The Racetrack: Aurora - Chicago (BNSF + Metra)

[barnez]

Ah no problem just thought you guys might be interested if you did not know but seems you know. Anyways keep up the great work.

Oh I'm interested. I'd love to see what's actually on those screens and get them into the cab car, but seems unlikely.

Also - as of now we have no idea where the units are being installed on the locomotives

would be all guesswork



-barnez

[barnez]

Isnt their Searchlights on this line?

Only on approach to Union Station - as shown.

The other searchlights between the Canal Wye & Western Ave are in the process of being replaced, as are the signals in Eola and west.

On a related note - there are already 3 signal scripts on the route - and they all had to be taught to play nice with each other. A fourth smelled of disaster.



-barnez

[barnez]

On the topic of signals, so y'all can start preparing:

CORA Signals1.pdf

CORA Signals2.pdf

-barnez

[emd645e3]

On the topic of signals, so y'all can start preparing:

CORA Signals1.pdf

CORA Signals2.pdf

-barnez

If i could get you a video of whats on that screen would you build it in any future Metra content you make?

[donpanek]

This is great. I've been in the Chicago area my whole life. I'm interested to see if any future DLC will come after this route, like the F40C. I was blown away with the preview. It is very clear the developers put their time and effort into this route and didn't rush. I can't wait to download and start driving.

[Metrarailfan]

I'm interested to see if any future DLC will come after this route, like the F40C.

The f40c doesn't run on the BNSF line(Racetrack) so I doubt we'll see that. Maybe the f40phm-2 though as a lot of those run on the line.

[emd645e3]

The f40c doesn't run on the BNSF line(Racetrack) so I doubt we'll see that.

Yes the Metra F40C never have left the Milw lines execpt once, 611 was used on a NCS service for a inbound trip but the all Metra lines out of the north end of Union meet at least once outside of Chicago.

Maybe the f40phm-2 though as a lot of those run on the line.

Actually that is the main motive power there. Even though the F40PH-3s are there the F40PHM-2 outnumber them 3:1. But no biggy we will probably see a F40PHM-2 DLC in the future.

[OpenRailer90]

emd645e3: It's better to have it as an included train ;) and maybe the MP36PH-3S as a DLC train as they don't run the BNSF line anymore but they used to run. It will be good if the MP36 DLC loco comes with another series of Metra cars that don't come with the route pack.

[emd645e3]

emd645e3: It's better to have it as an included train ;) and maybe the MP36PH-3S as a DLC train as they don't run the BNSF line anymore but they used to run. It will be good if the MP36 DLC loco comes with another series of Metra cars that don't come with the route pack.

See I had the idea of this:

F40PHM-2 and ex-MILW Budd coaches.

Mp36ph-3s (soon to be 3c though) with Amrail cab cars and coaches.

BN E9s with ex CB&Q cab cars and coaches.

But I'm not requesting anything im just listing of possible moves for hopefully future DLC.

[UPSD70ACe]

Looking forward to the route.

[bnsf9580]

I don't know much about the freight operations in Chicago. What freight operations would be realistic on this route?

A little bit of everything. As someone who grew up beside the line, granted during the BN era, there was lots of intermodal, piggy back, tank car trains, coal trains, mixed freights, you name it, you'd see it.

Bn was the primary power on the road back in the 90's so lots of SD40-2's and LMX GE's. Occasionally you'd see Cotton belt GP60s running fast freights on the trackage.

Shoot, would also be cool to do the old BN E8/9's on the front of the metra trains. 70's, 80's and early 90's commuter operations could be re-created with those.

Just downloaded the BritKits E8/E9 and have the repaint JUST for this route! I can't wait to actually use it! The Surfliner cars and cab car look funny behind this green. Tried to repaint them, as I have attempted in the past and it hasn't worked too well for me...



Back to the route. Everything I have seen so far looks spectacular! I love the little details that have been put into this, and I honestly can't wait to purchase this! I've been hoping for something Chicago based. I actually put in a request a long while back for the Aurora-Savanna or La Crosse run, but that's another long line, but has a lot to offer. Took time to ATTEMPT to build it myself, except I literally have minimal scenery and absolutely no grades, which suck because Oregon (as shown in the ATCS screen snip in my signature) has a steep grade coming from the E. siding switch almost all the way to the next siding entirely. You get trains screaming down the hill towards the Rock River just E of the switch with dynamic brakes in high, and you can also hear trains dig into the hill in full throttle from my dad's house almost 3 miles away. It sounds wonderful, and I love it. Just wish I grew up in his days with the BN SD40-2's working that grade. Oh how amazing it must have been! Anyways, keep up the good work, and I really can't wait to purchase this! I can always add on from Aurora anyways. I mean I built the line once! What's another time around? Bigger and better?? Keep up the awesome work!!!!!!!



Aaaaaaand just a few more photos from the Aurora Sub near Oregon, IL.

Back in the day, Oregon was the shortest siding between Aurora and La Crosse- only a few hundred feet. A bad accident on the BN (I believe dad said in the early 90's) wiped out part of the bridge. It was caused by one train being too long for the siding, and another train failing to stop in time by the time he realized he HAD to stop. So they cleaned up the mess and decided to move the east switch more west. The yard went from a double entrance yard (on the east and west end) to only a west end entrance, and they added about another mile and a half. This photo, taken by my dad, shows the new bridge over Gale Creek before they had laid the new track. This is just shy of MP 100.



SP 4449 leads a passenger excursion in 2009 to Chicago. I was 12 at the time, and we chased this train all the way from Savanna back home to Oregon. My low quality flip phone photo looks cool but is super low quality. The Oregon Republican Reporter had many 'better' shots than I. This was one, crossing the lowest point in the area on the Aurora- the Rock River.



Around the same time period, my dad nailed this cool consist just west of Chana. You can sort of see the top of the hill coming out of the Rock River valley. The guy on the truck is my uncle. He didn't (and still doesn't) like the train horns that much. Also, note the lead unit. This later became BN's famous LNG test unit. And you can't forget the Oakways!

[Angelo]

"Problem is, no one has done that to other models. Do you think anyone had to fix that before? I dont."
No one else ever noticed or cared.

I honestly have to agree. Come on people, so the ditch lights flash a tiny bit faster than they should. It's not like they reused a different loco's cab view, and it's not something everyone cares about or let alone notices. If you're really wanting a fix, just edit the configs yourself.

Really? On the Surfliner route, this was one of my biggest gripes! They flash too fast, they don't fade in and out, and after the flash timeout ends, you will notice the rear train ditchlights are on... Doh!

Where is this config file and I will gladly edit it myself, if you could show to the area or line in the config that would be so great! Then I would go through and edit all my stock to prototypical use.

[buzz456]

Please can we stay on topic. If you want to talk about this go over to the rolling stock design section.

[Metrarailfan]

Manual= http://www.railsimulator.com/support Must come out on Thursday!!!

[OpenRailer90]

I like how the manual is well laid out. I have a suggestion with improved sounds on the Metra 8500 coaches. That is, aliasing the coach running sounds, flange sounds, and door sounds from the Pacific Surfliner coaches as it sounds like the default freight sounds. The horn and bell sounds will be retained. If it is not released that way I will work on a sound mod by porting over the sounds.

Attention Fan Railer, the F40PH HEP can be disabled or enabled via the 'P' key. Therefore separate HEP and no-HEP physics are not necessary.