Birmingham Area

[31160]

Thanks again guys. My aim is to release the route and then to continue working on extensions - still have a lot to do/tidy up first though. Plus I keep changing stuff as I discover new techniques etc!
Here's an example - again new reskinned tracks and brown ballast. Took me a while to get the shades right on this one, but I think it works OK.
This is the site of the old Saltley station..

Your work is absoulte quality sir but please take your time and dont rush, going by the screenshots quality is what your going for and when you are happy im sure we all will too

[Irishrailguy]

but I think it works OK.

Umm, looks far more than OK to me I love developers that are this modest about their work, as far as I can see it's a trait of some of the best!

Kev

[37114]

but I think it works OK.

Umm, looks far more than OK to me I love developers that are this modest about their work, as far as I can see it's a trait of some of the best!

Kev

Agreed.

[skoda]

Thanks again guys. My aim is to release the route and then to continue working on extensions - still have a lot to do/tidy up first though. Plus I keep changing stuff as I discover new techniques etc!
Here's an example - again new reskinned tracks and brown ballast. Took me a while to get the shades right on this one, but I think it works OK.
This is the site of the old Saltley station..

Totally awesome
The times I've sat there on the down goods waiting to run round the sleepers for Bescot or waiting in a queue of trains for relief at Landor Street

[fakenham1]

Thanks again guys. I really appreciate your interest in the route.

Though I'd post a couple of WIP shots of the Washwood Heath area - this is quite a mammoth section which is taking a while to research and complete - getting there slowly!
The first shot is taken from a bridge just off the A47 Heartlands Parkway Road, the second from the road itself..





Cheers

[37114]

Great stuff again. Is the top shot looking towards New Street? (I'm pretty sure it is). If so I think maybe the default Kuju Gas Holders would be a more accurate fit than the ones you've used.

[fakenham1]

Thanks 37114 - Good call on the gas holders, they look much better now.

Just a few WIP shots from the same bridge as before but facing the other way - giving a few views of the (desolate) yard..





Cheers

[37114]

Thanks 37114 - Good call on the gas holders, they look much better now.

Cheers

No worries. I know the area very, very well. Can picture it all in my head. Are you putting Saltley TMD in or is it intended as present day version of the route?

Edit. Just spotted the Voyager so answered my own question! I'd love it if you rolled the clock back and put it in though but I guess I'm probably older than you. It was in it's day a loco heaven, you'd get just about everything diesel on there and Washwood Heath was rather busy too! It would be me ultimate model railway but I've worked out to just do Saltley and Landor Street properly in OO would take about 60ft by 20ft (at the widest point where the Coventry line goes over). Not too many people have spare rooms of that size and certainly not me!

[Irishrailguy]

It's certainly a challenge to get large spaces like yards looking realistic in TS, I often find that since there's little foliage on the ground it looks strangely neat and featureless. However here it seems that all those track reskins are providing detail in areas you have nothing else to put, so it looks like there's far more going on than just track and terrain (plus the weeds in places makes it more natural). All together a very natural looking combination which provides great atmosphere, can't wait to get a hold of this one and try some screenshots

By the way, I'm not familiar with the yard. It looks to be operational given the presence of those wagons but is it that empty in real life too?

Kev

[dean1986]

Any pictures of met cam works?

Dean

[deltic009]

Sadly Kev the yard was mothballed a few years ago and now instead of having trains running round using those lines and reception roads we have the farcical situation of reversals happening with loco run round at Duddington Jcn which often impacts mainline service performance into New Street. Still, it saved a few salaries and some maintenance money so that's what counts. The AI signalling would probably never let a loco run round between services but Network Rail consider it perfectly doable.

Any pictures of met cam works?

Dean

It's going to be quite entertaining filling that with 31s, 47s, 56s and the odd preserved loco on pass through.

[fakenham1]

Hi again,

37114, the route as it stands is a present day version - however, I could put Saltley Depot in on a cloned version of the route once the present route is finished. A long way off though unfortunately.
This is how it appears at present..

Dean, met cam works is currently WIP - I'll get some shots up when it's in a better state.
Kev, I think Deltic knows far more about the area than I - so I'll let others with more knowledge comment on the operational structure of the area! Also, it appears that Skoda is actually a driver that knows the area well?
Just a few shots of Washwood Heath again - this time from the A47 bridge a bit further east (the elevated M6 seen in the background). Progress is slow at the moment unfortunately - holiday time and all that..


Lastly, a closer look at the overgrown nature of the yard..



Cheers.

[Irishrailguy]

That's just gorgeous, the first image looking across the yard has something so natural and realistic about it. That detailing is at a level that I've never seen in this sim before, the reskinning of all those assets give a great natural variety to everything

Kev

[deltic009]

I need a team of people to come round to my work and pick my jaw up, it fell so far!

[tomhas2]

The level of detail and atmosphere is just astonishing i dont know the area well at all but to me i feel like you have got
it nailed perfectly well done you should be proud of what you have achieved

Tom