Blackfoot 2 route, Reworking the template Options

[dgionet]

Hello to all,

Following the completion of the Mactier template, I have decided to have a second look into Ted Kocyla's other excellent route, the Blackfoot 2 Sub and its template, done in March 2008. The experience acquired during the last years, including creating traffic inside dark territories with the Ozark and A&O Sub routes (from VSC) this year made me reconsider trying to make another attempt to create traffic inside the Blackfoot Sub, which at the time had no meets along, just eye candy traffic.

The second attempt earlier last year ended not satisfactory. This time, I believe I will be able to create some traffic patterns with meets along, on the same basis as with the VSC routes. The traffic will be minimal since in the earlier 2000, only a few trains move along the Blackfoot sub on a daily basis. Most traffic moves on the parallel Wainwright Sub. The Blackfoot Sub, done in the early 1900's, was ideal for the steam era in terms of consists length and with the current 100+ car loads of today, the sidings cannot hold them for meets.

In MSTS, the major problem with the Blackfoot Sub route is the length of the traffic trains compared to the VSC routes, a lot longer today. To create traffic for both VSC routes, I have created very short paths, not longer than the length of a couple of engines to allow traffic to move smoothly, having no interference with the traffic paths. With short player paths, all switches become manual and when the player train turns the switch to take a siding for an oncoming meet, the switch which had been turned remain as is and will cause the traffic train to stall at this area where the switch had been turned. But at least the traffic consists, being shorter than the siding's length, were able to clear the switch ahead of the player train so the player train can move again and resume the run.

However on the Blackfoot Sub, long consists versus the many very short sidings present in the route used in the past for meets in the earlier template couldn't make traffic possible at every siding. I couldn’t have 25-cars AI consists as the traffic trains are a lot longer across the sub.

While reading the details, I have discovered that only 4 passing sidings were actually used for meets between both ends of the whole route, 3 between the crew change points at the North Battleford and Vermillion Yards. They are at Bresaylor, Waseca, Blackfoot and the other one at Innisfill, between Vermilion and Vegreville. Vegreville is long enough as well to hold long consists. The sidings, each about 1¼ mile long (in the Subdivision timetable) could hold along reasonable consists and will make traffic possible with meets. The passing siding at Lloydminster is too short to hold any meets there and rather be diverted at Blackfoot, about 5 miles further west. Traffic timing will be the most important issue as I will try to make the timing stick to the diagram with the designated time to eact meeting point. Testing the traffic patterns will take some time.

Here’s the preliminary diagram with the passing sidings and Yards (marked in yellow) for the entire route in preparation for the final document:



In most routes, the passing sidings are from 10 to 20 miles apart. Here the 4 sidings, about 30-35 miles apart, will mean longer waits for the oncoming train but at least, you will see some traffic. The user will see whether one train or maybe none at all. That will be checked out as I look into the issue in planning the traffic. Remember you can activate in AG the “No AI traffic” feature if you wish not to have traffic in your SLG-generated activity. Also the EB and WB templates will reflect as possible the true operations regarding crew changing. That means that a WB leaving North Battleford will have to set Vermilion yard 1 as his final destination for the crew change, the same way it was done with the Mactier template. It is about the same principle for the other way around to North Battleford.

Also included in the future package is a LOCALS template that will depict some local work between North Battleford and Denholm and return, some local runs in Lloydminster for each of the CN and CP tracks and surroundings.

The first screenshots
North Battleford with SD60F's as the player trains for the WB and the EB Templates

Crossing the North Saskatchewan River

Entering Delmas





On this first attempt, the traffic train arrived at Waseca about 6 minutes late to the expected time.

At the Oil tank spurs

Past the Lloydminster plant


See next post for a few additional shots of shots from the LOCALS template...

[dgionet]

Hello to all,

I have finally been able to set some AI traffic in some areas of the Sub. It took some head scratching and some testing the time of the player engines to some areas while taking in consideration some work prior to the meet.

AI traffic paths have been shortened trying to avoid a similar problem as previously encountered. The player train is expected to have only one AI train throughout the activity. One siding has been temporarily set East of Lloydminster to provide a substitute meeting place because Waseca is too far away for a meet.

Here's the AI traffic pattern map to have an idea.



I have also worked into refining what has already done so far and the templates are now ready but there's more...

Last week, I had a surprise PM from Rory Rice in the Mophouse site, the creator of the original Blackfoot route. He is currently working along the CN's Blackfoot sub and has provided me with some interesting details about the train operations along the Sub. From this information, I have tried as best as possible to reproduce some runs under MSTS. The result: two new templates have been created to depict current operations, one for the CN 411 West manifest and the CN 828 grain run.

The daily WB 411 run start at 0500 from NB and stops at Vermilion, Vermilion Yards 1 and 2 are the sidings to be used as final destination where the user might have to split in two its load and wait for the Edmonton crews of the EB 412 to switch trains with the 411. Pickups and setouts are done only in Lloydminster and the Husky plant along the way. The grain handling is done by the 828 train (see next template)

Starting at 0500 (not sure of the exact time but will apply the same as the 411), The 828 is a grain run and is done by Edmonton crews. It sets out empty cars and picks up loaded cars for Edmonton. Starting at Vermillion, it goes as far as Lashburn and returns to Edmonton, working along the remaining grain terminals up to Vegreville, the Western end of the MSTS route and the rest of the work towards Edmonton

Here are some shots including the two current-time templates, the 411 and the 828.

Vermilion EB


Next two: The WB411 in North Battleford at 0500






The next two: the 411 working the Husky plant at around 0620




The CN 828 at 0500 leaving Vermilion with a 55-car load of empties for its daily run


Will now start testing the whole package and Benny is helping me as well. Thanks again Benny for your time.

Will update later