suggestions regarding route building

[kamran]

guys i need your suggestions and help regarding creating a usa based route having old theme from 1960 to 1989
i saw many route creators who are creating routes with old themes so inspired by them i decided to create one of my own
the route will be fictional as i dont know about usa railroads route(though have info about railroads)
plz gave your suggestions and tips that how can i set the old theme like little dull lighting and creating scenery that belongs to 1960-1980 era

 

[cascaderailroad]

Avoid "Pointy Mountains" terrain.

Avoid using more than a dozen different types of trees, and go slow on the grass.

Make a route have a purpose ... rather than a neverending, run on to nowhere, nonscensical route.

Learn how to lay track .. view tutorials ... and I am willing to help tutor about tracklaying techniques.

Don't use a lackluster, low quality, blurry, round rail, built-in track ... MP Track Wood v2 and MP Rusty are good old stand-by chunky mesh tracks, that do not kink in turnouts.

Use multitrack splines as a preliminary track spacing guide only ... and later on replace multitrack with single track.

Download GFisher-"Down East Fishing Village" ... It will teach you all about texturing, and what you can do with just 4 baseboards.

 

[dickknapp]

1950s-60s American Railroading

I'm new to Tranz, but a railfan and model railroader who remembers those days, and for whom they'll always be "the best of times." The wide variation in topography and economic activity across America create enormous possibilities for you. Choose a region that has the scenery and the kind of trains you like best. (I'm working on an imaginary Appalachian coal-hauler of that same period, very loosely based on the Clinchfield.) Late generation steam was still common in that region into the mid-50s, but 2nd generation diesels (GP 7s, 9s; F 7s and 9s) were taking over. Freight cars were mostly in the 30-50 foot range, with 40 ft box cars predominant. "Billboard reefers" had phased out, but in the 60s a lot of railroads broke away from standard "boxcar red" on their box cars, and introduced brighter color schemes and bolder graphics. Boston & Maine and NYNH&H come to mind. Intermodal equipment (TOFC) was limited to 40 and 50-ft flat cars. A few old issues of Trains Magazine (Ebay?) could help you a lot. Best of luck! Dick

 

[whyfly2]

Kamran,

If you're new to route building, you might want to consider doing what I did in TRS06. I made from a modified version of the default Marias Pass Approach route. I deleted all the trains and added 1950s steam and diesel locos in what is now an all passenger train route . Over a period of time, I double tracked some of the single-track lines and added stations, as well as some other mods along the way.

This might be a good way to learn route building.

Art

 

[kamran]

no i am not new to route building
i am being into route building since 2009

@cascaderailroad
my plan is to create atleast 50 miles fictional route in first phase
then my next priority will be 2 or 3 branch lines of about 20 miles each
and if you say i wont finish the long route then i will bcz at a time i work on only one route so all my attention will be on this route
but on other point you are right that creating scenery for long route will be a good challenge but i will accept this challenge
about using track what do you say about payware wood track by clock ghost?

 

[kamran]

I'm new to Tranz, but a railfan and model railroader who remembers those days, and for whom they'll always be "the best of times." The wide variation in topography and economic activity across America create enormous possibilities for you. Choose a region that has the scenery and the kind of trains you like best. (I'm working on an imaginary Appalachian coal-hauler of that same period, very loosely based on the Clinchfield.) Late generation steam was still common in that region into the mid-50s, but 2nd generation diesels (GP 7s, 9s; F 7s and 9s) were taking over. Freight cars were mostly in the 30-50 foot range, with 40 ft box cars predominant. "Billboard reefers" had phased out, but in the 60s a lot of railroads broke away from standard "boxcar red" on their box cars, and introduced brighter color schemes and bolder graphics. Boston & Maine and NYNH&H come to mind. Intermodal equipment (TOFC) was limited to 40 and 50-ft flat cars. A few old issues of Trains Magazine (Ebay?) could help you a lot. Best of luck! Dick

you are right man that era was a real nice era of railroads in usa and there are too many excellent railroads in that time

 

[dragonharh]

I suggest using the track called SAM its very real looking and comes in 50 different tipes. its not usa but it dose look nice on a route. its on DLS. its will work with your plan because of the all different looks it comes in.

 

[Euphod]

Kamran, what is the topology like in your area? Perhaps we could suggest an area of the US where it is similar, and you could draw your inspiration from the nature that surrounds you.

 

[kamran]

well i live in northern area of my country which has very cold weather and high mountains but there are no railway in this area but now i moved to capital of pakistan for studies and this city has slight hills and plain area
but my intrest is in building a usa type route that is puerly fictional

 

[kamran]

I suggest using the track called SAM its very real looking and comes in 50 different tipes. its not usa but it dose look nice on a route. its on DLS. its will work with your plan because of the all different looks it comes in.

sam tracks are the ones who created a problem on okihu route which causes to reduce the drop distance and when you drive the train most of the baseboard ahead you will be disappear and this is caused by sam tracks

and now a days i am having the same problem and when i drive most of the baseboard ahead of me disappears

 

[dragonharh]

sam tracks are the ones who created a problem on okihu route which causes to reduce the drop distance and when you drive the train most of the baseboard ahead you will be disappear and this is caused by sam tracks

and now a days i am having the same problem and when i drive most of the baseboard ahead of me disappears

it works fine for me with out error of cores it helps to have a powerfull PC. I have avery thing set a defailt it works.

