Freelancers Anonymous

Hello, I'm Sam, and I'm a freelancer.
Having worked on model railways for quite some time, I moved to Trainz 2012 as I do not have the space in my house anymore to model and this is very much the next best thing. The thing I like most about modelling is just being able to go nuts and make your own thing, let your imagination run wild a little bit and create something truly unique that is not quite like anything else anyone else has seen before. Locomotives in particular. My own Aryle Valley Railway, which I am currently constructing in TS2012, I intend to stock entirely with self-designed motive power and stock.
Sadly, it seems that imagination is in quite short supply on the DLS, as there appear to be very few who take up the challenge of creating their own locomotives.
That's why I created this thread - to find others like me who enjoy the idea of creating something that's truly unique of their railway and discuss such matters. So please, submit to your freelancing ways and join me in this much-forgotten part of railway enthusiasm.

Welcome to the Creation side of Trainz. I think you'll find plenty of imagination over in the Content Creation Support the Freeware Announcements and the Payware Announcements forums.

Not the start I had expected. I don't really know how to react to this. I thank you for directing me to that and I will read through some of it. What I was talking about was the overall lack of freelance stock on the DLS, not calling anyone unimaginative. I was trying to make the start of this thread interesting by jokingly comparing freelancing to something more illicit due to it's downturn in popularity over the years. Thanks for the welcome though, and it's flattering to have someone as highly regarded as you comment on something like this, Martin. I was half expecting nobody to read this.

Oh it will get read over and over dont worry And as Martin said - welcome. I think the place where most start with freelancing is in buildings etc rather than rolling stock. I can produce a reasonable looking building but am still learning how to make it look real through texturing. As for rolling stock? Well I hope that I can reach that point. Would it be freelance or based on an actual loco? I think that will depend on my grandson lol. Joking apart there are some unusual locos that could be done.

Welcome to Trainz!

I guess you mean "fantasy trains" or whatever you like to call them: Engines designed by content creators that do not exist in real life (and I am not talking about existing engines in a paint scheme that does not really exist).

I think Dragonharh created a few, hosted on his website.
Since I am not behind my game PC, I don't have a link to his website at hand.

I decided to throw myself in at the deep end because I already know roughly how to use GMax from my computing class in high school and I guess I'm just a glutton for punishment like that. My first loco design that I plan to do is an 0-6-0 well tank of a Victorian design, kinda like the Beattie with a bit of the Foxfield Railway's Bellerophon thrown in for good measure. Outside cylinders, stovepipe chimney, radial valve gear, that sort of thing. I've always liked old LSWR locos so that's probably a big part of the design choices. I've got a couple other rather odd ideas to try, like an inside cylinder Pacific as I don't think I've ever seen that done and a few other things.

And yes, oknotsen, that's exactly what I'm talking about.

I've done a few freelance 2ft NG locos UK style as has edh6 and trainboi.

Oh, I guess I didn't catch what you meant by freelance. If it were to actually be built, would it have to be truly functional or is it an anything goes type engine you have in mind?

I've made what could be considered a lot of freelance items with no specific prototype.

Plus I seriously doubt a depressed center flatcar ever existed in the real world with sixteen 6-wheel buckeye trucks (it was fun to make).:hehe:

Yes - a lot of what I've made is by request for a specific prototype but often after making that I make variations of the item, longer, shorter, taller, wider and so on.

Ben

I, too, am a freelancer. By using that term, I mean either that the bits of railroad I model did not exist, or at least did not exist at the time I modeled them, but if they had existed, and one visited, they would appear very much as the models do, on the one hand, and on the other, a bit of railroad that does exist , but not exactly as I model it, but if the way I modeled it is the way it was, then it would look and operate very much as I model it. So a branchline railroad with sharp curves and steep grades would not roster a UP bigboy, and Thomas the Tank would not be found as regular power on a 11,000 ton unit coal train.

ns

Ish6 was deeply involved with his Marz project. Google it and see what you can come up with. Lots of his creations are on the DLS.

