Feather River Canyon Announced

[mountainrail2012]

FYI The Reno track you are asking about is partially still being used today on about seven miles from the Reno side. UP stopped maintaining, and disconnected the track at the Reno Junction from the South direction about seven to ten years ago. The track took what you could call almost a narrow gauge mountain path (at I think 15 to 25mph) into Reno and became too hard to maintain, up to the section that is closer to Reno. Every time they tried to use it something would de-rail and would be a nightmare to re-rail. By DTG not building the route to the "Reno Junction" you will not be able to transverse one of the longest, and most beautiful open valley's (Sierra Valley) west of the Rocky mountains. So open in fact they have had crosswind problems with container trains being blown over. The weather is influenced by the storms passing south through the high sierra area and can be quite cold, and windy in the Winter. I am not sure how many "body's" DTG have working at building these Route's so it is hard to justify hammering them for not putting out a "finished" product, I do know that the Terrain Data from USGS. coming through that whole area( Oroville to Portola) is a mess, so maybe an up date down the road would be a possibility. After all if Marc can do it with his Route what is the excuse DTG can use that anyone will swallow! I guess they are used to us buying unfinished product's and getting away with it. Buzz, sorry this went a bit long.
Cheers Mountainrail2012

[buzz456]

Why do they need any excuses? They do what they do and you can choose to buy it or not buy it. It's like saying I want a Cadillac but I only want to pay for a Chevy. If they made the route hundreds of miles long one or more of you would be bitching that they should have done this or that and by the way the mailbox in front of my aunt Dolly's house is the wrong color. The only solution is a computer program that has every mile of railroad track in the entire US and Canada. Oh yeah and don't forget to program in all of the abandoned track that ever existed and ..................
Rant off.

[Derek]

Hi Guys, your feedback is fine, I don't mind your comments here at all. I may not agree with them but it is all relative.
There is an email address for official feedback and it works well, trust me.
While I have the power to interfere with what we produce it is not my place to redesign a product on the fly.

The reason a route is from A to B (or C, D and E) is because it has been discussed and thought through.
The scope of each project is weighed up with resource, quality and quantity and available release slots many months in advance.
Of course natural and other forces come into play too, holidays, illness, curve balls from left field etc. so adding an extra 50 miles to a route is not an option I'm afraid.

DTG listen and care about the products they make and how they are perceived by the customers, but I think you know that really.
Seriously if that were not the case we would not be still here.

This next section is written with a smile on my face because I have some really fond memories of the turbulent times.

Over the 10 years I have been working with the software I have had my fair share of criticism/constructive feedback and personal abuse.
This is my hobby and I enjoy it as much as anyone, I come here as part of my hobby and not as a dev.
The tone of the replies here are respectful to all and for me that is key, I don't have to be shouted at (I get lots of that at home), nor do I want to do the shouting (I do plenty of that at home)
:)
d

[ArcticCatZRT]

Hi Guys, your feedback is fine, I don't mind your comments here at all. I may not agree with them but it is all relative.
There is an email address for official feedback and it works well, trust me.
While I have the power to interfere with what we produce it is not my place to redesign a product on the fly.

The reason a route is from A to B (or C, D and E) is because it has been discussed and thought through.
The scope of each project is weighed up with resource, quality and quantity and available release slots many months in advance.
Of course natural and other forces come into play too, holidays, illness, curve balls from left field etc. so adding an extra 50 miles to a route is not an option I'm afraid.

DTG listen and care about the products they make and how they are perceived by the customers, but I think you know that really.
Seriously if that were not the case we would not be still here.

This next section is written with a smile on my face because I have some really fond memories of the turbulent times.

Over the 10 years I have been working with the software I have had my fair share of criticism/constructive feedback and personal abuse.
This is my hobby and I enjoy it as much as anyone, I come here as part of my hobby and not as a dev.
The tone of the replies here are respectful to all and for me that is key, I don't have to be shouted at (I get lots of that at home), nor do I want to do the shouting (I do plenty of that at home)
:)
d

Thanks for posting a reply to try and clear this up and also to calm the natives. Its always nice to hear from the people that make the product that so many enjoy. I'm personally just happy you guys are still around and making American content especially when looking at all of the licensing issues you have been having over here lately.

Just wish others on the board took the time to sit down and thing about the decisions that DTG are making. At least to see reasons for doing things a certain way (I.E. end points for routes). Everyone at DTG are humans... no one is perfect but also DTG is a business that needs to survive.

Like I said last night, I am actually excited for this route.

[OldProf]

... DTG doesn't care about us and don't know anything about us at all.

Disclaimer: Rueful rhetoric provided by Poor Pitiful Pearl. "Nobody loves me; everybody hates me; I'm gonna go eat worms!

By the way, DTG cannot be both singular and plural . . . unless, perhaps, you're a journalist, a politician, or perhaps a post-Chomsky English teacher.

[OldProf]

Hi Guys, your feedback is fine, I don't mind your comments here at all. I may not agree with them but it is all relative.
There is an email address for official feedback and it works well, trust me.
While I have the power to interfere with what we produce it is not my place to redesign a product on the fly.

The reason a route is from A to B (or C, D and E) is because it has been discussed and thought through.
The scope of each project is weighed up with resource, quality and quantity and available release slots many months in advance.
Of course natural and other forces come into play too, holidays, illness, curve balls from left field etc. so adding an extra 50 miles to a route is not an option I'm afraid.

DTG listen and care about the products they make and how they are perceived by the customers, but I think you know that really.
Seriously if that were not the case we would not be still here.

This next section is written with a smile on my face because I have some really fond memories of the turbulent times.

