My New Reading Line route and more

This is going to be a brand new version of Reading Line with additions toward Harrisburg and Philadelphia. I think the route will go from Bound Brook, NJ to Harrisburg, PA and Reading to Philadelphia. This is using fishlipsatwork's DEM http://www.fishlips.net/Trainz/Bethleham/ and the Reading V1 route by bobstrains it goes from Reading to Philly as well as possibly the Reading-Harrisburg DEM fromcheckrail. This DEM also includes some ex-Reading branches to Kutztown and Pennsburg that are now operated by East Penn RR, formerly Conrail 1976-1983, Anthracite Rwy. 1983-1988, Blue Mountain & Reading 1988-July, 1995. Someone was working on a new version of this route a while back but I think he gave up as his last update was in 2012. And his site that had Conrail and Norfolk Southern signs went down. I have most of the signs though which I will use on my route. I might try to see if the Allentown Yard from the DLS will fit in my route though so I don't have to build that massive yard from scratch. I'll delete the baseboards on the DEM where the yard will go and drop the finished one in if it fits. A timesaver basically. I know the area pretty well but I will still have to refer to satellite maps and Rooneth's route to know where things go. I will be using bnsf50 and yarn, yarnish crossings as well as yarn and yarnish roads and aashto roads and possibly cwhitedog roads.

I forgot to add that this location where I'm starting is Blandon, PA east of Reading. Not sure if I'm going to work my way east or west. It's double track to Allentown and single track to CP West Laurel south of Temple. My route will be bigger than the old Reading Line route, it will go further into NJ and to Harrisburg and Philly. 50 some views and no comments? I know, doesn't look like much but you got to start somewhere.

Slight update. Rt. 73 crossing in Blandon. YARN road, bnsf50 crossing, and JR high detail #132 jointed rail track.

Awesome looking forward to the route someday.

Michael

My Turkey Hill store and gas pumps in Blandon, PA. I have to cover over the Exxon signs with renamable signs.

If I can make a suggestion? More Asset Plunking, less Forum Checking. If you're going for high detail, for the distance you're talking, expect this to take a year or more..... 60 Miles of well sceniced route is no easy feat. I've been working on Seattle for the better part of a year, have probably 25 miles of Track down mostly pretty accurately, and maybe 2 Miles of well sceniced/detailed area...... Push yourself too hard, and you will burn out. Just take it easy and be comfortable with it.

Just friendly advice, take it or leave it,
Falcus

What I plan to do is to lay down track, crossings, some roads, and a few buildings first. It's actually about 140 or so miles from Bound Brook, NJ to Harrisburg, and about 50 from Reading to Philly.
The DEM from Bound Brook, NJ to Reading, PA is from fishlipsatwork at his site not DLS, file is called Bethleham (misspelled, should be Bethlehem) and Reading to Philly is from bobstrains on DLS, and Reading to Harrisburg by checkrail. Bottom photo you can see the massive size of the route.

Well, I'll take your word for the massive size of the route.....

Good Luck with it.
Falcus

Well, it's the raw DEM map from fishlips site not DLS. The one called Bethleham (misspelled, should be Bethlehem) It extends pretty far on either side of the train track.

Here's Temple, PA. Former site of Blue Mountain & Reading tourist line, now Reading, Blue Mountain and Northern. Norfolk Southern ex-Conrail, Reading line behind Temple station.

Temple, PA station.

This route is now going to be a Mega Route with improved Reading Line route by Rooneth, combined with the Reading and Northern route and my own DEM extensions. Not sure if I will ever be able to release it since it contains at least two routes by Rooneth, unless I can get his or JR's permission. It's more of a personal project for me, anyway. Now I might have it go from Jersey City (using a route from DLS) all the way to Reading, PA later to Harrisburg, and the Reading and Northern to Jim Thorpe and farther north and some of the branches. And, Allentown to Lehighton ex-CNJ line.

rwk said:

This route is now going to be a Mega Route with improved Reading Line route by Rooneth, combined with the Reading and Northern route and my own DEM extensions. Not sure if I will ever be able to release it since it contains at least two routes by Rooneth, unless I can get his or JR's permission. It's more of a personal project for me, anyway. Now I might have it go from Jersey City (using a route from DLS) all the way to Reading, PA later to Harrisburg, and the Reading and Northern to Jim Thorpe and farther north and some of the branches. And, Allentown to Lehighton ex-CNJ line.

Click to expand...

That is quite a route! I have traveled through the area, in search of coal tipples and branches, back in 2013. I have some photos of the buildings in Jim Thorpe if you are interested as well as others in the region.

PM me if you are interested.

are you going to add the quarry spur line running along route 724 from the Titus Plant to Birdsboro ????....it runs right by my house...it ends up at Haines and Kibblehouse quarry....where their shuttle loco is painted like Thomas the Tank engine........