- Project Status -
Stage I (Butte): - Finished -
Trackwork: 100%
Signals: 100%
Terrain: 100%
Scenery: 100% - 120 of 120 miles
Stage II (Angora): - WIP -
Trackwork: 100%
Signals: 100%
Terrain: 50%
Scenery: 12.5% - 5 of 40 miles
- Route Info -
The Butte Subdivision, within the BNSFs Powder River Division, stretches 111 miles from MP 365 at Alliance, Nebraska, up to MP 476 at Edgemont in South Dakota. It is a mostly double Track CTC controlled Mainline built for Speeds up to 60mph, best known for its crossing of the Pine Ridge Escarpment between Crawford NE and Belmont NE. Coal Trains at up to 135 cars / 19.350t are crossing over this 1.55% to 1.71% grade, beeing pushed by Helper Engines out of Crawford. But the rest of the Line isnt "just" boring grasslands, as the Trains have to traverse multiple 0.80% grades without any help. Today, two shorter sections of Single Track remain on this Line, from Provo to Ardmore, and Berea to Hemingford, about 24 miles total. The rest is 2 Main CTC, divided by Control points every ~10 miles with switches and protected by non controlled Intermediate Signals in Automatic in between. The Main Yard along the Route is at Alliance, beeing a large BNSF Engine and Car Shop, and also featuring a 22 Track Southern Yard for servicing and changing Locomotives on the long Coal Trains. The power on these, while consisting of BN SD40, SD60 and C30s in the earlier Days, now mainly boasts newer AC Engines like the ES44AC, SD70ACe and SD70MAC.
- Project Info -
The Route in Trainz is based on an own new DEM, including the whole Subdivision, as well as parts of the adjoining Subs to simulate real movements. It does not use anything from the DLS Crawford Hill Route, and was actually started way before it years ago. All Tracks are laid according to actual BNSF Charts and Timetables with help from Google Earth tiles, making grades, signals and their names, heads and aspects, speeds, crossings and even every derails found along the route as accurate as possible in Trainz. Industries and Yards are built to match the real world, using real operating and switching manuals and also having a Conductor and Engineer who worked on this Sub to help me! Without him, i'd have never started this at all actually :hehe:
- Release Info -
The route has been released to select members of Approach Mediums Discord Server, mainly those with a "parlor car" role and others that are trustworthy. A release to the general public is no longer planned, as one user (JTrane, known as WCL here) thought it was a great idea to illegally share an unfinished beta version. Go thank him, i'm not seeing any reason why i should reward people's dishonesty and treason, which sadly is a common trait in this community.
- Screenshots -
Now, finally, for some Screenshots of what we are dealing with here:
Stage I (Butte): - Finished -
Trackwork: 100%
Signals: 100%
Terrain: 100%
Scenery: 100% - 120 of 120 miles
Stage II (Angora): - WIP -
Trackwork: 100%
Signals: 100%
Terrain: 50%
Scenery: 12.5% - 5 of 40 miles
- Route Info -
The Butte Subdivision, within the BNSFs Powder River Division, stretches 111 miles from MP 365 at Alliance, Nebraska, up to MP 476 at Edgemont in South Dakota. It is a mostly double Track CTC controlled Mainline built for Speeds up to 60mph, best known for its crossing of the Pine Ridge Escarpment between Crawford NE and Belmont NE. Coal Trains at up to 135 cars / 19.350t are crossing over this 1.55% to 1.71% grade, beeing pushed by Helper Engines out of Crawford. But the rest of the Line isnt "just" boring grasslands, as the Trains have to traverse multiple 0.80% grades without any help. Today, two shorter sections of Single Track remain on this Line, from Provo to Ardmore, and Berea to Hemingford, about 24 miles total. The rest is 2 Main CTC, divided by Control points every ~10 miles with switches and protected by non controlled Intermediate Signals in Automatic in between. The Main Yard along the Route is at Alliance, beeing a large BNSF Engine and Car Shop, and also featuring a 22 Track Southern Yard for servicing and changing Locomotives on the long Coal Trains. The power on these, while consisting of BN SD40, SD60 and C30s in the earlier Days, now mainly boasts newer AC Engines like the ES44AC, SD70ACe and SD70MAC.
- Project Info -
The Route in Trainz is based on an own new DEM, including the whole Subdivision, as well as parts of the adjoining Subs to simulate real movements. It does not use anything from the DLS Crawford Hill Route, and was actually started way before it years ago. All Tracks are laid according to actual BNSF Charts and Timetables with help from Google Earth tiles, making grades, signals and their names, heads and aspects, speeds, crossings and even every derails found along the route as accurate as possible in Trainz. Industries and Yards are built to match the real world, using real operating and switching manuals and also having a Conductor and Engineer who worked on this Sub to help me! Without him, i'd have never started this at all actually :hehe:
- Release Info -
The route has been released to select members of Approach Mediums Discord Server, mainly those with a "parlor car" role and others that are trustworthy. A release to the general public is no longer planned, as one user (JTrane, known as WCL here) thought it was a great idea to illegally share an unfinished beta version. Go thank him, i'm not seeing any reason why i should reward people's dishonesty and treason, which sadly is a common trait in this community.
- Screenshots -
Now, finally, for some Screenshots of what we are dealing with here:
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