Merseyside Railways - Version 3

jbilton · Post by **jbilton** » Wed Feb 25, 2004 7:42 pm

Hi
Well its still my prefered route...and I for one am looking forwards to it...please keep up your excellent work....as I said I'm not a building counter...I like the route to look OK...but its the railway that matters to me....

jbilton · Post by **jbilton** » Wed Feb 25, 2004 8:02 pm

ThamesClyde wrote: Your speed of progress impresses me as mine seems to come along very slowly and I hope mine gets recieved as well as yours will.
Simon

Proberbly something to do with this thread being 4 pages long (1 of which was from today)...where as there are 23 pages on the thread of your route.

And I'm just a little amazed that someone using Lincoln Cathedral as Lichfields....and still has a track texture that looks like a model railway I once saw where they had used birdseed for ballast..moans about a few houses and signal boxes....well you did ask for constructive critisism.

ccsdc · Post by **ccsdc** » Wed Feb 25, 2004 8:02 pm

Jon,

Thanks for the support - you won't be disappointed with version 3.

Dave

ThamesClyde · Post by **ThamesClyde** » Wed Feb 25, 2004 8:50 pm

Jon thanks for the constructive critisim, seems I have a cathederal where there should be a cathederal and can you pass on your comments about track texture to Ian Jenkins as its his and perhaps he'll remove the bird seed for you, by the way I hope you get your free route

ccsdc · Post by **ccsdc** » Fri Feb 27, 2004 10:26 pm

I have restored Blisworth to its former glory with extensive goods facilities, and branches from both Northampton and Stratford. Some shots from the Blisworth area.

[<IMG width="640" height="480" SRC="http://album.atomic-systems.com/showPic ... worth1.jpg">]

A black 5 waits to depart with an up stopping train while a class 105 DMU arrives from the Northampton line.

[<IMG width="640" height="480" SRC="http://album.atomic-systems.com/showPic ... worth3.jpg">]

Crossing the Grand Union Canal south of Blisworth station.

[<IMG width="640" height="480" SRC="http://album.atomic-systems.com/showPic ... worth4.jpg">]

Passing Standard Class 7 Brittania on a down express.

MartinH · Post by **MartinH** » Sat Feb 28, 2004 1:37 pm

When building a route you have to choose how accurate it is going to be and how much detail it will contain. You'll never be able to get the route 100% right and if you aim for perfection, you'll never finish it. On the other hand, if you make "glaring errors" some users will be disappointed. The good news is that even with "glaring errors" the majority of people who drive the route will think it is brilliant and, more importantly, really enjoy it. This last point was emphasised by the really positive feedback on the Cambrian. Most people think that it is a really good representation of the route (including me), but there are several "glaring errors" of a similar nature to your Stafford - for example, the large factory in Porthmadog where there should be a row of houses (almost exactly the same error). I only know this, because I used to live in the area.

The point is that very few people will care about what is either side of the track, so long as it looks good. Do spend some time in the fields laying a few fences and hedges and add a few scenes for people to look at (e.g. farmer ploughing a field). What you shouldn't do is worry yourself about every last building, especially on a route of this length. I'm currently doing this (worrying that is) building the 3DTrainstuff Swanage route and believe me it isn't worth it.

I'm really looking forward to the release of the route.

Martin

ccsdc · Post by **ccsdc** » Sat Feb 28, 2004 1:58 pm

Martin,

Thanks for your comments. Yes I would broadly agree with your view that most people are only interested in the actual railway, the buildings etc are mere passing scenes.

That having been said, if someone points something out that they know to be wrong, I will put it right if at all possible. All I am trying to achieve in the inital release of Euston to Liverpool is that I have factories etc. where there are industrial areas and houses and flats where there are residential areas.

As people start to use the route they will identify hundreds of things that I have got wrong, but I will correct them for subsequent releases.

I must say that what I have seen of the Swanage route is great, and as I live locally in Poole and visit the railway fairly often, it is very close to my heart.

Keep up the good work.

Dave

Timcourt1 · Post by **Timcourt1** » Sat Feb 28, 2004 2:06 pm

Martin,

I agree wholeheartedly, we do have limitations in the sim which if we go overboard on scenery can kill the driving experience (yes I have learnt my lesson)

This one is looking good, I think if you have a good "Out of the drivers window" experience it makes for the biggest part of driving any route.

Looking forward to the release of this one - yes I do drive other routes as and when I get the chance

mickoo · Post by **mickoo** » Sat Feb 28, 2004 3:18 pm

Well l'm no accreditied route builder, yet !, oh l've tried, about half a dozen invisi ware ones, each building on the last, unlike model railways l dont have to keep rebuilding base boards so its easy to throw them away

.

Its also very easy to become engrossed in a route and often not see the wood for the trees. For me when l finally get something tangable l'll not be aiming for the rivet counter nor brick counter feeling but more trying to encapsulate the amabiance of the enviroment. To do that does not in my mind require every tree and bdlg to be in posistion, however it is down to individuals how they feel best to portray there scenarios, none are right and none are wrong.

Granted there are many levels of fidelity and yes l agree with Thamesclyde that certain things like signaling and power boxes should fit the mould where possible, but like many others if it didnt l'd not be upset, after all is RE not free to all MSTS owners ?.

I shall get both routes and l'm sure enjoy both within the scenario laid out by the authors

.

Kindest regards

Michael

Backfoot2002 · Post by **Backfoot2002** » Tue Mar 02, 2004 11:06 pm

Its all looking good, release date soon i hope

Anton

MartinH · Post by **MartinH** » Wed Mar 03, 2004 1:07 am

Not too soon I hope. There's no point in rushing for the sake of artificial deadlines. If a job's worth doing, it's worth doing well (unless you're building the NVR).

Martin

Christopher125 · Post by **Christopher125** » Wed Mar 03, 2004 7:17 am

Hi

Is this route going to have accurate gradients - I have just found out the other main WCML isn't going to have them which is a bit dissapointing, so I hope that yours will. Dont dissapoint me

Chris

jbilton · Post by **jbilton** » Wed Mar 03, 2004 8:17 am

Christopher125 wrote:Hi

Is this route going to have accurate gradients - I have just found out the other main WCML isn't going to have them which is a bit dissapointing, so I hope that yours will. Dont dissapoint me

Chris

Haven't you got Version2 then...

ccsdc · Post by **ccsdc** » Wed Mar 03, 2004 8:51 am

Chris,

Yes and no. The gradients South of Crewe are spot on using published gradient profiles. Crewe to Liverpool was largley done by reading map contours to establish the rail height at intermediate points, so is not as accurate. I now have gradient profiles for Crewe to Liverpool, so in the future I might redo this part of the route, but it is an awful lot of work.

If the other WCML routes have not used gradient profiles how can they be built using the DEM data?

Dave

Christopher125 · Post by **Christopher125** » Wed Mar 03, 2004 4:56 pm

Hi

Good to hear you are using real gradients, cant wait for your route

Also, apparently barrymcguire's (sorry if I've spelt the name wrong) route dosen't have accurate gradients, although I don't think it uses DEM data.

(on second thoughts, when I said WCML I meant Crewe-Euston

)

Atomic Systems

Merseyside Railways - Version 3

Blisworth

Mersey

Mersey Gradients