Illinois Eastern Options

[klsc85]

I've decided to take a crack at creating a template for an oldie but a goodie, the Illinois Eastern (still in the Train-sim.com FL). I'm sort of surprised no one tackled this route before, but it's a natural for a template. Granted, there are a few hitches with switches on the north end (easily remedied by converting all switches to manual) and there'll be scant AI traffic if any, but I think it's still one of the better older freeware routes out there. The template will be Penn Central-themed, so get ready for an infestation of mating worms.

Uncle E

[nbeveridge]

I've decided to take a crack at creating a template for an oldie but a goodie, the Illinois Eastern (still in the Train-sim.com FL). I'm sort of surprised no one tackled this route before, but it's a natural for a template. Granted, there are a few hitches with switches on the north end (easily remedied by converting all switches to manual) and there'll be scant AI traffic if any, but I think it's still one of the better older freeware routes out there. The template will be Penn Central-themed, so get ready for an infestation of mating worms.

Uncle E

Uncle E,

I am glad that you are going to work on this one. I tried it a few years ago, but due to track switch problems, signal issues, and tracks which needed names, I gave it up. At the time I did not know how to fix these issues. Now I do. But it is all yours. I look forward to seeing this template in the files here.

Have fun!

[klsc85]

The mating worms are starting to slither.

My Illinois Eastern Penn Central-themed templates are coming along nicely. But as Norm alluded to in his post above, there are some issues with the route which I’m still working around.

Finding a way to overcome the lack of properly working absolute signals so I can add AI traffic has taken up quite a bit of my time. This weekend I’ll tinker with a few ideas involving double reverse points; maybe I’ll hit on a solution.

If you’re familiar with the IE, then you already know about the switch issues in Cal City Yard. The switches on the south end appear backwards (or point in the wrong direction) in the F8 window. The south end switches also default to the diverging position, which can add to the confusion. Since the route requires Scale Rail from 3DTrains, my suggestion is to download the Scale Rail high switch targets; they’re easier to see from a moderate distance, and show switch position accurately.

Norm mentioned that a few sidings are unnamed. Since these tracks are on foreign roads (EJ&E, IHB) and don’t actually connect to the main line, I’ve decided not to go through the hassle of contacting the route authors (if that’s even possible) to ask permission to upgrade and re-release the route.

One other minor issue is vehicle traffic at grade crossings. The car spawners are set to generate a vehicle every 5 to 8 seconds. With all the busy crossings near customer spurs, you’ll never get through an activity without at least one vehicle getting hung up on the tracks. There are three solutions: open the route editor and change the generation time of each carspawner to 20 seconds or more (which is what I did), lower the world object density slider so vehicles don’t appear (not what I would recommend), or just run over ‘em (Gruesome, yes. But nobody ever gets hurt)!

The coffee’s hot and it’s time to get back to work!

Uncle E