Sacramento Northern!

[awaken1977]

Someone noticed problem with lack of gravitation?

Interurban train needpower to go down on 2% grade, otherwise it slows down and stops. It should roll freely and accelerate under g-force.
I didn't try with freight yet

[AmericanSteam]

Herewith: a partial photo of the actual cab.

Gauge.jpg

Thank you for the answer. I thought it was a simple question. I didn't realize it would generate so much flack.

[OldProf]

Just a note, the temperature gauge in cab reads in degrees centigrade. Should this be in Fahrenheit?

Not in California which, at least as of today, is still part of the U S of A, where ordinary folk measure temperatures in Centigrade.

What...
Where did that bit of alternative science come from?
We use the Big "F".

Someday I may take up reading or writing or, at the very least, thinking before writing.

[GERUNIMO625]

Howdy Folks!

Hope everyone had a good weekend.
Finally decided to start work on these. Actually they are done, all five of them 495-499.

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img_16147.jpg

Next up these:

SNinterredo.jpg

Have a good week!

EDITED on 22 FEB 2016: Changed the paint scheme a little bit to better reflect the real deal. This time I didn't edit the screenshot and increase the contrast (trying to be cute) so now you can see the accurate colors.

[GERUNIMO625]

Hope everyone is enjoying their weekend!

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Take care!

[RailWanderer]

Those look great Jerry, nice work.

[ChrisOnline]

Now in the library - GE 44 Tonner in Sacramento Northern post-war livery (the SN owned seven GE 44's in total)

Sacramento Northern GE 44 Tonners.jpg

[NorthernWarrior]

Hope this is the correct thread to post praise for this route, which I just got round to buying in the current September sale.

Well it's a magnificent piece of work, quite unlike anything else I've come across in Railworks. The route is very well made and hard to believe this area is now part of a huge built up conurbation (I remember staying in the Motel 6 at Walnut Creek and catching the BART into SF). The rail vehicles are also excellent, only slight criticism is they could maybe do with a bit deeper traction growl and whine. Haven't discovered yet if the Key (?) trams are driveable.

Good collection of scenarios with interesting pop ups and commentary as you proceed along the line. A lot of thought and love seems to have gone into this, I think.

High praise to the author(s) and we need more like it in TS.

[buzz456]

If you are interested Vern there is a free patch in the library which will convert the somewhat boring generic signs to more specific signage.

[NorthernWarrior]

Thanks Buzz, I may check that out.

At the moment my brain also pondering where else these electric cars and infrastructure could be used (with a bit of modelers' license!).

[LandN]

I am reading this thread for the first time, and I noticed I am not the only one with Sky textures being missing. I am having the same problem and I have not modified the route in any manner.

[buzz456]

I am reading this thread for the first time, and I noticed I am not the only one with Sky textures being missing. I am having the same problem and I have not modified the route in any manner.

I think it must have something to do with your settings. I have sky textures. Picture?

[Barry]

Hi everyone. So I came here first of all to say how much I love the Sacramento Northern route, I actually only bought TS2018 because this route drew my eye, and I practically have only played this route. I'm especially fond of the bridge railway with its in-cab signalling, I love playing those parts with no HUD, just the in-cab signalling.

Now, there are some things I wanted to ask if the venerable mr. Rick Grout is still around to read this, this is in no way any criticism, just curiosity. I found an SN timetable from late 1939, as well as other pre-bridge timetables, and I found that train 10 consistently ran in the evening. In the 1939 timetable the schedule for train 10 is exactly like in the game EXCEPT it runs at 8:10 PM, not AM. I take it this was a poetic license so you could run in daylight?

Then there's the thing with the Key System trains -- did you guys even look at a Key System timetable? I'm not criticising, just being cheeky, because if you know the Key System timetable the in game Key System trains run at almost comically high frequency: In the Meteor scenario, the final part from Oakland to SF, you pass two C line trains in the span of a few minutes. Peak frequency on each line was about every 20-30 minutes, and off-peak, like at the time you run the Meteor, they ran every 45-60 minutes. So it would be very strange to pass two C-line trains in such a short timespan. I'm just curious if this was a conscious license you took, or if you were just using your best judgement on the Key system frequency, thinking that it ran more frequently so timetables were not of the issue?
Similar question for the first train 10 scenario, at the first junction (where lines A and B branch off) and you get delayed, after an SF bound train passes you're made to wait for a C train to get ahead of you, coming from a yard. According to a 1940 timetable there were no C trains that didn't start at the Transbay Terminal, is there any actual basis for this train (as in a deadhand movement), or was this simply another poetic license? Like I said, I'm not criticizing, I understand that you wanted to put some life and variation into the route, I'm just curious as to where the fact ends and the fiction begins.

