route builder poll

[Vern]

I build routes mostly for myself most are fictional. I have a few routes on the go at the monment. Hi Vern where exactly is the route in the west of Ireland as I am a small town in the west of Ireland.

It is the old branch line from Farranfore to Valencia Harbour, via Killorglin. The books arrived a couple of days ago and make for fascinating reading in their own right. Started construction yesterday after a successful terrain extraction and map overlay in Transdem.

At the moment I'm building in TRS2006 but will consider switching it across to TS2009. I'm also planning to build a KRS version later on.

 

[FootplatePhil]

Been route building since March 2002 (mostly the same route), although I didn't start posting here until quite a bit after that, and have been pretty well inactive the last 12 months (burn out). As part of the modelling process I've walked most of the hundred and whatever kms of the prototype for the route I've modelled, with camera and note pad. (pre Google Earth days !). No DEM for this modeller, I like carving the terrain by hand (using Contour maps and Curves and Gradients charts) ! And I enjoy researching the history of the stuff I'm modelling.

Phil

 

[laika]

Hi,

I only use Trainz to build routes. Bought the first Trainz version Community Edition but i didn,t like it. Afther TRS2004 came on the market i tryed this sim again and i loved it since that time. Now i,m building routes with TRS2006 and hope in future to use TRS2009

greetz laika:wave:

 

[Capt_Haddock]

I've been modelling in N Gauge since the mid 1970's and have always enjoyed planning and building layouts much more than operating them.
One day a colleague at my model railway club introduced me to Trainz (TRS2004) and I have never looked back.
As with model railways I have found planning and building routes to be by far the most interesting aspect of Trainz. The whole process of initial research, collecting the reference books and OS maps, deciding what to include and what to omit I have found very satisfying.
I am making steam era route based on the Stroud Valleys using Mapmaker 3i to make realistic landscape.

The only problem I have now is a lack of decent cotswold stone buildings so I have been diverted into learning Blender so that I can make some decent mill buildings and so on.
Regards Chris

 

[Tokkyu40]

... I honestly feel that my creations are on par with the built in routes as far as scenery and realism is concerned...

Which is quite an accomplishment. I tend to overbuild and kill my framerates.
Anyone who can balance looks and performance has unlocked the secret of routebuilding Nirvana.

Claude

 

[mikemike]

i've been trainzing since the original and i've always modelled my own routes. i really have a 'trains' idea in mind, something which i think of as 'trains', and want it realized in the realm of maya (aum) or at least 3dMax.

i like to build a landscape with potential for intricate economies; watch it develop organically into a village with roads and a place where the roads must go to. then i build my first shortline. i like mine operations and factories, and so i like coastal communities with hills full of lead and a few creeks or maybe a little river to bridge; future cities to connect to.

i find that when i've set this up, add more baseboards, that i'm then really only interested in what the reality of the entire historical picture, what the thing represents: whether the route has developed in a real-world manner. then it's whether i can get the driving scripts working -- which is fun in itself, and, operations aside, it's not just a flow-chart. when i drive my trains through the landscape i'm lost in this imaginary landscape.

 

[AussieRusti]

Its good to see all those names that I recognize. A short question on how routes are made. I never copy and paste, every bit done piece by peice. How do you others make your routes.

I also have been around forever, or so it seems.I too am a very old timer, and my greatest pleasure is building new routes,getting them to work correctly, have a couple of drives, then its on to the next one.Lets hope 2009 doesnt have the niggly errors that 2006 had

Rusti

 

[specter1065]

Trainz 2004...i am limited in my resources..so i use t2004 only...i would like to share a route with you...i need beta testers and have no idea how to upload a route as of tonight...i am searching for the correct way but would like to invite a fellow enthusiast to test my route... it is the Cumbres and Toltec RR....if interested e mail me @... specter1065@yahoo.com are you game?

 

[jrfolco]

I got involved in Trainz in Sept. of 2002, and have been going at it since then. My favorite aspect of the game is route building. For the first four years I built numerous routes, but never finished them.

Then I discovered Transdem, and this opened up a whole new approach to route building.
My favorite railroad is the Western Maryland. I have numerous books, publications, and photos of the WM.

I happened to be going through some of Fishlipsatwork’s HOG generated terrain maps on the DLS, and I found two of his maps that included a good portion of the WM’s Connellsville sub that ran from Cumberland, Md to Connellsville, Pa.

I downloaded, merged them, and then added the last portion using Transdem, and I now had a map that would include not only the WM, but also the B&O. Both roads paralled each other the full length of the route.

It took me a year and a half to complete the route, and last February I uploaded it to TrainzProRoutes download station. Since then, it has been downloaded over 900 times.

While looking around for another route to build, I decided on the Western Maryland’s Thomas Subdivision. The WM Thomas Sub runs southwest, along the North Branch Potomac, from Cumberland, Md to Webster Springs, W Va., approximately 200 miles.

Included in this route is a branch that runs to Durbin, W Va, where it interchanges with the C&O coming up from Ronceverte W Va. From Durbin, it’s only about 15 miles to Cass W Va, so I included this portion of the C&O, so that I could include The Cass Scenic Railroad, and its 13 % grades. I’ve also included a fifteen mile section of the old Cumberland & Pa RR from Westernport Md to Frostburg Md. There are numerous mines along this route

Since the B&O’s West End division (CSX Mountain Division if you prefer) parallels the WM for the first 28 miles from Cumberland before going their separate ways, I decided to extend the B&O another 70 miles to Grafton W Va, so that I could include the famous Seventeen Mile, Cranberry, Cheat River, and Newburg grades, each with a ruling grade of about 2.5%.

The map is quite large. When completed the CDP file will be approximately 115 MB. I generated the map in Transdem, using three separate maps, and then merged them to form one single map

The route is about one third complete, and all of the main line and branch track is in place. To keep from having too many loose ends, I always completely finish one segment at a time, and move onto the next segment. Construction wise, the route is very similar to the Cumberland to Connellsville, and I’m hoping to have the it ready to upload around this time next year.

Being an old model railroader, I prefer a lot of detail in my routes, and while I prefer TRS2006 and now TS2009, I create all of my routes in TRS2004, so that those who prefer that version can take advantage of them.

By the way, the Cumberland to Connellsville, and the WM Thomas Sub work just fine in TS2009.

In the future, I hope to build and upload some smaller routes, and continue my contribution to the Trainz community.

Regards, Joe

 

[PGibbons]

NSW Route Builder

My frist route went to the DLS in Feb 2003, since then Ive been a regular and have about 15 NSW based routes currently on the DLS.
Looking forward to getting my hands on "9".
PG

 

[GaryP]

GaryP - I've been with Trainz since its beginning. I remember before it hit the stores, downloading a demo and asking Ceebee if it was worth it. he said Oh yes and that started me.
Built California Dreamin' and some content still in the sim.


Soon as I get access back to gary's trainz, I'll update it.
Looking for PhilC.


BTW, revamping an old route never released. Doing it in TRS2009.

 

[pommie]

Just look at all the 'old' names cropping up in here :wave:
I model high detail diorama's of one to five boards, have tried bigger but run out of interest before they are even half finished :hehe: apart from a few selective releases to friends I have not released anything.

Copy & paste is rarely used.

Started with 1.1, stopped at 06, yet to get 09.

Cheers David

 

[greywolfretired]

Just look at all the 'old' names cropping up in here :wave:
It feels like the forums of the past when you read all those names.
What I see here are real posts with real comments from fellow trainzer's . A series of post's that are a pleasure to read.
Well done gentlemen and ladies. ( Don't recall if any of the ladies commented here)