Lake Superior and Mississippi

[sandpaper90]

Howdy all. Just posting up a thread to track progress on my (as accurate as possible) re-creation of the real thing. The real Lake Superior & Mississippi or the LS&M operates today as a small tourist shortline from the Norton Park neighborhood to the Gary/New Duluth area in Duluth, Minnesota. However, this railroad was the first railroad to reach Duluth back in 1870. So it was a very important route for a time.

Anyway, I'm re-creating the route in its more modern state, but with a few sidings added back with a few customers placed back on-line as well to make the route more fun than just running small passenger trains from one end of the route to another. In this version, the road services a few industrial customers and even took the switch job over at the Tate&Lyle chemical plant from the BNSF. I'll also be modeling the interchange with the BNSF.

This is my 1st go at routebuilding, and seeing much of the work over the years, mine will pail in comparison, but here's my submission, lol. I decided on this route because I live right next to it, and thought it would be a fun thing to re-create in the sim. I may also ask for a few tips or tricks from seasoned pros here too to help me if I need it, but I think I've got a decent grasp of it thus far.

Currently I've got the main shop/maint. building modeled in and some of the interchange trackage in the area of Norton Park and the lead tracks to the station platform.

Anyway, some pics....

The main shop bldg.


Looking toward the BNSF interchange


map


Thanks for looking!

[buzz456]

[ET44C4]

Very nice... Looking forward to seeing more progress.

[JackD]

After spending a good part of my life in Minnesota I'm happy to see a route coming!

Have a good time building the route. . .remember, this is a hobby.

JackD

[sandpaper90]

Well, the progress is SLOW, scenery is a pain to me at least because I want to make it look good and be as detailed as I can be. Anyway, a few more pics...

A look at the main shops of the LS&M. Maybe someday I'll try repaints, but for now, the old RW&A rolling stock is perfect.


The rear view of the shops as seen from the crossing on S. 63rd Ave. W.


Looking north up S. 63rd Ave. W.


And the overhead view from the top of Walsh Tundra Manufacturing of the fuel complex and Kwick Trip station


I'll keep poking along at this scenery thing. Least all the major roads are in and the first part of the track work.

[ex-railwayman]

Well, the progress is SLOW, scenery is a pain to me at least because I want to make it look good and be as detailed as I can be.

Well, just by looking at your screenshots that looks mightily impressive, the detail on the ground texturing alone is brilliant, well done, and take it steady, as JackD said this is a hobby, Rome wasn't built in a day, and we aren't going anywhere for quite a while yet, so, take your time, so far, so good.

Cheerz. Steve.

[sandpaper90]

Small updates, its slowly coming along. I must say, I'm really excited for the x64bit version of TS because I feel at the current rate of asset density and level of detail I wish to maintain thats gonna be needed lol.

Anywho, first things first, I extended the track another few hundred meters and setup the modern day ticket booth and platform for the LS&M. Just past where the tracks end they will merge back to a single track and cross a bridge over Knowlton Creek which I have yet to rough in, I still don't have scenery down that far!! I've been focusing my efforts there on the other end of the current route near and along Grand Avenue. Anyway, the track ext.


And some scenery:
Looking down Raliegh St.

Looking down 63rd again, but fully finished this time.

Down Raligh st. again, the other direction.


And doing a bit of driving on it with the 44 tonner to test things out!

[ET44C4]

Great attention to detail!

[sandpaper90]

Decided to work on some of the scenery on the southwestern part of the route heading towards the depot. Making some progress!

Looking southwest from the engine house:


Looking southwest over Grand Ave. (MN Rt. 23):


Looking northeast from Bethany Luthran Church:


a final birdseye view looking northeast:

[sandpaper90]

No, it's not dead, life's just been getting in the way lately. Between work and projects on the home and Vehicles I haven't had a ton of time.

But I did manage to get the track extended a bit beyond the depot and putting in the depot itself and started carving out the path for Knowlton Creek and placing the bridge:



A view near the station. Still a lot of scenery to go, but its something....

[sandpaper90]

Should also note that hopefully soon the tracks will be complete to the Tate&Lyle chemical plant in riverside. This is also where the BNSF shared track-age stops and the route purely follow the original LS&M alignment. I'd like to get this far and finish up the trackage on the other side of the BNSF interchange so then I could actually make a few scenarios and test stuff out even with scenery being non-complete, the route would be semi-runable.