PRR Screenshots

Driving my route today with four ES44's pulling a 137 car 15,000 train, it left from the start of my route in Huntingdon, got up to 37 mph, and finally reached Altoona an hour later ... When the caboose finally passed Alto Tower the train started slowing to 15 mph, and by the time it neared 1 mile of the "Curve" it was absolutely crawling, and stalled. Shoulda' added 2 Helpers on the rear, at Rose.:hehe:

No textures yet, but I'm getting tired of seeing the white TransDEM textured mountains (although that white fluffy stuff weather is comming soon to the prototype).

Screenshots and Fraps movies would be lackluster, as the scenery is still bland, for I am still tugging on terrain ... but it is comming along nicely.

Scratchy's route has better detailed looks to it though.

Edit: Two helpers on the rear, the 15,000 ton train still stalled at the "Curve" ... Then totaling 6 locos head end and 2 on the rear shoving achived 27 mph on the "Curve", and onward to Gallitzin.

Tonnage on the Curve

Your experience with your train reminds me of a Pennsy anecdote I heard somewhere. A fan once asked the Road Foreman of Engines at Altoona how they calculated train tonnages and decided how many engines to put on a train. The Foreman just shrugged his shoulders and said "We just kept adding I1's until the train made it over the hill."

Your experience sounds like you got the grades right on your route!

You can try out the gradients by downloading the previously released Fishlipsatwork DEM route on Mediafire: http://www.mediafire.com/?hob4yr2hx71825n

The Harrisburg to Pittsburgh line is not all that steep of a RR line ... usually much under 0.50% ... and in the mountains @ under 1.75% ... the "Curve" is 1.45% gradient, a twin curved, @ 906' Radius.

Downhill trains are fun to run on this route, as repetitive initial braking, and dynamic braking, is needed for 12,000 ton trains, @ 100+ cars.

The prototype generally uses 2 to 4 locos head end ... and 2 locos rear.

NS has quite a few stalls on the prototype, and broken knuckles are fairly common.

I am laying gradients on my MUCH larger DEM, at present ... Every night I want to release it, but the job seems to take forever ... finished or not ... it will be relased as a WIP before Dec 25th ... hopefully this month. I'm tired of delaying it's release.

Screenshots will appear when I get gradients completed. The East Slope from Huntingdon to Gallitzin has almost all the gradients in (only a few more miles west of MG that needs tweeking). And the West Slope Cresson to Johnstown needs work, but it is generally under 1.00% gradient.

I haven't heard much input, nor constructive criticizum of my previously released route ... whether people like it, or not ... I am presuming that there are people out there that are wanting my newer route ? I plan to release it before Dec 25, and hopefully this month, as a TRS2006 WIP. As usual it will not have very many textures and very few buildings ... but it will have alot of newer improvements over the old Fishlipsatwork DEM, as this will be 10,000 baseboards on a DEM by Jerker.

I need input on whether people want my TRS2006 Horseshoe route, or not, and whether it is usefull in 09,10,12 versions ?

If you have preferences over my use of RTS track, let me know of another compatable TRS2006 track that suits your needs in 09/10/12.

PM me if you want it !

I would LOVE that big route, WIP or not. I can't say anything bad about the one you sent me. Obviously, I would like textures and scenery but lack of response isn't necessarily bad. I'll be happy to go back and see if I find anything to critique. I've done a number of runs of my T-1 and Conrail engines over that route and had a blast. So, yes, please, release a copy, even if it is a WIP. Oh, and I didn't have any problems with the RTS track, although I've been running various eastern European routes for some time and already had the track. It looks great.

good route!

I downloaded it and ran it in TS2010 with no problems. I had also already downloaded the track so that was not a problem. I had to track down a few odds'n'ends related to the signals but that was no big deal. And I then I had a blast running my T1 over the Curve with 10-12 Pullmans tied to it.

So my take is the route is a good one, and a badly needed one, with all the terrain contours, track, signals in place. The individual users can apply scenery if they want to, or leave it off. It's just great to have an accurate prototypical route like this one available!

Thanks for all you hard work. I started a PRR Elmira Branch route a while back, TransDEM based, from Williamsport to Elmira. I know what a chore it is just to get all the track laid right... I am much farther from "done" than you are.

Cheers!

prr325 said:

I started a PRR Elmira Branch route a while back, TransDEM based, from Williamsport to Elmira. I know what a chore it is just to get all the track laid right... I am much farther from "done" than you are.

Cheers!

Click to expand...

I read about that branch in Classic trains , some good reading and pictures there..

