Narrow Gauge - State Of Play

[CaptainBazza]

Wasn't there a Ffestiniog for RS early on?

Cheers Bazza

[rwaceyw]

From what I can gather, if a set of track assets in the 'popular' NG areas (2ft 6" 3ft, metre gauge) were made, more would be done. Remember that MSTS Narrow Gauge started with 2x scale models running on standard gauge track - something that IS possible in RW but as far as i'm aware there is no equivilent to Shape File Manager to scale up scenery etc.

Dave

[Kariban]

There is 2' and 2'3" track in the library, it's just in the RS section. I'm not sure you could really tell the difference in game between 2' 3" and 2' 6", seems close enough to get started on at least.

You can scale child objects in the game using the transformation matrix in the blueprint, but there's no easy way of scaling a shape file.

[USRailFan]

A proper narrow gauge version of Vern's Sulitjelmabanen is definately something that'd be of interest for yours truly. I might probably be able to get a lot of info on both the line itself (track plans etc) and its rolling stock if any modellers were interested in that.

[kevmt]

Wasn't there a Ffestiniog for RS early on?

Cheers Bazza

One was started by Colin when Railsimulator first came out, and I did see some pictures of the TanyBwlch area.

I think we both came to the descision that having to repeat, all the work that had done in MSTS, for Railsim (ie the route and the majority of the stock) was just a bit too much to take on at that time.

I did make a start on some of the loco's, which I still have and will probbaly progress them some day:-






and before the experts tear it too bit's, I am aware of the faults in the fairlie model. It's just a very basic wip default base model.

Cheers,

kevin

[kevmt]

There is 2' and 2'3" track in the library, it's just in the RS section. I'm not sure you could really tell the difference in game between 2' 3" and 2' 6", seems close enough to get started on at least.

You can scale child objects in the game using the transformation matrix in the blueprint, but there's no easy way of scaling a shape file.

There really shouldn't be any need to scale up models as narrow gauge is easy to do in railworks. The problem was with MSTS. Truescale NG was quite a tricky thing to do and in fact, when I started making NG models (which was about 2weeks after MSTS came out), no NG was available or even thought possible which was why I came up with the 2x dodge.

I must admit that even when "truescale" NG did become possible I was never keen on it, as the camera angles in MSTS were really not suited to the small models and it all looked a bit silly. Luckily there are no problems with this in railworks and NG does look very good.

Cheers,

Kevin

[Kariban]

I've never owned or used MSTS so I don't know the background to that; you're saying that instead of making the track smaller everything else was made bigger? that's some nice lateral thinking, anyway

There's one thing you can't appear to do in RW, and that's mixed-gauge track. You might be able to do something by overlaying two tracks and making one invisible, but I don't think you can get stock to offset off the centreline of the trackbed, so no doing it in one go. NG, BG, monorails, guided busways... should be no problem.

[bigvern]

I don't think that double scale would work in RW, as everything is so dependent on "real world" dimensions, DEM data and Lat/Lon references etc. It was a very specific compromise for MSTS and subsequently we got, was it, "Y" Tracks which gave true scale ng.

A Double Fairlie would certainly be a fine addition to the fleet and offer more in the way of range and hauling power than the Corris loco's.

Of course it's not just the UK and Europe I'm thinking of here - there are some fine "main line" style NG railroads in the US, such as the remnants of the Rio Grande Southern. Now some of that really was long distance!

[Kariban]

Africa too, many fertile opportunities there. I have a bit of a soft spot for the D&RG from when I was a kid though, that and the Rhaetian.

There's really no point doing double-scale in RW anyway, it all seems happy as it is.

[msey0002]

Wasn't there a Ffestiniog for RS early on?

Cheers Bazza

One was started by Colin when Railsimulator first came out, and I did see some pictures of the TanyBwlch area.

I think we both came to the descision that having to repeat, all the work that had done in MSTS, for Railsim (ie the route and the majority of the stock) was just a bit too much to take on at that time.

I did make a start on some of the loco's, which I still have and will probbaly progress them some day:-






and before the experts tear it too bit's, I am aware of the faults in the fairlie model. It's just a very basic wip default base model.

Cheers,

kevin

Kevin, those look amazing, especially Prince, which is my favourite ever loco, regardless of gauge or fuel. Blame the Thomas the Tank Engine series for that . I sincerely hope you will release that one day, I know someone of your fantatic skills can do the Prince justice .

[manormadman]

Kevin they are great! No need to worry about critics. That'll look nice for my New Ffestniog route which isn't started yet. I have started a short fictional narrow gauge 2ft 3 inch route though, based on Porthmadog to the Gartell railway which I know is both 2ft gauge but there is a reason I've done it 2ft 3 inch.

[PWHolmes]

I am 95% through building the Sand Hutton Light Railway in 2'-00" gauge (Yes - I know it was originally in 18" but the 2ft track was available together with a very limited amount of rolling stock). The route includes the BR mainline and station at Warthill, and runs to the proposed, but never built in reality terminus at Scrayingham and the freight branches to Ings Farm/Claxton Brickworks and Barnby House.

I am building it to (what I consider to be) a very high standard of detail and it has taken me a good 6 months plus to get this far. At the moment I am building the bespoke bits in 3DC, having built, so far, all of the North Eastern Region Tangerine signs for Warthill, the SHLR signage, SHLR trackside huts and booking office and am currently building the SHLR waiting shelter. I need to build bespoke bridges and some other SHLR station/yard scenery including bits needed for the brickworks yard at Claxton and do some final detailing to finish.

I will try to upload some screenshots this weekend as a post to this string.

I would love to upload this when it is finished and will request some guidance/help on this later. The main problem I can see is that I have built up a good collection of 2nd party scenery and used it throughout and dont konw where a lot of it came from and hence where to get permission from. Some of it is from certain persons who have withdrawn their stuff from UKTS and I dont want to get into a copyright battle over what is, after all, just a hobby.

Regarding the paucity of available rolling stock - at the moment all that is avaiable is a loverly little blue quarry hunslet which sadly dont seem to have the coal capacity to get from one end of the route to the other (Britomart) and an open FR coach, together with some rugga wagons that I have yet to upload, so more 2'-0" gauge stock would be very welcome to me. It is my long term aim to build a range of NG stock (the first candidate would be some Baldwin 4-6-0 panniers and coaches as used on the Ashover Railway) but dont hold your breath for these - it could be years away.

[Kariban]

Eh, there's a little more stock than that; two Corris saddletanks, a DHR tank ( although I can't see that in the library anymore ), Tallylyn "Dolgoch", various Tallylyn carriages ( and the DHR ones I can't find again ), and some wagons including a crane and a couple of rugga wagons. I think most of that is Kevin's though, I still find it hard to believe quite how prolific he is...

I started a KS 60hp unit in sketchup, but apparently I suck. There doesn't seem to be a NG diesel around at all, not even one of those boxy Rustons.

[FoggyMorning]

Are these the DHR ones? (Sorry if not - I'm not very up on NG acronyms)

Darjeeling Class B Loco [19298316 bytes] - ClassBDHR.zip File ID: 24246 Date: 17 Jun 2010 - 2201 Downloads

Darjeeling Himalyan Railway Coaches [2884092 bytes] - CoachesDHR.zip File ID: 24247 Date: 17 Jun 2010 - 2091 Downloads

[PWHolmes]

Thanks, Kariban and Foggy Morning, I stand corrected and will certainly download the DHR stock this weekend. The other stuff, however is for 2'-3" NG I think, not 2'-00". I suppose it would run but the wheels wouldn't take too close an examination!!