I am having a little difficulty in uploading images as duplicates seem to appear unexpectedly. I think this is possibly me trying to post images too quickly for the server, so I will slow down a bit and see if that helps.
I'm writing this slowly because I know you can't read very fast. -- Sorry, couldn't resist, the old ones are the best.
Hi Thanks for your comments. I find that I still have about 240 screenshots from my original UKTS thread which would like to upload but some require an explanation for them to make sense, so I have selected 40 shots and will upload these and then carry on with regular route updates as I progress. In groups of 5 -
Hi That is all of the earlier screenshots I will be uploading and the next post will be about the section from the Eye Hospital to Imberhorne Lane Bridge. I am just completing detailing close to the track, which will require creating a few more trackside models, and then I will be back. A short note about the signalling - At the moment I am using default Signals as placeholders, but eventually I will need to model more accurate signals and get them to work properly. Some actually do work OK at the moment, but it will be one of the last jobs on the route to get the signalling right.
This does look very good, looking forward to giving it a go when it's ready, also I'm glad you've come over here to show off your wares, we're not a bad bunch we have a few spats here and there but show me a forum that doesn't, anyway I look forward to the next batch of updates and screenshots
Thank you. I have just noticed, looking these shots, that I have not planted any Bluebells yet, so I need to put that on my 'to do' list.
Can I just throw this link in here for the actual Bluebell Railway, I've just been looking at their website, very interesting and they have some nice stock too.. https://www.bluebell-railway.com/
It is possible to place assets that will only appear in one or more of the selected seasons and the Default Bluebells only appear in the summer I think. I will check this out. I did some experiments in The Lavender Line where in the summer, some of the fields had rolls of hay/straw scatted about randomly and haystacks would show up as well. This is fairly easy to do when the models are created as you specify which of the four seasons that model becomes visible. This can apply to almost any model from snowdrifts to nests in the trees. In practice, it helps not to include too much detail in the base route but add in the extras in scenarios where scenario specific models can be used and will only show up in that scenario. On reflection, I will probably create my own groups of Bluebells to cover wider areas, which is relatively easy to do.
Relocating my route 'blog' from UKTS to DTG is taking a bit of getting used to, but I am getting back into the routine and have a selection of brand new screenshots for you to see. We move up the line from Kingscote to Imberhorne Lane Bridge which is a section where I have pretty much completed the near and far scenery. Kingcote Station will be completed later and will probably be the first station I tackle in detail. Beyond Imberhorne Lane Bridge, you can see some of my initial work on this section through the Imberhorne Cutting to Hillplace Farm Bridge. In theory this should be fairly straightforward, but the cutting is 'artifical' in that it has steeper sides than usual and the western side is basically a bank of Landfill waste with a plastic membrane over it. The reference photos and cab rides I have are now a little old and show the cutting as it was, and my trips down the line recently have been in the dark so I could not see if the vegetation has taken over yet, so it will probably mean a trip to see this weekend. Google Street View from Imberhorne Lane Bridge in a 2021 image suggests that the vegetation is doing well but the aerial shot seems to still show areas of grey membrane and waste material, which is where I may need to use the ground textures I have been experimenting with. I also need to check out progress with the massive new housing estate on the east side of the line just before the viaduct where little lambs used to play but now the diggers play. First 5 images -
There is not far to go to East Grinstead with one more bridge to build and the viaduct. By the time the Bluebell Railway Model Railway Weekend arrives, there will be much more to see. In answer to an earlier question, I am averaging about 37 FPS which seems to be fine, but there is scope to remove assets if necessary.
Hi All I have progressed through to the south end of the viaduct at East Grinstead and I am currently working on the new Housing Estate to the east of the line as you approach the viaduct. As this is a new Estate, there is only partial information on the Google Overlays although there is quite a lot of information in the Promotional literature for the Estate. A drive to look around the half built Estate and a ride on the train yesterday to get a drivers eye view has helped a lot. I particularly noticed that the Estate comes close to the line at some points and there are going to be a few lucky people who will have the Bluebell Railway passing in front of their homes. I will put up some screenshots later as I am a bit delayed at the moment. It seems that Steam will not work at all on Windows 7 Operating systems from next January and as my old reliable development computer uses W7, I am in the process of transferring everything to a back up computer that has W10 installed which will now become my main development computer. One noticeable benefit of the new development computer is that the frame rates have increased. Bearing in mind that this back up computer is itself over six years old, this route should run pretty well on any modern computer. I have a few small items to create on the south side of the viaduct, finish the new Housing Estate and then build the Viaduct itself. Even though the general principle will be to build one arch and then duplicate it a few times, it is never quite as simple as that. By the time the Bluebell Model Railway Weekend arrives, the route will be be pretty much sceniked from one end to the other and perhaps Kingscote Station completed as well.
