how was the milwaukee road controlled? Was it Time table and train order? If so I have a lot of experiance and ideas of how to operate ai trains on this system. Currently on my Kettle Valley route I have up to 35 trains running at one time. All of my signals are invisible and there is no provision to prevent cornfield meets. Everything must be planned ahead. I use the wait for trigger command a LOT!
TUME’s Simulation of “The Milwaukee Road”
- Thread starter tume
- Start date
Hallo,
I am still at work and so I could not check this invisible platform. I have to say, that I can’t remember about such an object. Maybe its placement was just a mistake and I did not see it. As described before, I had big trouble finishing the route in TRS2006 because of its limits in handling of such a large route and all of its dependencies. So sometimes the simulation behaviour was a bit strange. I turned the route and wanted to click so somewhere, but the simulator stopped moving and the mouse click caused something else. Sometimes I found objects at the route, placed by such unwanted clicks which I had to delete thereafter.
Anyway, I will try to find a little time to look for this invisible platform after work.
Well – it would help me a lot, if you could take a screen from it and to put it into this thread.
As soon as I have answers to your questions, I will post it here.
@ Jayturf:
As far as I know, the Milwaukee Trains where controlled by train orders
Have all a nice evening.
Your’s TUME
Session information for Avery - Drexel
No, unfortunately I don’t have timetables. But I know from two sources that as many as 8 trains a day went through Avery, Id during the last years of operation – including the last time of electrification, which my route represents. I am not sure, but I think that means 4 eastbound and 4 westbound trains. But I am not sure, there could have been 8 eastbound and 8 westbound trains that time. I will have to investigate again about that matter.
Olympian Hiawatha:
Please note by the way: The Olympian Hiawatha stopped operation in 1961, so it should not been considered in sessions for this route. I will have to create another route for the Hiawatha time. In fact you could never see the 4 lane Interstate 90 from a Hiawatha car, as the road used to be just the 2 lane Highway 10 back before 1961. At the route you can see the Interstate 90 Construction a little west of the old town side of Taft, Mt. The last remains of Taft, Mt had been wiped out in 1970/71 just to make way for the 4 lane Interstate 90. So actually the route represents the time shortly thereafter.
NP’s Lookout Pass Line:
I do not have any information about the usage of NP’s Lookout Pass Line back that time. I only knows, that the NP Line had been built before the Milwaukee Road. Originally the NP had its own ROW even between Drexel and Haugan, Mt but this had been taken away by a big flood in 1933. Both RR’s agreed about the usage of the MR track up to Haugan so the NP did nor rebuilt there line east of Haugan. I think – not sure, that the Lookout Pass line was NP’s first line to pass the Bitterrroots and to connect from Missoula to Spokane. But due to the heavy grade of about 3,5% over Lookout Pass, the NP later changed its mainline via the later built ROW up over Sandpoint, turning the Lookout Pass line to a secondary line. In fact there had been some mines near by Salteese,Mt which probably used to be customers of NP’s Lookout Pass line but this may not continued after the 50’s. I also think, there was only a few regional freight traffic from and to De Borgia, Haugan, Salteese and Taft anyway and may be some freight from and to Mullan, Id. But this may be had been carried westward to Spokane. After its lost its transcontinental traffic, the Lookout Pass line was busy only during the time as the Milwaukee Road had been built back in 1908. In conclusion, I would say there where only one or two little trains per week left using the Lookout Pass line back at 1970. But may be there was some traffic for the Interstate 90 Construction.
Interstate 90 Construction:
There are two gravel pits situated around Haugen, Mt, which had been used for the construction of the Interstate 90 and maybe before that too. So I created invisible loading stations for gravel and an invisible delivery station at the Interstate 90 constriction at Taft, Mt. At first I wanted to create a session for our road vehicle fans.
Example:
- a empty gravel truck waits at the rest area at Haugan, beside the I90
- the driver gets a radio (voice and text) message to drive to the gravel pit back to DeBorgia – all invisible switches would have to be setup before!
