BNSF Mendota Sub

[Fish4890]

Hi guys,

So im trying to do a Illinois Route im New to TSRE5 and i dont understand how it works. im not planning on using Terrian Hgt Files. i just want to get on this Route. and im Also Throwing in a part of the Troy Grove Sub ... please help me if Eric knows how this Program works Please help me at all costs....

[eric]

At all costs?

When Microsoft FrontPage came out and people were using it like crazy to create websites that ultimately broke, I had a nice side business charging a $500 retainer and $25 an hour to clean up the mistakes.



My free advice.... unless you have a license for Demex, as a new route builder you'd be ill advised to [u]not]/u] use the terrain height files in TSRE.


HGT files are not as precise. It's roughly one data point every 100 feet compared to 30 feet for what most GeoTiff provided and 10 feet for the few places that offered 1/9 arc second resolution.

But they do work.

There's none of the gnashing of teeth or data gymnastics of stitching together GeoTiff data into VTBuilder stitching it together then praying that Demex might actually open and process it without a memory error.

Don't get me wrong... I used Demex a lot 15 years ago. I paid for a license and still have it in a folder for emergency fixes on older routes where I'm not in a position to hope I can blend HGT into existing DEM created terrain because of the 1 arc second resolution vs. 1/3 or 1/9 arc second resolution.

But if you don't have a license, you're out of luck today. It hasn't been for sale in at least ten years if not longer.

If you still want to go down that path, let me know. My consulting rate still applies. PayPal is fine. With inflation, that's now $2000 retainer and $50 an hour.

[Fish4890]

for the trackwork how would i do that even if i didnt make the Mkr Files for it ?

what i had planned

MENDOTA SIDE

38.4 Aurora (junction-BNSF)
41.0 Montgomery (junction-IR)
45.5 Bristol
51.5 Plano
55.9 Sandwich
59.2 Somonauk
65.3 Leland
72.1 Earlville
72.5 UP Crossing
77.4 Meriden
80.5 Electrics
82.1 First Avenue
82.6 Mendota
83.1 West Mendota
91.4 Arlington
95.3 Zearing (junction-IR)
98.4 Malden
104.2 Princeton
110.7 Wyanet
116.6 Buda
123.0 Neponset
129.5 East Kewanee
131.1 Kewanee
133.3 West Kewanee
139.3 Galva
146.7 Altona
150.8 Oneida
155.1 Wataga
162.2 B Plant
162.4 Galesburg


Troy Grove Side Interlocking Mendota sub

0.7 Belvidere
1.7 Flora
9.2 Herbert
13.7 Henrietta
21.1 Sycamore
26.7 De Kalb
31.8 Elva
35.1 McGirr
38.9 BX (BNSF crossing/remote-BNSF dispatcher)
41.8 Shabbona Grove
46.2 Rollo
52.4 Earlville
59.9 Triumph
63.8 Troy Grove
66.6 Dimmick
71.3 Churchill
71.9 La Salle Jct.
73.8 Dalzell
76.9 Spring Valley


I gotta Start Somewhere right ?

[BrandonS261]

Hey,

My friend and I are already planning on building this route out to Galesburg from Chicago along with the other BNSF Line to Galesburg that is ex ATSF. My friend has already built from Chicago to Aurora section and we have the tiles in already to Galesburg for both subdivisions.

Our project is called the Midwest Mega Route. Track work from the Twin Cities to Chicago is completed for both the CP and BNSF along with other subdivisions in the mix.

Eric has also been nice enough to help us out with our route and let us include sections of his own routes as well for the Chicago area!

Take it from others that know what they are doing! It will take time to learn and I am not so sure if taking on a major project like you want is such a great idea when you are just learning. Also I am not so sure anyone is going to want to run on a route that is completely flat. Especially with Open Rails people want realism and you can't exactly accomplish that without Terrain files!

The route that my friend and I are building has taken YEARS with help from multiple people to get to where we are today.

Yes Eric and a few others think we are nuts for attempting to build this big of a route but we have already gotten this far with it why stop now?

Brandon

[eric]

Where to start?.... Pick a point and build a yard and some mainline.


Josh started his Union Station route that became his portion of the CBQ to the Twin Cities in 2011 if I recall.


I started in 2010.... https://www.trainsim.com/vbts/showth...UP-Harvard-Sub

That first 35 miles of track grew quickly. It was a pool table route as we called them without terrain.

Three months in, someone provided me the Demex and I started the next version, built using markers and guesswork.

In 2012, I converted everything to Scalerail.

In 2015, I extended to Rochelle.

I blew it all up again during Covid and did the most recent version with track charts.

Hopefully that helps manage expectations about how long it will take.

[R. Steele]

Building a well crafted route is the antithesis of the "instant gratification" world.

[Fish4890]

gotta start small am i right

[BrandonS261]

Seems about right Eric!

Josh and I have been going at it ever since then and its been over 10 years in the making if that gives you any idea of how long a route takes to build! Especially one as big that Josh and I have been tackling.

Josh and I started with X Tracks but I converted everything to Scale Rail. At one time they were completely separate routes but now have turned into one with multiple people helping out along the way!

But yes as Eric was saying start with a jct. or yard first and build off from there.

For my end of the route I started where the Milwaukee Road 261 Steam Locomotive is stored in Minneapolis and started building off of the Wye track there and the BNSF Wayzata Sub that I live on.

As for Josh I believe he started at Union Station in Chicago and building the BNSF Race Track to Aurora, Illinois

It kind of exploded into more then we can chew but we are not giving up and thinking of releasing a beta version of the route in the near future just to give others the chance to see what we have accomplished and hopefully get others involved in the project as well.

But yes start out small until you get the hang of TSRE5.

Have fun messing around with it and read the forums for any questions you may have along with the manual for it as well. That will help you out with some tricks and show you some key features that it has.

Brandon