Portland Terminal

[micaelcorleone]

Rick has set up a new page for Portland Terminal.
There you can find a lot of info about the route.
http://gtraxsims.com/ (see the left column of the site)

There is also a pic of all the locos that will come with the route.

"Three locomotives are included: an SD40-2 which is a modified RS.com locomotive repainted in Pan Am Railways livery; a "restored" Boston & Maine E7 using a shell by Dick Cowen; and a set of three GP40s in Maine Central, Guilford and Pan Am liveries."

[arizonachris]

Looks fantastic! I had to look several time, the people in the screen shots look real! Like a photograph, not a shot from the game! Wow! Can't wait for this one.

[ricksan]

Glad to hear you're enjoying the shots. I hope you'll have as much fun running trains on the route as I'm having building it. Well, most of the time, anyway!

There are any number of additional surprises -- of the pleasant sort -- that haven't made it to screen-shot status yet. Sometimes I just can't stop messing with things. This being a New England route, I thought RS.com's familiar "UP Driver" figure should be more appropriately attired.



I don't know if this one will earn me more friends or more enemies!

[Chessie8638]

Can't wait to do some street-running. This route is looking awesome I must say.

[micaelcorleone]

I don't know if this one will earn me more friends or more enemies!

Is this a cap of the Maine Black Bears? I don't have much knowledge about American Football so tell me.

[bswitz]

No, that is a cap with the emblem for the Boston Red Sox; American Baseball Team.

[arizonachris]

I don't know if this one will earn me more friends or more enemies!

Well, Rick, I guess it depends on if you are a Red Sox fan or a Yankees fan.

This route is really looking great. I can't wait!

[micaelcorleone]

"Michael's oil terminal—where it all started."

[micaelcorleone]

West-end crossing.

[styckx]

I didn't really care for this when first announced because it was first advertised as a yard.. And yard work + Bill = ADD kicking in. :)

Been keeping an eye on the development of it over the weeks and I'm seeing more and more it's not really that at all.. Looks like a nice little branch line which I love.

Great work Rick.

[BNSF650]

I wonder if that GP38-2 is a new model?

[ricksan]

Originally, RS.com announced the project as "Portland Yard," despite my having edited their proposed copy to read "Portland Terminal." Sure, there's a rather large yard in it, but there's a whole lot more than just that. In the not too distant future I'll be releasing a video that will give everyone a better idea of the scope of the project.

Frankly, I'm amazed at how much variety is packed into such a small geographic area. Kudos to Michael Stephan who came up with the original idea for the route, and to the "other Portland" (i.e. the locale of this route; I live near the "big" Portland) for providing the scenic inspiration.

That's a GP40, Erik, and yes it's a new model.

[BNSF650]

NICE!!!!!!!!

[thecanadianrail]

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[ricksan]

That was quick! I only placed that building into the route yesterday! I've rearranged the parking lot somewhat and will be adding the night effects today.

Here's the back story...

Portland's Union Station was demolished in 1961 and replaced by a strip mall. (That's true; what follows isn't.) The mall buildings were cheaply constructed and were approaching the end of their useful life, so there was talk about razing those buildings as well. Now we've come full circle, and thanks to a local benefactor and history buff, a replica of the original Union Station was recently completed. It's still a shopping center and the "granite block" facade is really a veneer over precast concrete. But now, in addition to the other commercial tenants, there's a kiosk where you can buy tickets to ride the Downeaster.

The story isn't all that far fetched. Union Station at "the other Portland," the one near where I live, was never torn down and is part of a busy downtown transportation center. The interior of the iconic Ferry Building in San Francisco -- another linear building with a central tower -- is now lined from one end to the other with shops and restaurants.