Taking on the Donner

[donjgatlin]

I've been the entire length twice since the update. I was driving with two P42DC's, two baggage cars, and about ten Superliners. It was a fantastic, but long trip. Felt just like a real days work.

[thecanadianrail]

so far I'm just past Colfax from Rossville and I've got 1 SP SD70M, 1 SP SD40T-2, 1 Cotton Belt SD40T-2, 1 D&RGW SD40T-2, and 1 SP C44-9W with about ~100 single stack intermodal cars. the SD70M, C44-9W, and SD40T-2 are on the head end with the other two SD40T-2's on the rear, I think I might just take on another helper at the loop just to make it easier since in some spots I was down to 10mph pushing 1500 amps on the SD70M with the odd wheel slip. without that SD70 im shure the train would have came to a screeching halt before Colfax. Now only if I could get the SD70 sound pack to work on the SP SD70M repaint...

[BNSF650]

How about some screen shots?

[donjgatlin]

Another cab shot from me! Took this one this morning. Quite impressed with the weather and lighting, still more than a year after TSX debuted.

[thecanadianrail]

If you took Track 2 under the bridge coming out of Roseville you hit a 2.7% Grade somewhere that way and you will never get that high of a grade again. So you should be fine

well that's a relief because I took track 2! also I completely forgot about my save game so I overwrite it with another one lol! im going to try it again but this time adding a GP30 to the rear just so I don't need to use that much sand.

[Chacal]

I paln to move into a new home next year, so I guess it's too late to start a Donner thru-run now.

[thecanadianrail]

Started the run again, this time with a special little helper on the very back.....

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that little geep should help me with any issues going up track 2.....also the tunnels have been cleared for doublestack over the past week.

[bwfer]

Where did you get that SP loco on the last pic??!!?

Looks like a GP30 from DTM (Lord Mannu)... Not available at the present time as it is being re-worked for TS2013.

Happy Holidays to all!!

[BNSF650]

Very nice..

[stuart]

Glad you chaps are all enjoying the route. We all worked jolly hard at it and It came out something like you wanted.

Merry Christmas!

[arizonachris]

Thanks to all you guys, Stuart. The route is just amazing. Very, very nice work! And a Merry Christmas to you as well.

[The_Garbear]

I've made one end-to-end run driving a pair of P42s and a string of Superliners in a 3-part scenario I made and I am very very impressed. I put some shots up in the Any Route Any Era thread in the Screenshots subforum if anyone is interested, I think they're on page 31 and 32.

I would be interested in playing other people's scenarios for Donner, as the default are a bit lacking and the Workshop doesn't have a lot of selection for this route either.

[dcushing]

I've made one end-to-end run driving a pair of P42s and a string of Superliners in a 3-part scenario I made and I am very very impressed. I put some shots up in the Any Route Any Era thread in the Screenshots subforum if anyone is interested, I think they're on page 31 and 32.

I would be interested in playing other people's scenarios for Donner, as the default are a bit lacking and the Workshop doesn't have a lot of selection for this route either.

Keep an eye on the workshop for more Donner Scenarios. There have been a couple posted after the upgrade and I'm sure more will come.

Duncan

[Chacal]

I'm thinking of a realistic scenario for Donner Pass, taking into account the length of the route:

You start with the SP City of San Francisco in Sparks in 1949 with streamlined cars pulled by two Alco PAs.

You get stranded in snow in 1952 for five days and are rescued by snow blowers.

Reaching Truckee in 1955, your old PAs are replaced with brand-new EMD E9s. A few elderly passengers have died and are taken off the train. Passenger numbers kept steady by new births.

Cisco, CA, 1971. Amtrak has taken over. Your engines are repainted.

Emigrant Gap, 1973. Your ancient E9s are replaced with EMD SDP40Fs.

September 1976. A splits occurs in the community when Cars 11, 12 and 13 elect separatist mayors. Cars 11 and 12 are left in Dutch flat. The Vistadome colony in Car 13 has elected to stay but has fewer and fewer communication with the outside train.

You reach Colfax in April 1982. You have to be helped out of the cab and up into your new EMD F40PH. Violence erupts as long-time residents resist eviction from the streamlined cars into new Amfleet cars. Emissaries failed to contact Car 13, so it is just reattached at the end of the train.

May 1990. A new generation in Car 13 has taken over, explorers have found and opened the door to Car 10. Early contacts were tense, but border crossings are now frequent and your ambassador is well received. There are talks of reunification.

Newcastle, CA, June 1993. Your retirement ceremony ends in a proud moment as you watch your son take command of the brand new GE P40DC Genesis. From now on, you will assist him from the conductor's seat. You still retain your title of President but it is mostly honorary now. Migration to Superliner cars went smoothly this time, as you made sure school teachers properly prepared children, who then helped their parents and grandparents with the move. Clever.

You finally reach Roseville on October 13, 2005 but neither you nor your passengers remember why.

[thecanadianrail]

Where did you get that SP loco on the last pic??!!?

sorry, just had to....bunch of geeps on donner pass.

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