Bear Creek & South Jackson - progress reports - Building a Mountain Railroad (1080p)
- Thread starter horacefithers
- Start date
Heinrich505
Active member
Horris F,
I really enjoyed your shots. You asked for a favorite and why. My favorite was (4). But, they are all good.
"(4) Morning fog in the canyon. This is the first (closest to tunnel 1) of two truss bridges spanning the creek."
It is so atmospheric, and the fog softens and enhances the colors, while embracing the train.
Heinrich505
I really enjoyed your shots. You asked for a favorite and why. My favorite was (4). But, they are all good.
"(4) Morning fog in the canyon. This is the first (closest to tunnel 1) of two truss bridges spanning the creek."
It is so atmospheric, and the fog softens and enhances the colors, while embracing the train.
Heinrich505
Heinrich505
Active member
Oops, sorry. Meant Horace.
horacefithers
New member
At least your spell corrector didn't change it to Horrid!
Thanks for your pick and the reasons why.
HF
Thanks for your pick and the reasons why.
HF
horacefithers
New member
Added new video
This is NOT a BC&SJ centric video. I'm giving a presentation on virtual railroading with TRS19 for the local NMRA division and this will be part of it. I build a two square route, TerraForm it and switch an industry on it. Basic stuff.
Oh yeah, this is my first attempt at a video with narration.
Cheers if ya got 'em,
Horace
This is NOT a BC&SJ centric video. I'm giving a presentation on virtual railroading with TRS19 for the local NMRA division and this will be part of it. I build a two square route, TerraForm it and switch an industry on it. Basic stuff.
Oh yeah, this is my first attempt at a video with narration.
Cheers if ya got 'em,
Horace
horacefithers
New member
Ross on the BC&SJ Coast Branch
Ross the first station on the Coast Branch after it diverges from the main is a small fishing village. Some of the pixels in Ross are so new they're still wet.
Here are some screen grabs for your enjoyment.
(1) It appears the Garibaldi turn and the excursion train are both in Ross.
(2) Another shot of the meet shows the Garibaldi turn leaving town heading for the wye at the mainline.
(3) Another day and the excursion train heading out of Ross towards Garibaldi
(4) A view of the Garibaldi turn heading toward the main and the main street through town.
(5) Another look at streets in Ross.
(6) This was taken from in front of the depot looking down the tracks toward the mainline.
(7) The excursion train heading onto the west leg of the wye at Ross Jct. on the mainline.
(8) The view from the far end of Ross is looking up the No Name River toward all those elevators, bridges, and oil storage.
(9) The excursion train leaving town heading toward the wye on the mainline.
(10) Double trouble in Ross. The trains seem to have attracted a photographer or two.
That's it for now.
More coming soon.
H. Fithers
Ross the first station on the Coast Branch after it diverges from the main is a small fishing village. Some of the pixels in Ross are so new they're still wet.
Here are some screen grabs for your enjoyment.
(1) It appears the Garibaldi turn and the excursion train are both in Ross.
(2) Another shot of the meet shows the Garibaldi turn leaving town heading for the wye at the mainline.
(3) Another day and the excursion train heading out of Ross towards Garibaldi
(4) A view of the Garibaldi turn heading toward the main and the main street through town.
(5) Another look at streets in Ross.
(6) This was taken from in front of the depot looking down the tracks toward the mainline.
(7) The excursion train heading onto the west leg of the wye at Ross Jct. on the mainline.
(8) The view from the far end of Ross is looking up the No Name River toward all those elevators, bridges, and oil storage.
(9) The excursion train leaving town heading toward the wye on the mainline.
(10) Double trouble in Ross. The trains seem to have attracted a photographer or two.
That's it for now.
More coming soon.
H. Fithers
Heinrich505
Active member
Great shots Horace. I especially liked shot 5 in Ross, looking right down the main street. I've driven down streets that didn't look much different than that. Really nice work!
Heinrich505
Heinrich505
horacefithers
New member
Jayco,
At some point I'm planning to release the route. What isn't decided yet is with what method.
Sorry I don't have something more definite for you.
