3 Track Cajon Project

[Tomcat]

Thank you for the kind words minerman146.

" OMG, I just spent 3 hours on Parking Lots" .

I know the feeling well! I just spent about that much time kitbashing the Sierra Avenue overpass. It's not perfect but it's about as much time as I want to devote to one overpass, after all it's not Road Simulator 2016.

SierraAveOver01.jpg

SierraAveOver02.jpg

[Boss1]

Epic work! It looks spot on.

[dtrainBNSF1]

Very nice! I myself am doing a similar project on Donner Pass, and trust me even though the track infrastructure part is almost done, reworking the scenery at places like Roseville and Reno is going to be a bear. That being said, keep it up! It'll be worth it when it's done! And since this seems to be your first big project at RWA

[Ericmopar]

Very nice! I myself am doing a similar project on Donner Pass, and trust me even though the track infrastructure part is almost done, reworking the scenery at places like Roseville and Reno is going to be a bear.

That's true, I used epoxy to glue everything down. I believe in a good solid job...

[BlueLight]

I've been away for awhile but didn't Bill Putnam update Bontempo's Cajon Pass a few years back? I believe that the third track was added back then.

[gtrtroger]

I've got Bills rework and it's still just an expansion of the old Cajon Pass. What Tomcat is,doing here, IMHO, is head and shoulders above Bills effort and completely original. It will make a great middle route for a Southern California trifecta... Marc's Tehachapi Pass to Tomcat's Cajon Pass an my Pacific Surfliner updates...

[Tomcat]

Epic work! It looks spot on.

Very nice!...

Thanks guys.

dtrainBNSF1 - Thanks for the welcome. It is my first project here, or anywhere else for that matter.

I've been away for awhile but didn't Bill Putnam update Bontempo's Cajon Pass a few years back? I believe that the third track was added back then.

I'm aware of the effort but do not have first hand knowledge of it. The few screenshots I've seen of it didn't peak my interest and the distribution 'method' made me cringe.

What Tomcat is,doing here, IMHO, is head and shoulders above...

Thank you sir!

[imnew]

Awesome work

[Tomcat]

I've been in slow mode for the past week or so, letting my batteries recharge. Managed to put in a few more hours between Sierra and Pepper avenues both North and South of the West Colton Yard. This is the most tortuous part of the route so far with 5 miles of down and dirty grunt labor, manhandling of assets, clouds of dust, cats and dogs fleeing left and right... but I digress. It's rough going but for every acre I finish I think to myself 'That's one acre I'll never have to touch again.', at least not in TS2016.

While flying back and forth between Sierra and Pepper the West Colton engine service area kept calling to me. It's been sitting naked for several months so for a bit of a change of pace I started placing some assets down. Like many highly detailed sections of the route my lack of modeling skills forces me to interpret rather than accurately recreate. What's here so far is only half to a third of what I have in mind and it may very well change in the next week. So, for your consideration is what I've done this morning - if nothing else it's starting to look like a place for servicing.

WestColtonLocoService01.jpg

[BKRR605]

Good work

[NYWhiskey]

Looks like you're giving minerman a run for his money on the highway setup, very cool.

Keep switching between Wild Turkey and Jameson's like I do! Its good to mix it up, well except the Whiskey always do that neat.
Minerman

Now I know why I like you so much. I'm gonna have to drop you off a bottle on my way up to Campbell Hall.

[Tomcat]

Looks like you're giving minerman a run for his money on the highway setup, very cool.

Thank you. I think minerman (men) really are running while I'm just out for an evening constitutional.


Further work over the past week or so while I'm in 'slow' mode. First up, the West end of West Colton hump bowl. Maybe the next generation of sims will have working hump yards. I know that's not to everyone's taste but it couldn't hurt to have it available for those who would like to dabble.

WestEndHump01.jpg

The West Colton departure yard tracks look to have asphalt between them up to the crossties. Haven't come across a suitable asphalt loft so I used sidewalk lofts to give roughly the appearance I wanted.

DepartureYard01.jpg

Next 2 screenshots are revisiting the Sierra Avenue overpass with additional scenery since last seen. Making good progress between here and the Colton-Palmdale cutoff both North and South of the tracks.

Bloomington01.jpg

Bloomington01a.jpg

[Tomcat]

Some random shots around the West Colton receiving yard.

Bloomington06.jpg

Bloomington05.jpg

Bloomington04.jpg

Bloomington02.jpg

[minerman146]

Tomcat,

Sweet Mary ! Those are some massive yards!
I am looking back at 2 years - you are looking forward and still chugging along. Clean, tidy and meticulous scenery work is what I see.
My suggestion for you, which in the end, has worked for me so well, is to release as a work in process and post updates. You will get the feed back now that you need to keep pressing on. Those that have it will understand and express real gratitude for what you are doing here.

Don't stop - don't quit, its magnificent!

Warm regards,

Minerman

[Tomcat]

Tomcat,

Sweet Mary ! Those are some massive yards! ...Don't stop - don't quit...

I take this as meaning you want me to keep making massive yards, at least in so far as I've mangled your quote.

Curiously enough, before I started this re-working of Cajon I was seriously considering doing the U.P Bailey yard in North Platte, Nebraska. Not a subdivision leading either to or away from it, just the yard itself and maybe 4 or 5 miles of right-of-way West and East of the yard. I find so many interesting things in the yard itself that I can imagine dozens of scenarios just within its confines. What stopped me was there were no assets for pretty much anything there and if it was going to be the focus of the route then I felt it would need accurate assets to pull it off - or, maybe it was just a silly idea. I might revisit the idea after I start to dabble with blender, or 3ds Max if I can find some sort of adult education course that might be offered on it so I could honestly apply for the student license.

On the other hand I might, once Cajon is finished, plunge right in with another large project in terms of mileage but less intense in terms of scenery.

On a serious note, I don't plan on stopping or quitting... as frustrating as it is at times, much more often than not it's just too much fun. To tell the truth, even the frustrating moments can be fun trying to figure a way around the sims shortcomings, oddities and quirks, lack of proper assets, lack of skills on my part or anything else that pops up and says boo.