Hi At the moment there are are no dependencies. I am using assets that everyone should already have in their Train Sim Classic folders and everything else has been created by myself - from terrain textures to track, all bespoke buildings, signs, etc. This is the main reason why it has taken so long to create the route, but I am currently building the viaduct at East Grinstead and that will effectively complete all main work on the open track from one end to the other. At the Bluebell Railway Modellers Weekend, it will be possible to drive the full route and get a good feeling of what it will be like when it is finished .... but without the stations at the moment.
Hi all Just making some last minute preparations for the Railway Modellers Weekend (1st & 2nd July 2023) where I will be running the Bluebell Railway Train Simulation (in progress) in the Cinema Room at Horsted Keynes I managed to scenic the line to East Grinstead and I have also started on the station buidings and platform. Running from one end of the line is possible and I hope to run real time services for those that have time to sit and watch. Here are some more images - Hi all
The weekend went very well. I met a lot of interested (and interesting) people and was amazed at the number of children, of all ages, who had Train Simulator Classic and knew how to run the simulation, so all I had to do was sit back and watch them. I was particularly impressed when one visitor ran a Terrier all the way from Sheffield Park to East Grinstead using just the expert controls which was something I have never seen before. The Cinema Room at Horsted Keynes is a great place to be as trains pull into the platform on a regular basis, and it is an exciting feeling when the big locos slowly pass the door a few feet away with all of the associated steam sounds and smells. The track had a thoroughly good test and ran with no particular problems from one end to the other which means I can concentrate on the Stations. As far as I can tell, there is still a great deal of interest in Train Simulator Classic as most of the people I met used this simulation rather than Train Sim World. I also found that they used a wide range of devices to run the simulation with just as many people using PC's as consoles. I would go so far as to say that I have exhibited regularly at events, and I think there are now more people interested and using Train Simulation than ever before. I will post more screenshots when I have completed East Grinstead.
Hi Jamie Thank you. With the impending cessation of support for Windows 7, I have had to update to a new desktop computer and a new laptop, both of which have Window 11 installed. It has been a considerable effort to transfer files from the old computer to the new computers as my Train Simulator source files go back to 2008, but modern USB drives with massive memory options make it easier to transfer data. In the end, and despite the quirky way that Win 11 works, it has all been worth it with Frame Rates in TSC higher than I have ever seen before and everything generally much quicker than before. I still use 3D Canavas for asset creation and I wondered if this would work well with the new operating system, and I am more than pleased with this as 3DC loads really quickly and operations run much, much, faster than ever before. Many more current textures can be loaded into the library and some of the more complex operations do not slow down now as more data is loaded. I still have a few programs to install but my favourites such as GIMP (texture creation), Inkscape (vector images), Google Earth, (location) as well as RW Tools, RWAce and RWInfo all seem to work well and faster in Win 11. I had to stop on the old computer at the creation of the platform lights at East Grinstead but after a few final checks and tweaks, I should be able to get back to the route building very soon on the new computer and will put up a few more screenshots. The new laptop also runs TSC very fast and will mainly be used at the public events I go to.
Hi Geoff.. Erik here I have just joined Dovetail games, so that I can properly follow your progress on Bluebell.. Being a member and, untill a few years ago, a volunteer and employee of Bluebell , I have seen, close up, to many of the places that you have modelled. I am repeatedly amazed at the brilliant job you have done. I am getting more and more exited seeing the progress.. I shall keep a close watch,. Lots of cheers Erik..
Hi Erik I am still working on East Grinstead which is taking a bit of time, but I will be able to upload some images soon.
Hi Geoff Erik here.. did you have a good Xmas & new year, Mine was very quiet, as I like it. How are you getting on with the Bluebell. Any pics yet. Eagerly waiting... Cheers Erik..
Hello Erik Still going and East Grinstead is looking quite good. I have completed the Bluebell Railway Station and will create the Main Line Station and Sainsbury's in less detail which should not take too long. I will need to do some tweaking later as the generic cars in the Car Park look much the same, but it is OK for the moment. A few screen shots
