Route Ramblin's...

[Coonskin]

This is looking spectacular, very nicely done. Give me the warm fuzzy vibes of laying track and running trains in Railroad Tycoon 2.

Thanks Parker!

Keep in mind ALL of the above is merely "Phase 1" scenery. IF I ever get to the final scenery stage, the roads will be replaced with painted roads, there will be many custom structures (depots and such, mainly), and there will be much more line side detail, etc. My "Phase 1" scenery merely gets something in place as quickly as possible so it's not a bare scene. In fact, typically, I can place Phase 1 scenery at a bare town in one good evening, and when finished the town looks "complete" but not super detailed/etc.

As for size of this route versus scenery in place:

Just the Frisco main line is a bit over 200 miles long. (I modeled two subdivisions.) Adding up the two Frisco branches (the 45 mile long St. Paul Branch, and the 18 mile long Mansfield Branch), then adding in all the miles of the other rail lines I modeled, I think there's well over 300 miles of track in place. At this point, I have almost 100 contiguous miles of Phase 1 scenery in place. Unfortunately, there is about a 10 mile gap to make that contiguous... but I'll get around it that "one of these days". LOL!

Up later will be more in-sim photos.

All fer now.

Andre

[Coonskin]

Outside my area of interest, but certainly an awesome addition! I believe I read that you were using the MSTS route editing tools to build your routes. While route building is not my area of expertise at all, I do know that the TSRE Route Editor has the option to paint terrain, rather than lay blocky textures or textures with harsh/no blending effect like the MSTS route editor. Given how much detail you're trying to put into the scenery, it might be worthwhile to load up your route in that utility just to play around with that tool.

Hi Yellowdog!

"Outside your interest": LOL! Yup, 19th century railroading is definitely a small niche. There are very few of us in the V scale hobby.

Yes, I use MSTS RE. Once a fellow starts using TRSE on a route, you have to continue using it on a route, for certain features implemented via TSRE will cause it to no longer load in MSTS RE. (Or so I've read.)

As for painted terrtex patches. As I have mentioned before, the scenery you see is merely my "Phase 1" scenery. That is, the bare basics so the route looks populated when in the cab and rolling. Once I got back to a scene to finalize it, I will be replacing the sectional roads with painted roads as well as other painted features via Mosaic. (Such as seen on my Ozark Northern route I released commercially eons ago.)

Thanks for your input!

Andre

[yellowdog]

Ah, that makes sense! Thanks for sharing your skills and vision

[SD40-2]

For those curious what Andre can do, I decided to boot up the Ozark Northern and Start on a Passenger Run. (Yes, the irony of someone who's username is a 1970s diesel posting 1890s equipment is clear to me. )

St. Paul

Open Rails 2025-08-05 08-06-24 copy.jpg

Brashers

Open Rails 2025-08-05 08-20-34 copy.jpg

I really wish I could've bought more of VSC's steam locomotives. Even if they aren't supported anymore, they're still fantastic engines.

[Coonskin]

SD40-2

Ah, me ol' Ozark Northern! Thanks for sharing a couple pics from it as well as your kind words.

As I recall it the ON was my last commercial offering. It took me forever to get it finished. As I recall it, I went full time railroading as I was getting close to wrapping up the ON. Once I started railroading full time, that's pretty much all I did and the ON sat and sat. I finally got to the activity creation phase, and I think that's where I really bogged down. Creating activities can consume inordinate amounts of time testing/fixing/adjusting/etc. It sat and sat. I finally asked at my 3D Trains VSC forum (which comprised of customers mainly) if they wanted me to release it with only a handful of activities and they all said yes, release it as is, so I did.

You mentioned regretting not purchasing more of the VSC steam engines. There were only two equipment packs: The North Arkansas Pack (NAP for short) and the Colorado Midland Pack. The NAP was aimed at my 1906 era St. Louis & North Arkansas route, so all of the equipment is equipped with knuckle couplers. (The NAP was created to replace the John Fowlis freeware that he graciously allowed me to use. Of which I think I uploaded the entire pack of repainted John Fowlis equipment here at Trainsim for any and all?) However, the CM pack is link n' pin era and it has some very cool locomotives therein as well as cabooses and equipment. Most of my standard gauge 19th century "project routes" utilize equipment from the ON route and CM equipment pack.

Now, you'd better be careful, because the link n' pin eras can infect 'ya! LOL!

However, that's the beauty of V scale! Point/Click: You're running an inter-modal freight over the Shasta route. Point/Click: You're clawing your way up to Fly Gap in the 1890s!