Martin, I'm guessing somewhere between the two. The mechanical side of it must be sound, yes, but the aesthetic stuff is whatever I feel is appropriate.

clam1952, I am very aware of the excellent narrow-gauge creations of yourself, edh6 and trainboi. I said that there was a lack of freelance stock, but what there is is pretty darn awesome. trainboi's Quarry Hunslet is one of my favourite models. It should be noted though that most narrow-gauge locos in real life are freelance to some extent in the sense that there are very few standard designs floating around. Yes, you have your George Englands and your Quarry Hunslet Alices, but on the whole the locomotives were just built for what was appropriate or necessary for the job at hand.

bendorsey, I've seen your name floating around quite a bit, but have never really used any of your content as I mainly model UK-outline. To answer steamboateng, this is also the reason I haven't used any of the Marz stuff. It looks great, but... I just prefer to stay on Earth, thanks.

And mjolnir, when it comes to freelance lines you, my friend, have hit the nail clean on the head. My own Aryle Valley Railway is in a totally fictional group of towns and villages in the West Country with an intricate and realistic backstory to the line and towns.

you should take a look at my freelance narrow gauge prince engine that's called the Odd Engine

Odd is... definitely a correct moniker.

Hello again. Got some WIP images for you. This is not the originally envisioned 0-6-0 well tank. This is the unnumbered "Jade", who will be used as a resident engine at the works at Ardmaith moving supplies, weedkilling along the line and pulling track maintenance trains.

This little beaut was put together in about 5 hours. Must thank Paul Hobbs for his amazing tutorials and his freeware parts.

EDIT: Can't figure out how to upload pictures from my PC to this post. Damn and blast!

RedGemAlchemist - we cannot see pictures that are on your computer. You must upload these images to a photo sharing site.

Shane

Thanks for that information, Shane. Must say, I feel like a bit of a prat now. I'm not particularly familiar with how this forum works.

Right, let's try that again (warning: large pictures):






I've already explained the mentality behind this locomotive. Here's a little of its in-game backstory:
"Jade" was constructed in 1880 for use by the Aryle's own workshops in Ardmaith. Built from parts that would otherwise have gone to waste, this miniscule locomotive has been a stalwart of the line since it's inception, hauling track-repair trains and moving tool vans around. When the line originally closed in 1967, "Jade" was purchased by the railway's owner along with No.1 "Connor" and sat on Aryle Hall's small loop of track for about 44 years until the two locomotives were returned to the then-reopened and restored line. "Jade" was immediately reclaimed by the Ardmaith works and returned to her duties as their resident workhorse, which she continues to do to this day.

Red Diamond Alchemist, I have a bone or two to pick with you.
1. Any man who approaches reality with no conception of what its about is no more than a Troll under the bridge or a Trogladite pounding the earth with his stone axe at the entrance to his cave.
2. All great men (and not so great too) with imagination and creativity worthy of recognition have a sense of what they're trying to do.
3. That sense in a function of their interaction with the REAL world.
4. Those folks that have had the most impact are realist with a different 'take'. They know their element, be it History, Physics, Art, Literature, Politics, Economics etc., etc.
My 2 cents....................................
Carry on................................
Regards

First off, "Red Diamond Alchemist"? That's new. Might change my Steam name to that now.

I can entirely see your point (or points) and am finding it difficult to say anything that isn't supporting them. At the same time, I want to get this thread quickly back on-track (pun intended) but being English I am driven to at least try to be polite. The best response will be letting a bit of my Philosophy studies through, so here it is:

What we see as "reality" differs from person to person as it is all just sense data, and sense data can only be expressed or analysed by the one receiving it. Therefore, one cannot truly have a conception of what reality is all about as one cannot see reality, only their own specific experience of reality. In short, nobody can really be realist because nobody actually knows what reality is.

I hope that was an appropriate response. Now let us return to what this thread should actually be about before Descartes rears his ugly head again.