For the love of Alcos (RS-3)

[scottb613]

Hi Pete,

Oh - and the only reason I was trying to use a nice small texture sheet for the numbers - instead of painting it on my large base textures - is so that my base textures can be "instanced" (single load to video card) by ORTS - saving resources when you have a multiple locomotive lash up. At least that's how I understand it.


Regards,
Scott

[pwillard]

There are some tricks to getting the render to work...

Some bits are easy, like using the "shrinkwrap" modifier to get the decal plane to sit right at (or just above) the surface it sits on without creating a shadow.

Below, the numbers are decals.

Screenshot 2024-12-02 082540.jpg


And getting Blender to process Alpha bitmaps correctly. etc

[scottb613]

Hi Pete,

Nice looking car - hmm - I looked at the decal - but to export it to ORTS - isn't it still included in the side of the car texture?


Hi Folks,

Hah - I forgot one major part I just noticed - hopefully the last major part for the exterior. LOL - it's crude - but given the size on the model - it won't be noticed. Only 10 minutes work - Blender is so fast.

Ajax.jpg


Regards,
Scott

[superheatedsteam]

as the faces used by the numbers casts a full shadow on the hood during the render


Regards,
Scott

There is a way to stop objects casting a shadow. Following tutorial shows how.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qjCtd2ZRFZ8

However it appears this setting has been moved in 4.3.0. and I haven't found where yet.

[pwillard]

The decal is a separate model s file and is used as an freight anim included in the wag file. (The way NAVS does it) So its a separate EXPORT step.

[scottb613]

There is a way to stop objects casting a shadow. Following tutorial shows how.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qjCtd2ZRFZ8

However it appears this setting has been moved in 4.3.0. and I haven't found where yet.

The decal is a separate model s file and is used as an freight anim included in the wag file. (The way NAVS does it) So its a separate EXPORT step.

Hi Marek,

I had found some shadow options under the material settings that seemed applicable - they didn't work - no biggie - while for the renders below I painted the numbers on the hood - the placard on standoff faces - is indistinguishable from the result shown here. Just discovered a new to me [Modifier] called [Displace] - very helpful on getting faces offset. The number boards are an alpha face with an emissive texture behind it - so they are lit at night. Oddly enough - the number boards didn't' have any shadow issue.


Hi Pete,

Ahh - I thought I saw mesh in one post I reviewed on decals - seems overkill - for my simple needs here - I think I replicated the same manually - the side hood numbers are a single face each - the end hood numbers are two faces each. I'll keep decals in mind for more complex operations.


Hi Folks,

Unless Someone points out a glaring mistake or omission - I'm calling the exterior model done. Added a bunch more detail - and - Erick's brake hoses since my last post.

Back to the cab work...



53471958707_f05c2281ef_o.png



54184137705_a146e4bc06_o.png

Regards,
Scott

[wwhall]

That is one beautiful model, Scott. I have two memories of those old Alcos. The first occurred when I just was a kid in the 1960's. My Dad's hometown was on a lightly used Milwaukee Road branch. One day, the local was switching there and the engineer kindly let me climb up to the cab of the old Alco--I can't remember if it was an RS-1 or RS-3--then under his tutoring, he let me run it a little! The next year my Dad took me down to watch UP 8444 arrive in Denver with a passenger special--the 8444 was not allowed to run into Union Station at that time, so the UP sent an old Alco (an RS-3, as I recall) out to take the train into Union Station. That Alco was old and tired. While waiting for the 8444 to arrive, the old Alco sat idling, likely firing on less that half of its cylinders. It would "lope", almost dying when trying to fire on the "dead" cylinders, but the heavy flywheel would keep the engine rotating until it fired on some live cylinders, then the process would repeat. I couldn't imagine how that old locomotive would pull what was a long passenger train into Union Station. But, after coupling up the Alco to the train when it arrived, the engineer opened the throttle and the old Alco gathered itself up and starting firing on all cylinders and chugged off with the heavy passenger train (with the usual "I'm pretending to be a steam locomotive" clouds of Alco smoke). What fun it would be to replicate that in OpenRails!