Andre

[Coonskin]

Ah, that makes sense! Thanks for sharing your skills and vision

You're welcome. I have so many project routes that I enjoy tinkering with (off/on) I had to come up with ways to make quicker progress!

Andre

[Coonskin]

AND NOW SOME MORE PICS FROM MY mini-mega route "Frisco Line" route project...

There are three major bridges on the 11 mile northbound (timetable east) climb to the summit at Winslow. A screen pic of the largest, Bridge No 1, was posted in my previous screen post, so let's pick it up with Bridge No 2. Bridge No 2 isn't as long or as deep as No 1, but it is still an impressive structure...

StLSF_BridgeNo2.jpg

And here's bridge No 3. Bridge No 3 is cool because there's a little mini-bluff on the north end of the bridge on the west side of the rails. Also, though it is not as deep as either bridges No 1 or No 2, it is more abrupt in that the terrain falls away more abruptly from under it.

StLSF_BridgeNo3.jpg

Continuing down the Boston Mountain Grade, the line passes through "Rock Cut", which is a formidable cut through sandstone. Here's a pic looking map south at Rock Cut. In this picture, the engine is facing map north. (I got a bit carried away with the length of Rock Cut. I need to shorten the length some.) Back during my railroading years, I never tired of running trains through this portion of the Ozarks.

StLSF_Rockcut_bmod.jpg

From the rugged mountains we head toward the Arkansas River. First, lets take a look at the depot area at Van Buren, Arkansas. The camera is looking northeast at this point. (The engine is facing south, or timetable west.)


StLSF_VanBurenAR_1.jpg

And now the engine has passed the depot area and is headed for the Arkansas River. The line to the left of the Frisco main is the interchange track with the Iron Mountain & Southern RR. The IM&S Van Buren facilities can be seen upper right as well as a glimpse of the Arkansas River...

StLSF_VanBurenAR_2.jpg

And here's the Frisco and IM&S crossing looking generally map south. The iron bridge over the Arkansas River was completed late 1882 to early 1883.

StLSF_VanBurenAR_3.jpg

And now we're at Fort Smith at the Frisco's "North Yard". (By the late 1880s, North Yard was beginning to be quite large (for this region). The engine is facing map south. To the right is a sizable industrial area shared by the Frisco and the Iron Mountain. Almost all of the industries in there was wood related. (Furniture, wagon components, etc.)

StLSF_NorthYdFtSmithAR_1.jpg

And here is the North Yard looking map west with the Arkansas River in the background. That's "Indian Territory" on the other (west) side of the Arkansas River...

StLSF_NorthYdFtSmithAR_2.jpg

From Fort Smith, the Frisco's line quickly crosses the border into Indian Territory and strikes off for the division point of Talihina, IT. Along the way it passes through my current home town of Poteau, OK. It is alleged that Poteau means "Post" in French and was so named in 1719 by the French explorer Bernard De Harpe. The Poteau area became a trading post between the Choctaw Indians and the growing advances of settlers. Upon the arrival of the Frisco railroad in the mid-1880s, it was then being called Poteau, but was referred to as "Poteau Switch" by many of the railroaders and others.

Here's an overall view of the town of Poteau in the sprawl of the Poteau River Valley. What doesn't show is that to the west (left) is the imposing Cavanal Mountain, and off in the distance to the right is the Sugarloaf Mountain Range and Poteau Mountain Range. Behind the engine to the south and southwest (the engine is facing map north, timetable east) one can begin to see the Ouachita Mountains that the rails of the Frisco will penetrate with a climb up and over Winding Stair Mountain...

StLSF_PoteauIT_1.jpg

Indian Territory was WILD and WOOLLY back then! The Choctaw people were very rugged in their life styles and very upright and faithful to their traditions. (They had their own mounted police force called the "Light Horseman"... and the Light Horsemen could not only apprehend, but at times judge, and be the executioners all in one operation!) From Poteau, it's another 35 or so miles to deeper into Indian Territory to Talihina, IT through some very remote country. Talihina went on to become the center of the Choctaw Nation. On my route, out among the woods, I have tucked-in some Choctaw settlements. (Complete with Teepees. At one of the them can be heard the sound of ceremonial dancing!)

On my next post, we'll leave the north/south mainline (east/west on the Timetable), and head out on the Frisco's 45 mile long "St. Paul Branch" to take a look at some of the doin's on it. We'll also take a look at the picturesque and rugged Black Mountain & Eastern from Combs, Arkansas to Cass, Arkansas!

All for now!

