Industrial routes - do they exist?

[almark]

Wales and borders isn't industrial but does have a lot of industries

[Griphos]

Yeah, I don't know of a route that specializes in industrial switching the way you are talking about for the UK. China Clay and Woodhead are great freight routes, and the soon to be released first part of the ECML ought to be as well. But I don't know about their industrial switching potential, at least when it comes to operating loaders and unloaders at track side industries.

There are several for the US. Rich's Ohio Steel, for instance, and, on a smaller scale, Fort Kent. But his routes run horribly on my pc.

There are some freeware routes that are very good and very industrial, mostly by Michael Stephan. His Industrial Interactive II, updated for 2012, for instance, might be most what you are looking for. His MC&SA, set in the '20s, is an East Texas woodchip, logging, and similar industry route. His Big Horn sub, is a coal industry route, and his new GN-Butte, is mostly a very large set of yards at Great Falls which he's currently working on (and a beta is available) which has tons of industry switching opportunities, and he's captured the feel of that area quite well.

The newly released NERW by Bob also has a lot of industry on it.

You can find all of these over at the Railworks America file library.

RailroadSim, the Russian outfit, has a route called Forest Land, and an amazing loco, the TEM2. I've done an English localization file for it available here. The main yards in that route have some nice coal and container industry switching. It's a lovely modeling of the industries, and that loco is perhaps the best I've seen for RW.

[bigvern]

I remember years ago getting a book out the library called "Symphony In Steam". This had quite a few pictures of the industrial ironstone lines in Northamptonshire and I always found the concept quite fascinating - little industrial tank locos hauling loads along rickety track up eyebrow raising gradients. One to maybe think about for the future.

The beauty of an industrial complex is, of course, that it can all be contained in a relatively small area.

There are also quite a few industrial based layouts in some of the Kalmbach track plan books though these are more US orientated.

[batling]

Well I'm building the Stourbridge branch which concentrates mainly on the basin and surrounding foundries. You could shunt your life away down there...

Or if you like North American there is my Eagle Ridge Bay route for RS which is purely switching. Though I had a terrible time porting it into RW and gave up in the end.

I'll have another go at some point at trying to get it into the newer sim.

[1S811985]

I'm surprised no one's mentioned Blyth and Tyne.

It has plenty of industrial settings and offers lots of scope for shunting.

Cheers,

1S81

[FoggyMorning]

meshtools will have Maerdy line eventually which is a 11mile welsh colliery line with the J94 and Austerity steam industrial tanks included,

I wasn't aware of this route before, but have just seen some of the images on MeshTools FB page; I'll be sure to check out the next live stream of this now

there is one of the challenge routes from challenge 2 which was big shunting zones by hertsbob I believe.

That would be Netherfield

Netherfield [13721703 bytes] - NetherfieldV1.zip File ID: 25171 Date: 07 Nov 2010 - 1201 Downloads

[47564]

Darpor's Totham route surely deserves a mention. With the industry's included in that route you'd be content for a long time!

http://justtrains.net/product.asp?pid=642

[bigvern]

Another one coming out with a fair bit of industry is the Bristol "local" route from Just Trains. Pre-publicity indicates this includes the freight complexes at Avonmouth and Portbury, plus Stoke Gifford yards.

[bigvern]

http://www.irsociety.co.uk/Archives/2/i ... amways.htm

The above page has a schematic diagram of the ironstone network around Corby, together with some fascinating text. Some licence would be needed as regards the actual track plan and putting together a representation of the steelworks would be challenging, but as I mentioned thw whole complex is contained in an area 3 x 4 miles.

[nineercharlie]

Hi Marcus --

Industrial routes - do they exist?

If you guys could just indulge me for a moment, they sure do, but you might have to consider moving over to the "Dark Side" if you are really serious about them (best viewed in full screen and HD):

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yIMabUI8Vgc

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8q_0sxivEaQ

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=03OEoD2T3Sg

[RudolfJan]

You may have a look at the All Aboard US routes, Fort Kent, Ohio steel, Colton and Northern. I think most of them available on steam. These routes focus on shunting and have a real industrial atmosphere.

[transadelaide]

Hi Marcus --

Industrial routes - do they exist?

If you guys could just indulge me for a moment, they sure do, but you might have to consider moving over to the "Dark Side" if you are really serious about them (best viewed in full screen and HD):

They're so industrial they even welded the points! Ugh no.