- the user moves to the pit at DeBorgia to pickup the gravel load (message for go – voice and screen)
- the user moves to the construction of the Interstate 90 at Taft to deliver the gravel
- message to drive back to the gravel pit at Haugan (voice and screen)
- the user moves to the pit at Haugan to pickup the gravel load (message for go – voice and screen)
- the user moves again to the construction of the Interstate 90 at Taft to deliver the gravel (message for permission to take another break the Haugan’s rest area – voice and screen)
- the user moves back to the rest area at Haugan (end of session)
Of course there should be some Milwaukee Road trains and a NP train moving by during such a road session, so the user would have something to watch while driving at the new Interstate 90. Also some public car traffic should be created so that the I90 does not look too empty.
Unfortunately there was no time left, to create such a session as I had to hurry to get anything in time to Auran for the release of TS2010. But may someone wants to get involved into this road session idea.
Logging Truck:
There is a logging station west of Avery,Id. A forest gravel road follows the MR track into the North Fork of St. Joe River all the way up to a little north of Kyle siding. Somewhere in a side valley is a logging store, where truck could pick up loggs to deliver it down to Avery, Id. Avery logging station had been created the way, that it stores all loggs delivered by trucks. If you move a logging train in, you can pick up the loggs by train. During operation times, the loggs would have been carried westward to St. Maries into the big saw mill over there. Unfortunately the route ends shortly after Avery at the moment. But if somebody wants to do so, a session could be created to carry loggs by truck from the forest to Avery. Also some Milwaukee Road transcontinental freight trains could be arranged for passing by while the user operates the logging truck up and down St. Joe River valley. And again, I would have done this by myself, but the time was too less to do so.
I hope someone likes the ideas – good luck!
Your’s TUME
Milwaukee Road Trains:
No, unfortunately I don’t have timetables. But I know from two sources that as many as 8 trains a day went through Avery, Id during the last years of operation – including the last time of electrification, which my route represents. I am not sure, but I think that means 4 eastbound and 4 westbound trains. But I am not sure, there could have been 8 eastbound and 8 westbound trains that time. I will have to investigate again about that matter.
Olympian Hiawatha:
Please note by the way: The Olympian Hiawatha stopped operation in 1961, so it should not been considered in sessions for this route. I will have to create another route for the Hiawatha time. In fact you could never see the 4 lane Interstate 90 from a Hiawatha car, as the road used to be just the 2 lane Highway 10 back before 1961. At the route you can see the Interstate 90 Construction a little west of the old town side of Taft, Mt. The last remains of Taft, Mt had been wiped out in 1970/71 just to make way for the 4 lane Interstate 90. So actually the route represents the time shortly thereafter.
NP’s Lookout Pass Line:
I do not have any information about the usage of NP’s Lookout Pass Line back that time. I only knows, that the NP Line had been built before the Milwaukee Road. Originally the NP had its own ROW even between Drexel and Haugan, Mt but this had been taken away by a big flood in 1933. Both RR’s agreed about the usage of the MR track up to Haugan so the NP did nor rebuilt there line east of Haugan. I think – not sure, that the Lookout Pass line was NP’s first line to pass the Bitterrroots and to connect from Missoula to Spokane. But due to the heavy grade of about 3,5% over Lookout Pass, the NP later changed its mainline via the later built ROW up over Sandpoint, turning the Lookout Pass line to a secondary line. In fact there had been some mines near by Salteese,Mt which probably used to be customers of NP’s Lookout Pass line but this may not continued after the 50’s. I also think, there was only a few regional freight traffic from and to De Borgia, Haugan, Salteese and Taft anyway and may be some freight from and to Mullan, Id. But this may be had been carried westward to Spokane. After its lost its transcontinental traffic, the Lookout Pass line was busy only during the time as the Milwaukee Road had been built back in 1908. In conclusion, I would say there where only one or two little trains per week left using the Lookout Pass line back at 1970. But may be there was some traffic for the Interstate 90 Construction.