Andre

[Coonskin]

OKAY... let me wrap up taking a look at my sprawling Frisco Line mini-mega route by taking a look at the 45 mile long St. Paul Branch, as well as a couple/three pics of the rugged Black Mountain & Eastern. I don't have any in-sim screen pics of the Frisco's 18 mile long coal-rich Mansfield Branch... perhaps "one of these days" I'll snap some screens and share here. Suffice to say that those 18 miles are chocked full of coaling operations, complete with prototype switchbacks and such to reach some of them. Nor do I have screen photos from the Iron Mountain's 35 mile Greenwood Branch, or the 30 or so miles of Midland Valley rails that are also part of the "Coal Belt" south/southeast of Fort Smith. However, those lines do not have Phase 1 scenery in place, so not a lot to show.

BUT, for now, let's head out the St. Paul Branch. There are no truly large towns on the St. Paul Branch. The line was out in the sticks and the primary commodity was timber products. The line began to be built in 1886 by the Fayetteville & Little Rock. The F&LR envisioned a line from their connection with the Frisco at "Fayette Junction" east/southeast to a river port town on the Arkansas River known as "Lewisburg". It also intended to make it the remaining miles to Little Rock (possibly via trackage rights over the Little Rock & Fort Smith/Iron Mountain rails.) In about 1887 or so, the Frisco saw the value in the F&LR, so it purchased it. The Frisco took up where the F&LR left off (about 27 miles to the temporary town of "Scully", and extended it a few more miles to St. Paul. The rails arrived at St. Paul in 1887. Later the Frisco would extend the rails another 7 or so miles to Pettigrew, and that was the end of the line. The Frisco saw no advantage to tackling the very rugged mountains that lay between the end of the F&LR's rails all the way to Lewisburg, thus their diversion toward St. Paul and eventually Pettigrew.

First stop will be at Combs, Arkansas, where is the connection with the 19 mile long Black Mountain & Eastern. The BM&E did not exist in the late 1880s (wasn't until after the turn of the century.) However, the BM&E is so interesting to me (and I spent a lot of time hiking or riding my trail motorcycle on the abandoned roadbed) that I just had to include it. Here's an overview of Combs looking map east. The Frisco is on the left (with train), and the mill and tracks to the right are on the Black Mountain & Eastern...

StLSF_Combs.jpg
And here's look from the bluffs overlooking the Frisco at the timber town of St. Paul, Arkansas...

StLSF_StPaul.jpg
And here's an overview of the Frisco at Pettigrew. The engine is facing map west. The end of line turntable is behind off screen behind the engine...

StLSF_StPaulBranch_PettigrewAR_1.jpg

And now a few scenes on the Black Mountain & Eastern.

This is Summit Cut. This is where the BM&E reached its highest elevation which was right at 1850'. To put that in perspective, the Arkansas River (some 20 miles to the south) is at 371'. The highest peaks in this region go upwards of 2600' - 2800' or so. The terminus for the BM&E, Cass, Arkansas, sits at 759' and is only 4.1 miles away. The line has to drop right at 1100' in four miles. When you punch through that cut... there's quite the vista to be seen!

BMnE_Summit Cut.jpg

And here's a look at the bridge that's at the community of Black Mountain. The small depot is at just out of sight at the right edge of the bridge. That bluff is a water fall during the wet seasons. I haven't done this scene justice as yet, but I hope to "one of these days"...

BMnE_Bridge2_1.jpg

And here's how the BM&E decided to lose some of that elevation: Switchbacks!

BMnE_Switchbacks4.jpg

There's a LOT to be seen in this huge (for me) route. However, I've already taken a lot of time and space showing some screens I have. Plus, I don't have in-sim screens from the many scenes that have Phase 1 scenery in place. SO, I think I wrap up this overview of my 300 miles of track n' terrain that comprise my Frisco Line route project!

I'm going to take a break for a bit, then I'll decide which among my "Favorites" routes to share pictures of next. Shucks, I might even show some of the routes that are currently moved to "Inactive" status!

We shall see!

Andre

[SD40-2]

Though I do have ONE ancient diesel era route that I worked on for a time back before 2010, that route project has been dormant since about 2010, and likely will remain so.

Okay, just slightly curious, what location and what era is this diesel era route?

[Coonskin]

SD40-2

LOL! Curiosity killed the cat, remember?

Confession: It's the Rock Island from Caldwell, KS down to El Reno, OK. I think the rails made it to near, or at, Hennessey, OK. This route was started a LONG time ago when I was looking for a more "main line" diesel route to market via V Scale Creations.

The track is as correct as I could make it for the early 1970s using the default MSTS track pieces. The early 1970s was the era I was going to model. There is a smidgen of rudimentary scenery in place at Enid, and that's IT. All the rest is track and bare terrain.

