I take a ton of pictures of just scenery. The running gag with some of my route builder pals is that this game is really Terrain Simulator. Harriman is a case in point. While all this work is justified as scenery around the Nepera plant, its really the background for your view from the mainline. What is here is a 1.5 by 2.5 mile somewhat defoliated plain, that is surrounded by 900 to 1300 foot hills (in NY that's a Mountain). What I hope is clear is that rail roads follow the rivers and streams and you can see that in the geology I attempt to convey.
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So, morning after morning and night after night, I slug it out, one asset at a time. The purpose: get to the end of this work. And I am getting closer. My hope is to create the most spectacularly rendered scenery possible and make this the best 25 miles of forest running ever. I firmly believe that this scenery work makes running any train any where on this route more immersive than in other offerings. The real scenery is so diverse and interesting visually that I can just copy what I see and that is over half the battle. Mentally, I am gearing up for the next three miles after this section form Harriman to Woodbury, NY is complete. Its a continuation of the valley that I have been working on the past 3 months. This, will lead to the 3,000 foot Moodna Viaduct. I cant believe I am doing all this work just to have even more intense work and the engineering challenge of building this structure without Maria's Pass or even vertical trusses. Then, the bridge looms 190 feet above the valley and you have amazing viewing distance to the North and South. There is an unbroken view some 10 miles distant to the North and about 7 to the South. This means I have to put those distant mountains in. This is something to wrap your head around for sure!
Unfortunately, pictures cannot convey what it looks like in game. There are so many little hills, cuts and inclines everywhere here. Some are subtle, others are more obvious. When you get up here peek out the window of the cab and just look at the rise and fall of the canopy of trees and it goes off in the distance.
Enjoy.
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