CNW/UP Harvard Sub

[eolesen]

Been working on the baseline for this over the past few weeks....

Track is now laid from Olgilvie/Northwestern Station out to Barrington, including the coach yard at Barrington, the former Des Plaines coach yard at Deval/Seeger (now mostly MOW).

Designed for some high speed passenger running over 35 miles, but there's a fair number of sidings along the way, and with the freight line connector at Deval, some opportunity for those who want a switching activity designed to work around scoots.

Lots left to do -- scenery, terrain (especially trying to get elevations in/around the Chicago city limits, roads and signals. And if anyone has a good model to use for Arlington Park, please let me know....

[qballbandit]

Rock on, another local route!
Good luck with it. As a kid, I used to play in that coach yard by the old Deval tower/junction.

Looking forward to hear about more progress made.

Neil

[metrarailboy1]

Been working on the baseline for this over the past few weeks....

Track is now laid from Olgilvie/Northwestern Station out to Barrington, including the coach yard at Barrington, the former Des Plaines coach yard at Deval/Seeger (now mostly MOW).

Designed for some high speed passenger running over 35 miles, but there's a fair number of sidings along the way, and with the freight line connector at Deval, some opportunity for those who want a switching activity designed to work around scoots.

Lots left to do -- scenery, terrain (especially trying to get elevations in/around the Chicago city limits, roads and signals. And if anyone has a good model to use for Arlington Park, please let me know....

Great! I probably could make you some metra stations including OTC. Ill see what I can do.

[rd4man]

Sounds GREAT. Lived in Barrington for a few years back in the late 60s and early 70s. Of course it was strickly C&NW back then with Cab Units. Wish you well on your project. Hope you can get it out to Crystal Lake where they terminated back then.

[CGW409]

What era/time frame are you looking at representing?
I'm closing in on 48 years old and have lived in Palatine my whole life so I can give you a pretty good idea of how it was "back in the day" of most of the line from at least the Desplaines river west to Crystal Lake in regards to sidings and such.

Arlington Park is going to be a serious beeyoch considering that in the pre MSTSbin era you could just get away with a lo poly flat as the grandstands would be beyond detailed camera range.

If you look up Gary Sprandel in the file search area you'll find some buildings I did for MSTS based on buildings that exist or existed in the Palatine area.

Also here is a website that might be helpful.

historicaerials.com/

[eolesen]

Track is finished from CPT to Harvard. I'd planned on ending the project at Barrington, but the beauty of the Northwest line is there aren't a lot of turns to contend with, and it's mostly farm country for the last 20 miles.

West line is only built as far as the coach yard, but will save the rest for V2.0.

The only major item remaining before I upload the route is scenery permissions and credits for the items I've found in the file library.

Next week, I may start submitting some of the scenery objects I've built in Sketchup for the route (Arlington Park, 1960's apartment buildings, and some of those single story strip malls you find on just about every corner in the suburbs...

[trkrolesen]

VERY COOL! Glad to hear you are still working on this route. I grew up along the CNW east west main and am looking forward to this route.

[Metra322]

i cant wait...I live along the cnw north line(which i'm currently doing)

[qballbandit]

Awesome news - congratulations on your progress.
I will certainly love to run this route - often.

If you need any beta testers, pm me, i'd be glad to assist.

Neil

[Train-a-Mania]

If you need any beta testers, pm me, i'd be glad to assist.

Neil

Ditto. I would be more than happy to help take a look at this interesting route!

I should note that I have beta tested routes in the past.