NorTransCon - Starting Up a New Adventure (Captions Included)

[ZachBell4400]

Been dealing with a lot of health issues lately. That and a lack of enthusiasm in repainting engines and freight stock, so I turned to the TSRE5 route editor finally and started building the East Half of the NorTransCon, a semi-prototypical route based on operations between Moorhead and Staples, MN, and points south and east towards Minneapolis-St. Paul. Below is a schematic showing my progress since I started on the project a couple weeks ago...

[jbtower]

I'm looking forward to your progress, very cool

[ZachBell4400]

I've been working on my NorTransCon route since coming out of quarantine, and I figured I'd give the train-sim community a little background on my experience working with ORTS routes, this one in particular.

First of all, I grew up on a major Northern Pacific route in east-central Minnesota (as we all know today as the Skally Line, or St. Croix Valley Railroad). I remember from a long time ago seeing CP and BC Rail cars and BN cabooses in Pine City, MN, at MP 62.4, and also seeing RailAmerica GP9s and eventually the SCXY GP9 #1363 from Bethel's ILSX shops (Independent Locomotive Service). Loved the trains the little Geep would haul.

Now back to my route-building skills. Within 9 months of discovering and learning how to build routes, I've completed more than 70 miles of ex-NP trackage, complete with sidings and crossovers - just for the NorTransCon. It's an amazing route (we all know this route as the BNSF's Staples Subdivision). So far, I've placed trackage between Aldrich, MN, and CP 85.5, as mentioned in my first post. I even extended some trackage to Motley, MN (that's the BNSF Brainerd Sub).

I'll post screenshots within the next week.

LittleFalls_RailFan

[ZachBell4400]

So today, two days before Xmas, I present to you an updated track schematic of the NorTransCon, because I built extra trackage from Aldrich to Wadena. Added some scenery in Wadena where US-71 crosses the tracks. I'll still upload screenshots of my progress this coming up weekend (preferably Sunday).

[qballbandit]

Are you projects personal, or to be released to the community when finished?

[ZachBell4400]

In reply to your question @qballbandit,

This is private, but I just wanted to show you my talent when it comes to route-building. I know people like myself that get our hands dirty in that arena. And, like I said, I'll post screenshots this weekend. Maybe next Christmas I'll have the whole route done from Fargo/Moorhead to Minneapolis/St. Paul.

Thanks for asking though, and merry Christmas to you and the rest of the trainsim community.

Sincerely,
Zach (LittleFalls_RailFan)