Railworks America

this is a fictional route i decided to make because of the new shay locomotives from britkits. the route will consist of 2 towns, and many branches off to the logging camps. there is even a branch only accesable by the vulcan 0-4-2 or the 2-4-2 small switcher locomotives. this is because the track is so bad and has so many sharp curves that a normal steam loco or even the shay locos would derail. i have tested with a 2-8-0 and it will derail around one corrner due to the bad track in the mountain. i will post some sreenshots as i get more scenery done. there will also be a small coalmine that is in the mountains. in the main town there are many induistrys that the Serman Logging Co. serves such as a lumbermill, furniture factory, and other small wood related induistrys that i have not thought of yet. Sherman, the town the railroad is named after, is the main base for the company, who has some trackage rights on the NP track that runs through the town. The Sherman Logging Co. owns 8 locomotives, 4 class C shays, 2 class B shays, and 2 vulcans. the company has full steam servacing facilitys right beside their yard, which is basicaly right beside the first branch. there will be many switchbacks going to some logging camps, so if you don't love switching this would not be a route for you, but for the rest of you, i thing it will be a great addition whenever i finish it. i will release a V1 when i finish the first branch and the town of Sherman. if you decide to download this route it is recomended that you get these addons:

britkits:
logging package

golden age:
np freight sets
freeware 36ft boxcars
freeware wood side gondolas
freeware skeleton log cars
freeware 40ft flatcars
any of the bulkhead flatcars

allaboard:
any of the routes that give you the free assets

everything else will be provided with the route.

the reason i am telling everyone what to get now is so that you can save up and get the stuff before the route is out, so there is no waiting to get the assets after it is out. i guess i got carried away with talking about the route! the first screenshots should be at the end of the week!!! i am open to some recomendations on the route, and if anyone has some logging assets they are welcome to tell me about them. i estamate this route will be done around mid to late February as the route will only have about 20-30 miles of track. let me know if you would want more information on the route.

Sounds good. There was a small route in Trainz "Clear Lake Logging" that was really great. So big is not necessarily better.

i just coulden't wait to show some screenshots of this great route! so here they are, of the first branch. i still need to put in some proper colour grass that would be darker. and more bushes and chopped down trees.

Oooh! OoooH! Looking good.

more shots! these are of the small switchback area leading to a small logging camp. this section has some very bad track that only the Vulcan or the other small switcher can go on. also you must have noticed that i don't have the locomotives yet, they are comming when my paypal goes through on the 18th next week. but still only the Vulcan or the other switcher can go on this track without derailing. i never tested this track with a diesel yet but as soon as i do i will let you guys know if it works.

Cool. Wuhu, this gradient in the last picture(your second post) seems to be very steep. The good ol' steamers will puff hard to get the train over the mountain.
Love that.
Just brings this classic Disney cartoon into my mind:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IvZdUlbTs6U&feature=related

Love the switch backs... but that yellow forklift is killing the mood.

yes the forklift will be taken out later, i just wanted to do some log loading. there is nothing to load logs that is in the era.
now i have a screenshot that has the new ground colours!
notice the steep grade! where the loco is, it is about 3-4% and the lower track is 4%. the steepist part of the route will have a very short 6-8% grade. i also tested the route with the alco RS3 and the loco can go everywhere on the route without the problems that the 2-8-0 had.

thecanadianrail wrote:yes the forklift will be taken out later, i just wanted to do some log loading. there is nothing to load logs that is in the era.

Someone needs to model one of these: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steam_donkey

that would be great if someone could.

This route is going to look fantastic with a few Shay's running up and down the switchbacks.

Just to let you know that I have started working on creating a Logging Camp Crane Transfer Point.

I made the cab this morning and will continue to work on this a little each day, I should be done in a couple of weeks.

Here is a picture of the cab. It will eventually be a full crane complete with donkey engine and hoist.



I notice that the corrugation in the picture got a little distorted in the upload - the actual model displays OK.

Great news Dick. I know a couple of us who will use it. Thanks in advance.

Pete Bauer

yes, this is exactly what i was looking for! now all we need is some logging equiptment like saws, old CAT dozers and a idea for an offload point is a log pond! i think i am going to attempt to put a "Makeshift" log pond.

some updates on the scenery at the first logging camp. i have taken out the modern freight dock and added the camp and other scenery.

i still need to add paths at the camp. next i am extending the main branch about 2-4 miles for the next camp. after that maby another 4 or so, i am just going on how i feel when i am bulding. at the end of this branch will be a fair size coal mine. there should be 1 or 2 passby sidings on the branch to allow traffic to pass by. (not that there will be for a while since the branch will not be signaled. i should figure this out if this is possible without signals.)
after this branch i will extend the main line to the next town. at that town there will be a small steel mill and a furniture warehouse plus other stuff i haven't decided on yet. progress is going at a steady pace which is good. now only if that logging crane could be done before part 1 is released. i doubt it though, i guess you will just halfto "imagine" that it is there.