Interstate 90 Construction:
There are two gravel pits situated around Haugen, Mt, which had been used for the construction of the Interstate 90 and maybe before that too. So I created invisible loading stations for gravel and an invisible delivery station at the Interstate 90 constriction at Taft, Mt. At first I wanted to create a session for our road vehicle fans.
Example:
- a empty gravel truck waits at the rest area at Haugan, beside the I90
- the driver gets a radio (voice and text) message to drive to the gravel pit back to DeBorgia – all invisible switches would have to be setup before!
- the user moves to the pit at DeBorgia to pickup the gravel load (message for go – voice and screen)
- the user moves to the construction of the Interstate 90 at Taft to deliver the gravel
- message to drive back to the gravel pit at Haugan (voice and screen)
- the user moves to the pit at Haugan to pickup the gravel load (message for go – voice and screen)
- the user moves again to the construction of the Interstate 90 at Taft to deliver the gravel (message for permission to take another break the Haugan’s rest area – voice and screen)
- the user moves back to the rest area at Haugan (end of session)
Of course there should be some Milwaukee Road trains and a NP train moving by during such a road session, so the user would have something to watch while driving at the new Interstate 90. Also some public car traffic should be created so that the I90 does not look too empty.
Unfortunately there was no time left, to create such a session as I had to hurry to get anything in time to Auran for the release of TS2010. But may someone wants to get involved into this road session idea.
Logging Truck:
There is a logging station west of Avery,Id. A forest gravel road follows the MR track into the North Fork of St. Joe River all the way up to a little north of Kyle siding. Somewhere in a side valley is a logging store, where truck could pick up loggs to deliver it down to Avery, Id. Avery logging station had been created the way, that it stores all loggs delivered by trucks. If you move a logging train in, you can pick up the loggs by train. During operation times, the loggs would have been carried westward to St. Maries into the big saw mill over there. Unfortunately the route ends shortly after Avery at the moment. But if somebody wants to do so, a session could be created to carry loggs by truck from the forest to Avery. Also some Milwaukee Road transcontinental freight trains could be arranged for passing by while the user operates the logging truck up and down St. Joe River valley. And again, I would have done this by myself, but the time was too less to do so.
I hope someone likes the ideas – good luck!
Your’s TUME
Ok, I have found the „invisible platform noguara1“. It’s a mistake and should be released. But it has no connection to any other track at the route, so it does not have a bad influence to any functions or sessions – as long nobody attempts to route a train to it. The piece itself it very small and it is quite hart to find (situated near by the NP tracks a little west of Taft, Mt between some bushes) – best using the search function for industry objects.
Your's TUME!
LOD ground cover at Beverly, Wa.
Hallo,
I am still working at my LOD ground cover grass and bush splines to provide an 3d foliage for my Milwaukee Road Othello – Kittitas. Its all about to find a nice compromise between density of grass and bushes its the graphical appearance and the performance as well as the draw distance. The aim is, to keep the draw distance as far as possible. That means to save on polygons. I attempt to do that using LOD. I want to adjust the spline bush and grass textures and the ground textures the way that the user will not see a sharp border when the LOD spline bushes ends and the land surface is represented by the ground texture only. Also I attempt to keep the grass and bushes high in density near by the view point. In addition to this, everything needs to meet the real world as close as possible. I hope I am at a good way to meet my aims in this matter. Helpful comments and critics and suggestions are welcome.
Here some first results at Beverly, Wa:
Your’s TUME
Hallo,
I am still working at my LOD ground cover grass and bush splines to provide an 3d foliage for my Milwaukee Road Othello – Kittitas. Its all about to find a nice compromise between density of grass and bushes its the graphical appearance and the performance as well as the draw distance. The aim is, to keep the draw distance as far as possible. That means to save on polygons. I attempt to do that using LOD. I want to adjust the spline bush and grass textures and the ground textures the way that the user will not see a sharp border when the LOD spline bushes ends and the land surface is represented by the ground texture only. Also I attempt to keep the grass and bushes high in density near by the view point. In addition to this, everything needs to meet the real world as close as possible. I hope I am at a good way to meet my aims in this matter. Helpful comments and critics and suggestions are welcome.
