Tehachapi Pass Beta Available

[_o_OOOO_oo-Kanawha]

I just ran the route with my own BKDOL/BKDOU consist last night!

Those GATX tankers used on the prototype were unique as I understand it, and unfortunately not modeled for railworks.

Well, if somebody wants to produce a DLC for this route, here is one opportunity: unit tank train cars

We cannot share consists or consist fragments using either Utilities.exe or RW_Tools?

In the meantime, here is a temporary QD Bakersfield - Mojave that I used for the Oil Cans:

Unzip the scenario in your Scenarios folder.

[thecanadianrail]

I just ran the route with my own BKDOL/BKDOU consist last night!

Those GATX tankers used on the prototype were unique as I understand it, and unfortunately not modeled for railworks.

Yes I think they were the "tank train" cars which are attached together with hoses for faster unloading. Only a handful of railroads used them.

[_o_OOOO_oo-Kanawha]

Since I don't know of a means to share consists from the user generated Quick Drive menu, I went the other way and made a few pre-built fragments for Donner Pass DLC.

Here are both the consist fragments and a ready-to-run Bakersfield - Mojave free roam with the "Oil Cans" pre-assembled (I hope, mine were constantly pointing the wrong way).
Unzip the .rwp to your desktop and use Utilities.exe to install (and remove) them.

You'll find the consists for BKDOU under "GE C44-9W" and "EMD SD40T-2 Tunnel Motor" to use in the Quick Drive.

If you want some more challenge, swap some of the sound units for the dodgy ones that come with Donner Pass DLC. In typical late SP style, you'll have units dying on you while on the grade, that's why there are so many in the lash-up in the first place. When you've stalled and cannot split the train to double the grade, you might be stuck forever and have to abort the scenario.

[Bananarama]

A new section for user-created scenarios is now available.

[_o_OOOO_oo-Kanawha]

Here is another bad joint, at Walong West, that made the train jump.

3DTrains Tehachapi Pass Bad Joint 3.jpg

My monster Z-train made if safely thru The Loop, it is so long that is visible three times.

Screenshot_Tehachapi Pass_35.20175--118.53785_07-19-31.jpg

Screenshot_Tehachapi Pass_35.20816--118.53880_07-19-42.jpg

The desert is green in spring, and the early morning sun casts nice shadows.

[GP15Dash1]

Marc,

Spent yesterday afternoon exploring, and WOW. If the details present in Mojave are any indication of what's coming elsewhere, I'm not sure I'll be able to keep my head from exploding. Thank you, especially, for so faithfully recreating the area's rail customers. There's definitely something for everyone here.

I ran a short train -- 10 empty cement hoppers behind a GP20 -- out to where the CalPortland Cement Plant is going to be on the Oak Creek lead with no issues to report. My plan is to do the same on the Arvin Sub this afternoon, and then start testing all the various industrial spurs.

Now we just need someone to repaint the Reppo GP20 in SJVR's mid-2000's RailAmerica-Hasn't-Repainted-Over-the-Kyle-Scheme-Yet that worked around Bakersfield and out to Arvin!

[buzz456]

Marc,

Spent yesterday afternoon exploring, and WOW. If the details present in Mojave are any indication of what's coming elsewhere, I'm not sure I'll be able to keep my head from exploding. Thank you, especially, for so faithfully recreating the area's rail customers. There's definitely something for everyone here.

I ran a short train -- 10 empty cement hoppers behind a GP20 -- out to where the CalPortland Cement Plant is going to be on the Oak Creek lead with no issues to report. My plan is to do the same on the Arvin Sub this afternoon, and then start testing all the various industrial spurs.

Now we just need someone to repaint the Reppo GP20 in SJVR's mid-2000's RailAmerica-Hasn't-Repainted-Over-the-Kyle-Scheme-Yet that worked around Bakersfield and out to Arvin!

If you would post a picture over in the repaint mod section someone might just do that.

[Bananarama]

Here is another bad joint, at Walong West, that made the train jump.

Fixed - I found another nearby, and I also fixed one at the eastern approach to Woodford and in your earlier shot at Marcel. Any others?

[_o_OOOO_oo-Kanawha]

With all these curves, reverse curves and even S-curves with superelevation, there are bound to be more bad joints. One needs to pay close attention and hop into the World Editor as soon as a bad jolt is felt.
Not all locos and trains are susceptible, perhaps there are variations in the suspension in the blueprints?

I'll try to run that 150 car articulated stack train from Kern Jct to Mojave tomorrow and see what happens.

In the meantime, here are updated simple and plain QD scenarios: Mojave - Kern Jct vice versa and Sanborn BNSF - Bakersfield BNSF.

