Question for the Europeans.

[grogstop65]

UK railfans, this is my first time producing anything from the UK, so I'm still getting used to it.

What do you think?

 

[colhad]

That is some nice texturing Groggy. It's always hard to accurately detail a route from an area you know little about. Even if you searched the Web for resources, it's still not easy.

You're having a dig and from what I can tell, you're off to a great start. Keep going with this one.

 

[eso]

Pretty good there John (maybe we can convert you to the darkside, muhahaha). Maybe you could use stonewalls instead of the hedges, otherwise looks great.

Darkside... muhahahahaha!!!

 

[obo]

I don't live in England but I'd say that looks pretty good.

My only suggestion is that it looks a little dry for that part of the world. I'd make the greens a little lusher - all that rain is good for the grass.

Regards,

Rob.

 

[whistlehead]

Nice! I really like it!



I'd suggest you don't use a premier high-speed passenger locomotive for freight duties.:hehe:

By the looks of you're carriages, you're in the BR blue era as well, so you should probably be using blue locos.

For freight duties around that era a class 37 in BR blue should do. These work pretty much anywhere.
Maybe a BR blue 'Hymek' for the passenger (search the DLS) though it depends where in the UK this is.

The 'Deltic' (class 55, the one you're using) is a high-speed passenger loco, for mainline duties, not branch or freight.

And maybe put some greener textures in, it can get pretty wet hereabouts.

 

[teddytoot]

Don't forget the fencing alongside the track. In the UK this safety factor is almost universal.

 

[paulzmay]

That kind of green is about right for the end of a hot summer (pretty rare - why do you think I came to Aus?). Any other time a darker lusher green is more like it.

Stone-wall vs hedges is very much a regional thing. Typically there are more stone walls in the north (there are exceptions).

And don't forget, every single mile of the UK's rail network is fenced off by one means or another.

Other than that - very nice indeed!

Paul

 

[PerRock]

not knowing which part of the UK it is in; it looks like a good start. I'd echo the others by saying "make it more green." the 1st pic looked good to me (in terms of greenness) but the others were lacking.

peter

 

[itareus]

The British countryside has huge variations over a small geographical area so you have plenty of choice. With older buildings materials and styles also changed dramatically over a small distance as local materials would be used (especially before rail transport was available), so for example if stone was available to be quarried locally then structures would be made of stone. The exceptions to this being "Grand" buildings where money was no object!

Stone wall field boundaries tended to be used where the farmer was digging the stones out of his field to allow for ploughing! Very little "full" timber construction was (nor is it still), used except for minor structures like sheds and barns.

I think you have made a very good start. I agree with the others comments about the greens and the fencing. Also in the UK single track railways tended to be for minor or branch lines with double, or more tracks for the main routes. I'd check out the track and ballast though (depends on the period you're modelling) and also the trackside margins. The first pic looks OK for this, in my opinion.

Re locos and rolling stock, as Whistlehead said a Deltic would not be on freight duties! Until the 1970s freight trains would all have a Brake Van (Caboose). You will find some UK enthusiasts are very pedantic about the correct combination of locos, stock and livery so it's worth doing some research. I've put some basic links in below.

Even after nationalisation the railways were run on a regional basis based on the pre-nationalisation companies (this was not "official policy but it happened nevertheless) and there were variations in locos, stock and practices based on this - which makes it all the more interesting!

Companies history (from 1923)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Big_Four_British_railway_companies
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Transport_Act_1947
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Privatisation_of_British_Rail

Rolling stock
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_Rail_Mark_1
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_Rail_Mark_2
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brake_van

Liveries
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_Rail_corporate_liveries

Keep up the good work, I look forward to see more.

Regards

Chris

 

[Captain_Scarlet]

Your first shot is certainly the one that appears, to me, as being the most realistic for Britain.
the concrete sleeper rails with very light ballast doesn't fit with a single track branch line. If you are using a Deltic and imagining the era you are depicting, I'd use dark ballast as there will be loads of oil and ash spill all over the track, making it darker over time (FMA's 52 and 09 track are dark and are either wood or concrete).

Deltic were used on mainline and would not be pulling freight. Have a look for one of Pikkabird's older Class 47s for some freight pulling.
You've put telegraph poles which is good and also never forget to have a fence or wall along the line, there very little lines without a boundary along them.

consider this picture of one of the lines that cross the Pennines mountain chain:

Dry stone walls, meadows and little fields.

Good job Grog.

 

[Paulsw2]

I think this is a great first effort - excellent vegetation!

I agree with what others have said:

• small fields;
• hedge-rows and/or stone walls;
• very green and lush (unless late summer);
• wooden sleepers on a single track line;
• barbed wire or other fencing along line-side;
• try and be clear which time period: pre-BR (ie. before 1948); BR Steam (1948-68); BR Corporate Blue (1968-83); BR Sectors (1983-96); Post-BR Privatisation (1996-date). Each period has its own identity and character (such as liveries, rolling stock etc.)

I can't even imagine trying to do a US railroad, so huge respect to you and other US Trainzers who have a go at UK layouts.

Paul