Switzerland's Unterland route, template on the works Options

[dgionet]

Hi to all,

I am continuing to expand my knowledge of international routes, but it takes time. I have been trying not long ago to consider a template for the 2008 release of the Sicilian route Palermo-Agrigento, which is a superb route in Sicily, it is a perfect candidate for a template but have encountered some setbacks in attempting to select some appropriate rollingstock and encountering coupling problems in trying to couple and uncouple cars. Will attempt to communicate with the route builder later in trying to find the appropriate stock and maybe go ahead with a template.

I have remembered looking at the Unterland, a Swiss route created some years ago, in early 2003. Despite its age, the sidings are well marked and the route has been popular among MSTS users( 11600+ downloads v2.0 and 6500 v2.4). Also a big avantage (like the Wupper 11 and the Blackfoot 2 routes) is the complementary rolling stock pack coming with the route and detailed maps of the main areas. I have decided to start working on it. I have now finished placing all markers on the 110 sidings the route has. Motive power for the template will be 2 SBB electric engines. They have been built in the mid-fifties through the mid-sixties and have each 6000hp, each is the equivalent of two sd40-2's. Switzerland is mountain country and two of these engines won't be too strong to handle freight. The terrain may not be like Albula's twisting and steep grades but will still require two of these (+12,000 horses) to move along the ~50 km route.

I will be working to include some AI freight and passenger traffic along some areas for the route. Will study the activities included to look at the traffic patterns and trying to include some in the template.

Am including some shots of the route and stock part of the template.

Enjoy

[dgionet]

Hi to all,

Construction of the Unterland template is now finished, went well in its construction and has been for a few days in testing. There are eight different paths and 15 AI trains. However, two topics have arisen during testing the different paths.

First I have tested some AG generated acts with only one engine instead of two because of, in some cases, a lower number of cars were to be serviced. But the problem here was that the first car behind the engine wouldn't uncouple with the engine itself, despite changes made to the coupling settings. Remember that the rolling stock have chain couplers. Have changed all to automatic at one occasion but encountered more problems. So came back to square one. Had to re-install the rolling stock. To solve this, the player engines must be in pairs and back to back to ensure coupling and uncoupling between the engines and stock. No problems have occured between the cars themselves.

Second, I have noticed that in some sidings which are signal controlled (one of them being the Embrach Abstellgleis 1 in Embrach-Rorbas ) the AG feature that toggles the route signals to permissive has not worked.Have generated activities before and after toggling in permissive mode and ended with the same results. Could it be related to poorer scripts since the route is 5 years old? Have some of you encountered the same signalling problem in making your templates?

Here are some additional shots of the route

Thanks and enjoy

[dgionet]

Hi to all,

I have been continuing the tests and checking the signal issue. I have found more signals that cannot be converted to permissive, which includes key areas like at Rekingen where access to the Solvay and Betonfabrik areas are impossible now. That reduces significantly the number of serviceable sidings and haven't finished testing the different areas of the route.

Due to this major problem, I will not go ahead with its release. If one day the route is being updated with a patch which corrects the signal issue, I may reconsider reconstructing the template.