You are all alone by yourself on the road, just to survey. Real scenario development will have to wait for all track and signaling to be finished and all control points, sidings and spurs labeled.
For more advanced scenarios, one needs portals, markers and perhaps longer tail tracks for flying starts of trains coming from Fresno/Oil City and Sanborn/Fleta.
Many main line switches are manual and will require permission from the dispatcher. Listen to Railroadradio.net and you'll here a lot of Mojave Yard chatter.

I've found my UP 2010 ETT which has all the Control Points and track speeds of the Mojave Subdivision. You've missed one important permanent speed restriction: the U-turn before Caliente is 15 MpH Northbound MP 335.4-336.0 and all main track, turnous and sidings between MP 336.0 and 359.5 is 23 MpH continuous both ways, save for Cliff siding which is 10.
Despite being labeled as Two Main Tracks with CTC, the layout isn't fully bi-directional, The preferred way is still right hand running. also take note of the Fogchart of this stretch of track, it's quite quite detailed and helpful.
Like BSNF on the Cajon Sub, the ETT is very specific about Tons per Operative Brake and Tons per Dynamic Brake Axle when it comes to speed restrictions but has no information about HP/ton. Drag freights are like 2.5, Z trains 4 and over. Using those Quick Drives you'll quickly find out which of the pre-made consist from DP, SH or MP routes are good enough for Tehachapi Pass. Use loaded trains, set the weather to rain and use modified physics that are more true to prototype to make a scending the pass a challenge.

[Bananarama]

Why aren't you using the user scenario forum at 3DTrains?

[cnwfan]

Ran eastbound this evening from Ilmon to Woodford with a mix of Sherman Hill and Marias Pass equipment, including DTM's UP GP50's and RSC Dash9 pack. No track problems found. On my first pass, I noticed the tunnel portals were missing. I usually keep the scenery density set at 7. When I increased to 9, the portals displayed. Maybe the density numbers on these objects should be set a little lower.

When taking the siding at West Bealville, the signal displayed diverging advanced approach (red over flashing yellow) as expected. Just before going by the signal, it looked like the bottom aspect, which was displaying the flashing yellow, was actually flashing yellow to red to yellow, and so on. It should be flashing yellow to dark to yellow.

2015-09-03_00005.jpg

Also noticed that when going by signals, and depending on intensity of the headlight, the signals almost seemed to get washed out. It was like too much light was being reflected off of the signal structure. The above screen shot is from the DTM GP50.

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2015-09-03_00003.jpg

In regards to the intermediate signals between Ilmon and Caliente, from a distance, the yellow aspect looks red. I was approaching the first intermediate signal after Ilmon, and the advanced approach aspect (flashing yellow) look like a restricting aspect (flashing red). It wasn't until I was within a few hundred feet of the signal that the red color changed to yellow. I'm assuming this has something to do with the LOD's. These were the only signals I noticed this issue with. In fact, when I was coming into Caliente, I could see the double headed signal across the valley for East Caliente, and it was displaying a solid yellow plain as day.

Overall though, I'm very impressed with the route so far. Nice attention to detail, such as the notches in the tunnel portals for double stacks, and the trimmed signal targets on the double headed signal at west Cliff. I grew up in So Cal, and spent a fair amount of time up in Tehachapi in the 80's and into the late 90's. I've got to say this is the best simulator representation of the pass yet.

[Bananarama]

Thanks for the feedback!

I'll tinker with the scripts and add to tomorrow's update. I'm not sure about the changing colors when approaching the signals though (it might be a mipmap issue with the texture). If so, then I'll have to separate it from the main image, which will then add a draw call, but hopefully should solve the issue. Changing the shine on the signal face should be fairly straight forward. However, this might take a while, as there are more than a few signal models to check and change.

[GSkid]

I haven't done the whole route. But I started in Bakersfield in the UP yard and stopped in Tehachapi. Pretty accurate track route.

Okay... now for the issues cuz that's what beta testers are for. Some may be nits... but that's your call if they are or not.

I had some floating signal tree/gantrys. I suppose I can go back to verify, but off the top of my head I believe it was at Bena and a bit west of Bena too. Also the gentry at the loop just past tunnel #9 was floating also. I checked my sliders twice and everything including shadows is at MAX... so I'm not sure why their bases are missing. I have 8GB of RAM and a 4GB video card... so it can't be a memory issue.

I noticed these long shadow-like lines across the distant terrain near Bena/Ilmon that if you free-roamed the camera and got closer to them, they disappear and the terrain would fill-in to replace them. Only to reappear once you get distant from them again.

Noticed some slightly floating track in Bakersfield.