I'm probably a few months out from a release. I keep thinking of things to add (like a coast branch!). At some point I need to get back up in the mountains and run the tracks down along Roberts Creek from the Summit tunnel, I'm working on a couple of larger towns, and there's a fair amount of cleanup remaining. Plus I probably need to optimize it. My 2950x and RTX 2080 ti are getting about 20fps on the coast branch atm. And I haven't even started on session stuff.
HF
At some point I'm planning to release the route. What isn't decided yet is with what method.
Sorry I don't have something more definite for you.
I'm probably a few months out from a release. I keep thinking of things to add (like a coast branch!). At some point I need to get back up in the mountains and run the tracks down along Roberts Creek from the Summit tunnel, I'm working on a couple of larger towns, and there's a fair amount of cleanup remaining. Plus I probably need to optimize it. My 2950x and RTX 2080 ti are getting about 20fps on the coast branch atm. And I haven't even started on session stuff.
HF
horacefithers
New member
Son of Ross (on the BC&SJ Coast Branch)...
Photo 10 of the previous Ross series intrigued me. But it had a number of little issues that prevented the shot from reaching its full potential.
So I pulled out Surveyor and tried to do "something" about all that.
I have couple of new TurfFX grass recipes with much finer (and shorter) blades - they replaced the chunky stuff.
A water tank got installed complete with the requisite weeds growing luxuriantly below it.
The depot sprouted a couple of benches
Rocks were height adjusted.
Weeds were added along fence lines and around power poles and other places.
This branch has some really tight curves on it. No way an SP GS-8 4-8-4 would make it around them. I added a USRA light pacific (4-6-2) to the head of the Garibaldi Turn but it has a coal tender so I substituted a weathered tender from the K&L SP Mountain locomotive. Much more appropriate and it says "Southern Pacific" too.
Time to pull out the camera, er..., grab some screen shots.
(1) Here's an improved version of shot (10) from the previous set of Ross screenshots. I think it looks a lot better. The photographer finally got a clue and managed to reposition himself before the Garibaldi Excursion train started to leave Ross.
(2) A shot from a fishing boat (or something out in the No Name River delta) looking up wharf street at the Garibaldi excursion train leaving town.
(3) Looking down the tracks in front of the depot. Yes, there's a water tank now as well as a couple of benches in front of the depot. The ungrateful guys who were complaining about no place to sit aren't bothering to use 'em. Bunch of schmucks... The foreground grass is some of the shorter and skinnier TurfFX recipe I came up with.
(4) I climbed up onto the roof of the biggest store in town and got this shot.
(5) The Garibaldi Turn smokin' it up getting set to pull across Wharf St. and leave town.
(6) This is the first of a set of shots with identical composition but with different lighting. Real estate agents know the three most important things are location, location, and location. Photographers have three most important things too, lighting, lighting, and lighting. This shot uses heavy back lighting with camera position selected to get the streaky rays of sun and shadow off the water tanks fill pipe. I'd be interested in hearing which of the next four shots you like the best and why?
(7) String side lighting. I picked time of day so the front of the depot is lit up.
(8) Very late in the evening and the sun is nearly down. No direct lighting and a bit of fog has manifested. The rails reflect the sky nicely.
(9) Dark and the engineer turned on his headlight.
(10) Very early morning and we're facing the other way. They guys in front of the depot don't seem to have gotten any sleep and they're still not using the benches. Lights are on around town. The crew of the Garibaldi Turn are getting grumpy complaining about having to pose their train for an endless series of photos (er screenshots). The loco's headlight on the track ahead of it is a nice touch.
Thanks to all of you who keep following my posts!
H. Fithers
Photo 10 of the previous Ross series intrigued me. But it had a number of little issues that prevented the shot from reaching its full potential.
- Grass was too chunky/blocky
- Rocks protruding too high
- Ditto for some bushes
- The semi cab was floating off the ground
- The photographers weren't positioned well
- Someone (no names here) forgot a water tank for the steam locos that would have prowled this backwoods (er backcoast?) branch in the '50s... Ahem.
- The grass next to the depot was too "big"
- The guys hanging around the depot were complaining there was no place to sit
- etc...l
So I pulled out Surveyor and tried to do "something" about all that.
I have couple of new TurfFX grass recipes with much finer (and shorter) blades - they replaced the chunky stuff.
