New York Division-Bergen Line - Part Deux!

[NStrains]

This month is going to pretty light for route work, with 3 weeks left in the month, and my day job extending into the night, I will be lucky to put a bridge over the Otterkill Creek before Campbell Hall. Time is looking better late August. Regarding, C&H Salvage, it fits all the way back to 1975 (just a bit smaller then). You will get a nice junkyard for certain and all the scenery I can pack in!

MM

Don't worry about how much time you will get to put in on the route... You have put in so much time all ready!

You are allowed to have a life outside of making the Bergen Line come to life in digital format.

Besides, and I can only speak for myself when I say that, I try not to spend a whole lot of time inside when the weather is nice.

[minerman146]

*Route Status Update:
As previously noted work time conflicts has caused a degradation of the amount of build time that can be applied to the Bergen. In the past nine days I've had approximately 4 hours of build time. My morning one hour sessions are completely gone until September. And my weekends have been occupied with soccer tournaments. Let me tell you it was very very hard for me to stop the flow of work on this route. The good news is is that I'm as interested as ever in completing this project and making it as magnificent as possible. Based on my current Pace, I would anticipate another update in the next 3 weeks. This would be one of my longest gaps between updates that was not planned. I was able to get the concrete bridge over the Otterkill Creek at Campbell Hall, New York completed last night. As I needed that bridge to go in before proceeding with any further scenery, this means that I can continue working in a clockwise Direction around Campbell Hall. Stay tuned for more updates and keep riding on the Bergen!

And I want to send a shout out to Fraserm, who got a custom route upgrade to the Starview Apartments in Mahwah, NJ, way back in Sep of 2015. He had some route crash issues today we worked out via PM and his appreciation for what we do here is just the best. Don't forget guys, if you have a personal connection to some part of this route, let us know and we will blow you away with some over the top detail just for you.

[minerman146]

*Route Status Update

Looks like I have about 7 hours in for the week. Good news is the Campbell Hall station was started last night. This will inspire me to work on the scenery in the upcoming days. As far as weekend work is concerned, this weekend looks promising but the Weekends of July 2th and Aug 5th are gone. The key for any release is the there is enough scenery complete to justify it or I did some hot fix. With these abridged work times, there isn't much to show, so I push out the release further away. Work continues on the Bergen. I haven't lost my mojo. Life is good.

Based on my daydreaming to a from work, the motivation is strong and the excitement is there for getting this project complete. The 60 mile station to station runs, all the sidings, spurs and branch lines will make for some excellent operations. The idea that we will be able to operate this line as the 'railroad' is what all this scenery is for.

Soon, my friends, soon!

[NStrains]

The full run from CH to Hoboken will be awesome with those NJT trains. Just never seems long enough up to Hillburn.

[minerman146]

This one is for NS - fresh shot - being worked right now at 2307 hrs EST.

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[NStrains]

[fraserm]

After a while of not running TS17 at all. I decided to go back and take a tour of the latest update of my favorite route again. I took a lovely QD from Croxton Advance to West to Hamptonburgh Rd.2, about 58 miles, using one of my favorite assets, the B&M RDC:

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Maybe not prototypical for the Bergen, but I grew up near Boston and used to see these on the tracks that ran through my hometown. I still like 'em! In fact this view reminds me of what the tracks look like on the way to Gloucester, MA.
The detailing on this route is exceptional! The Minermen have put together an absolute work of art. This has been one of my favorites from its very beginnings and it has proven itself time and time again. I can now say with certainty that it's my all-time favorite route, freeware or paid.
And a BIG thank you to Minerman for helping me through my crash issues and for the very thoughtful addition in Mahwah. It still makes me smile every time I run by there, as I did on this trip. In fact, I stopped the train just adjacent to the apartments to take a closer look-see. Thanks again, MM.
If you don't have this route yet, do yourself a BIG favor and subscribe to it. You will not regret your decision!

I had an interesting real-life experience of the Bergen in the late 1990s. One of my daughters was going to college in Allentown, PA and we'd be there frequently for visits and rides to-and-from before she got her own car. Sometimes I'd take the NY State Thruway north to Newburgh instead of taking the Tappan Zee Bridge, usually for traffic issues. One trip, as I was approaching the Harriman tolls I looked to my left and there was a steam excursion train, running north! I didn't recognize the loco, but she was in fine trim, with light gray smoke billowing from the stack. She was followed by a diesel helper; again I wasn't able to get a good-enough look at it to identify it. Trailing was an eclectic mix of baggage and passenger coaches of varied colors and ages**. She was really highballing it up the rails because I couldn't keep up with her due to traffic and speed limits restricting my speeds and attention span. Quite a sight! As I was passing through Harriman on my virtual trip I looked right and saw that very same stretch of the Thruway and it reminded me of that day. Truly a testament to the stunning visual beauty and accuracy of this route, to have the ability to trigger long dormant memories of the area when running through it.
Best,
M.

** I'm thinking someone on these forums will be able to identify the excursion run I saw. If you can do so, please post here, or PM me. I'd love to find out more about what I saw.

[minerman146]

Fraserm,

You noticed the "hot date" version of the Starview Apartments after our last chat! I am sure its very clear that if I am making a connection with you (in this case, you specifically) I get this positive feed back loop going. As you can see, I will definitely build specifically to make the route more alive to you. One of my goals of the route you just nailed it with this statement:

Truly a testament to the stunning visual beauty and accuracy of this route, to have the ability to trigger long dormant memories of the area when running through it.

