RMD_East (by Lukas Lusser, aka "Swissie") running under OR

[seagoon]

This route - and the originals done by Jerry Sullivan - has been a favourite of mine for some time on MSTS.
Lukas did a magnificent job in not only assembling the route but also in providing the complete package, with locomotives, rolling stock and a bag of activities.

Problem for me was that my PC just could not cope with the graphics set at anything above a medium level and even then, in crowded areas, the frame-rate was down in the weeds.

Enter OR.
Irrespective of the fact that the current beta doesn't accommodate signalling, AI movements and passenger operations, running RMD_East under this program is a whole new experience.

I am therefore looking foward to not only the next OR beta update, which will take RMD_East to a new level, but also to Lukas completing RMD_West.

BK

[mipman25]

Although I don't use OR, I can't wait for the RMD West either. Considering that the RMD West's activity packs will use the same rolling stock as the RMD East's activities, I can install the RMD West into my RMD East mini-route.

[seagoon]

Interesting, Otto.
Not long ago Lukas advised me that he was pushing on with the completion of RMD_West.
Hopefully that is the case before he gives up on MSTS.

BK

[eric]

I hope so. It's been about a year since he's posted any progress on the West.

[seagoon]

I sent a follow-up email yesterday (to a different address, actually) so will await a response, hopefully.

To my mind it would be a great disappointment if we who are MILW-electric fans and who have so far enjoyed the works of not only Lukas but also the initial author of these routes, Jerry Sullivan, could not see the completion of the route to Avery.

EDIT
You know, as we get older time has a way of slipping past so fast.......
I just checked when I had that message from Lukas and it was in October 2010!!
Bloody hell!! That's a lifetime ago.

Well, it looks as if Otto is correct and that Lukas has pulled the pin, for whatever reason.
Guess I go back to running Jerry's original route to get from Deer Lodge to Avery.

BK

[conductorchris]

Jerry has been making regular progress reports on the work he has been doing.

[seagoon]

Jerry has been making regular progress reports on the work he has been doing.

Thanks, Chris.
I wasn't aware that Jerry was pushing onwards to the west.

I'll now go and find my CD with the Alberton-to-Avery route and re-install it.
(And pop in the featureless expanse that is Deer Lodge to Alberton.)

BK

[Swissie]

Dear collegues,

Thanks, Chris.
I wasn't aware that Jerry was pushing onwards to the west.

I'll now go and find my CD with the Alberton-to-Avery route and re-install it.
(And pop in the featureless expanse that is Deer Lodge to Alberton.)
BK

to give you an answer with some authority:

- Luckily, Otto is too pessimistic:
-- True, I am keeping my profile low currently due to lots of other obligations and projects eating away some time otherwise available for MSTS. Furthermore, as long as I cannot say for sure whether I can meet the deadlines or not myself, I intend to keep my head a bit covered (else I waste time working thtough all the "can't wait, when is it available" mails).
-- Wrong: I am steadily planting my trees along the RMD-3. Currently, scenery is complete (almost) between Alberton and Drummond, as well as between Garrison and Deer Lodge. That leaves a relatively easy gap of 20 miles between the two spot. Incidentally, the "Last Spike" of the real world Milwaukee road was driven roughly halfway between the two towns (Drummond and Garrison), and also in the virtual rendition, I plan to conclude the scenitising appropriately by placing the "Last Spike Monument" at the proper location. Shape and textures already done by Simon, waiting on my machine. Some of the to-dos are time consuming and sometimes boring routines, like putting up dozens over dozens of miles of powerlines along the row. Currently, this work is roughly 2/3 done (Ravenna to Avery).

- A lot of time has gone into trouble-shooting the .s .sms and .eng files of the latest version of the EP-3 Quills of the road. It took me many a pulled hair until I had -hopefully - identified the causes for the frequent crashes I was experiencing with these fine modells (crafted by Frank Musick before he pulled back a bit from the scene). So far, I have finally found a fix for an oddity in the pantograph animation (one major cause for the freeze upon loading), and a small, but critical error in the .sms files (mono-file for outside views pointing among all the mono .wav files to one stereo .wav file used randomly to mute a specific sound effect. That was the cause for crash of the model that happened roughly every other time I switched from the cab to another camera (depending on whether this mute stereo file was played randomly, or the other effect).

- Apart from the RMD_West, a well-regarded member of this community has given me his recent version of another route in the neighbourhood which he has expanded yet again. He kindly asked me to do some finishing tests and touches on it as well, so I am dividing my time between "my" and "his" routes. I do not want to have his project delayed until 2016, so I took some steam away from the Milw/NP and used it other on the other route...

- Last: Once in a while, I want to run some MSTS as well. The German Railroads DVD with its 800+ activities on its 12 routes is still very tempting for an occasional spin, and the latest stuff by SLI also caught my eye and some spare time lately ;o)

Finally - to prove that I have not walked away from the game yet, all taken within the past fortnight:


The Thunderhakw near Iris, MT, passing the small airstrip. Note the Cessna taking to the air...


The E-13 in armour yellow is fiction - but had the engineers and MoW guys gotten it their way, then the Milwaukee Rd. might indeed have kept the smooth running EP-3s alive, instead of the track tearing and bumpy riding EP-2 BiPolars.


The Avery to Alberton portion of the route has been revamped a bit as well, seen here in this shot of the westbound Columbian descending St. Paul's Pass between Adair and Falcon, ID.

To see more: http://s263.photobucket.com/albums/i...MSTS/RMD_West/

Cheers, Lukas

[mdeming]

Lucas
You do excellent work. I enjoy it.

[seagoon]

Aaaaah!
Lukas - I should never have doubted you.
Thank you very much for confirming what I had hoped; that you had not given up on the RMD_West.

I can sleep peacefully tonight.

Regards,
Bruce

[Swissie]

Colleagues,

Thanks for the kind comments; I appreciate it!

Some more from this weekend:


Jerry has suggested that I should use some remote switch motors on the NP main. It took me a while to find the right mood to tackle the task of converting the main switches laeading in and out of the NP sidings along the mainline (Paradise to Garrison) visually from manually operated switches to automatic ones, since the fact that interactives are already installed and wired in this part of the route would not forgive any false move...


Some of the scenery work done the past few evenings: The landmark cliffs East of Bearmouth, MT which the NP and the Milw. negotiate by a series of tight S-curves.


About 1 mile West of the above picture, the Canyon gives way again to a wide valley while E-32 approaches the East End switch of Bearmouth Siding.


Here we are East of the Nimrod tunnels, not far from Ravenna, MT. On a clear, cool fall morning, a distant whine and rumble gains in pitch and volume...


Ah, an anachrony! But I wanted to test some of the new toys acquired lately from SLI... NP and Milw. Nimrod tunnels easy to spot in the background.


The same Amtrak special rolling by West of Iris, in a clear shot from the dirt road leading to the local airstrip.

Thanks for looking, cheers,
Lukas

[mnjrr]

Hi Lukas,

Breathtaking shots!

[seagoon]

Hi Lukas !

Now that you have made our mouths water, what chance is there to get hold of this MUST HAVE route soon ?

O t t o

As you are fond of telling others, Otto: - patience, patience. All in due course.

[eric]

Otto turning into a gimme pig? Say it isn't so....

Looks great, Lukas.

[landnrr]

I wish someone would do this one in TS2012