Northeast Corridor and Metro North Update

[gusthegator]

Good morning everyone,

I haven't posted in a while but, I have both good and bad news.
Lets start with the bad:

Due to family events, my partner in crime Captain82 won't have access to a computer for some time. The Original NEC Mega route will be on pause for a while. No time frame for this.

Good News:

The Metro North New Haven Line portion is now the Metro North Railroad due to the addition of the Harlem line to Wassaic and the Hudson line from NYP/GCT all the way up to Albany NY. About 95% of the track and 20% of the scenery is complete. My route building schedule consists of 3 miles of scenery work 5 days a week along with 1 mile of track to the Danbury and Waterbury Branches. At this rate, track work will be done by march, scenery should be completed by Mid May or June. The original authors granted me permission to fully re-work and release this route.

NEC Revamp on the PRRv2 is near completion and should be finished within the next few months. With permission, I'd like to release this as an optinal update for those who want a more 2000+ NEC experience.
What to expect:
- Revamp doesn't go to Boston (extension has been removed; no whining)
- Updated track work matching Amtrak from 2000+
- Updated Speeds and removal of phantom signals
- No activites ( make your own )

Pictures of MNRR as of this post:
NewHavenMNRR.png StamfordMNRR.png HellgateMNRR.png NewRochelleMNRR.png SpuytenMNRR.png BigApppleMNRR.png NYPonMNRR.png
PRR-ER Upgrades: PRRWUT.png PRRBaltimore.png PRRFrazerYard.png PRRNLNA.png PRRMorrisEssexNEC.png PRRSunnySideYard.png PRRPhila.png PRRWilmington.png

[Orbita]

Very nicely done! Nice to see someone else modding the PRR-ER. I've been doing a private mod of my own on the same route, but less involved. Just making the route feel more 50's.

[gusthegator]

Very nicely done! Nice to see someone else modding the PRR-ER. I've been doing a private mod of my own on the same route, but less involved. Just making the route feel more 50's.

Many thanks Kyle. PRR-ER is definitely a rough route to work on, but is a great playground for route builders. I'll be posting a few screenshots later today.

[gusthegator]

Small update for those interested. The last few months have been a nightmare, but light is at the end of the tunnel. My partner in crime is working his way back to route building. By the summer, he should be up to speed and ready to route build. Until then, progress will be slow and steady. Two versions of the route will be made available upon release. The first version will be the standard version, complete with interactives and a few starter activities. The second version will contain the track and scenery only. This will allow for a merge with the PRR-ERv2 effectively letting you run trains from Washington to New Haven in one route. A healthy understanding of TSRE5 is needed to make this work so do it at your own discretion.

[gusthegator]

Small update.....

Bad News:
Progress had to stop due to working 6 days a week on call and my typical adhd laziness.

Good News:
Back route building and Captain82 returns in a few months.
Been practicing pacing with route building since burnout is a pain in the ass. I'll be bringing route building to work when possible, using the down time accordingly so home time can be used for sleep and exercise.
For now, soley focusing on track work by finishing out yards/sidings on the mainline, along with the Danbury and Waterbury branch.
Once complete, scenery will resume. With OR have a better LOD, I'm having to re-work how to build scenery so that distant scenery works well with the more detailed scenery closer to the tracks.

[captain82]

gusthegator Absolutely marvelous work on this project and can't wait to get back at it again. We got work to do!

[gusthegator]

Another small update for those interested:

I'm stuck on the extra list at work until further notice due to "funding issues" so free time will be scarce. The good news is I got sick with covid mid august, and this week I was able to route build after nearly dieing in bed every night. Warmed up on the PRR by re-doing BWI/Halethorpe track and scenery; then decided to rebuild Baltimore. Fixing this section removed a weird TDB issue that was well hidden. Lastly, I'm saving up for a decent laptop so I can route build during breaks at work using home to sleep more. MNRR work will resume next week since many roads have to be redone.....( roads are the foundation for surrounding scenery ). Ah well here's a picture of rebuilt Baltimore:
image.png image.png

[ChandlerBranchRailfan]

Sorry for asking but when the PRR V2 Update and the NEC New Haven Revamp are finished, will they be MSTS Compatible or will they be OR only?

[ZachBell4400]

The route is for OpenRails.

[ChandlerBranchRailfan]

Yes for Open Rails I know but will it work in MSTS?

Because I’ve noticed some Open Rails content does indeed work with MSTS.

[Orbita]

I quote from the readme of the original PRR-ER v2 release:

"Being as the route performs so poorly in MSTS I've only partially tested one activity, Chestnut Hill. Partially because I can't stand 5-6 fps frame rate when Open Rails delivers in the 50's to 60's fps range. This large and complex route just cannot be handled by obsolete software."

I'd say MSTS would be pretty unstable running a very complicated and involved route such as this one.

[ZachBell4400]

What Orbita said

[gusthegator]

northphillyrevamp.png
Sizeable update for those interested:

Stalling progress on the MNRR for a while. Good news is the PRR has seen some much needed upgrades. 2/4 have been completed and of the 2 they were to more labor intesive. First up is Amtraks Bear delaware repair facility. Turns out the PRR actually went all the way down to Cape Charles, but an extra 125miles at 25-30mph is misery. However, knowing the limitations of MSTS back in 08, it makes sense why they just stopped with certain areas of the route. I'm happy with adding in Bear as it adds a crucial repair facility for Amtrak trains. I hope activity makers enjoy.

Next up is a overhaul of Zoo/Girard/Mantua/Interlockings. Zoo interlocking is being simplified to reflect the modern day track work ( credit where credit is due, Vince is a beast for tackling this area) and to make it easier to line up trains. for Amtrak and SEPTA. The freight track that runs underneath the corridor at Mantua is beng re-done to have a better decline, plus reflect more accurate track work.This required a lot of scenery to be destroyed, but scenery will be remade with more accuracy this time. The CSX Highline was the biggest hiccup and is now at a 5% grade which is stupid. I may end up pushing it past zoo, then have it go underground and connect with the existing freight line further down.I also had to remove the NY Pittsburg Subway track, but if the highline rework gets fixed I can add it back in with no issue.

Up next is the North Philly rework. I mixed the old with the new, keeping the older switch layout with the more modern track work. The result was pretty interesting to say the least. More importantly, I was able to add in the proper double curve between Mantua and Lehigh Interlockings along with reducing the excessive 1% grade. Unfortunately, rebuilding North Philly required me to adjust 16th street interlocking, adjacent connecting track, and the CHW line. Didn't enjoy rebuild the reading lines, but 16th street interlocking is how it should be with its slip switches. I re-did the double track on the norristown line turning one track into a mainline track for good measure. Scenery for all the above will be re-done within the next few weeks after I get used to my schedule change.

Originally I was going to release the routes seperately, but I've decided I'm going to merge the MNRR with the PRR and release it as a mega route. Ah well here are some pics for reference:
image_2026-01-23_144712787.png ZooCSXHighline36thStreet.png ZooGirardMantua.png beardelaware.png

[gusthegator]

So it seems Amtrak is going to open the new portal bridge between Secacus Junction and Swift Interlocking withinn the next few months. I'll be rebuilding this into the PRR, but I'll keep the old portal bridge for those who still want to run the NEC as it is.

[gusthegator]

D.C. Track work is coming to a close. Last bits of the yard are being worked on. Afterwards, scenery will be built along with mark and WMATA track to Silver Spring. Should I add the OLD school ramp for shits and goggles? Ivy City is confusing xD.png