3DTrains: CSX Selkirk Branch
Hi folks!
Since the cat's now out of the bag, a few pics of a route I've been tinkering with. I'm not quite ready to show screens of the track, but will do soon.
First, a bit on the route and why I started it. I'll do my best to answer any questions you might have.
A friend asked that I should look into the Selkirk Branch for MSTS. This was about the same time Rail Simulator was about to be released, so the MSTS project went into the trash. However, this same friend soon landed a job at Railex in South Schenectady, NY, a company that handles UP's long-distance perishable trains from the West Coast, and after a bit of research on Railex and Selkirk, I got started on laying the foundations for the route. A few false starts, plus a recent distraction into other projects, delayed things quite a bit. Nevertheless, I'm back on the horse and playing catch-up, and intend to use this route to help fund and finish a another route project...
Currently tracks extend from Amsterdam, NY to Selkirk Yard, with a few lines in between (ex-NYC, nee Conrail). This is a modern route, so emphasis will be on CSX operations from Amsterdam to Selkirk yard - a distance of only 32 miles, and also includes the Carman Cut-off at South Schenectady. Typical traffic, and there's a lot of it, will see CSX, UP, NS, CP, and BNSF - pretty much all the big guns - dragging short and long distance trains in and around the Schenectady, NY area. Pan Am (Guilford) makes a connection at Rotterdam Jct, and SMS works from Guilderland Center to its connection to the CP at Delanson (ex-D&H mainline).
Although passenger traffic exists nearby (on other lines), they won't be featured in this version, except perhaps some Amtrak running up from Schenectady to Amsterdam. Also, I'm not quite certain how the SMS extension will fit into the scheme of things, but will leave the track there for those interested in scenario creation - in other words, the SMS tracks - and those of the CP over the old D&H - will have only very basic scenery and not be a selling point. The biggest features of the route will be the heavily-traffic along the Selkirk mainline, several locals, the Railex and other industries in S. Schenectady, and finally the yard at Selkirk. Although Selkirk contains a major hump facility, I don't believe RW's physics are quite up to the task of handling it (I may need some guidance here...).
Anyway, here's a few screens of some of the objects from the route (area between Guilderland and Fullers - Note: skys are only an experiment!):
I'll post more images soon.
Originally Posted by mword77