Over the 10 years I have been working with the software I have had my fair share of criticism/constructive feedback and personal abuse.
This is my hobby and I enjoy it as much as anyone, I come here as part of my hobby and not as a dev.
The tone of the replies here are respectful to all and for me that is key, I don't have to be shouted at (I get lots of that at home), nor do I want to do the shouting (I do plenty of that at home)
:)
d

Thanks, Derek, for bringing some logic and reality to this thread.

[Griphos]

I'll get this route. What an iconic route, and the screenshots are quite lovely. Looks like detailed and attentive crafting so far.

I also appreciate that Derek and Bob hang out here as well, and not only for Bob's sense of humor. Many of you may not have some of their UK routes, but their work, on routes on both sides of the pond, has been consistently some of the best that DTG offers.

As for that silly post from PPP (that reference takes me back!), I always have appreciated that this forum has so little (despite what Buzz seems to think) of that kind of uncritical and unreasoned whining you see on most gaming forums, mostly as a result of the usual age level of the participants, I suspect, on those. It's kind of nice that train folks are more usually older, such as myself, even if that means a higher grumpy factor as well.

[Chacal]

I think I'll keep Derek's answer for future use in similar threads...

This shows DTG is mature and professionnal. I work in IT myself and been part of several software projects (not for games, sadly).
Once the customer's needs and the design (architecture) (features) are decided and approved, implementation begins. Going back to design at this stage is very exceptional, it shows lack of control in the development process. It is also a waste of resources and bad for morale.

If you are doing a route, you can change your mind in mid-process, because you're an amateur and you're only wasting your own time. A company can't do that.

[jalsina]

Okay, this is what I'm familiar with.
I didn't know about the other line to Reno as well as Fernley NV.

wpacific.jpg

Nice map Eric, probably from the early Western Pacific era.
Here is a screenshot of Google Maps of the current Fernley, NV area. It would seem that old branch was condemned.

fernley.jpg

This is a screenshot showing the full route from Oroville to Winnemucca in the Nevada desert where the route meets the main line coming from Donner. I would love to have that part of the desert route:

FeatherRiver.jpg

You can see the announced terminal of the DTG route at Quincy Junction where a branch goes to the north, following the eastern slope of the mountains range, up to northern Oregon.

FYI The Reno track you are asking about is partially still being used today on about seven miles from the Reno side. UP stopped maintaining, and disconnected the track at the Reno Junction from the South direction about seven to ten years ago. The track took what you could call almost a narrow gauge mountain path (at I think 15 to 25mph) into Reno and became too hard to maintain, up to the section that is closer to Reno. Every time they tried to use it something would de-rail and would be a nightmare to re-rail. By DTG not building the route to the "Reno Junction" you will not be able to transverse one of the longest, and most beautiful open valley's (Sierra Valley) west of the Rocky mountains. So open in fact they have had crosswind problems with container trains being blown over. The weather is influenced by the storms passing south through the high sierra area and can be quite cold, and windy in the Winter. I am not sure how many "body's" DTG have working at building these Route's so it is hard to justify hammering them for not putting out a "finished" product, I do know that the Terrain Data from USGS. coming through that whole area( Oroville to Portola) is a mess, so maybe an up date down the road would be a possibility. After all if Marc can do it with his Route what is the excuse DTG can use that anyone will swallow! I guess they are used to us buying unfinished product's and getting away with it. Buzz, sorry this went a bit long.
Cheers Mountainrail2012

[georgian22]

First, thanks DTG for developing this route! After all, if not for your announcement and development, this post would not exist. I for one, can definitely appreciate your labor and work ethic in this feat. As an optimist, there may be a happy medium for end users who feel as though the route is not being represented in its entirety. Although time consuming, based on one's skill set, you could easily extend the route yourself if you desire to replicate the subdivision as you see fit (i.e. as this is the only option based on the developer's statements).

O'brian

[jalsina]

First, thanks DTG for developing this route! After all, if not for your announcement and development, this post would not exist. I for one, can definitely appreciate your labor and work ethic in this feat. As an optimist, there may be a happy medium for end users who feel as though the route is not being represented in its entirety. Although time consuming, based on one's skill set, you could easily extend the route yourself if you desire to replicate the subdivision as you see fit (i.e. as this is the only option based on the developer's statements).

O'brian

Look O´brian, The way things have been announced and how the pics look, it wouldn´t be strange that we have this route released next week.

[trev123]

This happens all the time whether the route is US, UK German etc people always complain that it should of gone here or there etc, etc.

[Ericmopar]

This happens all the time whether the rout is US, UK German etc people always complain that it should of gone here or there etc, etc.

True and I would agree in most cases "Bull Pucky!" has been spoken, but in this case, they're doing a nice job, but it really should have gone farther up to Portola. Those that know the route well and have been there would agree on this. Hopefully someone will extend it someday.

As far as complaining about "routs", some complain and some celebrate, it all depends on what side you are on...

[mountainrail2012]

Thank you Derek, for being there for us and I can't wait for this to come out of the closet If any one wants the Google (Marker/Series)for the route I might be able to put something together for upload to this site (with Buzz's blessing of course). It might take a bit to "clean" them up but they would come as is. I don't think any of my route's Track files will work on this new DTG rendition because of the starting point difference's between the two routes. Also I had to change one of Marc's( with his blessing )Freight track rules to get tighter turn radius's on some of the tunnel's. And my mistake is I forgot to re-name it before I started to use it throughout the route
Cheers Mountainrail2012

[jalsina]

True and I would agree in most cases "Bull Pucky!" has been spoken, but in this case, they're doing a nice job, but it really should have gone farther up to Portola. Those that know the route well and have been there would agree on this. Hopefully someone will extend it someday.
....

And the distance from Quincy to Portola is not that long.