New York Division-Bergen Line: Episode III, The Erie Rises

[jalsina]

As LuisaA said.
A Happy New Year and thank you for your continued great job in the Bergen line.

[minerman146]

Thank you Jalsina - We hope to see you very soon running around on the Bergen again. I promise to pick up all the beer bottles I have laying all over the place!

Here we are again - another year - another few miles. Let's recap this year's
milestones.

1. Harlem Station: We went of the deep end and literally off the route, when we put this little postage stamp yard in Bronx, New York. This is our salute to the barge operations of the Erie RR. on the Hudson River, circa 1968.

2. Carlton Hill: This was a must-do as I promised several people I would do the old Erie Main from Rutherford to the Passaic River and the steam powered turntable bridge. Who can forget "Royce Chemical"? We turned the clock back here to 1969.

3. Repaint-Palooza 2019: We got into the 1960's grove so much that I flipped over to the kool kids kamp and became a painter. I did 15 different box cars that would have been found on the EL in the 1960s and released them to the public . The best part: All the help and great conversations with Michael Stephan. Even better, he caught the Erie Bug and made those gorgeous "Dunmore Cabooses" AND every known paint job for the GP7/9s in the Erie, Lackawanna and Erie-Lackawanna fleet.

4. Campbell Hall to Middletown: I didn't want to do it but you guys asked for it. 7 miles, 4 consignees, a siding and a commuter station. It really is a pleasant run.

5. Middletown to Otisville. This has been going on for what seem likes forever.
Farms, Pine Forests a siding for the M&NJ/O&W, another station and a mile-long tunnel, Now, I was SUPPOSED to be done this week but I had a diversion.

6. Secaucus to Hoboken: Signal and Track Rework. This I will put on another post as its still ongoing.

Off the top of my head I think I got 20 miles of track and deep scenery in this year. And you and over 3,000 other guys have this monster on your computers and have been following this build for over 5 and a half years. In April, we complete our 6th year of the building the New York Division - and miles to go before I sleep.

To all of you commenters, private message guys, picture takers, lurkers and the guy who buys me Whiskey - Thank You, a Happy and Prosperous New Year to all and let's see where we end up in 2020.

Carry on!

[jalsina]

Thank you Jalsina - We hope to see you very soon running around on the Bergen again. I promise to pick up all the beer bottles I have laying all over the place!

Here we are again - another year - another few miles. ....

Carry on!

A Sam Adams?

[minerman146]

Pabst Blue Ribbon & Yeungling!

[minerman146]

A new year, a new post, its time again for
The Wednesday Route Report and Update status for this week.

This one is going to be interesting. Lets get the first order of business out of the way.

Friday Route Status:
[ ] Woulda, coulda, shoulda
[ ] So, close but yet so far
[ ] Missed it by (that) much
[ X ] Maybe, just maybe

Otisville was supposed be done for this update, but we had a HUGE diversion. This has happened before, I start working on some branch line instead of working forward, or detailing up an old area. In this case I went backwards. But first a little background. The first thing you have to keep in mind is the Bergen is my ONLY experience in Train Simulator. I have been working on and driving on the same route for 4 months shy of 6 years. Its been said this is my opus - and that is true. So, this is my first and only route.

As you know, I solicit help from you guys to find trouble spots, to help me clean up what I have done before final release and make the route better. Kris120 was kind enough to send me a list of 28 fixes to complete. Portal Moves, signal additions, missing frogs and so on. I like to do a few each week to mix it up from doing straight scenery, with the side benefit of going back to areas I have havent worked in many months or even years. In this case, a simple portal move turned into a massive track repair and signaling project. This was in Secaucus.

Secaucus Junction is modeled on DTGs, New Jersey Coastline Route. This got me the model of Hoboken Terminal I always dreamed of and a bunch of new assets to play with. When I was still working on Rutherford, this route was released. While I was going to do an old school pre 2000 route, I changed gears and went Modern (2001-2003). So, I put in the bypass after HX and laid track to Secaucus Junction and then on to Hoboken. One of my issues at the time, was the Secaucus Junction Model is accurate on the top level that carries the track from Penn Station to Newark. This goes over my New York Divsion, just South of Croxton. But the bottom part is not exactly true. Importantly, is the layout of the platforms. They never really intended that the bottom half be used for anything more than AI and just as a part of the scenery. For me, this platform placement was hard to work the track, as they come in as 3 normally spaced track with 1 off-set that had to fan out to cover the platforms. Then, they re-converge to normal spacing while going up a .06 grade on a curve. I did install Super-EL, but before, there is a straight and slight curves before that where the tracks coverage. These converging tracks use snap to track curves and they get screwed up on grades. So, while working on Kris120s portal work, I noticed several issues: Tracks not parallel to platforms, missing passenger animation, incorrect signal aspects, uneven and bumpy track going East and track corruption.