In the case of Route 87 - it just parallels the line, as well as old route 17, it had to be accurate. With the right train you can recreate your memories right here! As an aside, there is a sub-story that I tell visually about E.H. Harriman - that no one has found yet. I added the details to the route to tell it. That's another story for another time. My point, as you observe - is to trigger memories. Mine are heavily triggered here without a doubt. My father, who I use a resource for the route, and I agreed that it would be a hoot to add detail that only some one who was an EL employee or simply knowledgeable and old enough to know. It worked. I suggest that those folks with older relatives from areas portrayed here on the Bergen, bring them over to you computer at Thanksgiving and start some great conversations with them.

Its so strange - I am very aware that I am building for other people to reach out to them. It worked, and in many wonderful ways I didn't expect.

As I am sure it is abundantly clear - the source of my energy for building this route is my conscious connection to those who know or knew of what the route represents.

* RDCs are totally prototypical on the route for Hoboken to Port Jervis service in the late 1980's early 90's.
* This might be your train: https://youtu.be/eJkwkOVpNuo

CandO_SalisburyMills.JPG

Here is one more video with numerous scenes that you can find on the Bergen: https://youtu.be/5ty5j7IgPKs

[fraserm]

* RDCs are totally prototypical on the route for Hoboken to Port Jervis service in the late 1980's early 90's.
* This might be your train: https://youtu.be/eJkwkOVpNuo
Here is one more video with numerous scenes that you can find on the Bergen: https://youtu.be/5ty5j7IgPKs

Thanks, MM! That first video is certainly contemporary with the timeframe when I saw my train, so it probably is one of the runs for C&O 614. I may even have seen one of the very last runs of this loco; the helper was probably there for a safety factor.
Doing a little reading on C&O 614, I see that shortly after I saw her she was retired and handed off to several parties, not having been run since.
Wikipedia says:
"In 1995, 614 was moved to the New Hope and Ivyland Railroad in Pennsylvania for a complete overhaul. It was then used for a series of popular excursions between Hoboken, New Jersey and Port Jervis, New York in conjunction with New Jersey Transit (NJT) between 1996 and 1999."
This is definitely the time during which I saw her.
If I were to create a scenario for my vision, can you (or anyone else who may be interested) suggest a diesel locomotive type/model and possible livery to add behind the lead? I would use Mike Rennie's exquisite FEF-3 as a stand-in for the 614, being the same axle configuration.
In Denver, the UP 844 FEF-3 is used with an oil tender following, with UP DD40X #6936 Centennial "Big Jack" as a helper for the "Rodeo Train". You can see the lashup in the episode of "Extreme Trains" titled "Steam Train". Here: https://youtu.be/iKkG7EdXShc.
In 2014 I created a workshop scenario for the Sherman Hill route I called "Rodeo Train" using the Challenger UP #3943 as we didn't have the UP 844 at that time. It may inspire me to create a similar work for the Bergen, to emulate the C&O 614. I just need to make some time and devote some energy to it. Not as easy as it may sound. The time, not the scenario.
Please forgive me my ramblings. I'm being a foamer, I know.

I think I've babbled enough for now. Thanks again, MM, for your work, your assistance, and your complete enthusiasm! It's totally infectious!

Best,

Marc

[minerman146]

Fraserm - If you can tie it into the route - its all germane to the subject at hand. I appreciate it and I believe all the lurkers enjoy our banter.

I managed to squeeze some hours in this week, I'm too pooped to type ... I will let the pictures do the talking.

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Good night fellas!

[NStrains]

[JackD]

[minerman146]

*Route Status Update*

Well, I was hoping to bang out enough scenery for a release today. While I did put the time in - I only got 1 forest in and another one I tried to fix as it does not draw where I needed it too. In the picture below you should be able to discern a forest marked in red. If you notice the grid line, you will see that it covers a 2km by 1.5 km area. And if your really paying attention, you see that I outline the real forest and place it perfectly for your viewing pleasure. THIS IS VERY INTRICATE WORK. You mess up a pin and the trees don't draw. You accidentally right - click, that means you placed your last pin and you gotta start over. This guy took an hour and 10. To fix a bad one - I was in 2.5 hours and I blew it.

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But man, oh man, its worth it.

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I have been driving around the wye in Campbell Hall and I am loving what the scenery is going to be like here. We got rolling hills, meadows, ponds, big warehouses, teeny-tiny villages, roads, houses fences and bacon cooking in every pan.

This will be worth the wait - and wait you will because of Work!
I also have to go to Miami tonight and I get back on Sunday. After August 7th I should be on regular route build schedule. Route release for CH is Mid August.

But, it will be epic .....

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Truuuuust me.

[ex-railwayman]

Don't rush Alex, we aren't going anywhere for the time being, take your time, real life comes first, we have enough mileage to keep us smiling for several weeks before you finish around Campbell Hall, I guess some of us old farts have got a bit more patience than these young whippersnappers.......

Cheerz. Steve.

[BoostedFridge]

MIner, the level of precision you put into the details on this route are just incredible.

I was cursing and grumbling about lining up houses and driveways on a small town on my route the other night. Then I though about all of the buildings, roads, bypasses, etc, that you have placed all over the urban sprawl on your route. It gave me perspective, and I quit grumbling after...

Keep up the great work!