Here some first results at Beverly, Wa:
Your’s TUME
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Hello Tume,
Running ts2010 for a few weeks, I have to say that your route included is, I think, probably the next best thing to being there. :hehe:
Must have been an enormous task to complete. Very impressive and with two nicely programmed enjoyable sessions as well.
Your work is much appreciated here, thanks!
Greetings from sunny Amsterdam,
Jan
Running ts2010 for a few weeks, I have to say that your route included is, I think, probably the next best thing to being there. :hehe:
Must have been an enormous task to complete. Very impressive and with two nicely programmed enjoyable sessions as well.
Your work is much appreciated here, thanks!
Greetings from sunny Amsterdam,
Jan
Dear Tume,
I find your work very interesting. After seeing your screen with the Beverly Bridge, I started digging the web about this thing and found a lot of info and photos. Very impressive. I always found american bridge engineering as especially interesting, the size, ideas for construction etc. The sadest thing about it all is that the bridge was abandoned soon after MLW went bankrupt. Sadly huge derelict structures of this sort are not a rare thing in the US, even if we talk only about the bridges...
I find your work very interesting. After seeing your screen with the Beverly Bridge, I started digging the web about this thing and found a lot of info and photos. Very impressive. I always found american bridge engineering as especially interesting, the size, ideas for construction etc. The sadest thing about it all is that the bridge was abandoned soon after MLW went bankrupt. Sadly huge derelict structures of this sort are not a rare thing in the US, even if we talk only about the bridges...
Normal Maps for Ground Textures
Hallo,
in connection with my work at the grass and bush ground cover, I am also about to use the new possibility to apply normal maps to ground textures. In my point of view, the ground textures and the grass and bush splines now performs in a better way.
See this screens captured at Beverly, Mt:
Your's TUME
Hallo,
in connection with my work at the grass and bush ground cover, I am also about to use the new possibility to apply normal maps to ground textures. In my point of view, the ground textures and the grass and bush splines now performs in a better way.
See this screens captured at Beverly, Mt:
Your's TUME
SpeedRacerFan5
New member
The route is looks amazing. I once made a Back to the Future route based off of Part 3 but it wasn't as incredably accurate as the route you are working on. I don't even know how to use GMax! 
I will admit it. I know how to use Google Sketchup but not any of these modeling programs like GMax and Blender! And darn proud of it! But any way, how are things going Tume?
I will admit it. I know how to use Google Sketchup but not any of these modeling programs like GMax and Blender! And darn proud of it! But any way, how are things going Tume?personal interest in avery route
I have been an avid fan of yours since you published the route in 2010. I have been away from St Maries Idaho and the milwaukee road since 1967 when i went into the military. I drove to avery and back many times, had grand parents in kellogg and even went to kellogg at 12 years old when there was passenger service from spokane. I even went to the tresel at Benewah Lake to watch trains.
I am planning to get the game next month to upgrade from 2006 which was almost 200 GB in size. But the hard drive and all backups FAILED. So I just started over from all the logs i kept. As many have said before keep up the good work and let the milwaukee railroad RULE. I spent my entire childhood in St Maries and am now in abilene texas, and retired to spend more time on the simulator. Thanks again. Touche
:clap::Y:
I have been an avid fan of yours since you published the route in 2010. I have been away from St Maries Idaho and the milwaukee road since 1967 when i went into the military. I drove to avery and back many times, had grand parents in kellogg and even went to kellogg at 12 years old when there was passenger service from spokane. I even went to the tresel at Benewah Lake to watch trains.
