Fictional South East Thread

[tubemad]

Right did the mission at Ramsgate finally!
Took a good 11 hours to do, wasn't at all easy! The depot layout is sort of as per Quail, but being more of a fictious interpretation of the area it's not 100%, but still has all 25 roads and the road/rail access road.

Screenies:

A view looking towards the station and the TMD



Another shot of the TMD



A general map view of Ramsgate



Another general overall map of the area from Minster to Dumpton Park




Hope you like it


Regards,

James.

[rufuskins]

I like it and I am following the thread as an additional guide for route creation - variety and all that!

Mind you I haven't got past "doh-re-me"; i.e still don't know all the notes to sing so to speak!

Good luck, Ruf

[tubemad]

Thanks Ruf,

I used Mikes Route Building book (or a bit of it anyway ) the rest was just done through trial and error/tips from others. I was rather shocked last night that I had RE open from 17:00 - 22:00 and save only a very few times (though I should have done more) but it didn't lock up PC was melted down in resources after though!

Working round to Margate and Faversham way now, looking forward to the other extreme challanges, like Dollands, Folkestone LeShuttle and Cheriton!

At the moment the route is turning into a bit like BrisCard, rather than the intentional fictious layout loosely based on the SE, it's turned to a follow-the-route-in-Google-Earth route and trying to make it look like the real thing. Just as well really, a gap that needs filling.

Question for you lot

How would you like to see it released? Simon asked this and I didn't really know. It would be many moons yet for the whole thing to be fully scenerised etc but I do want to have all the nessecary track in first.
Would you like to see it all scenerised? or maybe just see a couple of sections scenerised which then scenery extension packs would be released?


Regards,

James.

[michaelhendle]

Hi James,

Why don't you do it like Dave did with Dorset Coast Have version 1 when you want to release and then as the other bits are done release as V2 and so on.
That way you can stop when you get a bit fed up with creating the route then go back to after you've refreshed the brain cells and do a bit more.
Only my thoughts though others will probably disagree but at the end of the day it's you route and do what you think is the best.

Michael

[dennisat]

I was rather shocked last night that I had RE open from 17:00 - 22:00 and save only a very few times (though I should have done more) but it didn't lock up PC was melted down in resources after though!

I'm not tackling anything like the complexity of your project but because I had a strange track anomaly I ran TSUTILS ICHK in Route Riter and was horrified to see the number of potential problems it flagged. After a steadying pint, I looked closer and found I could "ignore" (leave for later) most of the messages because they were only warnings but I investigated fully those that related to the TDB and RDB. I found and cured the original anomaly but I also cleaned up as many of the TDB - RDB messages that I could; some are basically warnings. Since then, before every backup I run ICHK as well as cruise as much of the route as I can until boredom sets in. Any new messages since I last ran ICHK I investigate and resolve. I'm hoping this will prevent a TDB - RDB error creeping in that isn't noticed until very late and is either very difficult/dangerous to correct or requires a recovery from a long ago backup and re-doing lots of work.

As for releasing your route, it's really up to you how you do it but I think the version system is good.

Dennis

[darren10000]

James

I know it is set today as Ramsgate is modelled on the 1926 Southern Railway Thanet New works, but is there any chance you could include the Canterbury - Whitstable branch as I would be eternally grateful for that. I attempted to do it in RS but it was a disaster!!!!

Darren
73E

[tubemad]

hello Darren,

I have no idea what that line looked like and unsure it there will be now closed spurs in (its fictional yes but I can be really picky for some reason!) I'll see if I end up doing it but don't be surprised if I don't, sorry

News update, track laid to Broadstairs and platforms added at Dumpton Park. One platform section has gone wrong for some reason but will sort that out another time.

[tubemad]

Hello all,

I am happy to announce more track is laid:



In view there is basically Margate - Herne Bay, with just the trek to Faversham left at least!

[tubemad]

cracked on to Whitstable now, RE is causing alot more crashes now, mainly when I raise terrain.

I did also get RR to do that ICHK check, only one error was the tsection.dat missing, but said its no problem if UKFS is used...which it is.

no other errors at least listed!

[tubemad]

Ok update time!

Now cracked on like the clappers to Faversham completing the northern coast and the Canterbury East line to Adisham. Got the markers ready down to Shepards Well, and might include the EKR too. This map really is turning off fictional into a BrisCard style route, which is just as well, as I don't intend to include every tree and lampost that exists!

[steamnut44]

Keep at it James you are doing great up to press, but DO remember to save more often, especially when you start altering terrain or placing lots of objects. Altering terrain or texturing the landscape uses up quite a lot of memory quickly, so save much more often than when just laying track. If you don't and it crashes, you may have wasted all that time altering the landscape. Oh and make back up copies of your Route after each daily session. Better to be safe than sorry.

Geoff

[tubemad]

Keep at it James you are doing great up to press, but DO remember to save more often, especially when you start altering terrain or placing lots of objects. Altering terrain or texturing the landscape uses up quite a lot of memory quickly, so save much more often than when just laying track. If you don't and it crashes, you may have wasted all that time altering the landscape. Oh and make back up copies of your Route after each daily session. Better to be safe than sorry.

Geoff

Hello Geoff,

Don't worry about that, I save when altering terrain about every minute or so, just so I don't have to go through all the track pressing 'Y' constantly to make up the loss, plus I save regularly when placing track and every time I have placed a bridge.

Back up is frequent too, also keep older backups on separate external drives, should the latest backup be a farce or broke or worst, lost somehow, then I have the previous one still on here. May have lost a few meters of track but better than loosing it all.

I have learnt from what others have been through at least.


Cheers,

James.

[darren10000]

Ooh i can't wait for this one, it looks Yummy

Darren
73E

[danny3]

Ok update time!

Now cracked on like the clappers to Faversham completing the northern coast and the Canterbury East line to Adisham. Got the markers ready down to Shepards Well, and might include the EKR too. This map really is turning off fictional into a BrisCard style route, which is just as well, as I don't intend to include every tree and lampost that exists!

I think that you've done fairly well so far though and have done a fair bit by the looks of it , it doesn't have to be perfect although for me I'm just happy that Aylesham is finally going to be in a route . If it helps I have a few pictures of the EKR and shepherds well - http://atomicdanny-005.fotopic.net/c1864528.html

Atlhough just a curious question though If i may ask, for folkestone central are you doing that as a 2 platform station (1 island in use with the other disused) or 4 platform (2 islands)

[glennair]

Just want to wish all you route builders good luck. I am also currently working (attempting, anyway!) on a south east route - but mine is not a ficticious one.

I am an ex-train driver, from the good old days of British Railways. My depots were Slade Green (EMUT) and then Gillingham (Mixed Traction) - during the 70's and early 80's. The route I am going to try and recreate is from London Victoria to Ramsgate via Chatham and Faversham, circa the 70's. Having made a start a couple of weeks back, I am now realising what a mammoth task I have set myself, current estimates put completion date somewhere around 2050 !

Well, so far I have the track laid between Newington and Chatham, including depot and sidings at Gillingham. I have learned how to make custom platforms using G-Max (but still refining my technique). Having some problems with cuttings (banks not steep enough cos should be almost vertical in some places). Discovered 1 or 2 track sections for tunnels (UKFS3r) refuse to play ball, so had to make some adjustments to my route. I am now having some problems with gound signals - I cant find any that work!! Have tried pinching some from a commercial package (yes, I also copied all the sigcfg files etc) - but they just cause things like the activity editor to lock up, even though all the normal signals will work fine. So if anyone can point me in the direction of some ground signals, would be most helpful!

Once again, best of luck to all of you.

Glenn.