A water tank got installed complete with the requisite weeds growing luxuriantly below it.
The depot sprouted a couple of benches
Rocks were height adjusted.
Weeds were added along fence lines and around power poles and other places.
This branch has some really tight curves on it. No way an SP GS-8 4-8-4 would make it around them. I added a USRA light pacific (4-6-2) to the head of the Garibaldi Turn but it has a coal tender so I substituted a weathered tender from the K&L SP Mountain locomotive. Much more appropriate and it says "Southern Pacific" too.
Time to pull out the camera, er..., grab some screen shots.
(1) Here's an improved version of shot (10) from the previous set of Ross screenshots. I think it looks a lot better. The photographer finally got a clue and managed to reposition himself before the Garibaldi Excursion train started to leave Ross.
(2) A shot from a fishing boat (or something out in the No Name River delta) looking up wharf street at the Garibaldi excursion train leaving town.
(3) Looking down the tracks in front of the depot. Yes, there's a water tank now as well as a couple of benches in front of the depot. The ungrateful guys who were complaining about no place to sit aren't bothering to use 'em. Bunch of schmucks... The foreground grass is some of the shorter and skinnier TurfFX recipe I came up with.
(4) I climbed up onto the roof of the biggest store in town and got this shot.
(5) The Garibaldi Turn smokin' it up getting set to pull across Wharf St. and leave town.
(6) This is the first of a set of shots with identical composition but with different lighting. Real estate agents know the three most important things are location, location, and location. Photographers have three most important things too, lighting, lighting, and lighting. This shot uses heavy back lighting with camera position selected to get the streaky rays of sun and shadow off the water tanks fill pipe. I'd be interested in hearing which of the next four shots you like the best and why?
(7) String side lighting. I picked time of day so the front of the depot is lit up.
(8) Very late in the evening and the sun is nearly down. No direct lighting and a bit of fog has manifested. The rails reflect the sky nicely.
(9) Dark and the engineer turned on his headlight.
(10) Very early morning and we're facing the other way. They guys in front of the depot don't seem to have gotten any sleep and they're still not using the benches. Lights are on around town. The crew of the Garibaldi Turn are getting grumpy complaining about having to pose their train for an endless series of photos (er screenshots). The loco's headlight on the track ahead of it is a nice touch.
Thanks to all of you who keep following my posts!
H. Fithers
jbaxter1964
Member
Great work!!
Heinrich505
Active member
Horace,
All the shots are really great, in their own ways. I like them all. But, if I had to choose, I first break the shots into night and day, as they are really two different categories.
Night shots - #9 I like the best of the two, for the contrast of the glare on the rails against the subdued lighting of the station. It is a powerful shot.
#10 is pretty cool in and of itself, as the station lights and town lights compete against the last glow of the sun setting against the clouds. Nice composition.
Day shots - All are really great too, but I order them as most favorite being #6, followed by #8, and then #7.
#6 for the powerful streaks of sun rays and shadows - so nicely done. I really like the effect.
#8 as the nice dusk lighting and settling fog compliments the subdued gleam of the rails.
#7 for the clarity of the shot, as all the details are really brought out sharply and crisply. You can count the rivets on the water tower.
Always a pleasure to view your pics!
Heinrich505
All the shots are really great, in their own ways. I like them all. But, if I had to choose, I first break the shots into night and day, as they are really two different categories.
Night shots - #9 I like the best of the two, for the contrast of the glare on the rails against the subdued lighting of the station. It is a powerful shot.
#10 is pretty cool in and of itself, as the station lights and town lights compete against the last glow of the sun setting against the clouds. Nice composition.
Day shots - All are really great too, but I order them as most favorite being #6, followed by #8, and then #7.
#6 for the powerful streaks of sun rays and shadows - so nicely done. I really like the effect.
#8 as the nice dusk lighting and settling fog compliments the subdued gleam of the rails.
#7 for the clarity of the shot, as all the details are really brought out sharply and crisply. You can count the rivets on the water tower.
Always a pleasure to view your pics!
Heinrich505
horacefithers
New member
Hillmovers Construction Starts Final Terraforming on Roberts Creek!
