Blackfoot 3: The Template! Options

[klsc85]

Even through I've been away from the forum for awhile I'm still cranking out templates for my own entertainment. Lately I've had the itch to work on something for Rory Rice's Blackfoot 3 and share it. Well, ground has been broken. Two things to know: first, the templates will be geared toward Open Rails because of OR's ability to arrange meets on dark territory routes (MSTS users could still tick the "No AI traffic" box and happily switch away). Second, they will not be comprehensive templates, rather one eastbound and one westbound road switcher template concentrating on major grain and energy shippers located on the main track (someone with a better knowledge of Lloydminster and the nearby Husky facilities can tackle that spaghetti bowl!).

First testing of the eastbound template is promising (I worked long cuts in and out of the Lloydminster ADM facility while an AI train squeezed by on the pass track thanks to an OR-enabled meet). I'll keep the community posted on further progress.

Eric Anderson (a.k.a. Uncle E)

[klsc85]

The eastbound road switcher template is complete; now comes the testing. The screenshots below are of Vermilion, Aberfeldy (Rory Rice calls it a "go-to" yard for local switchers working around Lloydminster) and the Pioneer grain terminal. The bottom shot is a meet at Blackfoot siding. I've settled on one AI train per template, and so far Open Rails is handling the dark territory meets well (they probably won't work at all in MSTS). But until I'm convinced that the AI meets will work flawlessly every time, I'm not committed to keeping them.

Once the Vermilion-North Battleford template is in the can I'll work on the westbound version (thanks to Rory, I now know that the Blackfoot Sub road jobs are 411 westbound and 412 eastbound). Will there be a Lloydminster template? Stay Tuned.

Uncle E

Open Rails 2017-10-04 06-13-56 by Eric Anderson, on Flickr
Open Rails 2017-10-05 06-56-34 by Eric Anderson, on Flickr
Open Rails 2017-10-05 07-19-27 by Eric Anderson, on Flickr
Open Rails 2017-10-09 08-31-19 by Eric Anderson, on Flickr