TUME’s Simulation of “The Milwaukee Road”

[tume]

I have succeeded in getting the Trainz 2006 "Sandpatch Christmas" working OK in my Trainz 12. Is there anyway to get Tumes Milwaukee Road that I understand comes with Trainz 10 (that I dont own) to work with my Trainz 12 while I await the Trainz12 version. Just finished watching the CVP DVD "Montana - The last days of the electrics". Definitely a Must Buy for MR or Little Jo fans BTW. Can I get a "Little Jo" anywhere as a title search in the DLS comes up with nothing.:'(

Hallo,

thank you for your interest. Unfortunately I have to say that the Joe is available at TS2010 exclusively. Because of the special bogey arrangement of the Joe, it can not been transferred into TS12 as this requires an update of it. The Joe just works incorrect in TS12. It’s the same situation for the Boxcab E29 I included into my Avery – Drexel Route at TS2010.

The good news is, that I am about to update all of my stuff to meet TS12 standards. This includes the update of all dependencies to support full season change – this requires to create a very large number of scenery objects, splines, tracks and ground textures from scratch. That’s what I am working on right now. Also I will update my cars and locos. I already updated the Boxcab as you can read some threads above.

Anything will be released in a bundle along with the updated Avery – Drexel route and the Othello – Kittitas route as soon as I did the last piece of my work.

Your’s TUME

 

[tikkamassala]

Its okay Tume,Everybody makes mistakes.Btw. i dont have an active FCT(just to let you know i have a expired one)So i will get it wenn i got a active FCT.(I play the 06 version of trainz wich is unsupported)Anyway thanks for the Hints!

 

[Jimbiglion]

News on the 261

 

[NewYorkCentral]

S3 Progress

Tume, can you show us the progress of the S3 4-8-4?

 

[tume]

Hallo,

during the last days, I worked again to improve the cliffs to get close to the real thing. This again included the creation of some scenery assets to perform the rock faces a bit more steep than possible by using the ground tiles only. Although not shown by the screens it all supports season change. Also I did something to improve my gravel road objects to get some more versions which meet the latest standards. The task was to get a set of wheel track roads that fits into my ground textures to make it look like some wheel spurs running through the landscape not like a spline been placed onto a painted ground surface.

The screens have been captures just a little east of Royal City Junction indicating a eastbound freight led by Three Boxcab Unit #E39. Not too many portions of Milwaukee Roads transcontinental mainline which survived even in our days. The largest segment probably is the line from St. Marie’s to Plummer Junction just some Kilometres west of Avery, Id, which is still in operation owned by St. Marie’s River Rail Road. Another large portion of remaining track goes from Warden, Wa to Othello, Wa which is still in operation to connect the industry of Othello to the rail network. Eventually this track used to continue from Othello via Taunton to Royal City. But this was not regular used and as far as I know there was no train since 2005. Also the tracks had been paved over by a road just about 100 Meters north of the old foundations of Othello’s depot building. All industrial yard track and connection rail spurs used today are located at the northern half of Othello’s former rail station which used to run along besides the entire town.
As far as I know it would still be possible to run with a train from Othello to Royal City, but the use of a speeder is more likely. The tracks you can see at the screens are still in place but over grown by grass and sage brushes which probably will take effect to any traffic out there. So if anybody wants to get in touch with Milwaukee Road’s history by such a rail speeder trip, don’t forget to bring some tools along like a chain saw for instance.

Your’s TUME

PS: Like everything the S3 4-8-4 needs to be updated in several ways. I even work at it in gmax as well I do texture improvements using gimp. Especially I am about to create normal maps. At the moment I did not export anything which I should show here as still the normal maps are not be completed. Also I have to arrange some texture completely new at the mesh to get something optimized. But be sure, as soon as I have a nice looking state, I will put screens in here.