Let me talk about what track corruption is because this becomes relevant again in Hoboken.

Charactestics of corrupt track:
1. You slice it and crash to desktop
2. You do slice it but crash to desktop when adding track.
3. Game lags in the affected area while you are in editor.
4. AI trains route around it.
5. Player train routes around it.
6. You work track in area within 1km of this corruption and when you save, the track sinks 10 meters for sometimes the entire length of the route, but usually several miles.
7. (New) When using the track selector, where you set the track speed and evenness, you see the track has NO blueprint.
* Note I am talking about a route with multi-track mainline. Single track is more forgiving up to when you lay switches.


How it happens:
I didnt write the code so I cant tell what is happening, but I can tell you the conditions that can cause it.
1. Laying multiple tracks at the same time (2, 4 or more)
2. Snapping multiple track in a curve to a straight.
3. Using multiple track rules by accident or on purpose.
4. Using the switch crossover tool to automate making crossovers.
5. Double slip switches.
6. Using the gradient tool over joints and on curves.

Messed up track wrecks your game bro! These can be VERY hard to find. The fixes always take hours so prevention is your best defense. THINK before you lay track. KNOW what rule you are going to use. AVOID snap to track on curves - use the easement tool as much possible. TEST your track - drive on, check with the selector tool. LOOK at ALL track joints and inspect for breaks and unevenness at the joint.

You guys know all this stuff already. I learned this the hard way!

Next post: On a real railroad, a sign tells you how fast you can go NOT having maximum speed programmed into the rail.

[jalsina]

That track work sounds scary. Uhhh!

[minerman146]

Jalisina - The Bergen is huge, the last time I checked in RW Tools, its over 500 miles of track. And we are just 85 miles from end to end. And you know why, double, triple and four track territory, plus the yards and branches. It scares the heck out of me!

For purposes of my future posts, the picture below shows the moment I found corrupted track in the middle of Hoboken. In the middle of the picture you can see track 2 lifted 2 meters right ... through... my beautiful double slips. The cause was me fixing a track break, 1km to the West at the entrance to the Bergen Tunnel.

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I had a choice - do a restore and lose 3 hours of track work or fix it. I chose the fix it option.

[minerman146]

Signals - The Final Frontier

I have read the manuals, watched the videos and read the post. But until you start working in editor, your just not gonna get it. My approach with working in Train Sim is the same as with other software I dont have full knowledge off. I copy what works and apply that. Customization is very risky when you dont know what your doing. My biggest error was making my own track rule(s) during the route building process because this is a "test route". Such a knucklehead I am.

As I was saying, the railroad uses a rule book and posted sigss to determine speed. In the real world, you can drive as fast as you want until the train flies of the tracks, or you are terminated from your position and possible arrested. In TS2020, you too can go as fast as you want, but the track itself tells you how fast you are supposed to go. And this speed ties in to everything. Take your AI train for example, how does the game know how long it will take to go from point A to B? Why it just calculates the time to travel as the train will dutifully follow the programmed speed. The track also allows for two classes of speed - freight and passenger. Clever. We see in the scenario editor there are classes of trains. We can assume that freight is allowed to go slower. This is ok, as we can modify the track speed to reflect our real-world routes. All fine and dandy. But did ya know that the SIGNALS are tied to track speed? Sure you do. But did you know that when working with multi-head signals (in this game) that each head (in a 3 head) reflects, from top to bottom: High, Medium and Low speed? And also, did ya know, the two head shows Medium and High on the top and Slow on the bottom. You probably figured out the single head shows all track speeds.

After this NOW I finally get the signals. How did I get there? I am about spent for tonight with 2 hours of typing. I want to tell the whole story because it does have a happy ending.

