Trainz Eastern Route-The Volunteer Line

[Red_TVRM]

Trainz Eastern Route is pleased to announce our forth coming route. This will be our first creation in Trainz.

The Volunteer Line is a fictional Class II coal line set in Tennessee. It has no true geographical ties as the city names are all pulled from a list of odd names that we liked. To my partner builder and I, it is in Tennessee and to you it can be anywhere. The DEM is from Paul Haglund at fishlipsatwork; we chose the NS Pocahontas DEM for its size and challenge.

The Volunteer would best be described as coal heaven. There are over 200 miles of main, branch and spur tracks to be worked as you navigate around the operation. There are many tunnels and bridges through out the network.

Below is an example of the route

MP0 is just after the last switch from the yard and turn out heading north. ​

The climb to Bugtussel will work your butt off. The grade goes from nothing to just under 3% as you climb away from Coal Creek and into the mountains. North of MP1.63 the pusher set will snuggle into the back of your train for the climb and while you’ll not need him until MP 5.12; picking up early helps with traction on the restart. ​

At mp 5.12 the grade will slowly climb and settle in at 2.7 % all the way to MP 5.9 where you enter the tunnel and the pusher cuts off. The exit to the tunnel is MP 6.7 and a downhill grade. ​

Bugtussel sits at MP 7.1 and isn’t much to look at, a few old buildings, mine house and wildlife. Many a railroad man has taken the best Bugtussel has to offer out of the valley as the young ladies at the dinner always work hard to impress strangers. ​

A North/south pusher/break unit works from the Bugtussel yard. The grade on the downhill slope isn’t that bad; it just goes for many miles. To get here you worked your butt off and from here down the grade you will scare your butt off. ​

MP 8.02 Tunnel Entrance​

MP8.56 Tunnel Exit​

MP 9.85 Bridge Entrance​

MP 10.14 Bridge Exit​

MP 11.34 Bridge Entrance​

MP 11.50 Bridge Exit​

MP12.93 Dutch Valley Switch​

Dutch valley has a sub leading to Oliver Springs and several industries. The main will carry on to Turtle Town.​

We are also going to release a detailed time table and description of the towns and areas. The idea is immersion into this fictional railroad and the struggles it and the area it serves faces.

These are working shots from the project

Currently we are working toward a release date of around the first of the year. We are working with several respected creators in the community to ensure that our first route will be well balanced and something that many will find enjoyment in.

Thank you for you time and feedback as well.

 

[jadebullet]

Looks great Red. The grass looks alot better with a few bushes thrown in. The route has definitely progressed from when you started it. Great job. I cannot wait to see more.

 

[srr89]

Now that is some quality work, I will be watching this closely.

Robby :wave:

 

[UP5521]

Nice!

 

[evan123]

Wowah! Nice Red, looking really good. That is quite the grade!!

If this was Youtube, I'd rate you ******. +*. :udrool:

 

[applegathc]

That is quite the grade!!

Yeah, about that...is that even prototypical? Let alone safe...?

cam

 

[jadebullet]

I asked about it, and according to Red, it is about 1%. The curve makes it look steeper. Still, it is quite a grade.

 

[titaniclover]

Looks awesome Red! Can't wait to see more of this.

Cheers,
Adam

 

[Klinger]

I asked about it, and according to Red, it is about 1%. The curve makes it look steeper. Still, it is quite a grade.

The curve causes a bit of an optical illusion. But boy it does look steep. Ill take your word for it though

 

[Red_TVRM]

Dante Yard ran by the Clinchfield was a yard with steep grade. They had trouble doing their brake tests due to it, because the power brakes would not hold the consist. This is the inspiration for such grades in the route.

To be honest it is not for a flat lander for sure, the grades are persistent and every present. The grade you asked about has been worked over several times and is well within the Clinchfield standard.

We’ve checked that grade several times but will do so once more before release.

 

[illinoiscentral]

Wow, I like this!

I love that Orange paint, GO VOLS!

This is a great piece of work Red, I only wish my own Kentucky & Tennessee was as spectacular as this...
It could be, if I ever worked on it!:hehe:

Once again, great work.


Cheers,
Woody

 

[Red_TVRM]

Go Vols is indeed the reason for the color!

 

[norfolksouthern37]

it cant be 1%... i took the image and did a calculation on it. its actually around a 9.6% grade.

there are ways to measure this in surveyor.

 

[Red_TVRM]

It was measured in surveyor with the HUD item and it is well, well below your calculation. Part of the process when we were laying the track is we’d load up a train with the grade/distance took up and run the line making notes where we needed to come back and rework the grade again.


Before it is released it’ll be checked again and I’ll even get some guys to test it themselves.

How did you calculate it from a screen shot?

 

[norfolksouthern37]

bc there is a side on shot of the hopper. that is around 5 degrees tilted. tan 5 * 100 is 9.5% give or take.

 

[Red_TVRM]

OK, works for me then. As was already said we’ll check it again. Thanks for your input it is good to have many views and a lot of advice in these things I have found out.

 

[norfolksouthern37]

its ok, glad you appreciate it, my other* job is working for a surveying company as a draftsman. i am very used to gradients.

*what i do when im not trainzing

 

[Klinger]

one bad grade won't kill anyone (hopefully)

 

[Red_TVRM]

Well let’s hope not anyway.

This being the first route done by myself and a fellow former Marine who is helping me; we realize we’ll make some mistakes and learn for the next one. This is a huge route with dozens and dozens of spurs off the lines represented on the map. So we know we’ll make errors and we will adjust as they are found and make notes for our next route.

One thing these working shots do not show is the new switch boxes as well. The default ones were replaced.

The final product will have named tunnels and bridges as well.

The route concept centers on the Volunteer taking over the track in the seventies and the area has had only minimum maintenance over that period of time; simply enough to keep coal moving at a decent speed. The Volunteer while technically a Class II would feel more like a Class III. Each little Branch Line would have its own crew working the local mines and industries with trains coming from the yard with empties to collect loaded stock. Running the entire circuit and either dropping them off in Jellico for NS/CSX to carry them out of region or the VLR taking them to one of the area power plants. A service train would bring in supplies to the mine and a MOW would be out working nearly all the time as well.

That is my mental concept of how it will function. While everyone is free to adjust as they wish, this is what my vision is for it. In the end our goal is to deliver a product that everyone can enjoy and salt it to their own taste.

 

[AJ_Fox]

Threads inviting personal comments are not welcome here. These type of discussions are best carried on elsewhere. This is a Forum for constructive helpful posts.

Cheers

AJ