Hello to all,
While I have been silent in the forum for three weeks now, I have been toggling between my photographic work and how to build the template for the SLI_Green River route. I have done a lot of searching in trying to make it as realistic as possible but within the MSTS limits, of course. Construction of the template may take a very interesting twist if an authorization is given. It may become one template package involving two routes rather than one.
Some may remember at Brendel (a few miles west of Thompson Springs) there is a branchline going south. This line is the Potash route, known also as the Cane Creek Branch and which came into service in the sixties with the DRGW servicing the area. DRGW.net has indicated that the seven mile canyon area had some activity there as trucks were loading rock loads in the railcars. I am awaiting permission from Rene Rump, the builder of the Potash route to proceed ahead with some proposed changes already done on the route and only to be used with the oncoming templates.
The image below shows the proposed additions to the route,
Both routes are expected to use the same rolling stock material as for the SLI_Green River route. In addition three downloads will be required, all from TS. Rock Hoppers for the Potash route, MOW equipment to service along the entire Green River route and the small sidings and recently released cars to simulate the famed dirt train, which ran from Salt Lake City to the Sunnyside branch. About the Dirt train to the Sunnyside branch, can anyone have some details about its history, where it started? I am not sure if the dirt train ran around 1983. Your help will be appreciated.
Among the templates expected in the package are EB and WB, YARDS templates for both the Grand Junction and Helper yards. LOCALS templates are expected to be part as well. Among the locals, there will be some work between Grand Junction and the Fruita area to the East. Also from Helper to Price to the West. The WB and EB templates are finished andare being tested.
The Potash local will be an interesting twist among the locals.
The Green River template and route will simulate the first half of the Potash local, that is from Grand Junction to Brendel, where the pickup of tanker cars at Brendel for the Potash area will end the first half of the run.
The Potash template and route will simulate the second half of the run. It will start just within the branch and proceed to Potash for the work there and, later on the return trip have some work done in the seven miles canyon area. The template should finish when reaching the Eastern end of the route towards Grand Junction.
The next two posts will show some of the screenshots taken since the planning began. The first set for the Green River route and the latter for the Potash Route, or the DRGW Cane Creek Branch.