Union Pacific FEF-3 4-8-4 Northern type steam locomotive, by Smokebox

[mrennie]

Looking magnificent, Mike

Thank you very much John

Won't be long now before I get the smokebox cradle on ... working my way upwards.

[bpetit]

http://www.engine-driver.com/2013/06/an ... ss_11.html

Nice read.

[PapaXpress]

... the cylinder caps seem to have distracted us a bit

They were shiny.

[mrennie]

http://www.engine-driver.com/2013/06/another-look-at-spectacular-at-class_11.html

Nice read.

it's just a pity that they left out the videos I'd embedded in it. Oh well ...

Oh, and I see that a certain person who called it "junk" (followed by several exclamation marks) when it was first released, is at it again on RSC's facebook page, seemingly trying to put people off getting it. This time, I couldn't resist correcting him.

[mrennie]

They were shiny.

[_o_OOOO_oo-Kanawha]

Here's how far I've got ...

ScreenShot014.jpg

Is that a cast enginebed?

Looking great, with that main air reservoir cast into the frame.

Polished cylinder caps and rods, you intend to model UP 844 as the present day excursion engine first?
And perhaps "working" passenger locomotives later?

How would you model the cockled/warped smoke deflectors on that shining as new 844?

[mrennie]

Is that a cast enginebed?

Exactly right

Looking great, with that main air reservoir cast into the frame.
[/quote]

I was wondering if someone would notice that It was a clever idea to put it there, instead of strapped to the sides of the boiler.

Polished cylinder caps and rods, you intend to model UP 844 as the present day excursion engine first?
And perhaps "working" passenger locomotives later?[/quote]

Exactly right again. There'll be several livery variations (including Greyhound), a version without smoke deflectors, and I'm considering have not just one, but two variations of weathered - lightly and heavily. The cabs of the weathered ones would be made to match. The modern instruments (radio, for example) would be absent from the weathered cabs.

[mrennie]

How would you model the cockled/warped smoke deflectors on that shining as new 844?

That's something I've been thinking about for a while. I had thought of using a special bump map texture, then I thought of using specular shine and actually modelling the warping. I'll probably end up with a combination of the two. The warping is a very noticeable feature of the loco and it's essential to model it convincingly.

[buzz456]

I want the period 844 so do not want the foo-foo. I don't intend to run excursions with this magnificent beast.

[mrennie]

I want the period 844 so do not want the foo-foo. I don't intend to run excursions with this magnificent beast.

I'll take extra care to make the dirty one really dirty, like it might have looked in the 1950s

[buzz456]

up828.jpg

Yeah, like this!

[mrennie]

up828.jpg

Yeah, like this!

Luckily, even the dirty ones had some shine on them - it makes it easier to give them the metallic feel. Still, the cylinder caps won't be reflecting anything

[bpetit]

Man that thing doesn't even look right with out the elephant ears.

[GLRX12]

There is really no such thing as a dirty FEF. UP cared about these engines greatly.....rarely did they get dirty!

[_o_OOOO_oo-Kanawha]

Man that thing doesn't even look right with out the elephant ears.

I think so too. The few US passenger engines that had "elephant ear" style smoke deflectors were greatly enhanced by them in their appearance of "power" and "might" IMO.

NYC 4-8-2 Mohaws and 4-8-4 Niagara's,
WP GS-6 class 4-8-4's,
UP 4-6-6-4 in passenger service, come foremost to my mind, but there are probably a few more.
NKP/Wabash 4-6-4's rebuilt from USRA mikado's (?)

Is it possible to start looking forwards towards the actual animation and simulation of UP 844? The sights and sound that make her come to life in our sims?

She has twin exhaust stacks, but TS2013 doesn't allow for more than one synchronized smoke emitter.
The typical towering exhaust of US steam locomotives accelerating under full power with wide open throttle hasn't been captured very well before either, since there is no emitter parameter that controls speed of emission.

Cylinder cocks also emit steam synchronized with the driving wheels' rotation, again I think impossible with the current emitters. Unless one tries to script one's own "single shot" emitters and synchronizes them with the motion oneself.

Hot water gushing from the live steam injector being primed?
Sand dust when sanding (not really necessary in a passenger engine, as opposed to Big Boy climbing Sherman Hill for instance)?

Capturing sounds off the real 844 wouldn't be that much of a problem with all the folks here having taped her or even with access to the real loco.

Still, a model of this quality needs this attention to details like the above to top it off.