Railworks America

Been off the forum for a while now, hello again! About a month ago I started a project I intended for release on the steam workshop. I'm attempting to re-create the Strasburg Railroad as it was around 1920. Finding reference material has been difficult but I have found a decent amount of information. That being said, I have been using my artistic license for all it's worth. The route mostly uses Bessemer & Lake Erie assets, with a few from Horseshoe Curve and the US Asset pack (and that's it). With the current state of the B&LE, I cannot put the Strasburg route on the workshop at present. I'm looking at uploading it to the file library here when finished instead. Below are a few shots from a scenario I'm making to go with the route. I'll be taking some more shots as testing progesses. Most of the work on the route itself is basically done, I'm writing scenarios and cleaning up little scenic mistakes in places at the moment.











What do you all think?

It looks lovely and we would be proud to host it here.

Very nice!

Looks wonderful!

If you were just going to release it at RWA for good you could also use some of my cars as well, I've got several buildings and cars available on my website.

I appreciate it Jon, though for the time being I want to keep the door open to a possible workshop release depending on how the B&LE issue is sorted out. (That being said, an RWA release would have the advantage of coming with scenarios out of the box.)

To everyone else: Thanks!

Here are a few candid shots of the route. Work continues and the scenario editor editor keeps crossing its eyes at my switching instructions...

The original terminus of the railroad at the Homsher Mill.


Esbenshade Road and the present-day location of the Turkey Farm


"Long Curve" (between the bridge and Leaman Place)


Leaman Place, where one of the smallest railroads in the country met one of the largest. This was before electrification and when Henry Leaman's Hotel still stood.

I PM-ed a link to Bob the other day, so hopefully the route will be available for your enjoyment this Saturday.

I published it last Sunday.

Thank you so much for this route! What a gem it is! The scenery work is beautiful and the track layout promises so much fun shuffling cars back and forth.

Also, some may not remember these, but I find that Cecil Kerr's old CPR steamers fit really well on this route. The 4-4-0 even looks a bit like the PRR D3, it has very similar proportions and details (though the missing front coupler is an issue). The 2-8-0 is from the same era though and could be another stand-in if the 0-6-0 from the B&LE is deemed too "modern" for the 1920-56 operations.

By the way, thanks much for the detailed introduction to the route, its history and operations. Fascinating stuff!

Cheers
Michael

Thank you Michael! I'm glad you're enjoying it!

I did play around the Cecil's 4-4-0 a little, but the front coupler was an issue. Granted, if one couples the combine to the front of the locomotive in the scenario editor and leaves it that way for the duration of the scenario, it could work.

Post-1926, Strasburg used a little Gas-Mechanical locomotive manufactured by the Plymouth Locomotive works. The locomotive is still on the property today and is operable. I believe it was painted grey back then however. In some ways I wish we had a critter like this in game, but secondhand steam works just as well.

The Route looks fantastic!! I hope this is not too much to post cause I hate making new post for the same subject. If it's alright.

Are you planning to do a Modern Strasburg? with this same route or seperated? I would love to drive it!