[scottb613]

That is one beautiful model, Scott. I have two memories of those old Alcos. The first occurred when I just was a kid in the 1960's. My Dad's hometown was on a lightly used Milwaukee Road branch. One day, the local was switching there and the engineer kindly let me climb up to the cab of the old Alco--I can't remember if it was an RS-1 or RS-3--then under his tutoring, he let me run it a little! The next year my Dad took me down to watch UP 8444 arrive in Denver with a passenger special--the 8444 was not allowed to run into Union Station at that time, so the UP sent an old Alco (an RS-3, as I recall) out to take the train into Union Station. That Alco was old and tired. While waiting for the 8444 to arrive, the old Alco sat idling, likely firing on less that half of its cylinders. It would "lope", almost dying when trying to fire on the "dead" cylinders, but the heavy flywheel would keep the engine rotating until it fired on some live cylinders, then the process would repeat. I couldn't imagine how that old locomotive would pull what was a long passenger train into Union Station. But, after coupling up the Alco to the train when it arrived, the engineer opened the throttle and the old Alco gathered itself up and starting firing on all cylinders and chugged off with the heavy passenger train (with the usual "I'm pretending to be a steam locomotive" clouds of Alco smoke). What fun it would be to replicate that in OpenRails!

Hi...

Thanks for the comments and relaying the story... Yeah - as a "steam guy" this is probably as modern as I get... We lived in Floral Park NY - right next to the LIRR tracks - during a similar time period. My parents said I was memorized by the very first train that went by - and everyone after that. I know they were heavy into Alco's - I left Floral Park when I was four and I can't recall what they ran at the time. Maybe that's why I gravitate towards Alco's for diesels - or - maybe because they smoke like steam locomotives. Go figure...

I'm going to try and rough in a cab - good enough for the external model - and try and get this out the door. I'll work on the 3D Cab as time permits. I have a lot to learn on 3D Cabs.

Regards,
Scott

[CSRX]

Sadly, the only fond memory I have of an RS3, is the one time I went over to New York and chased the BKR down to Eagle Bridge, NY. Then of course, I also worked nearby, never on it, the former Rutland RS1 owned by GMRC/VTR.

I believe the BKRR 4116 is a former D&H unit, while the other unit that I never got pictures of, was former VTR 603.

[scottb613]

Hi Folks,

Tired of brown - how about green - 30 mins work - a new paint - all the detail is on my base metal texture - slapping a new color on is child's play.

This was quick and dirty. To match the prototype - I need to pull the Steam Generator Stacks and Water Tank - remove the Cab Signaling Equipment straightening the respective Handrail - and rework the Number Boards.

Watch out for the moose - Shawn.
😁

Painters Tip: Look closely at the trucks - when you have objects with like materials stacked on top of one another - the ORTS edge detection is pretty poor - it's almost indiscernible in sim - if you add a black halo effect as I did on the objects - it makes them look far better.


MEC-RS3.png


Regards,
Scott

[CSRX]

My word Scott, that locomotive looks beautiful! Cannot wait to give it a good workout in Rigby Yard!

[scottb613]

My word Scott, that locomotive looks beautiful! Cannot wait to give it a good workout in Rigby Yard!

Hi Shawn,

Thanks - I'm trying to figure out the cab details at the moment - this is the low poly external view - I'll make a high poly 3D Cab when I get this ironed out. Information seems difficult to come by. I think I need to find a different brake stand - I copied this off a drawing on Peter's fine "Trains to Newcastle" site. While this cab is crude - if I am going to spend the time to build out a working 3D Cab - I need better info. I've never been in a loco cab.


Cab.png


Regards,
Scott

[pwillard]

I dunno... its looking pretty close. ... though the brake controls could be beefier.

[scottb613]

I dunno... its looking pretty close. ... though the brake controls could be beefier.

Hi Pete,

WHOA!!!!!!

That's PERFECT. I've searched high and low - haven't seen that one before.

MASSIVE HELP - best one I've seen.

• Yep - concur on the brake - I'll do it over.
• Why does the throttle slot have two levers?
• What three gauges do you think are on the front panel?
• Why are there four brake valves?

If someone "in the know" could take that image and put labels on it for me - that would speed things up immensely - like every light, gauge, lever, and switch?

I'm a steam guy - it's hard to model what you don't know.

Gracias Amigo.

Regards,
Scott

[CSRX]

I would assume one is for dynamic braking and the other for throttle, but could be wrong, as I am not sure if dynamic braking was a thing on RS3's.
One of the gauges on the front appear to be the amp meter. Not entirely sure on the other two.
One is the independent handle, one is the automatic, but I am completely unsure on those two little ones next to the automatic handle.
The one gauge in the middle of the breakers, appears to be the battery meter. That was pretty normal on older equipment, including GP38's.