One little thing I did find a wee bit disappointing is that there's no vehicles on the Bay Bridge. It would have been nice to pass the occasional truck or bus, it seems a bit lonely on the bridge.
One other teeny tiny criticism I have is that in the Train 10 scenario I think it is you get told that speed limits are not strictly enforced, however you still get points deduced for speeding. This doesn't happen in the other scenario. I'm referring to the scenarios outside of Oakland, of course.

Then I have one more question, in the final scenario of Train 10, where you're running late and supposed to make up the lost time, is there any specific message you get if you manage to get to Mallard on time? I once almost made it there before 9:50, and if I tried really hard I might make it -- but is there a point to it? Or are you not even supposed to be able to make it on time and you'll always get the "you're late but it's ok" message?

So this is my 2 cents on this magnificent route which I've thoroughly enjoyed and probably will keep enjoying for some time. I've seen there are some additional scenarios available online, but none that have you running the full length of the line. It would be great if we'd eventually get maybe one or two scenarios to run the whole route, or maybe a train to Pittsburg, or a scenario at night or with rain. I'm always running the same trains, Train 10 and The Meteor.

Also, I just want to say, if you guys ever consider it, I'd love to see a Key System route. I mean, you've got half of it modeled already, right? Just need to make the bridge units driveable, and complete a bunch of lines. I'd gladly pay the full price even knowing part of it is "recycled". Just putting it out there...

Cheers,
Barry

[ricksan]

I just noticed Barry's post.

-- Yes, I'm still around but I spend most of my hobby time making things rather than reading about them.
-- I can't speak for Jim, who crafted all the SN scenarios, but though I generally try to be respectful of historical details I often take liberties with those details for various reasons. As most authors say, any errors, intentional or otherwise, are ours alone. Fortunately, the design of TS is very amenable to modders and there's nothing to prevent someone else from creating and publishing scenarios that are completely faithful to a given timetable.
-- I thought of putting cars on the bridge, but since the car-spawner system has undergone almost no improvement since Kuju developed it nearly 20 years ago, I decided I'd rather see no cars at all than put up with them magically appearing and disappearing next to my train. Less work for me, too!
-- The speeding point deductions are an unfortunate consequence of the "career" system mandated by DTG. You can read about what people think about career scenarios elsewhere. And if you look around you can also find out how to convert career scenarios to standard scenarios and not be bothered with meaningless point scores.
-- Regarding the Key System, my attitude has always been that the SN route is about SN. The other railroad companies are only represented because it makes running SN trains more interesting. The flexibility of TS also extends to route mods and there's nothing to prevent someone from cloning a route and expanding its scope. The bridge units and red cars are in fact driveable, they just don't have cab views.

Glad your enjoying the SN route!

[OldProf]

I just noticed Barry's post.

-- Yes, I'm still around but I spend most of my hobby time making things rather than reading about them.
-- I can't speak for Jim, who crafted all the SN scenarios, but though I generally try to be respectful of historical details I often take liberties with those details for various reasons. As most authors say, any errors, intentional or otherwise, are ours alone. Fortunately, the design of TS is very amenable to modders and there's nothing to prevent someone else from creating and publishing scenarios that are completely faithful to a given timetable.
-- I thought of putting cars on the bridge, but since the car-spawner system has undergone almost no improvement since Kuju developed it nearly 20 years ago, I decided I'd rather see no cars at all than put up with them magically appearing and disappearing next to my train. Less work for me, too!
-- The speeding point deductions are an unfortunate consequence of the "career" system mandated by DTG. You can read about what people think about career scenarios elsewhere. And if you look around you can also find out how to convert career scenarios to standard scenarios and not be bothered with meaningless point scores.
-- Regarding the Key System, my attitude has always been that the SN route is about SN. The other railroad companies are only represented because it makes running SN trains more interesting. The flexibility of TS also extends to route mods and there's nothing to prevent someone from cloning a route and expanding its scope. The bridge units and red cars are in fact driveable, they just don't have cab views.

Glad your enjoying the SN route!

Hello, Rick,
Just want to say that I understand and agree completely with your road vehicle policy and thank you for sticking with it. I'll just add that anyone frustrated by Career scenarios can simply turn off the Career Mode option: not being shamed by point losses far outweighs gaining any in my opinion.
I'm looking forward to your next project's appearance.