USA Pics

I love that screenshot, Jacksonbarno! Really captures the scene well, what route is that? Looks superb, and the locos are quite nice as well. Great job, Jacksonbarno.
 
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Thanks for the compliments guys!

That winter route is mine, and although it is largely done I keep adding yards and industries because there is always more room for operational potential!

Quick break from the winter route for a sec:

A Chessie run-through SD40-2 leads a LE&E Alco C628 and an EMD GP35 through southern Ohio. This line once belonged to the Ohio River and Northwestern railway, a former longtime partner of the LE&E. After a bankruptcy in mid-1978 due to two ill-timed wrecks, the OR&NW was deemed insolvent in 1979. The LE&E was ordered to operate the railroad to the best of its abilities, so the cash strapped railroad essentially absorbed the OR&NW's ashes. In 1981, most of the former OR&NW was spun off as various shortlines emerged after the Staggers Act.

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lego, when are the Silver Lines Midwest and normal Silver Lines going to be released?

Good question - it depends when they get finished. I've been hoping to get one major route mostly done this summer, but that hasn't really happened as of yet. Lots of work to do on both of them, especially the original SL route - I wouldn't expect that one to be done for a long time. As of now, I would say the Midwest route could theoretically (with the speed I've been working at + school this fall) be mostly/fully completed mid-2017 (full, which would include full signaling and sessions, both of which have yet to be done for any route).

In the meantime I'd expect one or two of those small modules, like the snow module, and a full rework of that abandoned line as another module. We'll see how things pan out, maybe sooner maybe later for these things.

Cheers,
SM
 
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April, 1995 - 8 BN SD70MACs in a 2x4x2 format pull a 200 car, 27,948 ton, 2.3 mile long loaded grain train across the plains, with all 8 locomotives running at notch 8.
 
The Reading heritage unit and two other SD70ACes climb the grade over Dawson Springs on the Virginian and Ohio Afton Division.

I'll have more pics from the V&O in the future.
 
A TOFC cruises down the Caprock at the "Sydney Horseshoe" on the proto-lanced part of my route

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I am a huge fan of your route concept, Outlaw! I have been wanting to do a Texas-based shortline for the longest time but unfortunately my current computer limitations prevents me from doing so.
 
Outlaw, that looks awesome! Any chance we can get a glimpse of the history and/or complete routing of this railroad?

Keep up the awesome work!
 
First of all, BlakeDooley and jacksonbarno thank you very much for your compliments! Getting this kind of feedback is a great motivational tool to keep working on the route. Here's the lowdown on the route:

It was first inspired after seeing Brickbuilder711 (I think) doing a past-meets-present rendition of the FEC's Key West Extension, sort of a "what-if" scenario. It made me think of the Texas Central, which ran through my hometown and was a major local employer with all the accompanying shops, roundhouse, etc. So I decided to start on a layout that represented the TEXC had it expanded and survived into modern times. The original TEXC was purchased by the Katy in 1910 and never built beyond Rotan, Texas. On my route it continues northwest to an end-to-end connection with the old Crosbyton-South Plains Railway (later Santa Fe) at Crosbyton. Crosbyton is the end of the line with two portals for a continuation to Lubbock and points west. On the east end is Morgan, Texas, where the TEXC crossed the Santa Fe at grade. Here I have connections that go to portals for Waco, Temple, and Fort Worth.

Nine miles to the west of Morgan is my hometown, Walnut Springs. Here is where the TEXC has a mini-hump yard where it pre-blocks traffic for BNSF in Temple and Fort Worth and the UP at Waco as well as the primary locomotive terminal and general offices for the railroad. That being said, the main line of my route is 298 miles from Morgan to Crosbyton, with the Cross Plains branch included and adding an additional 40 miles. The traffic base can be pretty much anything, as the TEXC is a bridge carrier sort of like the Montana Rail Link. There will be a few industries, mostly agricultural. BNSF trains can freely use it as well, especially for loaded eastbound bulk commodity trains that require fewer locomotives here than the run over BNSF's parallel Lampasas Subdivision to the south due to the TEXC's slightly gentler eastbound grades.

So that's it in a nutshell, sorry if I was a little long-winded!

Cheers
Cody
 
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