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]

Hi to all,
Back from a busy day Saturday with my daughter's wedding and everything went great. Glad to slow down the pace back to normal.

I stayed home today and took some time to complete what was started a while ago.I have been able to complete to what I believe was my longest activity ever made with MSTS. The CN 828 grain run had been successfully done. From Vermilion, with 55 empty grain cars, I have started the run EB as far as Lashburn and back to Edmonton with the last cars to be worked at Vegreville, handling close to 120 grain cars and took slightly over 8 hours to complete. Everything went great along.

Since the WB CN 411and the EB CN 412 run daily along the route, it was important to organize the meets carefully. For the WB 411, which starts at 0500, the MSTS run to Vermilion took 3½ hours to reach its destination. The best time to meet the 411 is directly at the beginning of the run at Vermilion, that is at 8h30. On your way back, you are expected to meet the 412 at Blackfoot and will be waiting for you inside the passing siding.

Remember, with so many grain cars in the consist (was up to 70 at one time) and once your work EB is over, you will have to go to Waseca and use the passing siding to make your turnaround back to Edmonton. It took 2½ hours to reach Waseca and the rest, about 5½ hours.

I have also created one template for the CTRW railway, a very simple one. With your load inside the Blaine Lake Sub ( up to 40 cars), simply bring your load to North Battleford, reverse and take back some cars for the way back home. Since there are no sidings in the Blaine Lake sub to set your cars, your activity is expected to end at the Brada passing siding, which simulates an oncoming meet and the player will have to stop at the end of the siding to succeed the activity.

Here are some screenshots of the grain run:

The start of the run at Vermilion at 0830 with the 411 coming in


At Islay for the first pickup


Marshall


At Lloydminster WB


The meet at Blackfoot


Handling grain cars at Vermilion, about 6 hours done since its departure


Past Claysmore


The next two at the UGG complex near Vegreville with some grain handling



The last pickup at Vegreville at 16h33 which will end successfully the activity.


I hope to release the completed package in a week or two, pending the green light from Benny and John, who are testing the acts, before uploading.