Kaukaunee Western

[shicoe30]

Hey there RWA

I am pleased to say that after a failed attempt at a real world route, I'm back on my feet with a fictional route that previously went under the moniker of the "mess around route" as a few of you may have seen over in the screenshots area. I finally came up with a good name for the town which this route centers around. Kaukanee is a smaller, industrial based city on a decent sized river set somewhere in the upper midwest. Kaukaunee is the lovechild of two real world Wisconsin cities (Go Pack Go!), Kaukauna and Kewaunee. Thus far there is about 19 miles of double track main line suited for class 1 traffic, with a split of about a mile or two of single track main where southbounds follow the "old main" whilst northbounds travel the "new main". The old main snakes through Kaukaunee on an elevated track before declining into a small yard where a short line amply named "The Kaukaunee Western" handles all the industries downtown as well as a few lines that run west along another river up to a few more (still to be determined) industries. The KWR (Kaukaunee Western Railroad) currently has around 14 miles of track, around 6 of which are in the city itself, and services upwards of 10 customers, with daily pickups and dropoffs. There is still a lot to be done and created and imagined on this route, but I thought I should at least give it a name and a little back story and a chance at someday being finished and released. I have trouble with markers and signaling and such so I might need some help long the way so here goes!

Here's a few screens of the KWR working in the city in the late afternoon/early evening

[PapaXpress]

Looking good.

[LoneWolfDon]

Cool. Looking really nice from the screenies.
Perhaps you could post (or move thread) about your route over in the WIP area?

Will it be mainly for freight-runs (and switching/shunting), passenger-runs or both?
Will the route work with default-RailWorks installations, or will extra assets/addons be required?
Planning to release as freeware, donateware or payware when it's completed?
I wish you best of luck with your route project.

[Hawk]

Perhaps you could post (or move thread) about your route over in the WIP area?

How 'bout move?

[shicoe30]

Thanks Hawk.

Don - Mainly freight stuff, everything from switching out industries, then making up trains in the yard, to mainline operations.

No real plans for passenger as of yet, although I have put in a couple stations, we'll see what I can work out, but for now I'm just working on scenery when I can. I just got accepted to my first choice college, so I might have a little leave of absence soon as my free time will be taken up with all the paperwork, but I hope to have some major updates in the coming week or two.

-Erik

[shicoe30]

Most assets used at this point are either default or freeware, with the exception of scalerail and scaleroads and I think maybe some foliage, but I'll have to double check that. My goal is to keep it freeware (except scalerail/roads of course), both the route itself and any assets that may need to be downloaded with it.

Gonna have to work on these crossings, perhaps move the stopping points back cause the tractor trailers keep rolling onto the tracks. I went into emergency and got stopped for this one, but I've had a few that weren't so lucky!

[arizonachris]

I think I bugged you about this fictional route before, Erik. Nice to see you planning to release it, I think it will be a nice addition to my ever growing RW roster! Congrats on college, too! Take your time, we (or should I say "I") can wait. I like the overhead part. Reminds me of "Unstoppable".

[shicoe30]

slowly but surely coming along. some more scenery added, then decided to run trains, but I wrecked the darn thing making a set out for an industry forgot to change reverser direction before throttling up, ran right off the end of the track

need to start getting grass out of the road

[Chessie8638]

need to start getting grass out of the road

I think the grass in the road is automatically put on by Railworks. Going to options > Graphical Detail and unchecking "Procedural Flora" you should see those grasses disappear. I was going crazy with them until someone on here suggested turning that option off.

As for the route, I'm liking what I'm seeing especially the industrial switching and making trains up in the yard that you mentioned.

[shicoe30]

hmm, well i like the procedural flora in some places, but i generally just use a texture that lacks it under roads, it's just a longer process but in my book it looks better, I just noticed I forgot any sort of crossing signage too...oops

but yeah, I love me some switching, I'm gonna be building some more at the end of a 10 mile branch that goes to a medium sized mining, quarry, something or other area, I haven't quite decided yet. something much more rural in any case, cause I want a nice balance of the city side of things as well as some more picturesque areas. I almost think I have too many useless spurs and sidings in the city itself, i think i'll "grow them over" to make them look abandoned and unused.

[shicoe30]

just some more progress shots

Grade Crossing


On the fence so to speak


The view from an industrial spur


"Bump"


Chooglin on up a short, but steep incline onto the bridge


Rolling towards the interchange with the Class 1 yard

[shicoe30]

Update: Scenery is trucking along, having trouble keeping the fps down in the city so I decided to get more work in on the "Nature Preserve". The KWR's city yard lies just south of this point in the hustle and bustle of the city, but here, the only wye in the city (and the eastern part of the KWR's system for that matter) lies smack dab in the middle of a city park. Naturally, the area wasn't a park when the trackage was laid, but over time, environmental groups campaigned and eventually the city named a big chunk of the northeastern land a greenspace and restored the unique mix of wetland, riverfront, prairie, and bits of deciduous forest back to its natural state, with the exception of a parking lot or two, a few campsites, and a visitor center, and oh of course, the KWR wye and a portion of mainline.

Here we see a steam excursion heading south towards the yard after taking a trip around the wye (I got tired of running all diesels :P) The footpath is well marked and train crews are well aware of pedestrians and whistle/horn/bell use is heavy on approach to crossings. The path's many bikers, hikers, and whomever else may use it are thoroughly warned and informed of the busy short line that passes through and are cautioned to always "Stop, Look, and Listen".


A look south, off in the distance, downtown can be easily seen. The yard is down by those tall building, and as you can see, I have a lot of work left to do in the city.


Another view of one of the pedestrian crossings.


A local makes the turn, but first he will continue down the wye to a few more industries to drop some empties before completing his "locomotive re-allignment"

[jpetersjr]

Looking great. I might have to have you to teach me to make a route one day.

[shicoe30]

Here's a really glitchy video of what part of the line looks like and how operations on the line would be conducted. The train; WKL67; is the scheduled freight from Whashano to Lakota, passing through Kaukaunee on it's way. It's one of two trains that don't stop or make set outs in Kaukaunee. That day it was headed by Soo Line GP30 712 with 19 cars. The speed limit is 10 for the first stretch and then 5 for the view obstructed crossing, then up to 15 through the yard, yard limit is 7. Again sorry about the quality, but fraps decided to malfunction and this was the best alternative, the audio is a testament to the actual smoothness of gameplay, the fps runs around 10 or 12, which although still isn't all that good, is a lot smoother than the video.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t7dYPs0i ... ideo_title

[shicoe30]

New power takes the reigns on the KWR, freshly delivered by the MadMike Locomotive Shops. KWR GP38's 201 & 202 head a local south from Lakota, stopping to drop off some boxcars.