Creating Custom Locomotives - Performance Benchmarks

Hello, I am new here so I apologise if this isn't strictly the correct place for this!

I recently completed this model of an Australian ComEng V-set train: https://www.artstation.com/artwork/xYZYkY.

It was originally intended just as a portfolio piece, however I am now considering converting it into a mod for Trainz (likely 2022). The purpose of this post then is to collect some information on how feasible this is to do.
I understand that TRS22 is still sort of on the cusp of release so this might be a little bit premature!

Currently the model sits at ~1.3million polys with 20 texturesets. I can likely get this down to ~400k with hardware instancing fairly easily, before committing to more destructive optimisation (rebaking geometry, etc). Many draw calls can be consolidated with similar instancing, as there is significant texture sharing.

Are mod tools available for TRS22 in any way yet?

Based on this page for TRS19, the maximum recommended detail for LOD0 is 150k polygons. Will this hold for TRS22?

What sort of shading options are available? A lot of the texturing is reliant on Unreal Engine's programmable shaders - triplanar projection, material layering and so forth. Is a similar interface exposed to creators in Trainz? I'm not too fussed about having to roll my own translations into GLSL or similar.

Any other general opinions from creators are welcome too.

Thanks

For Trainz you need to export as FBX, max. texture size is 2kx2k. A loco is made as a body, bogeys, engine file, sound files, and cab interior. Trainz uses it's own EE graphics engine.

rexo12, like Whitepass said you may want to take the bogeys and cab interior and make them into separate models, so you can have animated wheels, bogeys that turn and more. Your model looks very well done, however you may want to reduce polys down to around 400k or 300k for users that have slower computers. Nice to see another modeler in the Trainz scene!

Thank you both for your replies. Good to know that 400-300k will be acceptable, that's about the budget I want to shoot for. Sounds like i've got a new project to work on.

You also must register as a Trainz owner to get a KUID number.