97 replies to this topic

[laming]

Hi SAR!

Good to see you stopping by for a spell.

Yes, the NED 1/3 sec (10m) Seamless terrain is awesome. I have several route projects on my hard drive that run among rugged terrain that use NED 10m. It is amazing how accurately the data renders.

Wow... SOOOO many interests... SOOOOO little time.

Doesn't help that I have a virtual case of Attention Deficit Disorder to boot!

Off to work!

Lator gator.

[laming]

Speaking of my case of virtual ADD... here's a few of a... ahem... "recent" exploration...

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•  RE_AlpineGrade1a.jpg   48.9KB   1 downloads
•  RE_AlpineGrade2a.jpg   47.62KB   1 downloads

[laming]

You don't EVEN want to know what this one is!!!

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•  RE_AlpineGrade4.jpg   46.83KB   1 downloads

[mattvince]

You don't EVEN want to know what this one is!!!

Well, it ain't Switzerland - but it might be named similarly...?

[laming]

Named similarly?

I'm intrigued.

Go ahead and make a guess... give it yer best shot.

This is known for sure: Clues to what route this is are in this forum.

[dajones]

My guess is Argentine Central.

Doug

[laming]

Nope! Not it!

(Good to see you here, Doug. Hope you've been doing well.)

[mattvince]

Named similarly?

I'm intrigued.

Go ahead and make a guess... give it yer best shot.

This is known for sure: Clues to what route this is are in this forum.

Switzerland = Alps, i.e. Alpine Pass and the Palisades on the South Park Line?

[laming]

Good deduction, there Matt! You 'da MAN!

All:

I think I started this thread by sharing my attempt at doing my own version of the Alpine Tunnel region. When I think of Colorado Narrow Gauge, the South Park is it. Love the fabled history of the South Park, love almost all of the regions it ran through... loved their locomotives and equipment, etc. etc. The South Park is to me what the "RGS" is to many narrow gauge enthusiasts.

Of course, I also like the Colorado Central (the terrain/locale mainly). Cool thing is, the CC came under the DSP&P flag during the 1880's... so by modeling it at that time, any equipment that happens to be created for the South Park of that era, can be used on either route effort. (A huge plus to me.) That's one of the reasons I chose 1884 for my CC effort: The line was finished past Silver Plume AND (very importantly), DSP&P equipment was being used on it... including the Bogies. Win, win. (So, yes, I think the CC effort is a "keeper".)

Now, how far will I take this Alpine region effort? Who knows? (Least of all, me!)

Right now I'm trying to get down to, and around, Woodstock Loop. It's been a struggle, for given the radical terrain, the known gradient data isn't working out with the NED terrain. Hmmm.

So, I'm going to have to make some decisions on what will be my best set of compromises.

It's never easy, is it?

However, the Alpine Tunnel, Woodstock Loop, on down to Pitkin, is THE region that I like most about the South Park... so I want to end up with something that I personally can be satisified with over the long haul. You see, I hope this will be one of my "hobby routes" (if not THE "hobby route")... in that I often pick it up again and make further progress on it, instead of just exploring it and then moving on to another idea/theme. Exploring is fun, too... but that aspect of indulging in MSTS leaves me with routes that never gets scenery installed in significant portions and thus can't be visually enjoyed in-game. Spoken from experience: Running trains on a raw route gets old quickly.

Ah well... enough for this post.

Later!

[laming]

Might as well update'cha!

It's been busy in my 1:1 world of playing trains. Today I'm on a 4 PM call for an evening passenger train, then taking it back to Springdale after done playing with it. So, looking at being home and in the bed by 4:30 AM. Hours for this week will be in the mid-upper 60's range.

Said that to say this: Ain't been a lot of time/creative energy for piddlin' in RE.