 

[Euphod]

well i live in northern area of my country which has very cold weather and high mountains but there are no railway in this area but now i moved to capital of pakistan for studies and this city has slight hills and plain area
but my intrest is in building a usa type route that is puerly fictional

I used to advise people to pick a major road in their area and replace it with tracks, every instance of a McDonald's turn into an industry, every cross road can become an overpass, underpass, or bridge. Make a route, set your own parameters, and figure out where to place it later.

 

[kamran]

well i am currently having issues with trainz whenever i start the route i will post the screenshots of progress in screenshot section to get more suggestions and help to improve it

 

[Vern]

If you want to build a 50 mile route, might I suggest studying the prototype railroads for a suitable stretch? That way, by using Transdem and its mapping facility you can get accurate terrain and an overlaid map to work from.

Re Pakistan Railways, I've always been fascinated by pictures and video clips of the old Khyber Pass line. That would be a tremendous route to build in Trainz, particularly with the reversing sections, zig-zags etc.

 

[mattm]

Kamran, what is the topology like in your area? Perhaps we could suggest an area of the US where it is similar, and you could draw your inspiration from the nature that surrounds you.

Ed,

Serious suggestion or not, that idea could have some merit to it. In conjunction with TransDEM, could result in a nice short route. Not sure about every Macca into an industry, but we'll see.

Yet another WIP in the works, i fear.

Matt.

 

[H222]

That's a great idea Ed,

Kamran, just remember that they didn't have skyscrapers (or big ones) in every capital city and there is a lot of choice out there. American RR's I love are the ATSF, BNSF, and UP, and espee, so I build along the western coast with desert scenery. Choose what RR you like, find where they serviced and find the type of area you like. (UP -Desert, CSX - Grass, Commuter Line- City etc.)

Little details can really bring a route to life. People standing at a crossing next to their car, BBQ's on fire, realistic road system, and the right building can make a route become 11

Jamie

 

[kamran]

If you want to build a 50 mile route, might I suggest studying the prototype railroads for a suitable stretch? That way, by using Transdem and its mapping facility you can get accurate terrain and an overlaid map to work from.

Re Pakistan Railways, I've always been fascinated by pictures and video clips of the old Khyber Pass line. That would be a tremendous route to build in Trainz, particularly with the reversing sections, zig-zags etc.

about khyber pass railway it will be difficult to create without the help of transdem bcz its over mountained route and now this line is totally abondand now but was operational till 2005 and twice a month a khyber steam safari tourist train travels on this route but the massive earth has totally destroyed it and most of the tunnels and bridges were destroyed and due to this line was closed permanantly and the terrorist activites in that area cause most of track stole though that area is not offically the part of pakistan this is the part of trible areas sarrounding the border and these sarrounding areas made their affiliation with pakistan but they have their own government and most of the terrorist activites are happening in these trible area and they are running the name of our country but our country is totally different from this
so due to all these factors there are not even a 0.1 % chance that this line will be operational again
the rolling stock used in khyber safari is still standing idle for number of years on rawalpindi ralway station and it is used very rare when some tourist train is arranged

 

[kamran]

That's a great idea Ed,

Kamran, just remember that they didn't have skyscrapers (or big ones) in every capital city and there is a lot of choice out there. American RR's I love are the ATSF, BNSF, and UP, and espee, so I build along the western coast with desert scenery. Choose what RR you like, find where they serviced and find the type of area you like. (UP -Desert, CSX - Grass, Commuter Line- City etc.)

Little details can really bring a route to life. People standing at a crossing next to their car, BBQ's on fire, realistic road system, and the right building can make a route become 11

Jamie

i like your idea i will try to build a grassy route with small mountains and that depeicts a fallen flag railroad

 

[geophil]

about khyber pass railway it will be difficult to create without the help of transdem bcz its over mountained route and now this line is totally abondand now but was operational till 2005 and twice a month a khyber steam safari tourist train travels on this route

A very spectacular line indeed. It might be worth trying ASTER GDEM V2. SRTM 3 arc sec will not be detailed enough for the gorge section in the upper half.

Glorious days back in the mid 90s:
Report (in German) 1996 pt1
Report (in German) 1996 pt2

 

[nugget2225]

Avoid "Pointy Mountains" terrain.

Avoid using more than a dozen different types of trees, and go slow on the grass.

Make a route have a purpose ... rather than a neverending, run on to nowhere, nonscensical route.

Learn how to lay track .. view tutorials ... and I am willing to help tutor about tracklaying techniques.

Don't use a lackluster, low quality, blurry, round rail, built-in track ... MP Track Wood v2 and MP Rusty are good old stand-by chunky mesh tracks, that do not kink in turnouts.

Use multitrack splines as a preliminary track spacing guide only ... and later on replace multitrack with single track.

Download GFisher-"Down East Fishing Village" ... It will teach you all about texturing, and what you can do with just 4 baseboards.

you can tutor me on textures, and the way you lay track,i have a route i am working on and can send you the .cpd so you can take a look at it so far