I'm pretty sure you are aware that there are no track bridges yet (just floating track). I was surprised cuz I'd think it would be harder to go back, insert them later and possibly mess it up the track. I'm a newb in the editor so I figure you know better than I. Some notable missing crossings altogether.... the creek bridge just east of the old Bena helper siding..... and the bigger bridge crossing the Caliente creek at Ilmon.

I have to agree with cnwfan.... I saw that flashing yellow to red to yellow too.

I've also noticed what I assume is a LOD issue. When approaching a distant signal, it's light briefly flashes at one point as it gets closer. I assume this is a clumsy LOD swap. Can't recall seeing this on other routes.

Is it me or are the signal lights a tad on the dull side? They seem a little flat and not quite as bright as other routes...at least in the day. Maybe I'm seeing things. I'll play them at night and see how bright they are then too.

I must be missing an object cuz in Tehachapi there are these fairly evenly spaced orange, rectangular poles littered around the town. I had cleared my cache before I even ran this route, so I'm not sure what's going on there. Any clue?

It's pretty obvious that scenery-wise you started east and are working your way west. From Bakersfield to a bit past Ilmon it's pretty desolate... but you warned us. I do hope you will add some of that rusty-red blackish-brown rock (I assume it's volcanic rock) that you see at Woodford and in the area.

I used the 6772ft long/6193 ton/70-car Southern Pacific autorack train from Donner Pass that has three Dash 9s up front and two in the back. And just like when I used it up the eastern face of Soldier Summit.... it stalled here too! In this case it stalled just past tunnel #2.... but just before the Bealville siding that's right after the tunnel. I had to leave my train there and continued my journey to Tehachapi with my front three engines.

I thought DTG stopped using the back of the train for the grade percentage reading?!? Or is that only on newer DLC trains and routes? Cuz it seemed to be determining the grade based on the back of the train which was screwing with my head. My train was struggling at times when the grade said it was only 0.8 (or .08... forgot which). This doesn't seem like a route issue but I noted it anyways.

Overall I'm pretty happy with the route cuz not only is the track route pretty accurate, I also can't wait to see the end result as the missing scenery is added!

[_o_OOOO_oo-Kanawha]

Why aren't you using the user scenario forum at 3DTrains?

Because I haven't tested them fully, despite being simple. When there are no issues reported here, I'll upload them over the weekend. Since the route is still WIP, building a scenario collection is a bit premature.

First of all: what kind of scenarios are wanted? Real trains, like the "Oil Cans"? Fantasy trains, even passenger service over The Loop? Using standard stock or modified physics? AI trains are way too quick on accelleration and braking.

Creating end-to-end scenarios for through trains using single track with passing sidings is not easy at all when you want a realistic opposing traffic density. In order to create more advanced scenarios, portals are needed for AI trains to vanish into, platform and siding markers, plus destination markers in front of every signal at control points to set up paths, arrange meets, etc.

At Bakersfield, Magunden and Edision there is local agricultural and manufacturing traffic, plus some cement works that allows switching scenarios.
There is the Lone Pine branch and other branches providing some local traffic for the Mojave Flyer, perhaps the Boron Local or the Rock Train one hears daily on Railroadradio.net.

Starting from the southern (Mojave) end, I think longer tracks from Sanborn and Fleta are needed for flying starts of trains. The player has to read some dispatching instructions, adjust throttle and brakes, etc. This requires a few minutes, so a couple more miles of track are needed.
Since the northern end is still completely barren and unsignaled past Kern Junction, I don't know what to do with it right now. Also here, longer tail tracks should come in handy to set up long through freights.
Is Bakersfield a crew change point? Is there an engine terminal? Where are the oil trains loaded?

This route is well documented in articles, books and video, so it should be interesting to try and recreate some of the action.

[_o_OOOO_oo-Kanawha]

Thanks for the feedback!

I'll tinker with the scripts and add to tomorrow's update. I'm not sure about the changing colors when approaching the signals though (it might be a mipmap issue with the texture). If so, then I'll have to separate it from the main image, which will then add a draw call, but hopefully should solve the issue. Changing the shine on the signal face should be fairly straight forward. However, this might take a while, as there are more than a few signal models to check and change.

The whole of the signal, target, base and pole is shining, it would be great if you can dull the targets' black front. They are a separate object, since you've turned many to face the traffic.
I thought you've used dark red as the base lens colour, hence the sometimes undistinguishable proceed and stop aspects. You might want to try to add a mild lens flare effect. The emitter that comes with it is more penetrating making for greater visibility from a distance. IIRC, SMMDigital also struggled with searchlight signals and their piercing, scintillating beams.