But first look at the 2D map of Hoboken. (pictures are in order from West to East)

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I am the next person to pull this off after DTG did it. But getting the signals and the track set as it is in reality is what I set out to do. I did this like 3 years ago and just the track took 36 man hours for me to do. I don't know how long the signals took the first time, probably the same amount of time. Over the years, I have attempted to overcome the one, most annoying issue with Hoboken on both DTGs route and my route: The only green signal you get through ALL of these signals is the one Before the Bergen tunnel. Finally, I GOT THE dern GREEN LIGHTS!

Guys throw me a bone here - this is one intensely complex track configuration.

[minerman146]

This is all I got for tonight. I am going to be a happy clam when this gets released and you guys see what can be done with AI trains here. It is a hoot!

[bswitzrw]

Hoboken Terminal track layout is a total cluster! WOW!!! Truly incredible you got all that to work the way it is supposed to.

[minerman146]

Cluster is the operative word. The time was put in to test and make corrections. Considering the limitations of the game and my mediocre skills, it does work. The auto dispatcher has issues with weaving through the double slips when I don't want it to. But with markers strategically placed, I can get up to six trains running against each other. I haven't done 7 yet. I'm getting tired with the testing as I have to reload my route for each test.

The point of this effort was to get some kind of green signals as close to the shed as possible. The best I can do is yellow at that block. The rest get greens and appropriate limited aspects like they should.

Combining the track work and signals with my super scenery, it's a shame your ride is no more than 4 minutes to and from the Bergen Tunnel.

Next up is building brand new qds that will represent the 3 lines: Paskack Valley, Port Jervis and Bergen County.

Last, I do believe with the track corruption fixed, the area is more stable in game and fps night be up one or two. In 32bit that's a big deal.

[minerman146]

Some of the most satisfying moments in building the Bergen come when a great obstacle is overcome. This is one of those moments. I have successfully reworked the signaling and track speed to very close to correct and signal placement is authentic. This means there are substantially more signals on the Bergen than on the NJCL. Furthermore, they signal configuration works to control traffic ingress/egress to the passenger shed. So, now the track is up to the level of the scenery in Hoboken. The pictures below show that.

Signal Detail: All the signals (excepting Day's and Hill Yards) are numbered as they were in 1964, much of this numbering carries on today. Surprisingly this actually helps when working on a scenario. So its accurate and useful in game. (Note the lettering prefix reflections direction. L is West and R is East

20200105111840_1.jpg

Signal Functionality: My problem was the track speed was set to 15mph from Newark St down, and this caused the limited aspect issue. I changed tracks, 3,2,1,4 and 119 to 30 mph to the Home Signals and resolved the issue. (Also Accurate!)

20200105111725_1.jpg

Interlocking Towers: In game we have the tower built in the 1980s, down by the sheds. This one, Grove Steet was torn down about the same time. As built in 1907 I brought the tower back as a historical touch. The other tower, I cant include because of the Terminal Model and my track is Modern from 1990 on ward.

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Scenery Plus Signals make for spectacular viewing!

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What you will get is reworked signaling, track corrections and some updated scenery from HX Draw, to Secaucus Junction all the way to Hoboken Terminal. The route conforms to the following track rules in this area:

1. Track Speed From Hoboken Terminal to the Hackensack river is 30 MPH Maximum
2. Track Speed from Platforms to FIRST Home Signal is 15 MPH Maximum
3. Hoboken: HIll and Day's Yards have a Maximum Track Speed of 15 MPH
4. Track Speed at Hoboken Terminal (Under the Sheds) is 10 MPH Maximum

And finally here is the 'damage' . Track work started on 21 December 2019 and ended 03 January 2020: My total logged time on this is 70.5 hours.
Totally worth it.

[TheR62Fan]

Hoboken looks amazing, much better than the NJCL in my opinion.

[minerman146]

TheR62Fan - I give credit where it's due. Without the hard work done on the NJCL and its assets - I couldn't have done Hoboken. To my credit I put hundreds of hours into Hoboken because. I like the place! My Dad took me there on the job for the railroad a very long time ago. I get there once or twice a year to hang out, dinner, come in on the train and walk around. So with that said, for the very best view, de-train and "walk around" and check the streets out. The whole thing is very faithful to the real place. And this is my pride and joy. And thank you TheR62Fan for preferring the Minerman Hoboken!

[cnbalasub]

Nice work on your route and love the latest pictures that you posted. Well done minerman146.

John