I am planning to get the game next month to upgrade from 2006 which was almost 200 GB in size. But the hard drive and all backups FAILED. So I just started over from all the logs i kept. As many have said before keep up the good work and let the milwaukee railroad RULE. I spent my entire childhood in St Maries and am now in abilene texas, and retired to spend more time on the simulator. Thanks again. Touche
:clap::Y:1024x1024 grassy ground - experiment
Hallo,
just some screens showing the latest results of my ground texture study. After improvement of my old ground textures of 128x128 and 256x256 pixels by introducing normal maps, I attempt to work out some grassy ground from real photos. The new textures have a resolution of 1024x1024 and provides bump and normal mapping. You may watch this screens in comparison to the screens I have posted before. Its still an experiment so your opinion and helpful critic is very welcome.
Your's TUME
Hallo,
just some screens showing the latest results of my ground texture study. After improvement of my old ground textures of 128x128 and 256x256 pixels by introducing normal maps, I attempt to work out some grassy ground from real photos. The new textures have a resolution of 1024x1024 and provides bump and normal mapping. You may watch this screens in comparison to the screens I have posted before. Its still an experiment so your opinion and helpful critic is very welcome.
Your's TUME
New Rock Textures and first parts built at the Hanford Branch
Hallo,
just posted the latest results of my texture development. This also shows the first work at Milwaukee Road's Hanford Branch.
The Hanford Branch Line once left the transcontinental mainline at Beverly, Wa just west side of the Beverly Bridge and went down the Columbia River to North Hanford.
Since the whole area around Hanford and White Bluffs had been taken by the US Government to found the Hanford Nuclear Complex, the Milwaukee Road served the Hanford Branch to a yard at North Hanford where the cars had been taken over to a connection RR operated by the US Government. The Hanford Branch had been heavily used for the construction of the Hanford Complex.
Between 1956 and 1961 the Hanford Branch had been used for the construction of the Priest Rapids Dam at the Columbia River.
Today, the mentioned industrial connection Rail Road still serves the Nuclear Complex at Hanford, while Milwaukee Road's Hanford Branch was abandoned within Milwaukee Road's lines west.
The cliffs had been textured with two 1024x1024 textures, both includes bump and normal mapping.
Your's TUME
Hallo,
just posted the latest results of my texture development. This also shows the first work at Milwaukee Road's Hanford Branch.
The Hanford Branch Line once left the transcontinental mainline at Beverly, Wa just west side of the Beverly Bridge and went down the Columbia River to North Hanford.
Since the whole area around Hanford and White Bluffs had been taken by the US Government to found the Hanford Nuclear Complex, the Milwaukee Road served the Hanford Branch to a yard at North Hanford where the cars had been taken over to a connection RR operated by the US Government. The Hanford Branch had been heavily used for the construction of the Hanford Complex.
Between 1956 and 1961 the Hanford Branch had been used for the construction of the Priest Rapids Dam at the Columbia River.
Today, the mentioned industrial connection Rail Road still serves the Nuclear Complex at Hanford, while Milwaukee Road's Hanford Branch was abandoned within Milwaukee Road's lines west.
The cliffs had been textured with two 1024x1024 textures, both includes bump and normal mapping.
Your's TUME
Manhattan – Project Interchange yards at North Hanford
Hallo,
here comes a few screens about the progress at the Milwaukee Road Route Othello – Kittitas. Since this route includes the Hanford Branch line, I am about to work out the Hanford Reach.
Although already part of the terrain only route, I still did not decide to build also the Hanford Nuclear Complex (Hanford Site) as which was part of the Manhattan – Project. The Milwaukee Road operated the freight cars to a yard at North Hanford. As the Manhattan – Project was top secret and for safety reasons, all freight cars had been picked up by an Industrial Connection RR operated by the Hanford Site itself.
See some screens from the car interchange yards at North Hanford with the rock cliffs near the old town side of White Bluffs in the background. In analysis of a few available photos and the Satellite Maps provided by USGS and Google, I came to the conclusion that the interchange yards used to have two parts of three tracks each and a track three – angle to its west. Unfortunately I don’t have any information about some sheds or other buildings right beside the yard tracks. But I guess there must have been some little buildings, so I decided to put just some sheds between the two yards. If anyone has further information, it would be nice to take part of it.
