C&O Alleghany Mountain - Coming soon

[Toripony]

Appreciate the feedback. I want to make this easy for scenario writers, but I need help in this area. May I ask what you mean by "all these yard tracks?" We don't have signals "inside" yard areas, like Ronceverte. There is a signal to protect the gate leading onto the mainline from sidings/yards; access to a siding to get OFF of the mainline is protected in blocks. If you exit the block completely onto a siding, you free that block for other traffic. In real life, you would then contact the dispatcher for orders to get back onto the mainline.

If I may offer a real-life scene.... A WB freight will stop at Ronceverte WB#1 signal; disconnect 10 cars leaving his train on the mainline; proceeds through the signal into the block containing the gate for Ronc North Yard and backs those cars into a siding there. His train is still holding the block east of the signal (right?) but once inside the yard, the block with the gate is now available. Only with orders and a green dwarf signal can he return to the mainline to return to his train one block east. While in the yard, a non-interfering EB passes on #2 has no effect. However, an interfering EB that comes up #1 (uncommon) and crosses over to #2 would block you in the yard until it past. Theoretically, to make this scene work, all you should need are several "at-speed" destination instructions and a couple/few wayside markers. Does it work? I don't know; haven't done it yet.

That is a real-life operation; translating that to Railworks is what I am still learning; any lessons are welcome! I need to take some time to find and read everything out there on scenario editing. About my design: prototypical of the C&O (and Chessie and still CSX on this line) each siding is not protected by it's own signal; each siding or gate or groups of them is protected within a Block. That block's signals may be as much as 2 miles away. I marked every track at the entrance to that track with a siding or destination marker; scenario writers should add waypoint markers liberally to control the paths of their trains and indicate drop locations. This is what was recommended by other scenario writers in the community. I think the idea is think about routing your trains, not by signaled junctions, but by signaled blocks.

I'm guessing that while this theory is all well and good, RW AI traffic has it's own mind?? I've heard it likes to lock junctions that it is not even using and junk like that. I have accepted the possibility that RW may not allow this pure block type of signal operation at all. RW tends to like the developer to control every single teeny tiny little itty bitty piece of it individually (usually with a whole file full of properties!!); I didn't build the COA that way. Please post again with your results or more detail.... this is what the beta is for (so far I've not gotten a lot of truly usable techical feedback). I'll do what I can to help make it work.

Thanks!
Tori

[RedWhistle]

I'm totally excited about this route and in awe of your work! I have fond memories of railfanning the Alleghany division a few years back. Clifton Forge, Ronceverte... good times.

[Toripony]

I'm totally excited about this route and in awe of your work! I have fond memories of railfanning the Alleghany division a few years back. Clifton Forge, Ronceverte... good times.

Cool! If you have any pics, I would love to see them.

Tori

[Toripony]

Houston, we have a problem.....

Problems raised in the thread here about creating scenarios on the COA has helped me uncover some flakiness in the signaling arrangement in Ronceverte. I also found 3 unsignaled yard gates (they were there once, I swear!), and the need to modify several various track markers. Credit for the initial discovery go to some guys trying to write scenarios for the route; thank you. I spent the weekend testing and trying some fixes but there is apparently something wrong up or down the track that I have yet to uncover.

For this reason, I recommend that you stick to just simple free roam scenarios until I figure this out. If I have to rip out a bunch of signaling to find the problem !again!, it will be the 4th or 5th time. Each time I learn more about the quirks of RW signaling but it is getting really, really old. I also uncovered a couple of pieces of incorrect track that will need replacing. This thing is turning into WORK and is not as much fun anymore.

Tori

[RedWhistle]

Cool! If you have any pics, I would love to see them.

Tori

Alas, no, I have no pictures from that, but makes me want to go back to your part of the world... can't wait to do that on the COA route in RW too. If I get any, I'll be sure to share, when I do go back.

[Toripony]

Just posted to my web....

Notice: The COA will be undergoing major re-construction over the next 2-3 weeks. I cannot promise when the next update will be ready. Until then, I recommend users to not write scenarios based on the current track version because track markers and signals are being upgraded/replaced. Besides better traffic control, the next update will contain a couple of fun new surprises, too.

[UPSD70ACe]

So your redoing th Route again or just adding on,To the latest Route that is on your website.

[Toripony]

Thanks to some good feedback I've discovered problems with the signaling in several places. Also, I am adding new Destination and Siding Markers (and changing some) and replacing some sections of track. Without these changes, scenarios will not work correctly. I want to get this version 1 (this 37 miles) completely finished before expanding.

Tori

[Eric165]

Thank you for your work and these corrections

[Toripony]

March 31, 1901 (RWAP News)

Reporters were on hand for the excitement of the first train load of logs coming off the brand new Greenbrier branch of the C&O Railway Co. Spectators on the scene were awed at the giant sized logs being brought out from the virgin forests of the mostly uninhabited upper Greenbrier River watershed. The first large mill established by the Bauer brothers, Michael and Armand, is under construction at Anthony which will employ 55 men and already has several miles of logging railroads built up into the Anthony Creek valley.

COA_1015.jpg

COA_1016.jpg

C&O Alleghany_mill2.jpg

C&O Alleghany_Mill_Site_WIP.jpg

[ozinoz]

Tori...

the logging looks great - I had long wanted a place to run Dick Cowans Shays (while I know they are not proto), on what has become THE best RW route available (IMO)

Thanks for all your hard work - look forward to its re-release

Cheers

[Toripony]

Thought this thread deserves an update.... I've been sick, folks. Caught a flu bug over two weeks ago and am just now getting back to normal. Not much railworking has been going on, but I am beginning to make some progress now on the re-signaling project. I've been able to design/run some pretty cool scenario actions so my hopes are up that the next version is going to be well worth the wait. It will also include Pete's fun, gorgoeus new logging railroad along with some Standard Scenarios, a new steam locomotive repaint that I think everyone will like (Rick at GTrax has been really busy lately ) and more.

Tori

[ozinoz]

The various flu bugs can REALLY knock you about. I am off to see the doc in a few days fro my yearly flu vac before the winter starts, although today here is grey, 15C and raining - more like late May than March.

Glad to hear you are on the road to recovery. You must be feeling better if you can tease us like that

Looking forward to the next release...

Cheers from Down Under

G

[micaelcorleone]

The various flu bugs can REALLY knock you about. I am off to see the doc in a few days fro my yearly flu vac before the winter starts, although today here is grey, 15C and raining - more like late May than March.

Glad to hear you are on the road to recovery. You must be feeling better if you can tease us like that

Looking forward to the next release...

Cheers from Down Under

G

At first I thought: He's talking about March and then he says the Winter comes?
And then I realized that you "Come from a land Down Under, where women glow and men plunder..."

[DonR]

Hey, Tori.

Beautiful route! Looking forward to version 1.

The flu is nasty this year! It hit me twice. Got done with it just about two weeks ago and am starting to feel like normal.
Hang in there.

Don.