CN, CP, VIA Windsor Chatham mainline.. er mainlines.

[DrewG]

I would normally never post about a project this early into it but this is mostly a call for help. I'm doing the line between Chatham and Windsor. I was hoping someone on here lives in the area and could help me with some knowledge of the area, I need a little more info on the grades and the Van de water yard and the CP yard connected to it. I live a little too far away for my dad to drive me out and look at tracks. If you live in the area or could help me a PM would be really appreciated . Here is what I have so far:


where the tracks come together is Chatham and where they end is soon to be Windsor.

[ErikGorbiHamilton]

If im correct, Wasn't it the CN CSAO Subdivision that ran to Chatham via Windsor?

[wackyhuman]

If I get there I will have a look for you, but it is very infrequent nowadays that I head that way. I will ask some of my fellow Google+ train geeks for help too.

[DrewG]

BNOV, it is yes, CN and CP share a line that runs from Van de water to Fargo(at least what I've done). It's the lowest line on the map. The upper most line is what VIA and CN uses and the middle might be either CN or CP, I'm not quite sure.

[DrewG]

Wacky, that'd be great! Woodstock is as far as my dad would go to see osr's fp9's. If you go out that way or have some friends in the area that could take photos is great. The more I have the better job I can do.

[sabreman61]

Did you import the terrain using the tool? If you are not doing a flat route it is the best tool for elevation,mountains,valleys, ECT. Here is a great site to get the data from http://www.viewfinderpanoramas.org/Cove ... s_org3.htm Just click on the area you are doing to download the DEM Data. Unzip and place in your DEM/SRTM folder. That's it!

Then use the import terrain tool in editor to import the terrain. Make sure you pick 19x19. I also assume you are using the Google Earth feature? I hope this helps

Let me know

Matthew

[DrewG]

I've already done that, one of the first things I do.

[bh762]

Good luck with this. Here is an online topo map that covers all of Ontario, and shows elevation points along rail lines (you have to zoom in to see them). What I've been doing is marking the elevation points with an object in the editor, then I lay track to it, raise or lower to the proper height and carry on to the next one. After that it's just a matter of going back and adjusting the grade between any two points and smoothing out the bumps. Maybe not 100% accurate but I imagine it's pretty dern close. Hope it helps.

[DrewG]

Thanks, I'll give it a shot. I did the Van De Water yard today, hopefully it's pretty accurate. Next up the CP yard almost directly above it.

[DrewG]

Did more today, CP yard is complete, There are still a couple small yards in the area I need to do them the track work is done. I'm going back to school tomorrow (2nd) so I wont be able to work on this much, if anyone is willing to do the scenery when I finish the track work PM me. Wacky, Ive got more than enough information from what the people here gave me and digging around on youtube and other sites I've got the trackwork pretty accurate and I wouldn't want you going out of your way to get photos if you planned to head out there.






I'd like to give a special thank you to CP for making there yard as complicated as they possibly could

[CASO]

Hi, hope you're still working on the CASO subdivision. Incidentally, I have friend that did the Ontario Southland route from Woodstock to Tillsonburg. But the dem wasn't terribly accurate. Here is the north yard in Tillsonburg, which is right beside Lisgar ave. In real life this yard dips down a bit from that street.

[DrewG]

I've got all the track work done but I haven't had time to do any scenery. I also kinda messed up the routeproperties.xml file but I should be able to fix that. Did your friend ever release the OSR route? Would love to have that as I've been down there just to see OSR's FP9's when they first ran together and have OSR up here in Guelph.

[CASO]

I can send you what he has done so far, not sure how to send it since I tried attaching the file and I guess it was too large to upload to the forums. His name is Chris J. Sayers on facebook, friend him on there and I am sure he'll send you the route. He is still working on it and is presently doing the part of the route that goes to St.Thomas.