Here's some sample pics I made when I was trying to gauge interest as well as my personal desire to continue with the route. (Note: the engines in the pictures are all freeware obtained here at Trainsim. All static scenery objects were custom created by yours truly):

EngHs1.jpg

EngHs2.jpg

EngHs2a.jpg

Enid2.jpg

EnidGrain.jpg

And a map of the (incomplete) track at Enid...

EnidMap.jpg

The idea fell on hard times when I began to consider the logistics of completely finishing such a 100+ mainline that included several sizable locations. I also would have had the need to commission the equipment pack with Gaetan Belanger, who was my partner in crime for my diesel efforts. (He created all of the Arkansas & Missouri equipment for my Arkansas & Ozarks Sub route.)

Any rate, the route got mothballed and that was that.

I also have another smaller route that runs about 22 miles from Malvern, AR, to Hot Springs, AR, that was originally started out to represent the Rock Island in the early 1970s that As I learned more about the region, and saw the density of traffic and railroads that ran to Hot Springs as one went back in time, that route got backdated to the 1880s and the track laid for all of the former lines that reached Hot Springs. This route was to reflect the prototype Hot Springs RR shortly after it was converted to standard gauge from 3' gauge. This route is also essentially bare track and terrain.

Incomplete routes: The bane of my V scale route building.

Andre

[SD40-2]

Coonskin

Curiosity may have killed the cat, but this has my interest piqued. What you've done so far looks very good, and considering the lack of Midwestern routes, even an unfinished route would be welcome.

[Coonskin]

Well, in the future, I may take a show of hands as to how many would want the "as is" route uploaded here at Trainsim. If not enough interest to trouble Eric with an upload, then I can Wormhole the route to you.

Andre

[dcarleton]

You know, there is now an unfinished routes category in the file library here... Hint... Hint....

[Coonskin]

dcarleton

Well it is DEFINITELY "unfinished". LOL!

I do hesitate to take up Eric's server space with such a low demand route. Plus, I have several "unfinished" routes that would indeed take up quite a bit of server space if I upload "as is". Sort of in a quandary for me concerning my "unfinished" routes in view of how much Trainsim server space to infringe on therewith.

Andre

[Coonskin]

SO... in view of my comments as to having a "few" project routes on my hard drive, I started wondering just how many unfinished routes do I have? I was shocked. Here's what I found that are worth mentioning:

Allegheny Lines (19th century)

Proto-lanced version of the Alleghenies from west of Gauley Bridge into the New River Gorge and includes the tracks for the Virginian, C&O, and whatever else I got interested in. Towns reached that I can remember: Mullens, WV, Raleigh/Beckley area, Quinimont, Rand Sub, on and and on. Wonderful operational possibilities. Totally too much scenery to install. It's been shoved aside into my "Inactive" pile. Installed size is currently 369 megs.

Arkansas Valley & Ozarks: 1883

Proto-lanced based on historical precedents. Some 35 miles of some of the most challenging topography the Ozarks offers. All bridges/cribbing in place, some Phase 1 in place. Installed size 348 megs.

Arkansas Western Branch:

Bare route that models the KCS's AW Branch to Waldron, AR, some 35 miles. Track represents circa 1950s - 1960s. Installed size 93 megs.

Central Pacific Donner Pass: 1869

Track in place from Sacremento, CA to Truckee. Track alignments and town tracks based on photos and data. Some Phase 1 scenery in place.

Colorado Central: 1882

Track in place in Boulder all the way to Central City, based on books and data. Never extended past Forks Creek to Silver Plume. Installed size: 96 megs.

Colorado Midland: 1893

My own version of the CM using NED 10m Seamless terrain where possible and based on books and data. Started at Colorado Springs and laid track for ALL of the lines into Colorado Springs that existed in 1893. The rails are at Wild Horse. Stalled out because of some missing terrain up past Leadville.

Colorado & San Juan: 1882

Proto-lanced narrow gauge route based on an expanded "Siverton Lines" theme. The C&SJ is a north/south line from up toward Grand Junction, down south of Silverton. I am modeling the portion from Ouray to Silverton, and Silverton to Lake City. (The Silverton to Lake City portion is based on a prototype line proposed in the late 1870s.) My C&SJ is rugged and spectacular. The Ouray to Silverton section has Phase 1 scenery in place. The Silverton to Lake City has some Phase 1 scenery in the Lake City area. 275 megs.

