The Little Giant

[Fierogt87]

This route has always been intended to be my Magnum Opus. I had been waiting for features such as what are, or soon to be, available in Trainz 22. This is my home and this is what I grew up around. I am really hoping I dont lose interest in making it. It will help to know if there are people out there who want it, and are waiting for it! I need modelling help, if any are willing. This is the Pittsburgh & Lake Erie, from around Homestead to Youngstown, and by default of proximity, includes the PRR from Pittsburgh to Youngstown. It also includes P&WV/N&W through Rook to Mingo Junction. The time frame is late 60s to early 90s, and the route is friendly to P&LE, B&O, NYC, Chessie, P&WV, PRR, PC, Conrail, N&W, Montour RR, Union RR, CSX, NS, and Amtrak.


Conway Yard

Monaca, Beaver and Rochester

Monaca

Overall Map

 

[G.M.]

That sure is a giant project, no need to wait for features to be added to Trainz
this project, judging by the map is too big to use HD, or just sections you could use it


You said you need modeling help
What you can do is go to the 3dwarehouse from Sketchup and look if there are meshes of key buildings
on Discord I can maybe help you to get these in Trainz if you found them.


Roads:
Try to find a set that has crossings and t-sections, so you can make it more realistic


Its a good start, work on a small section first and try to get that working, so you always have something to drive and enjoy.
on each spot, try to imagine what a user will see both from cab as outside and ask yourself is it interesting.
Go to maps often and try to use streetview, it helps building
Wish you success and fun
greetings GM

here a nice video of Conway railyard, maybe the biggest in USA
https://youtu.be/PJBqqnQ6tbA
Christopher (CDE) and trev made nice assets for a humpyard, maybe you can use them

 

[JCitron]

I wish you lots of luck with your Grande Opus. This is definitely a route of a lifetime in the making and will take you more than a lifetime to complete, keeping in mind too that a route is never complete.

Unfortunately, even if HD terrain worked, it'll completely ruin the topographic maps, making them totally useless and impossible to use at the current time due to the 16-color limit.

With a route this size, I highly recommend taking lots of breaks and finishing off one area at a time to a point where you can run some trains. This will give you a break between the constant drudgery of laying tracks and placing scenery. From experience, I have found that working on another area helps to break the monotony of building and gives some impetus to finish off areas in between because of the sense of accomplishment.

 

[Fierogt87]

I wish you lots of luck with your Grande Opus.

Unfortunately, even if HD terrain worked, it'll completely ruin the topographic maps, making them totally useless and impossible to use at the current time due to the 16-color limit.

With a route this size, I highly recommend taking lots of breaks and finishing off one area at a time to a point where you can run some trains. This will give you a break between the constant drudgery of laying tracks and placing scenery. From experience, I have found that working on another area helps to break the monotony of building and gives some impetus to finish off areas in between because of the sense of accomplishment.

Thank you!

Yes, all the information I need from the maps is transferred to assets placed, and then painted over before i convert to HD.

The route has been broken down into several sub-routes, to be assembled later.

 

[Fierogt87]

What you can do is go to the 3dwarehouse from Sketchup and look if there are meshes of key buildings
on Discord I can maybe help you to get these in Trainz if you found them.

unfortunately, most of the stuff in 3DWarehouse will not load into the last free version of sketchup.

 

[n8phu]

unfortunately, most of the stuff in 3DWarehouse will not load into the last free version of sketchup.

This may be of use to you:

Its an extension called "Newer Version" that will allow you to open newer Sketchup models in the older free versions. I assume your using the last version that was free, Sketchup 17. It works for me with no problems.

 

[Fierogt87]

This may be of use to you:


Its an extension called "Newer Version" that will allow you to open newer Sketchup models in the older free versions. I assume your using the last version that was free, Sketchup 17. It works for me with no problems.

NICE! Thank you! actually, I was using sketchup 8... didn't know about anything newer that was free! but I found a link to 17, as well, so COOL!

 

[Fierogt87]

Well, Crap...

 

[Fierogt87]

Ok, I found a place to download it independently, and got it installed! works wonderful! already imported and exported to trainz Pittsburgh's PRR station!

 

[n8phu]

Ok, I found a place to download it independently, and got it installed! works wonderful! already imported and exported to trainz Pittsburgh's PRR station!

Cool, glad to hear it! I look forward to your progress as I am familiar with the area you are modeling and look forward to seeing it done in Trainz.

 

[Fierogt87]

Cool, glad to hear it! I look forward to your progress as I am familiar with the area you are modeling and look forward to seeing it done in Trainz.

This development has Given the route a much greater chance of completion!

PS, I see we have another hobby in common!

Thanks

De KC3DMI

 

[springtransit]

Ok, I found a place to download it independently, and got it installed! works wonderful! already imported and exported to trainz Pittsburgh's PRR station!

Now if we could just get a model of their P&LE station... I would very much like to model the city's transit system, but that would require a lot of content that probably can't be made short of going into their maintenance facilities and stealing drawings to their stations and infrastructure...