Yeah but you can't say "Elmira Branch" with out throwing the word "Hippo" into the sentence. Unfortunately, we lack a good I1sa...though i know of two that are "on the shop floor" if you will.

Don't get me wrong, i'd love to run the Elmira...I've got some good shots of it in a Lucius Beebe book i have, plus the Classic Trains article. I'd give anything to come slogging up the grade with an I1 on the point and two more shoving on the rear of a loaded coal train.

Curve Easements

While viewing the Reading & Northern video ... I suddenly noticed the gentle sweeping curves ... versus my abrupt sharp curves, which have no curve easements.

I am going over all my curves and moving the last spline points out by at least 48 RR ties.

By counting out @48 RR ties from the first spline point circle ... and place a spline point there.



The normal curve without easements.



Aproximate double the distance of spline points on the curve ... and place another spline point that distance farther out



Delete the inner redundant spline point, and re-straighten the straight track.



Move all the rest of the remaining spline points out, to match the easement spline point, and get height, and apply that height to the other splinepoints that you moved.

On a 350m R curve, the lead in easement is @1800m R, and provides a smooth transition.



Any locomotive hitting an abupt curve would delail.



An easement, causes the locomotive and railcar trucks to swivel gradually.







The curve spline points are located adjacent to the signs.



The outermost track on the Right has an @ 1800m Radius easement ... and the 3 Left tracks are sharp, without easements.

post deleted

Interesting.

A bit complicated, though.
The curves TRS draws on itself usually dont stay as they are here, too.
I just insert some splinepoints and fix them manually, that does the job as well.
I just dont know why one end of the unedited curves is always smooth while the other is as hard as.... well, figure yourself whats the hardest thing you know!

What speed do you drive at ?

Working on a Horseshoe Fraps movie ... In the meantime:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VPA-SrEFWvw&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BZvV3QucW6M&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LqrExWCVCXU
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7z3edFLjkBI&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zhJF_hTJ2Rw&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XfaA0zwOjso&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1hjkHzp3qHw&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y__yR95DSwc&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zV8rA3UE-lc&feature=related
I have set almost all my speedboards to 20 mph on the East & West Slope (the "Slide" is set at 10 mph).

I like to drive in Cab Mode using AI-"Drive" (that way I can take over contol of the cab handles at any time).

25 mph just looks too fast and close up videos of passing wheelsets are too blurry, speeding past.

Although modern NS traffic moves at 40+ mph ... I like the scenes of 15,000 ton, 137 car, trains struggling uphill, on their knees, in Run 8, at 10 mph ... and full dynamic braking downhill.

your curves are looking great

I will be making a video showing the Before: Sharp Curves ... and After: installation of Curves with Easements.

The problem is I have not textured my route yet, so it seems quite: Blah !:hehe:

Track only, with Transdem Textures, and gray baseboards are hidious.

GG1 Furnual Train

Since this is thread of PRR Screenshot, I would add one picture
and that is GG1 scrap train

Very nice use of "Speed Twee's" there, and the "GG1 Furnual Train" half hidden in the Schwubbery.:hehe: http://www.hostthenpost.com/uploads/741fceecc3b40a46e5b8183685811ac6.jpg
Most GG1's ended their life being painted flat black with a CR symbol, being used in freight only service, being canabalized to keep an ever shrinking fleet running.

Kittanning Point Interlocking

















It is so hard to post screenshots of unfinished work ... a WIP
More screenshots comming ... soon.

so after long time found a good screenshot in this thread but to tell you its a nice shot
keep posting

At one time there was alot going on at Kittanning Point. There were 2 water tanks, fed from artesian wells, a coaling transfer/loading bridge to fill steam locos with coal and water, a mile long tank trough for taking water on on "the fly", a signal cabin, a signal tenders house, a stone station, a freight house, a trackside tool shed, and the Glenwhite Coal & Lumber spur that ran up Burgoon Run, on a switchback RR that had a 2% grade. The ice cream/hot dawg stand was demolished, as was the original Gift Shoppe, Storage House, and the 1854 wooden caboose was burnt to the ground by vandals.



On the other side of the "Curve" there were 2 other Glenwhite Coal & Lumber spurs that ran up both sides of Glenwhite Run, having a 1% grade.



Other screenshots comming ...

Best viewed at 150% zoom ... apparently these TGA converted to JPG, the Transdem textures look mottled ... I will replace these blurry screenshots with clearer ones, as soon as I get a chance.

Working my way up the mountain...

Cascaderailroad,

Was there ever a tower at Portage? There seems to be a need for one. If so, could you provided any info? Thanks:wave: