New York Division-Bergen Line - Part Deux!

[minerman146]

MaineLines: Yeah, just like that man. Niiiiice
AmericanSteam: Touching a Rembrant? Ha. Some guys get weird about "touching their stuff" - not this guy - this thing is meant to be used!
ET44C4: His shots are so rocking. Da Bronx is clean cuz I dont have grafitt and trash assets, and ya get Harlem too!

[Spin]

^ I'm kind of torn on the whole weathering/vandalism/lack of maintenance$$ when it comes to Train Sim. On one hand it's realistic. Especially here in the Rust Belt.

On the other, it's depressing. Railroads were falling apart, workers losing their jobs, government takeover, loss of industry, it was a crappy time.

Or maybe it's wanting to remember the railroads in better times. If there were any in the diesel era.

[Spin]

The route itself, every time I think you've reached the limit, you blow me away again.

This route puts me "there" like few can. The depth is amazing.

[Spin]

I can't finish a project because you're always coming up with something new. LOL. Now I want to set aside my scenario series at the Mahwah Ford plant to play in Harlem awhile.

Or drill the Walden Branch.

Decisions, decisions...

[RudiJaeger]

MaineLines: Great shot!

Minerman: Answers to questions:

1. "Should I just post my personal copy of Sherman Hills xml file that has my track rules?"

A: Yes please; it would be a great reference for route-building.

2. "I know I am sometimes Spartan with my ground clutter - do you like that you can put your own stuff in? Or should I go and detail up some more?"

A: I think you've already hit on a formula that works, and I wouldn't change a thing. There's still plenty of detail in the Bergen, and it's amazing the amount of work and depth that's been accomplished with this route to date.

3. "Last (an obvious) what do you think of this little yard in the Bronx. And do you like the Bronx?"

A: It's history at our fingertips! What's not to like? ..although I had a heck of a time finding the place in the scenario-builder and had to resort to the 2D map, then flew Northeast from Lackawanna Station until I ran into it; a native New Yorker would likely have had a good laugh watching me search. Upon arrival, it was like a little oasis, but amazing in it's scope. And quite the innovation with building Yankee Stadium; I never thought anyone could get that close without using a dedicated object. And to think everything was done in a matter of 5 weeks while using a self-imposed limited palette of assets; Very impressive!

I really enjoyed exploring the area under the lights and experimenting with some retro-traffic:

Bergen_HarlemStn_06.jpg

Bergen_HarlemStn_05.jpg

Bergen_HarlemStn_07.jpg

Bergen_HarlemStn_08.jpg

[RudiJaeger]

Meanwhile, just down the street...

Bergen_HarlemStn_04.jpg

Bergen_HarlemStn_02.jpg

Bergen_HarlemStn_01.jpg

Bergen_HarlemStn_03.jpg

Many thanks for bringing the Bronx to life in TS!

[ET44C4]

Those nighttime shots look so real. I love the atmosphere!

[RudiJaeger]

Thanks ET! It's Minerman's placement of lights that really does the trick.

As a side-note for anyone wondering why folks are driving around without their lights on; I had placed some loco head and tail lamp objects into the autos' light sockets and the police car bubble-light; but the only thing that showed up were the lights cast onto the pavement and shop-front. But surprisingly, the 50's era box truck comes with working head and tail lamps.

[minerman146]

Gentlemen - please keep on with the analysis and try, as I do, to perform an exposition of the Bergen Line. All of you have been hitting on this word - depth.

Previously, particularly in professional route work, scenery depth was in the 300 meter range. Asset placement, was designed to use the minimum number of assets to convey a scene. Roads and streets, in particular, didn't adhere to real life. Special, highly detailed railroad assets (particularly stations) were deployed to create accuracy and faithfulness to the subject. We all agree that is leaves us with the sense that something is missing. It looks thin, but it works.

On the homebrew, workshop side, a different formula was and is used by builders. You get the track with a wall of 2D trees on each side, and then simple detail, interspaced with very highly detailed scenes focusing around key industrial, passenger and maintenance facilities. Usually with a lot of grass bumping up against and onto the track. But this to, looks thin, as once you pull away and up over the scene in external view, you can see the end of scenery. This is ok, because in real life we are in the cab not flying in a drone above it. You may not think about it, but you are missing the scenery beyond. The background after the close up scenery. This is the depth thing you all are speaking of beyond the highly detailed scene.

Before I started actual building, I spent my time looking at route pictures, and reading peoples comments and criticisms of both workshop and DLC routes. This gave a feel for what players were really looking for. I also was watching my 10 year old son play the game. I was happy that he was enjoying something so benign, and non-violent. 2 things I notice he did: 1 was fly out of train to watch it from a distance and 2. take pictures of it. The picture taking I thought was odd, since you could just play the game again and see it over and over. Why take a picture? I realized what he was doing, and eventually what I was doing, was capturing a moment that we thought looked real. So you and he and me are subconsciously seeking out that moment where Train Simulator works and the moment is just right. It looks real, we get the endorphin rush, the reward of where your mind tells you, yes, this is real, this is great.

We can see, here on the Bergen, that depth of field enhances and increases the amount of times we get the sense that what we are seeing is real. You and I both know, its not. But what it is, and what I am doing, is putting in the visual queues of real life. What's interesting is that I don't have to duplicate exactly each building, each tree, or the correct amount of windows for example. What we are experiencing on the Bergen in general, and at the Harlem Station specifically, is all of the correct ground elevation, height of buildings, the overall maintenance of proportion and last, is the sheer depth of the objects. Because of this, I don't have to rely on close up ground clutter and highly detailed scenes. You are getting hit with so many of these visual queues already at the medium (100 Meter) distant (300 Meter) and far (500 Meter+) all at once, that it is satisfying your brain to recognize all the proportions you see in real life. When I show my Dad or friends the route they all say the same thing - is this a picture? It looks real. I think the same thing. Even though 90% of the real life tiny details are missing (more cars, mailboxes, people walking past stores, changing traffic lights, birds, trash) its the overall scene with assets placed where the actually are, to the correct height that works. ( I use a ruler in game often, as well as doing proportion checks with a standing man asset ) If you click on my assets in editor, you will see many of them have had their x, y or z axis changed.
Last, though I complain about it, adhering to all the changes in topography even to 1 meter of change, and avoiding leveling the ground is probably the number 1 thing that gives us the real feel. You can see this payoff when you look East on 145th and see the gas station on a slope. This writings here were prompted by RudiJaegers statement "I think you've already hit on a formula that works, and I wouldn't change a thing. There's still plenty of detail in the Bergen, and it's amazing the amount of work and depth that's been accomplished with this route to date."

I will stop here with my observations on my own mindset of how I build.

The Harlem Transfer has been so much fun to do. I never felt rushed. I could not believe how much scenery I had to put in for this teeny-tiny little yard. It actually was amusing. I had to add buildings ( Washington Heights) that were well over a mile away. These are the high rises you see looking North. Then, I had to use Historical aerials and google street view to get our 1968 building placement. Note, if you look from the air to the lot on the other side of the 145th St bridge. You will see I painted "LV" on the ground. This was Lehigh Valley's terminal on the Harlem River. The history here is a bit overwhelming one I discovered the amount of carfloat operations both here and in Manhattan. I may take a stab at Hoboken Shore Railroad. But that would be appropriate for my 1970s' version of the EL. (Hey Dovetail Games -c'mon man lets have some Erie Lackawanna DLC and route already!) I think you guys definitely now understand why an EL route would be very cool! Last, thanks again RudiJaeger! We now have the ACTUAL unit and the ACTUAL place and time where it ran. This was a totally unexpected project to take on, and I couldn't be happier about it.

I will conclude here with an anecdote from my father.