Here are some WIP proof (surveyor mode) shots of the Upper Roberts Creek area on my BC&SJ route.
This area is just on the other side of the Summit tunnel.
(1) Looking uphill in the general direction of the Summit tunnel. The long string of Daylight passenger cars is a milepost train. Each mile is marked by two adjacent GN empire builder cars so I can figure out where the milepost markers should go. I'm not finished with mileposts yet, so I don't want to move the train...
(2) Another view of the three consecutive water falls as the creek rapidly drops lower
(3) Looking back the other way (away from the summit tunnel)
(4) The headwaters of Roberts Creek. Far off to the right, the milepost express disappears into the summit tunnel.
(5) Roberts Creek headwaters with tracks. The creek gets its water from snow melt farther up in the mountains.
(6) The train snake plunges into its home beneath the mountain.
(7) Looking downstream it's apparent that the distant mountains need more terraforming...
And now back to the Trainz Surveyor program which is already in progress....
H.Fithers
Here are some WIP proof (surveyor mode) shots of the Upper Roberts Creek area on my BC&SJ route.
This area is just on the other side of the Summit tunnel.
(1) Looking uphill in the general direction of the Summit tunnel. The long string of Daylight passenger cars is a milepost train. Each mile is marked by two adjacent GN empire builder cars so I can figure out where the milepost markers should go. I'm not finished with mileposts yet, so I don't want to move the train...
(2) Another view of the three consecutive water falls as the creek rapidly drops lower
(3) Looking back the other way (away from the summit tunnel)
(4) The headwaters of Roberts Creek. Far off to the right, the milepost express disappears into the summit tunnel.
(5) Roberts Creek headwaters with tracks. The creek gets its water from snow melt farther up in the mountains.
(6) The train snake plunges into its home beneath the mountain.
(7) Looking downstream it's apparent that the distant mountains need more terraforming...
And now back to the Trainz Surveyor program which is already in progress....
H.Fithers
horacefithers
New member
And now for something completely different....
Track has made it down out of the mountains on the other side of the summit and into a flatter area (rolling hills decorated with fields).
There's not as much moisture on this side of the mountains and everything is a lot drier. However there are a few rivers at the bottom of some ravines.
These screen shots a GN Empire Builder flying over such a ravine with river. Different angles and lighting combos.
(1)
(2)
(3)
(4)
(5)
(6)
(7)
(8)
More coming soon...
H.Fithers
Track has made it down out of the mountains on the other side of the summit and into a flatter area (rolling hills decorated with fields).
There's not as much moisture on this side of the mountains and everything is a lot drier. However there are a few rivers at the bottom of some ravines.
These screen shots a GN Empire Builder flying over such a ravine with river. Different angles and lighting combos.
(1)
(2)
(3)
(4)
(5)
(6)
(7)
(8)
More coming soon...
H.Fithers
horacefithers
New member
Tracks reach Redland on the Deschutes branch
Tracks finally reached the town of Redland on the Descutes branch of the BC&SJ.
The railroad's photog grabbed some shots to celebrate.
(1) Leaving Redland heading toward Deschutes Jct (and the BC&SJ mainline). The climate here on the inland side of the mountains is much drier then the coast side.
(2) Redland on the HO scale BC&SJ has 47 car spots which earn it a dedicated switch crew. The virtual Redland also has a lot of car spots. The elevator is just one of them.
(3) In the '50s the roads in this area are nearly all gravel.
(4) At the other end of town there's a lumber mill (left) and pipe supply (right). Behind the pipe supply there's a fruit packer and a warehouse, then engine house and the depot.
(5) Looking past the lumber mill's log pond toward Redland proper.
(6) The engine house is on the right. Following along the (far side of the) tracks is the depot, bulk oil dealer, the Brough-Caan Glass Co. In the distance on the near side of the tracks is a team track and a feedlot for cattle. The uniformity of the houses betrays this as a company town.
(7) A GN passenger train (using trackage rights) makes a station stop. The saw mill is on the right.
(8) Depot is behind the passenger train to the left of the water tank.
(9) The train is about a mile out of Redland heading for Deschutes Jct. and the BC&SJ mainline.
(10) Leaving Redland in the early afternoon.