 

[kamran]

your texturing technique are awesome

 

[kamran]

 

[gearhead2578]

"Eventually this track used to continue from Othello via Taunton to Royal City. But this was not regular used and as far as I know there was no train since 2005. Also the tracks had been paved over by a road just about 100 Meters north of the old foundations of Othello’s depot building. All industrial yard track and connection rail spurs used today are located at the northern half of Othello’s former rail station which used to run along besides the entire town.
As far as I know it would still be possible to run with a train from Othello to Royal City, but the use of a speeder is more likely. The tracks you can see at the screens are still in place but over grown by grass and sage brushes which probably will take effect to any traffic out there. So if anybody wants to get in touch with Milwaukee Road’s history by such a rail speeder trip, don’t forget to bring some tools along like a chain saw for instance. " - Originally Posted by Tume

Been thinking about moving back to Washington state next year, Las Vegas is getting pretty horrible... I happen to own a 96 F-250 hirail pickup I've just been afraid of getting arrested for trespassing, but if I do decide to run it I'll get some photos of the area as I'm pretty familiar with it. Might be fun! I'm in awe looking at the screenshots, you've got the hills looking about like the real thing (I've been all through eastern WA hundreds of times). Your tedious labor is very much appreciated by all us MR fans!

 

[tume]

Buildings for Othello, Wa

Hallo,

@ gearhead2578:

Thank you for your nice words about my live-time-project
I really spend much time to study photos and Google views (some years ago I worked with USGS maps available at Microsoft Terra Server) just to get close to the reality.
Unfortunately I have never been in one of the places which I now want to put into the simulation. May be it would make me sad to see all the abandoned ROWs.
I know it was some kind of stupid to build a transcontinental RailRoad mostly parallel to another one – I mean the NP.
At leased, the MR tracks went only a little distance parallel to the NP tracks so the drivers could see each other at most of the portion between Lombard and St. Regis – except the section between Piedmont and Butte. Only in Idaho and Washington the MR went another way and created a complete new corridor.
Per haps in our days both RRs would improve the existing lines by double tracking and short cut constructions to operate more trains – but together and based on special agreements or eventually on an merger.
But in the other hand the MR did a lot of pioneer work and inventions in rail technology – not just the electrification. And in my point of view it’s a bit of a shame that all this had been gone almost by the MR management itself. How much more efficiency could be put onto RRs by using wind powered electrification.
Eastportal Substation had a capacity of 3x2MW – the big wind turbines in our days provides a power of about 4 to 5MW. May such projects would be more easy to come true if MRs electrification would not have been torn down.
But now it seams whenever somebody comes up with such suggestions another one always says “no way, electrification is too expensive viewed in a short term period and the MR gave a bad example”.

I can imagine that it must be fun to go with such a pickup to some places. Off course I would appreciate to be able to look at some pictures from that area.

In the time between, I will continue to create the assets I need for the route and will continue to complete the route itself.
Yesterday I created some buildings for Othello Broadway Ave / Main Street. I just used Google Street view (unfortunately only available along Broadway Ave) just to have an idea how these buildings looks like.
I created the Brunswick Bar & Grill as well as the Payday Loan Shop and hope I came close the real buildings.
Of course I can not create all of these building individually as this would need far too much time.
I just will create some special buildings to create some identification to the City of Othello.
For the other Houses I just will use similar looking assets. Another problem is that I mostly have just the satellite top view provided by Google – street view only works in Broadway Ave as mentioned.

May you recognise the buildings at the screens below.

Please note, not all buildings in the view have been updated to support season change also I will have to change all splines to provide this functionality.

Othello, Wa - Broadway Ave / Main Street, looking southeast

Othello, Wa - Broadway Ave / Main Street, looking southeast

Othello, Wa - Broadway Ave / Main Street, looking southeast

Othello, Wa - Broadway Ave / Main Street, looking northwest.

Othello, Wa - Broadway Ave / Main Street, looking northwest.

Othello, Wa - Broadway Ave / Main Street, looking northwest.