Back in 1950 something, my grandfather was working as the brakemen down in Hoboken/Jersey City working the carfloat docks just south of Hoboken Terminal. It was night but also noisy as Erie's freight yard terminated at the Hudson River. (this yard is in addition to Croxton). So he's got the lantern and the hostler is backing a jag of cars onto the float. Grandpa is counting the cars: one two three four five six seven eight ..... Woah! We got a problem here. He waves his lantern and gets the switcher to stop. He and the conductor run to the end of the float. Sure enough, cars one, two and three, went off the end of the float, dropped their trucks and were now bobbing down the Hudson River. So we learn here that boxcars definitely float, just not for long! -Thanks Dad for another great story!

[MaineLines]

20190126213456_1.jpg

[minerman146]

Mainlines - love seeing the New Haven: any time, anyplace!

*SPECIAL ROUTE ANNOUNCEMENT*
3000 Subscribers!
It took about 1 year to get the final 200 subs, to make it to this mile stone. Word of Mouth, people reading here, and heck, maybe even You Tube has brought people from all over to take a ride on the Bergen.

3000.JPG

We have a 'thing' going on here. I hope it goes on and on and on.
I am super duper happy about this.

Thank YOU for enjoying this work.

[Pwelt]

Hi
The Harlem additions are simply beautiful, great job. This route gets better all the time.

[Overshoe]

Simply amazing!

harlem2.jpg

harlem5.jpg

[minerman146]

Very happy on this side with the response to Harlem Station. Keep checking it out!

I have swung back to Work on Carlton Hill. This is a long time outstanding project to revive what was the main line of the Erie Railroad Prior to the 1960 Merger. The work being done now is to get us to 1968/69. We get 3 sidings, 4 drop off/pickup point and the closed Carlton Hill Station. The stars of the show are the Frommer Bleachery and Royce Chemical. Royce is still in business though the site we are recreating has had about 50% removed, with the remaining structures repurposed.
Official Royce history here; https://royceglobal.com/about/
Eyewitness History here: http://rails.jimgworld.com/stuff/s1.html
Newspaper Article: http://www.digifind-it.com/lyndhurst/DA ... -01-14.pdf
Site Background Information:

Frommer Standard Bleachery: " The plant of the standard Bleachery at Carlton Hill covers more than twelve acres
of ground, and it is the largest concern of its kind in the world. Its operations con-
sist in the conversion of cotton piece-goods from gray cloths, as they come from
the loom, into the fine, finished products which eventually reach the market. These
goods, manufactured principally in New England, are shipped direct to the bleach-
ery. They include lawns, India linens, organdies, crepes, Swiss curtains, Persian
lawns, long cloth, embroidery goods, and a number of fancy woven fabrics for wo-
men's and children's dresses, in plain and mercerized finish. Many processes of great
interest are used in converting the fabrics into the finished product, several days be-
ing spent in passing through the various stages of development. When finished the
goods are neatly packed and shipped all over the world, the bleachery having a rep-
utation for careful workmanship, which is unsurpassed. An average of one thousand
hands are now employed, and the plant is operated day and night. The village of
Carlton Hill is practically an outgrowth of this industry's development, and the
company owns eighty acres of land."

I have had the research done for several years to justify the build. Good news, I have visual confirmation of cars being moved at that facility as of 1979. This means Conrail. This build will add to the local freight jobs running out of Croxton for some additional traffic. The switching moves are not complex, there are no run-arounds, but you can switch back. But as always it will be visually interesting.

So here is an image of Carlton Hill and about 70% of the facility, the stacks, buildings were confirmed via imagery, photograms and couple of news paper articles. The side is surrounded by dense residential and is bound by the Passaic River to the West. This should be fun to do and experience.

20190128095049_1.jpg

[LuisaA]

I really love the way you build routesn Minerman.
You should do a stream to tell us how can you make the magi happen, I would for sue have a look at it