 

[Fierogt87]

Now if we could just get a model of their P&LE station... I would very much like to model the city's transit system, but that would require a lot of content that probably can't be made short of going into their maintenance facilities and stealing drawings to their stations and infrastructure...

Indeed! I was surprised to not find it among other Pittsburgh Buildings...

 

[n8phu]

Now if we could just get a model of their P&LE station... I would very much like to model the city's transit system, but that would require a lot of content that probably can't be made short of going into their maintenance facilities and stealing drawings to their stations and infrastructure...

A freedom of Information act request would keep you out of Jail....

 

[n8phu]

This development has Given the route a much greater chance of completion!

PS, I see we have another hobby in common!

Thanks

De KC3DMI

Awesome! Nice to see other hams here.

 

[NYC5445]

This route has always been intended to be my Magnum Opus. I had been waiting for features such as what are, or soon to be, available in Trainz 22. This is my home and this is what I grew up around. I am really hoping I dont lose interest in making it. It will help to know if there are people out there who want it, and are waiting for it! I need modelling help, if any are willing. This is the Pittsburgh & Lake Erie, from around Homestead to Youngstown, and by default of proximity, includes the PRR from Pittsburgh to Youngstown. It also includes P&WV/N&W through Rook to Mingo Junction. The time frame is late 60s to early 90s, and the route is friendly to P&LE, B&O, NYC, Chessie, P&WV, PRR, PC, Conrail, N&W, Montour RR, Union RR, CSX, NS, and Amtrak.


Conway Yard

Monaca, Beaver and Rochester

Monaca

Overall Map

Oh hey! Nice to finally see a trainz forum thread on your work.

Follow your stuff on the P&LE Facebook group and was wondering if you’d post here. Really good stuff man. Makes me happy. Need any help let me know, can always figure out spots or what not in case I back date the whole thing for pre 1946 once released.

Stay safe! - Nev

 

[Fierogt87]

Oh hey! Nice to finally see a trainz forum thread on your work.

Follow your stuff on the P&LE Facebook group and was wondering if you’d post here. Really good stuff man. Makes me happy. Need any help let me know, can always figure out spots or what not in case I back date the whole thing for pre 1946 once released.

Hey, Thanks! Its gonna be slow, and I hate to work on the PRR side of the river when I know Matt's working on it... But it will get there, someday! What I need are buildings and bridges... I'm working on the Middle section from Coraopolis to Geneva right now, and have it mostly handled, but i need some of the road cantilevers, East Roch, the previous roch bridge, Ambridge, Sewickley, I-79 over Neville Island, etc... really would like if someone could work up the P&LE "Station Square" building... I love building the world, but I have no talent in modelling, so I just need to hope someone likes my route enough to model things for it...

 

[boleyd]

Oh hey! Nice to finally see a trainz forum thread on your work.

Follow your stuff on the P&LE Facebook group and was wondering if you’d post here. Really good stuff man. Makes me happy. Need any help let me know, can always figure out spots or what not in case I back date the whole thing for pre 1946 once released.

Stay safe! - Nev

ll take it! I live 25 miles East of PGH, near Greensburg. Please note that many towns have neighborhoods where a line of houses are almost identical. Look at Vandergrift, PA and other coal mining towns. White houses are the most popular, but NOT a bright white. Later repaints offer variety. Paint was not as good in those days. Google Maps of the covered towns are an excellent guide. "Drive the streets". Lots of trees. 75ft trees are common. I will leave the tracks and trains to experts in that area.

 

[NYC5445]

Hey, Thanks! Its gonna be slow, and I hate to work on the PRR side of the river when I know Matt's working on it... But it will get there, someday! What I need are buildings and bridges... I'm working on the Middle section from Coraopolis to Geneva right now, and have it mostly handled, but i need some of the road cantilevers, East Roch, the previous roch bridge, Ambridge, Sewickley, I-79 over Neville Island, etc... really would like if someone could work up the P&LE "Station Square" building... I love building the world, but I have no talent in modelling, so I just need to hope someone likes my route enough to model things for it...

Don’t fret, Matt’s route is ten times bigger and I’ve been slowly working on a version of his that only is from Pitt to Harrisburg with a *small* tangent of edits to make the route fit the 30s. Penn pilot, rare track diagrams at my disposal, good pals on this stuff and countless books have been my saving grace but progress has been very slowed recently.

 

[NYC5445]

ll take it! I live 25 miles East of PGH, near Greensburg. Please note that many towns have neighborhoods where a line of houses are almost identical. Look at Vandergrift, PA and other coal mining towns. White houses are the most popular, but NOT a bright white. Later repaints offer variety. Paint was not as good in those days. Google Maps of the covered towns are an excellent guide. "Drive the streets". Lots of trees. 75ft trees are common. I will leave the tracks and trains to experts in that area.

I mainly use Penn pilot and Jbriton’s site as my guides for this stuff. Along with books on the line which help me out greatly when I had to model the mine spurs east of Gallitzin