Fictional South East Thread

[tubemad]

Hello all,

Just thought I would start a thread now the massive task of the Fictional South East route is underway thanks to Craig Goodhead (for anyone who wondered, this is now the name for the route, rather than Fictional Kent Railway)

Here's some very early screenies to start with:


View on the approach to the CTRL flyover east of Ashford


View on the side of the flyover at the east end. There is a down single line from Ashford to link with the CTRL, though this was part built after the screenie.


A view on the down single CTRL link from Ashford, as said above this was the part built bit.


Some progress so far at Ashford. There was a yard there but this was taken out (see below for details)


So I have started at Ashford, the track layout is from a Quail map but it still be we fictious to some extent, but will more like be BrisCard, in the fact the names, lines ect are as they are today just scenery won't be as real as it is.

In the progress shots is the track I have done in a week or so in my own time. There was a big yard where Ashford depot is, but as I built the CTRL flyover after, the Canterbury up and down curve that goes under it had to be re-laid. Because of this the line was now not level with the yard line, so the access road that links with the mainline wouldn't link with the mainline.

I tried re-laying the access track instead, but didn't link with the rest of the 20 odd road yard, so that went right out the window! The good thing is the yard could be closer to Ashford as it was a bit further away than I wanted it.
Some the point work will be non 3rd rail, I.E the CTRL down and up line link, as 3rd rail goes up to 25m only, so I will be using the non 3rd rail 60m points, but the track before it and after it will have 3rd rail so isn't a big loss, MSTS will take it anyway.

I can't understand how if I make a Activity with an electric EMU yet in explore mode it won't let you select one?? The EMU's run fine on the route, but it doesn't let you select one in explore somehow.

The CTRL will be 3rd rail, I would want OHLE but the technique I see is to have overhead wires and make the non OHLE sections a static....but as ALOT of the route is 3rd rail rather than OHLE it's not really worth it. If there was static object wires and posts it would have matched really.


I might be re-working on the Depot tomorrow or something else if not, but I'll keep posting updates on here when I can.


Cheers,

James.

[Backfoot2002]

I understand this route is fictional to an extent, but one tool I used which really helped was Google earth. I found it amazing to put markers along the route for stations, sidings, junctions etc, and then see them in MSTS. It helped me follow the correct route, and was especially good in helping me put stations and yards in the right place. UKFS has pretty much the right piece to help me get the route as close to the real thing. It doesn’t have to be perfect, but its good guideline.

I read a thread on how to do it on these forums, but at the moment, can’t remember where it was.

It’s up to you if you wish to use it, but either way, looks liked you’ve made a good start. The flyover looks very smooth.

[dee4141]

Good luck with the new route, James. It seems we have both started routes in Kent at about the same time - and mine was called South East too. Perhaps I'll change this to South East Steam or something. The respective routes should provide a good variation too, as they're set in quite different eras.

[tubemad]

Anton -

Actually there is markers there, and I also used a conversion from a Quail map.

So I started putting markers in, then I put the track using chain lengths (convert chains to miles then miles to meters from UKFS track length). One section was 700m in reaility, and the next marker was only 100m away....it was way too short so I have over-run way past the marker but will use it as a path/direction guide instead.

Dee4141 -

Yes I know you are doing an FSE Didn't know what name you called it but the folder is FictionalSouthEast, shouldn't conflict with yours hopefully.

And yes yours is a different route altogether, mine being set for SET/connex days , of course it could be a steam route with a CTRL link



Cheers,

James.

[dennisat]

You quickly find that MSTS miles are not real miles - this is a manifestation of the projection used. Use loads of markers and work to them, not to distances. Gradients cannot be guaranteed to match the real world either for the same reason. Work to the heights of your markers as found from Google Earth, OS Maps etc. That way your gradient profile will look like the real one but the slopes will not always match exactly. It will be close enough.

Dennis

[tubemad]

Will try that Dennis

Anyway got Ashford Depot in, did a small test with a 10 car voyager to test the length and 8 cars will fit in OK at least.

MSTS did crash randomly though, I was going to reverse out, however I selected reverse and MSTS gave me a black screen

Probably something to do with he fact nowhere has signals yet anyway, could be that?


Cheers,

James.

[dennisat]

The advice on all the forums seems to be that, if at all possible, you shouldn't place any interactives, which include signals, until you've finished all your trackwork. This is because interactives are linked to track sections and if you continually modify the layout around them RE may have a fit and corrupt your TDB. If you have to modify track which has interactives you must make sure you have a good back up and scrupulously remove all the interactives beforehand. On a built from scratch route like yours you should be able to navigate around your interactiveless layout with no problems. Perhaps you've got some bad joints or a scenery object or model that is causing the problem? I've not had this happen to me yet so haven't had to research it. Other more experienced route builders may have more ideas.

Welcome to the mysteries of RE

Dennis

[tubemad]

crash is fixed

I had red poles at the end as I laid the junction (with the red at the 'blade' end) and left it there while I tested the shed for gauging purposes...not knowing you can't just end a route with a junction that way!

Got track upto Wye station with the platforms included, tried using the align tool for the platforms but were slightly offset (only slightly) so I rotated it an inch and looks about right.

Only thing is I need a some terrain work to do as the track goes uphill and downhill....and the DEM area is flat....but as cgoodhead124 said, DEM is a rough guide really.

Screenies to follow soon when a bit more is added.


Cheers,

James.

[steamnut44]

Good luck with your route James, nice to see another route being developed for MSTS. The old girl is still alive with the amount of stuff still being built for it.

Geoff

[tubemad]

Just an update:

- Ashford Depot tracks finally done complete with a sheds
- Track laid from Ashford to Chartham

Map so far:

[tubemad]

Hello All,

Got round to Minster and Deal now, got the platforms in bar Deal (its the longest time platforms, trying to make them straight!), and yes the Minster Triangle is 2 tracks at the top and 2 single lines diverging at East and West junctions to South Junction, the East/South cord is double track, but I couldn't be bothered to spend forever making a good constant curve with a matching Xover AND a junction that levels up....so I have stuck with my slight wobly signle line curve still, It's fictious so I can get away with that :p

Updated map now looks like:

[danny3]

You are doing fairly well so far by the looks of it, it looks fairly accurate , just curious though if I may ask, are you going around the whole coast (round to dover and to ashford)? (Another question - Just curious though are you doing the line in the middle? The canterbury east one?)

[tubemad]

Oh yes, track will be done around Margate to Faversham including the Canterbury East link to Faversham and Dover to Ashford ect, most of the lines are more curvy than in reality but still, its not meant to be 100% accurate,


Cheers,

James.

[tubemad]

Updates:

I have manged to complete my first big mission....a tunnel!

Here's the north end of Guston Tunnel:



And the south end:



However I am having issues on patching up the top of the tunnel mouth, like so:



If I use the texture transfer to cover the gap, the more I move it down the more it goes into the tunnel anyone know how to patch that up?

Also, here's a screenie of Martin Mill station so far:



All stations currently look like this, scenery on stations will be done a lot later.


cheers,

James.

[dennisat]

Hi,

You need to pull up the wire frame points across the tunnel mouth until the ground is very steep. The angle from the high point of the hole in the terrain to the track level should be such as to fit within the length of the tunnel portal object. You should then be able to juggle the transfers over the remaining gap. Other techniques are to use scenery objects to lay across the hole but these usually need heavy disguise from vegetation, for instance.

Dennis