An eastbound goes uphill in front of the rock faces about one or two miles east of Royal City Junction.
The blue line besides the track is an “invisible” track asset I used to create the rock faces automatically.
Off course this created the downhill side of the grade far too wide which I had to cut back by hand, but using this method allows to create the rock cliffs near by the track like in reality as well.
I used the same technology creating the Avery-Drexel route.
It requires much more time, but the result looks even better.
Because of the unfavorable angle of the track to the ground tiles, additional rock face assets became necessary which in my point of view provides a good scene and does not create a too sharp changeover to the ground – even not in snow times.

Your’s TUME

 

[gearhead2578]

That Cliff spline came out great!! Much better now and more realistic. You're right about the electrification, I lived in Skykomish, WA for about 3 years near the powerhouse when BNSF tore it down. It seems they're looking at short term economical solutions (already have diesel, don't want to spend on new construction) rather than what's better long term.

On a bright note about abandoned ROW, Stampede Pass has been in use again as so much of our manufacturing has gone overseas (more short term thinking) that there's more intermodal traffic than the system can handle. There was talk of restoring MWRR's old ROW but this was thrown by the wayside since the John Wayne Trail was created and most of the rails are gone. Ironically the Cascade tunnel is even closed to foot traffic along the trail as they failed to maintain it. Imho it would have made more sense to keep all existing routes for future use, especially Milwaukee's Cascade route as it was the easiest grade of the 3 routes to cross, but you can't give BN too much credit for thinking

Well, enough rambling - I just can't express enough how truly awesome it is that the Milwaukee Road is being brought to life more than 30 years after I witnessed it die first hand. Many thanks, Tume.

Regards, Gearhead2578

 

[tume]

You're right about the electrification, I lived in Skykomish, WA for about 3 years near the powerhouse when BNSF tore it down. It seems they're looking at short term economical solutions (already have diesel, don't want to spend on new construction) rather than what's better long term.

On a bright note about abandoned ROW, Stampede Pass has been in use again as so much of our manufacturing has gone overseas (more short term thinking) that there's more intermodal traffic than the system can handle. There was talk of restoring MWRR's old ROW but this was thrown by the wayside since the John Wayne Trail was created and most of the rails are gone. Ironically the Cascade tunnel is even closed to foot traffic along the trail as they failed to maintain it. Imho it would have made more sense to keep all existing routes for future use, especially Milwaukee's Cascade route as it was the easiest grade of the 3 routes to cross, but you can't give BN too much credit for thinking

Regards, Gearhead2578

If you wrote about the closed tunnel at the trail, you probably meant the Snuqualmie Tunnel is that right?? They forgot to maintain it? So that means all the bikers will have to climb up over the hill. That’s really bad. And all this after the effort to repair the bridges for the trail. But hey, such rubbish you can even find in my country as well.

Well and the funny thing is, that the Stampede Tunnel can not handle double deck container cars. But as far as I know this is exactly the freight which has to be carried most even in the future.
I also read something in the net that the Sevens Tunnel is limited to one train each 45 minutes no matter eastbound or westbound, because of the pollution the diesels creates and this would poison the crew of the next train if it would go to early through the tunnel. Wasn’t it the pollution of the steamers which forced the GN to electrify the Stevens Pass? Well, sometimes history repeats itself but does not hold back people from making mistakes.
Even in our days the trains on Stevens Pass would not even need to stop as the Helper Electrics could couple and decouple while the train still moves in slow motion – just like UP does crew changing. This really would increase the capacity at Stevens Pass without the requirement to improve the whole diesel fleet (if possible but I doubt – a diesel always will exhaust pollution) of to construct a second Stevens Pass Tunnel, which is far most expensive rather than return to the electrification – even if it’s a island solution.

Ok – I think we would be able to write such things again and again. Better I go back and take care of the Othello buildings And anyway, BNSF thinks great, just we are too much limited to see the great idea behind the master plan of them.

 

[socalwb909]

-Textures look so much better when they have a normal map! Great shots!

