The Bernina Scenic Route, Template in consideration Options

[dgionet]

Hi to all,

Ottodad has annouced yesterday that a public BETA version of the route has been released and had provided a link to get the route. Last night I have downloaded both the route and stock files, both files take about 800MB of disk space before installation. The route is very specific in terms of installation; it will be installed as a mini route. I have looked at the route and looks good for a template.

Although it is a very Scenic route, freight traffic is present in this area. Extraordinary scenery! The Bernina Pass route became an UNESCO World heritage site in year 2008 together with the Albula route. The route starts South at Tirano,Italy close to the Italian-Swiss Border, about 450 meters above sea level. Then it goes up, way up to 2200 meters through Bernina Pass and descents to St.Moritz, its Northern end, 60km away and at about 1800 meters above sea level. Hairpin curves, steep grades and the famous 7% graded Brusio loop are part of this remarkable route. It is not completed yet, hence the release as a BETA version. I have runned the entire route tonight and have taken shots of the one (1) meter wide track line.

That is why I will follow closely the progress of its construction to make sure everything is OK when it gets released ( I hope!) to make a template.

In the meantime enjoy these incredible photos starting South and going up North to St.Moritz ( see also next post)

[dgionet]

The other images

[dgionet]

Hi to all,

I have decided to go ahead with the construction of the template package. As mentioned in their forum, this INTERMEDIATE version may end up as is and may never get finished completely. Despite this, seeing what has already done is quite good enough to go ahead with its construction.

Work into the oncoming NB and SB templates is now in the testing phaze but not without some challenges that have been met.I have tried to make this template as realistic as possible while at the same time combining playability. As mentioned
before, it is standard procedure to have passenger trains do the picking and setting of freight cars along the Bernina
Line. Unless mistaking I believe this aspect to be a first in any AG template, to my knowledge, since the player consist
will be a passenger train and not a freight loco.

It will be suggested to limit the number of cars to be worked at five (5). More cars may cause the train to exceed length
of some sidings along the route. Photos seen of the mixed passenger and freight have indicated not more than three freight
cars seen in the back of passenger trains. There may be some with more but have not found information to support this. So
this template will be more a scenic sightseeing tour with very little shunting, a change to the regular or heavier
switching route, but this is a realistic reproduction of the real thing in this area of the world.

To add evenmore the challenge to those who enjoy passenger activities, two specal templates (called PsgrNB and PsgrSB) with only one path each will add a time schedule to stop at each of the 21 stations along the line. I couldn't do it inside the
regular templates since the time schedule is recorded inside the ACT file and not the PAT file. I have been able to locate
( inside the ACT file) the area where the arrival and departure times were recorded and added 100 seconds between each
stop. That means a 35 minute expansion of the activity. Those who will use these templates will have the additional
challenge to try to respect the passenger timetable as best as possible. The regular templates will have simply no
timeframe to abide by and can be done without any stress related timing. The only thing I couldn't change is the delay time inside the stations since the information is written in the TDB file, these waiting periods seem to be the real thing in real life.

I have done some AG-generated activities and have done some changes in the traffic patterns along testing. I am including
some shots of the activities ( in two posts)

Continuing the testing and enjoy the scenery!

More updates later as testing progresses.

Picking up cars at St.Moritz


Meeting a descending train at Morteratsch, Note the sudden grade change past the signal.


Bernina Pass, Summit of the route along the lake of glacier waters.


Alp Grum and its scenic view down the mountains. Still a long and twisting way down to go!


(More pics in the next post)

[dgionet]

The other pictures

Meeting the Glacier Express


Configuration of one of the two areas of twisting tracks and hairpin curves going downward


Setting out the picked-up cars at Poschiavo

[dgionet]

Hi to all,

I have been very busy with its construction and conception, looking at details around the Swiss Bernina route. Major changes have been made since my last post. Carlo Santucci, one of its creators have been closely working with me to bring the templates as realistic as possible and believe will deliver a package that will reflect the operations of the Bernina Line. I have been also looking at pictures of the area to help in with the template.

I have learned a lot since its start and have been testing and adding templates. The template package will include shunting exclusively inside these five (5) locations: Tirano, Campocologno, Poschiavo, Pontresina and one at St.Moritz. St.Moritz will be unique as the shunting involves only passenger cars! As a popular tourist resort, there are no freight operations at St.Moritz. All the freight are being carried from Samedane, East of St.Moritz directly to Pontresina, a few miles South or vice versa.

What make its construction more complicated at St.Moritz and Pontresina is the presence of electric lines with different voltage, a 1500Kv from St.Moritz to the rest of the RhB and from Pontresina to the rest of the Rhb while the Bernina line inside both stations is 1000Kv. That is why shunting operations in St.Moritz and Pontresina are done by a diesel shunter.

Here are shots of the first activities being created by AG at St.Moritz.

Hope to release in a week or two the package.

Enjoy the pictures

[dgionet]

Hi to all,

The Bernina Templates are now finished and have been passed to Steve for uploading. I would like to say a sincere thanks to Carlo Santucci, one of the main builders of the route who gave me precious details of the area and its operations, making this template package one of the most realistic templates I have ever made in my years in template making. I have been trying to bring as realistically as possible the operations of the Bernina Line with the templates, taking into account MSTS limitations combined with playability and enjoyment running the route and template package presented to our users of AG4. The users will be able to enjoy at its fullest this remarkable route.

For those who will be using the templates, please read the template readme, as there are many and important details to remember in getting the most of the Bernina route and templates.

Unique features are being introduced in the package, composed of 10 templates. First, for four of the templates, the player train is a passenger train, as there are no freight trains in the Bernina Line, as most of us know them. Freight cars are attached to the end of passenger trains and brought to some of the small yards along the line.

Also, two of the above passenger-freight templates have also a passenger timetable to abide by to pickup passengers while bringing or picking your freight to selected areas.I have been able to edit the ACT file and was able to add 100 seconds between each station to catch up time for your freight pickup and AI meets.This adds about 30 minutes to the whole activity.

Five of the templates are shunting templates. You will be able to do shunting work within the limits of each of the 5 stations along the line, as the engines used for the work are different in some stations to reflect the reality in real life.The five locations are at Tirano, Campocologno, Poschiavo, Pontresina and at St.Moritz.

In St.Moritz,you will be switching, not freight but passenger cars only, being a very popular touristic area with many passenger trains passing and being handled at St-Moritz.

The last template is a small reproduction of the Maintenance of Way (MOW) operations around Ospizio Bernina, the summit of the route and nearby Alp Grum. Two MOW cars, a Crew car and a tanker are part of the template. The Xe 4/4 #9922 yellow MOW electric railcar and four sidings are part of the MOW service in the area. Information received seems to suggest that an empty tanker car is left at the Alp Grum siding to collect liquid waste from the adjacent Alp Grum houses and hotels and is brought back to Ospizio Bernina where it is emptied on a waste truck for disposal elsewhere, this of course is to be confirmed by other findings.

So be on the lookout for this one; for those of you who enjoy scenics and passenger activities, you will be well treated by a great combination of all that and some freight work.

Enjoy