Midwest Mega Route Break Up!

[BrandonS261]

Thank you Eric for commenting!!

Josh and I both feel like everyone wants to add to it and make it bigger but no one wants to help on the sections or areas we already have built.

Matt I will have to decline you're offer as we do not want to make it any bigger then what it is already and would like help on the sections that are already built. If I remember correctly Josh and I sent you the full route a few years ago and you just ran off with it without helping us out at all.

What Josh and I would like help on are roads, scenery and signals to bring our routes to life. Custom objects would also be a nice addition but Josh and I both know how much of a commitment that would be.

Most of our track is already laid out with some roads and other scenery objects and we are in the process of breaking up the route into smaller chunks/Subdivisions so it will be easier to distribute and manage in the long term.

Brandon

[BrandonS261]

Now I know Josh and I have not posted a single update on the routes progress for quite some time but I have decided to pick up the route building again. I just spent the last day and a half shrinking the routes file size down. That was sure a long but needed time consuming process and plan to condense it down even more in the future.

I have also started the long process of the placement of interactive objects like Speed Signs, Crossings and Signals along the CPKC/CP River Subdivision. I have also started adding some more scenery and fixing up or ripping out some areas that need to be reworked in the future when it comes to scenery or roads.

Another thing I am looking at doing is also starting the process of making custom objects for the route like stations and custom buildings that are in the Twin Cities area.

As for the BNSF Side of the river from St Paul to La Crosse, WI nothing has changed and I plan on keeping it that way until I get the CPKC/Minnesota Side of the river completed first. I will then move onto that side of the river and complete it so it will essentially be two routes in one.

Brandon

[jmicheel19]

Definitely interested in some of the track the route covers. I wouldn't mind try taking a stab at the scenery from St Paul to Bensenville on the CP.

[BrandonS261]

The route I am focusing on currently is from St Paul to La Crosse, WI for both the CP and BNSF. All of the mainline is laid for both routes along with some roads and scenery from St Paul to Winona for the CP River Sub.

Brandon

[landnrailroader]

Some of my routes would qualify as mega routes or close. Since I am not good at the detailing, my method is to either release the route as tracks & some roads only i.e. incomplete, or else detail it to the point where it can be operated and then release it. Any interested party(s) can then do as they wish with it. Kenny Eaton did a really fantastic job with my original Knoxville Div. line for example, and nearly 20 years ago Lucas Lussar did a great job with my 4 RMD routes and then combined them into two larger routes. Those are possibilities. For example my Northern Montana line has a well detailed Harlowton and Great Falls, but very little in between. I will release it with at least all bridges in place, mileposts, and since the line had no signals, I will imbed them at the sidings that are long enough to be passing tracks - very few of those, traffic was not heavy.

Jerry Sullivan

[BrandonS261]

Hey Jerry,

Thank you for your interest and reply. Your Milwaukee Road routes are amazing and I really enjoy running on all of them. The CP/CPKC route that I am currently working on is the ex Milwaukee Road Mainline between the Twin Cities and La Crosse, WI. and the CB&Q line from the Twin Cities to La Crosse, WI as well.

The original plan was to build both the BNSF and CP Mainlines from the Twin Cities to Chicago in all one big route but my friend and I decided it would be best to split it up and work on them in chunks vs all at once. This will give us more flexibility on when we go to release the routes and if we ever choose to merge them back into one route again we can still do that when we get far enough along.

Brandon

[Jdark34]

couldnt yall the whole mega route of CN/IC from chicago to new orleans? 930 miles

[BrandonS261]

Building the Twin Cities to Chicago is good enough right now for us. Both the Chicago and the Twin Cities areas are hard enough to model for Open Rails. If someone else would like to tackle that project be my guest. I try to stick to routes I actually know and have personally railfanned before.

Now if anyone is interested in helping out with custom objects for the route like stations and other buildings it would be greatly appreciated.

Brandon

[SD40-2]

They're a lot of work. Heck, just getting one or two subdivisions done is a lot of work. Don't make it any harder.

If recall correctly, since crews only operate inside a subdivision and usually not across multiple subdivisions, they're not of much value. And who wants to spend the time running a train through multiple subdivisions?

[Metra322]

I plan on building the CN/IC down to Carbondale.

[eric]

I plan on building the CN/IC down to Carbondale.

Good luck with that one. I might be able to help with some buildings for Champaign... gotta have Memorial Stadium and the Assembly Hall along with the Steam Plant.

[CSRX]

If recall correctly,since crews only operate inside a subdivision and usually not across multiple subdivisions, they're not of much value. And who wants to spend the time running a train through multiple subdivisions?

That's why with my own routes, it's essentially small enough where the crews are qualified on a few sections.

For example.
The EMR Mattawakeag Sub will eventually include the EMR Millinocket Sub and a portion of the MNR Madawaska Sub into Oakfield, ME, that EMR crews are all qualified on.
A good example of this for running would be the 909/910 jobs.
909 would start in Brownville Jct on the Mattawakeag Sub, run to Hardy Pond siding, pick up traffic, and head back towards Brownville Jct, and onto the EMR Bypass to get onto the Millinocket Sub, continue north through Millinocket Yard, and then onto the Madawaska into Oakfield Yard to end the shift and taxi back to Brownville.
Of course, that has changed, and 910 now runs between Brownville into Knights, up to Millinocket and return to Brownville all in one day while 909 gets to go play interchange switching with CSX in Mattawakeag.



Another example of this, would be the Vermont Rail System "Rutland" Division, that would include the B&R Sub, Northern Sub, Bellows Falls Sub, Whitehall Sub, Florence Branch, Bennington Branch, and Hoosick Branch, that all the Rutland crews are pretty much qualified on, so from day to day it changed what runs we did. When I worked there, Monday I was on the Bellows Falls Sub, Tuesday I was on the B&R Sub, Wednesday the Northern, and then Thursday/Friday I was on the Whitehall Sub. But this route has been placed on the back burner and may get overhauled some day.
With this example, the Florence job will start in Florence on the Florence Branch, onto the Northern Sub and into Rutland and return. Sometimes the switch crew or an extra job would play between the B&R Sub and Bellows Falls Sub or Whitehall Sub..



Though, I'll say, the Mountain Subdivision of course, would be just that line between Portland and Saint Johnsbury, with a portion of the old Quebec Subdivision that the guys out of Saint John were qualified on, but not the guys out of Portland, at least not during the late MEC and early Guilford days.


Sorry, off topic, but just giving examples what does happen on the smaller roads at least.

[trainlover2923]

Good luck with that one. I might be able to help with some buildings for Champaign... gotta have Memorial Stadium and the Assembly Hall along with the Steam Plant.

Now there's a couple of names I haven't heard in a very long time. I remember as a kid going to Champaign and seeing that big white dome. I was a little upset when I heard that they changed the name to I believe State Farm Arena. But to me it will always be Assembly Hall.

[spoony1999]

Now there's a couple of names I haven't heard in a very long time. I remember as a kid going to Champaign and seeing that big white dome. I was a little upset when I heard that they changed the name to I believe State Farm Arena. But to me it will always be Assembly Hall.

Yeah, they renamed in State Farm Center after they finished the interior renovations about 10 years or so ago. It was actually the largest dome structure in the US for 2 years until the Astro Dome was completed in 1965

[ChandlerBranchRailfan]

Some damn fine work, I'll admit. (I apologize for the language)