-Joe

 

[tume]

Progress at Othello, Wa

Hallo,

again something about the progress at my Milwaukee Road Othello – Kittitas route.
At the moment I am working to create several buildings for Othello, Wa.
Mostly the buildings just have to fit into the dimensions to get top view of the simulation very close looking like the satellite pictures available at Google and USGS.
In both cases a little more investigation is necessary as the Othello’s buildings may have a little changed since the days of Milwaukee Road operations.
Also I do not want to create every single building at every corner just like the original one. Mostly I just place similar looking residential houses as needed into
the residential areas and I create similar looking commercial buildings for the shops and stores as required.
I go the same way to create the industrial areas.
But for just some corners, I am about to create the buildings to meet the reality much more closer, so anybody from who knows Othello, Wa would recognise it very well.

Such a corner is the “Les Schwab Tire Centre” area situated at Broadway Ave in Othello, Wa as well as the now abandoned “Othello Iron Works” beside the tire centre.
As always, the assets supports night mode and season change. Please note, that the fence and street splines have not been updated for season change jet, but this will follow soon.

Before you see the screens you may have a look at the google view in front of “Les Schwab Tire Centre”

Les Schwab Tire Centre at Broadway Ave. I don’t have information about its first appearance at Othello but let’s say it was there even back the time of Milwaukee Road’s electrification.

Othello Iron Works at Broadway Ave, now abandoned, but was probably open during the time before the Milwaukee Road disappeared.

Les Schwab Tire Centre in TS12. See the Othello Iron Works in background.

Othello Iron Works in TS12. See Les Schwab Tire Centre in background.

The same view, but in snowy winter time.

View from First Ave north west via Broadway Ave. The mobile home area exists today but the Milwaukee Road maintenance yards as well as the roundhouse have been gone long ago. Just the tracks where the steam train stops in front of the depot building remains today and still continues all the way to Royal City.

Looking above some residential areas in Othello, Wa.



Your’s TUME

 

[cool450]

Its looking great, tume, though I would suggest spiffing up that blue door on the Othello Iron Works since the place was open and being maintained back then.
-Colin

 

[normhart]

Hey tume, I just wanted to stop by and say thanks so much for your Avery - Drexel Route for 2010. I have it in TP12 and I love it so much, just got done with a first run through Milwaukee Road today and I did the Lookout Pass run yesterday. They are so inspirational.

Thanks again,

Norm

 

[H222]

Tume, did you create new YARN Roads??

Jamie

 

[tume]

@cool450:
Yes, you are rigth. May I will have to remove the Les Schwab Trie Center as well. I should have do deeper investigations before but I didi not. Just after I uploaded the screens I thourght about the architecture of the tire center and came to the conclusion that it may be has been built after the Milwaukee road left town. Eventually I called the tire center at Othello asking the sectretary about this matter and she aknowledged - the centre was not there back then.
But anyway, it looks not too bad so I will use it for my PCC streetcar and city project if I will make updates for that


@normhart:

Thanks a lot for your nice words! I needed three years to complete what you see now. N3V did also a great job by introducing of the speed trees which makes it much more realistic.
I will have to update the electrics to TS12 standards and several updates will come as soon as I have time to do so.


@H222:

Jes, I did. I had three reason to do so.

First:
I did not want to continue with my own road system, as the YRAN is used in a larg number of routes anyway - and it looks great.

Second:
The existing YARN system did not contain some routes and intersections required for the town of Othello, Wa. Also I want to keep the road assets and the traffic assets seperated from each other - especially in towns. So I need roads without automated traffic so I can handle the automated traffic by putting in additional splines at the possitions I need it.

Third:
I need to influence the mesh and textures of the road system to be able to get the season change functionallity onto it. It has not been done jet but it will be done during the next time. Still I am thinking how a nice snowy street texture needs to look like. I dont want it make just white. Some wheel stripes would be nice, but this also has to fit together at the junctions as well. I will see. And you will see the result as soon as possible when I uploaded some screens about it.

In general, I did not use any original mesh. I justmeasured out the existing assets to make it compatible to each other. So eventually people can use both.

Your's TUME

 

[BDP]

nice picutes TUME

 

[TheParot67]

Was that a S-3 in the second to last picture?

 

[normhart]

Was that a S-3 in the second to last picture?

:hehe: Train freaks, ya gotta love them. :hehe: