Off and Running - BART

[Arc Light]

Huge WIP - the original BART system (nothing past Concord, Fremont, and Daly City)....

Also note, there are no BART cars for MSTS/Open Rails so Miami/Baltimore cars have been used (but the cab has been changed)

Screenshots - leaving Daly City, at Glen Park, 24ST MISSION, and Powell.

(Route best ran on Alt+A)

[conductorchris]

Looks great!

[mikeebb]

Excellent rendition of the stations. One other thing, though: you're apparently not using Indian gauge (5'-6"). Oh well ... still looks good!

There might be some MARTA/WAMTA/LIRR/Metro North cars that resemble BART cars, too. Similar timeframe for the first 2 when they started, and NY MTA commuter lines (especially LIRR) had some that looked a lot like BART cars but a tad narrower. Not sure anybody ever did models of them, though.

Edit: as a BART rider in the early days ... something that's hard to mimic in the sims ... broken a/c that's pumping hot air on a warm day producing a sauna car ... not sure I'd really want it THAT realistic . And the sound track of the chopper controls varied over time as cars were rebuilt.

[Arc Light]

Thanks - I have at least three times as many miles riding Indian gauge that it's more standard to me than actual 4' 8.5"....making custom tracks would have time already off a slow drip of progress. BART cars don't really resemble anything else - the design was meant to be completely unique from the ground up (even the gauge – a whole story unto itself...will just say that these cars are extremely lightweight (61-63k lb legacy vs 64-65k new cars)). Amazing part is a couple dozen of the Day One cars still run today – all as B2 cars....

The most similar design is the 1000 series of the DC Metro also built by Rohr, but still off from the sleek lines of an A car cab. Tried out a new car (D) car texture with an Australian commuter rail car - so-so. I tried converting and building shape files, but the process via gmax is a true pain...

Ah, so they've always had the hotbox cars! Been on almost every car (just about 20 left), and can say every car has a little story of grime. Long gone are the carpets, wool seats - now needles and homeless, a true shame.

The buzzing sound is still around - the C1 and C2 cars (look for a flat fiberglass pod Y end) still have the Westinghouse 1463 and associated Chopper control...some motors date back to the 70s. There's always a little bit of the original system wherever you go...just have to look beneath the dust, grime, and who knows what!

What was your home station? Will post that next if you'd like. (Fremont-Wye-DC are the main areas focused scenery wise right now)

[ThatSolitaryGuy]

I've been waiting to see BART in this sim for quite a long time. I'll admit that riding on these doesn't have quite the same charm as when I was younger, and most of my rides have only ever been along the "blue" line, but this is quite a treat nonetheless.

Just curious though; is the "original" system supposed to be all that the route covers, or is it a current milestone for this project? I'd personally like to see the whole system remade, but I absolutely understand if you're keeping it simpler for sake of practicality in the sim or because of real-world priorities.

Also, don't worry about the track gauge. I doubt anyone will be too bothered by the difference, even if you plan on adding the old Western Pacific line between Fremont and Oakland that runs parallel to the system.

[mikeebb]

The original system is plenty. Let others deal with the extensions; in the great scheme of things, they're minor parts of the total (and eBART is just a mistake). I sort of see this like the LIRR project - a life's work.

Understand about the cars. We do have some fantastic modelers around here - perhaps one of them might be able to help in their (not so) spare time with a few cars.

As for "home" station - I ddn't really have one. As a Muni rider, I would usually transfer somewhere on Market Street or at Glen Park (already shown). In more recent times, I would occasionally transfer between Amtrak and BART in Richmond - not one of the architecturally interesting stations, really - on the way to Berkeley or 19th St. Oakland.

As for "running" the route: the train attendants (as they were called at the beginning; "driver" title came later) really only have 3 operating functions: holding the doors open at crowded stops where everybody can't get on/off fast enough, stopping the train in an emergency (big red button), and using a low-speed (up to 25mph) manual controller for emergencies and in the yards. Everything else was (and is) automated. Even in 1972. So running it in Alt-A mode in Open Rails is appropriate. Timetable mode might be useful to set things up.

It'll probably be hard to duplicate the effect of different speed limits and how the trains react: my impression of the original (unrebuilt) cars was that they only "knew" how to do 4 things: hold with the brakes set, full power accelerate, coast, and full brake. Very digital and uncomfortable if not seated. Even small speed adjustments involved short full-power hits. There probably were nuances, but it sure didn't feel like it. Again, as cars were rebuilt and new control systems installed, things changed and improved. In the early days, though, the Muni's Boeing light rail cars were somewhat more comfortable because the driver could control how much power and braking to use.

I'll let others make snide comments about needing different passenger views for different eras and car condition...

[Arc Light]

Thanks, it’s always nicer when you’re younger….I still remember my first rides through the tube (Transbay Tube) and being glued to the rear cab door window (A cars have a nice big window - https://youtu.be/xx2XpIYFMGw) on field trips to the city and Berkley. No needles then.

This route is the original system in the early 70s – after everything has opened (the Day One 9/11/72 opening just had MacArthur-Fremont) until the expansion craze from the mid 90s-present. The scenery mostly follows how it was in the early-mid 70s – e.g. Pacific States Steel in Union City and Montgomery Wards near Fruitvale are both open for business. Still lots of farms and open fields in Union City and Fremont. No eBART (shame that these people have been paying for real BART for decades and get a DMU)….

There is a group making the current route for Trainz. I’ve been invited to take look and am very impressed (real wide gauge and custom textures). Been sending them little tweaks to make it just right (but have been swamped by life as of late).
Yep, the WP is laid from 3rd St Oakland to Niles. Today, from 3rd st to outside Fruitvale the tracks have been dismantled, and from the BART Hayward yard to outside San Leandro it is abandoned. SP is also somewhat laid. West Oakland of course is pre-Loma Prieta (Cypress St Double deck still standing, no 880 curve).

If anybody wants to do BART cars (A car and B cars, C cars invited too!) I can supply a few basic drawings (publically available) and photos. Would be willing to donate, but it won’t be a true compensation for their time (freeware, but a little tip on the side…latter depends on finances).

I have almost no scenery on the R line (past MacArthur-Richmond), just track at the moment unfortunately.

Yep, once Train Attendants, but since the 90s (maybe earlier) now Train Operators. There are a lot of limitations on Automatic for Open Rails (most notably the lack of performance levels). Door closing is always manual (old days, opening and closing was automatic IIRC). To quote a former employee, “Most people only see what happens when everything is working properly.” Announcements on the old cars, safety, and the first line of troubleshooting.

Basically, acceleration has always been half or full 3.0 mphps, but full is default. There used to be some technical documents on the car design and automatic train operations on the web, but dunno where they are now. Very interesting stuff, a major reason why BART became my “home railroad.” There seems to be more on early BART than any other rapid transit system as it was viewed as a test tube for rail transit – government archives have digitized dozens of “impact reports”….a true blessing.

For interior views…most people would only notice the ads, seat covers, and floor.

Here’s a couple shots of the Fruitvale area.
Open Rails 2019-10-04 08-52-46.jpgOpen Rails 2019-10-04 08-58-03.jpg
Progress works in batches, so no clue on release unfortunately.

[Arc Light]

Here's a map (if it would upload full resolution?!)BART route.jpg

[demando]

Now you're tempting me to resume work on my Bay Area Megaroute project that's been on the back-burner, Arc Light!

[MMSS]

Fantastic work on a real complex route ! Keep up the great work ! Loving the screen shots of it !