Fayetteville & Little Rock: Late 1880s

Proto-lanced based on a prototype railroad that was started in 1886 and partially built 27 miles to a point near the St. Paul, AR. It was then purchased by the Frisco in late 1887 or so. The Frisco terminated it in St. Paul, AR, and in 1897 extended to Pettigrew, AR. My version follows the proposed route from Fayetteville to Lewisburg, AR, on the Arkansas River. Rail is about halfway to Lewisburg. Essentially track and bare terrain.

Frisco Line: Late 1880s

Elaborated upon previously in this thread. Installed size is a whopping 665 megs.

Hot Springs RR: Late 19th Century

A proto-based line about 23 miles long. The main portion of the route is the old Hot Springs RR 3' narrow gauge line constructed in the late 1870s from Malvern, AR to Hot Springs AR. The line was converted to standard gauge in 1889. I was modeling it after the conversion to standard gauge. Lots to do on this route. Essentially only track and bare terrain, though. 201 megs.

Kansas City & Gulf: 1960s:

Another very early route building exercise. The KC&G routes were proto-lanced efforts based on my fictional HO model railroad theme I concocted in 1992 and am again modeling it in HO. I have several route versions for this theme. Seems I never could make up my mind how to route the line north/south through the Ozarks. Any version would essentially be track and bare terrain. Meg size would vary depending on version. Unfortunately, I think I've lost the earliest version of the KC&G route.

New England Lines: 1869

A mini-mega route that includes several lines in VT/NH/MA. Track in place from the Rutland yard area down to Bellows Falls. At Bellows Falls the Rutland & Burlington connects with the Cheshire RR at North Walpole. The Cheshire's line is laid from North Walpole all the way to Fitchburg, MA. There's also other lines that have track started. LONG way from being ready for any form of beta release, yet is already at 613 megs installed.

North Arkansas 2: 1908

This was a total start over of the North Arkansas using improved data I had unearthed since my creation of my St. Louis & North Arkansas commercial route. Track is in place from northwest of Wayne, MO all the way down through Harrison, AR, through Leslie, AR, to near Edgemont, AR. That's 178 miles of mainline. Still need to extend to Joplin, MO to the northwest, and figure out how to deal with a reservoir between the end of track to Heber Springs (another 16 miles). 323 megs

Ozark Lines: 1890s

This is an extension of my proto-lanced Ozark Northern route. I extended to rails south about 16 or so miles to Ozark, AR to connect with the Iron Mountain & Southern. I then modeled the fictional Eureka Springs & North Arkansas that connects with the Ozark Northern at Esna all the way some 50 miles to Eureka Springs. It had a lot of potential as an add-on for my Ozark Northern. Bogged down. 382 megs.

Rock 2: Early 1970s

Mentioned above. Shared this route with a fellow from Trainsim(?) back in 2019. Nothing more was heard from him. 222 megs.

Silver Creek & Northern: 1880s

This was one of my earliest route efforts. It's a 3' gauge total concoction that loosely runs from the Silverton, CO area up to Ouray, CO.I used the alignment of the Silverton Railroad to get to the Corkscrew Turntable area, then used a contiguous routing to get down to the basin before dropping of toward Ouray. It has some scenery in place here and there as I recall. Long time friend Herb Kelsey used it to model the Fiddletown & Copperopolis. He's had a ton of fun with it. 134 megs.

Stampede Pass: Late 1880s

Originally started to model the switchback section of Stampede Pass as a prototype project and immediately ran into issues with equipment lack. SO, I concocted the Cascades & Pacific theme and carried on laying the track as accurately as I could for the prototype facilities but by virtue of it now being the fictional Casades & Pacific, I now had more latitude in equipment choices. All the track is in place from Easton to Lester via the switchbacks over the summit as the tunnel is being built. (However the tunnel is included.) This route has the terrain in place all the way to Tacoma, but I stalled out west of Lester when I ran into a reservoir. (I HATE reservoirs!) I ended up learning how to hack gradients so the switchbacks have the correct 5.7% sections. (MSTS limits gradient to 5.2%.) This is the most difficult operational challenging route I have. Those incredible grades coupled with the super short tail tracks means you are ON THE EDGE OF YOUR SEAT getting loads down those grades. It is life threatening at best, and down right HORRENDOUS if it's snowing!

In Addition To The Above...

I have other routes for which I created the markers, tiles, and terrain to go have a look see, but all failed to pass muster for some reason or another.

Then there are the commercial routes:

St. Louis & North Arkansas
A&O Sub
Ozark Northern

I have all of the exe files for the above as well as patches/fixes/add-ons.

SO...

As you can see, Eric would almost need a new server rack in order for me to upload all of the above! LOL! Of course, in reality, many of the above routes would be in very low demand, so probably not much need to take up server space for an upload for the masses.

All fer now!

Andre