Hope you enjoyed this dryer section of the BC&SJ!
H. Fithers
Tracks finally reached the town of Redland on the Descutes branch of the BC&SJ.
The railroad's photog grabbed some shots to celebrate.
(1) Leaving Redland heading toward Deschutes Jct (and the BC&SJ mainline). The climate here on the inland side of the mountains is much drier then the coast side.
(2) Redland on the HO scale BC&SJ has 47 car spots which earn it a dedicated switch crew. The virtual Redland also has a lot of car spots. The elevator is just one of them.
(3) In the '50s the roads in this area are nearly all gravel.
(4) At the other end of town there's a lumber mill (left) and pipe supply (right). Behind the pipe supply there's a fruit packer and a warehouse, then engine house and the depot.
(5) Looking past the lumber mill's log pond toward Redland proper.
(6) The engine house is on the right. Following along the (far side of the) tracks is the depot, bulk oil dealer, the Brough-Caan Glass Co. In the distance on the near side of the tracks is a team track and a feedlot for cattle. The uniformity of the houses betrays this as a company town.
(7) A GN passenger train (using trackage rights) makes a station stop. The saw mill is on the right.
(8) Depot is behind the passenger train to the left of the water tank.
(9) The train is about a mile out of Redland heading for Deschutes Jct. and the BC&SJ mainline.
(10) Leaving Redland in the early afternoon.
Hope you enjoyed this dryer section of the BC&SJ!
H. Fithers
horacefithers
New member
BRRR!
It was hot outside so I decided to see if I could make it winter on the railroad.
Mixed results, to do it right I'll need to find a lot more assets with full seasonality.
FWIW
(1) Summit yard
(2) Oakhill
(3) Tunnel 3
(4) Just railroad west of Tunnel 3
(5) Coming westward out of tunnel 2
(6) Hampton
(7) Westward nearing Bear Creek
(8) Even closer to Bear Creek
(9) About 1/2 mile from Bear Creek east turnout
(10) Roberts Creek (east of the Summit tunnel)
More coming!
H. Fithers
It was hot outside so I decided to see if I could make it winter on the railroad.
Mixed results, to do it right I'll need to find a lot more assets with full seasonality.
FWIW
(1) Summit yard
(2) Oakhill
(3) Tunnel 3
(4) Just railroad west of Tunnel 3
(5) Coming westward out of tunnel 2
(6) Hampton
(7) Westward nearing Bear Creek
(8) Even closer to Bear Creek
(9) About 1/2 mile from Bear Creek east turnout
(10) Roberts Creek (east of the Summit tunnel)
More coming!
H. Fithers
horacefithers
New member
BRRR! (continued)
Continuing from where we left off...
(11) Eastward near the summit tunnel
(12) Ditto
(13) Meet at Roberts Creek siding
(14) Ditto
(15) The high plains roller coaster
(16) Deschutes River crossing
(17) Redland on the Deschutes branch
(18) Leaving Redland
(19) Ross on the Coast Branch
(20) Coming off the bridge into St. Paul (across from East Breton)
That's it for now!
H. Fithers
Continuing from where we left off...
(11) Eastward near the summit tunnel
(12) Ditto
(13) Meet at Roberts Creek siding
(14) Ditto
(15) The high plains roller coaster
(16) Deschutes River crossing
(17) Redland on the Deschutes branch
(18) Leaving Redland
(19) Ross on the Coast Branch
(20) Coming off the bridge into St. Paul (across from East Breton)
That's it for now!
H. Fithers
Heinrich505
Active member
I liked your attempt at Winter. Maybe it was just an early snowfall before some of the trees lost their leaves. The evergreens will stay the same.
It gives your screen shots an interesting look. Nice.
Heinrich505
It gives your screen shots an interesting look. Nice.
Heinrich505
I'll raise it to awesome. Fantastic winter shots Horace and great to see a mixture of environments as it keeps the scenery interesting. You could try Msgsapper's Truly Seasonal textures and the built in Roy's trees from the Canadian route which are seasonal. There's also a few seasonal RMM ones - Elka and Kedr that I used when upgrading Morristown & Erie.
cheers
Graeme
cheers
Graeme