a 2 car garage in N scale.
All but my current project have been, bascally, layouts. Yes, I have considered doing a route but figured layouts would be more fun with less pain. To find out for sure I am currently creating the SP and WP circa 1962 from Stockton to Milpitas California. I live near that route. In fact my home is in it except it didn't exist in 1962. Anyhow, I have decided I was right. Even though it is compressed some, my layouts are more fun and less painful. I doubt I will do another route.
Don
Dave,
Isn't there a layout you have drooled over? One larger and more expensive than you could ever hope to have? No you can. I sugest you do not try to make a Trainz replica of it but rather make the straight aways longer and the curves broader. This will leave you room to to make it even better.
That is sort of what I did on my first Trainz layout, Elko and Lincoln (multiple versions on the DLS). It is the Trainz version of a 5.5 x 10 foot N scale layout in my garage that never got more than 60% complete. I expanded it to fill a base board. By the way, one base board would fill a 2 car garage in N scale.
All but my current project have been, bascally, layouts. Yes, I have considered doing a route but figured layouts would be more fun with less pain. To find out for sure I am currently creating the SP and WP circa 1962 from Stockton to Milpitas California. I live near that route. In fact my home is in it except it didn't exist in 1962. Anyhow, I have decided I was right. Even though it is compressed some, my layouts are more fun and less painful. I doubt I will do another route.
Don