The ground visible at the screens has been painted using about seven of my new 1024x1024 bump and normal mapped grass, gravel and rock texture. Only the dirt gravel between the tracks still is 128x128 ground texture, but also contains normal mapping. Also six different grass and bush ground cover splines have been built in to create the vegetation. Still the few distance remains up to 5000 Metres.
Milwaukee Road GP9 enters the interchange yards at North Hanford with some cars of material for the Hanford Site.
Milwaukee Road GP9 delivered the cars to the interchange yards where it will be picked up later on by the Hanford Site’s own RR.
Your's TUME
Hallo,
here comes a few screens about the progress at the Milwaukee Road Route Othello – Kittitas. Since this route includes the Hanford Branch line, I am about to work out the Hanford Reach.
Although already part of the terrain only route, I still did not decide to build also the Hanford Nuclear Complex (Hanford Site) as which was part of the Manhattan – Project. The Milwaukee Road operated the freight cars to a yard at North Hanford. As the Manhattan – Project was top secret and for safety reasons, all freight cars had been picked up by an Industrial Connection RR operated by the Hanford Site itself.
See some screens from the car interchange yards at North Hanford with the rock cliffs near the old town side of White Bluffs in the background. In analysis of a few available photos and the Satellite Maps provided by USGS and Google, I came to the conclusion that the interchange yards used to have two parts of three tracks each and a track three – angle to its west. Unfortunately I don’t have any information about some sheds or other buildings right beside the yard tracks. But I guess there must have been some little buildings, so I decided to put just some sheds between the two yards. If anyone has further information, it would be nice to take part of it.
The ground visible at the screens has been painted using about seven of my new 1024x1024 bump and normal mapped grass, gravel and rock texture. Only the dirt gravel between the tracks still is 128x128 ground texture, but also contains normal mapping. Also six different grass and bush ground cover splines have been built in to create the vegetation. Still the few distance remains up to 5000 Metres.
Milwaukee Road GP9 enters the interchange yards at North Hanford with some cars of material for the Hanford Site.
Milwaukee Road GP9 delivered the cars to the interchange yards where it will be picked up later on by the Hanford Site’s own RR.
Your's TUME
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Latest work at Milwaukee Road’s Hanford Branch
Hallo,
here comes screens from my latest work at Milwaukee Road’s Hanford Branch (Coast Division). The screens indicates a 2 Kilometres long portion of the line situated between twi wooden trestles about 10 Kilometres south of Beverly, Wa. Originally the line used to be much higher above the water level of the Columbia River. But after construction of the Priest Rapids Dam, which was completed in 1961, the waterside reached up close to the tracks.
The new 1024x1024 rock and gravel ground texture performs well. Only the cliffs goes up in a more vertically way than represented by the relief of the preliminary terrain only route, which was created by Paul Haglund (great thanks to him again) by using the “Hand of God” utility. Therefore all cliffs will have to be redesigned tilling by tilling.
Your's TUME
Hallo,
here comes screens from my latest work at Milwaukee Road’s Hanford Branch (Coast Division). The screens indicates a 2 Kilometres long portion of the line situated between twi wooden trestles about 10 Kilometres south of Beverly, Wa. Originally the line used to be much higher above the water level of the Columbia River. But after construction of the Priest Rapids Dam, which was completed in 1961, the waterside reached up close to the tracks.
The new 1024x1024 rock and gravel ground texture performs well. Only the cliffs goes up in a more vertically way than represented by the relief of the preliminary terrain only route, which was created by Paul Haglund (great thanks to him again) by using the “Hand of God” utility. Therefore all cliffs will have to be redesigned tilling by tilling.
Your's TUME
Jimbiglion
261 Train Crew
I just got my 2010 and I got to try out your route and it is great and I love it
I can't wait to get the 261 and play it in your route
I can't wait to get the 261 and play it in your route