However, a couple times this week when I felt like it, I HAVE pushed the rails on toward Pitkin on my little South Park endeavor. I would really like to get rails in place to Pitkin, and over past Hancock. IF I can accomplish that meager goal, that would give me some "play value" (as in things I can start operating and DOING). However (and this is sort of a biggie)... if/when I DO get the rails from Pitkin to past Hancock, I'm really beginning to think I would enjoy starting to create the scenes from the books, and firsthand observations, that are meaningful to me. That is, start some object construction, terrtex creation, etc. In otherwords,. start making portions look "finished". Wow! Wouldn't THAT be something for me!!!! I can't even REMEMBER the last time I actually "finished" a scene!!!! (How embarrassing. )

Anyway, I've attached a couple of pics showing the grade west of Woodstock and ever inching closer to Pitkin. Man I love this region!

FWIW: It's been a slow go, as I'm trying very, very hard to adhere to known gradient data, but at the same time respecting the accurately rendered NED 10m terrain AND the markers. Not easy, trust me. This will mean, as per the prototype, the grade to Alpine Tunnel will range from about 3% to a maximum of 4%. This means it won't be a constant, never ending, 4% from Pitkin to Alpine Tunnel... which would be very unprototypical, and, boring to run once finished.

Enough of my endless drivel... here's a couple pics of the progress of the Woodstock Loop area and on west of Woodstock!

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•  RE_WoodstockLoop1.jpg   51.12KB   1 downloads
•  RE_Woodstock2.jpg   46.54KB   1 downloads
•  RE_EastboundGrade1.jpg   43.52KB   1 downloads

[laming]

Quick Update:

Have spent a bit of time some of my evenings putz'n around in RE on my lil' South Park fling.

The rails are nearing Quartz!

VERY slow going in this terrain. Plus, the remaining distance to Quartz is one of the most serpentine portions yet. Gonna' take a while to get past Quartz, what with laying track in a portion, pull it up, relay it with a minor change... getting closer but not close enough... pull it up again, relay it again, pull it up yet again, 'nuther minor change n' relay... yer gettin' the idea!

BUT, it's gonna' be worth it to me to take my time and get this, my mostest favoritist narrow gauge route, as close as I reasonably can.

Below is a pic near the current end of rail. (That's gradient test sections of track in the background toward Quartz.)

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•  RE_NearQuartz1.jpg   46.38KB   1 downloads

[laming]

We're BACK! (The server was down for a spell!)

Boy, have I got some updatin' to do for you all!

First up, the RAILS REACH PITKIN! Hooraaaaay!

Here's a little pictorial sashay from above the town of Quartz to Pitkin for your look-see. Note that Yours Truly has NAILED the alignments/terrain flow fully 95% of the time! I'm so GOOOOOD!

We'll start above Quartz...

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•  RE_AboveQuartz.jpg   41.98KB   1 downloads

[laming]

Along Quartz Creek 3...

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•  RE_AlongQuarzCreek3.jpg   44KB   1 downloads

[laming]

Along Quartz Creek 2...

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•  RE_AlongQuarzCreek2.jpg   44.28KB   1 downloads

[laming]

Along Quartz Creek 1...

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•  RE_AlongQuarzCreek1.jpg   39.57KB   1 downloads

[laming]

And now the rails arrive at Pitkin!

Today I hope to create some scale-sized stand-ins for the coaling platform, depot, etc, and use them to locate/place the yard tracks at Pitkin.

Narrow gauge is SO much slower to lay than standard gauge!

Anyway... the rail are in Pitkin!

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•  RE_Pitkin1.jpg   39.17KB   1 downloads

[laming]

It's been a fruitful day! Late last night the rails reached Pitkin... and as of this evening, the Pitkin track work is finished!

Below you'll see a few pics of the finished track at Pitkin.

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•  RE_Pitkin4.jpg   51.98KB   1 downloads
•  RE_Pitkin2.jpg   47.37KB   1 downloads
•  RE_Pitkin3.jpg   46.05KB   1 downloads

[laming]

Wow... it's been a while since I've updated. I'll have to do that within the next few nights.

FWIW: I've made lots of progress on my current project!