[OTTD] Dave's New Screenshot Thread

[3iff]

My eyes are melting.

I'm delighted that you drive your trains on the left hand side. I thought I was the only one to play like that...

[Dave]

It continues.

In 1974, things were getting a bit congested at Spluttergate station.

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I moved the station one step to the west to provide a six track approach from the east (second screen). You'll also note the amount of remodelling that's gone on involving the forest station - I've identified a ton of decent industries to supply Bobby Pin Co sweet factory, but I can't afford to put that through the station, so I've built an avoiding line from the west main line to go round the north of Spluttergate to meet back at the factory. The forest station has also been added to this. The upshot of all this is that I've managed to add many toy trains from Crackerjack down to House of Toys in Spluttergate.

This also simplifies a lot of the point work. Also note I've replaced all the creaky old trains for the latest Powernaut Diesel. And Spluttergate has grown, again!

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[Alberth]

I downloaded your savegame from another thread, and had a look.
I love the dense build style, I should play a 256x256 game too soon.

How do you decide how many trains you use? I always use the rule of having one train loading, but you don't seem to follow that rule.

[Dave]

Ha, thanks. I've become so engulfed in the idea of playing realistically I've forgotten how the game can be played sometimes.

I used to think 256x256 was a tiny bit too restrictive and I stick by that, but it has been more fun trying to wind everything in.

I don't have a scientific approach to train buying. I tend to buy 3 trains to start with. As you can see production value modifying is on. What I tend to do is revert any low producing primary industry to 100% when I start serving there, so any you see away from the default has all changed itself. Usually I will assess when things are overwhelming the service and start adding cloned trains. The issue I'm having at the minute is the bridge over the water is a serious bottleneck. I may have to add another pair of tracks there, and remodel Spluttergate Jn again!

As I said, playing a smaller map with less care about realism gives you freedom and headaches in equal measure, but I quite like that.

[Alberth]

Endless tuning is much of the fun

I added a cross under the bridge before the long water bridge to Spluttergate, and it works nicely to distribute the load from TinkleBottom Industrial Park and TinkleBottom Forest between both tracks over the water.

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The other direction could perhaps also need something like that but after the long water bridge, so traffic back to the above stations can also use both water bridges.

I also added an extra tunnel but not sure it's actually needed, it doesn't seem much used.

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[Zhall]

Watch out, someone might start complaining that you are posting too many video threads....

hehe.

Nice trains Dave

[Kevo00]

Really liked the savegame. Actually making me think I should play a toyland game!

[Dave]

I've moved on from the Toyland game (I'm sure to Alberth's dismay) back to a temperate map with only eyecandy and station GRFs switched on. Here's a couple - I've established three lucrative coal routes into Tedton A Power Station and am subsidising passenger routes with it. The passenger routes are kept clear of the coal lines.

Here, Engine 8 leaves the yard with empties back to Field Colliery south west of Freshfield. On the main lines, No 205 streaks past towards Freshfield's large passenger station. Engine 903 is shunting empty coal wagons on Tedton shed.

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Meanwhile, at Freshfield, 901 loads with a two coach train to the village of Tedton, and 208 crosses the river on arrival. 9 and 13 steam through the tunnels under the station throat, from Field Colliery.

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[S-Transport]

Nice!

[Kevo00]

Good capture of the train going through the tunnel.

[Dave]

I've just had a cruise through my screenshot threads from way back. Really makes me want to play again... But so little time in this day and age!

[Alberth]

No point in delaying the inevitable!

[Dave]

Alberth is right, there isn't! So here are I, in the midst of a new game, having returned to UKRS2. On this occasion I've chosen not to use the finescale tracks, as I'm not a huge fan of the signals (I'm blind).

Anyway, here's some action from a very busy game...

In 1890, the Livingston Mineral Railway was established by Charles George Dawson to serve the heavily mined and quarried area around Livingston. Within 4 years a network of lines had sprung up serving a coal mine, clay pit and pair of quarries. Coal was delivered to the Livingston Corporation's power station. The other commodities were sent to the Harris and Co Brickworks to the west of the town. Bricks from this factory were then sent by train to Kempston, a town to the north. In addition, the LMR had built a passenger line between Livingston and Kempston. By 1894, this had reached the city of Aldridge to the north, by way of Oldcastle. Livingston was not the biggest town but had a myriad of industry, stretching to a steel mill and food factory as well as the brickworks.

In this first shot, we can see works being undertaken to double the lines to the south of the town. James Baxterhall had long demanded this change, so a third train could run from his colliery. This will also benefit the LMR, when they look to exploit the rich livestock market to the south. In this shot, 0-6-0 Goods No. 7 J. D. Baxterhall steams past the rail laying works with a load of coal towards Livingston, whilst 0-6-0T Jinty No. 33 loads gravel at the Livingston Quarry Co.

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In this industrious shot, no less than 6 of the company's trains can be seen across the northern part of the network. In the extreme bottom left, you can see 0-4-0ST Industrial No. 101 Bobbie Jo with a short-distance gravel run from Kempston Quarry. 0-6-0 Goods No. 3 is returning empty clay wagons to Great Tew Country Clay Co to the north west. The company's locomotive works can also be seen at the bottom of the shot, alongside the single line which allows the Jinty-hauled gravel trains to reach the brickworks.

At the brickworks themselves, another Jinty, No. 35, is at the head of Siphon Vans being loaded with kiln-fired bricks for a new development in Kempston. These coloured bricks are reserved for the very best building works. The short line to Kempston does not join the main line, but runs alongside it to a dedicated platform at the station. Here we see 0-4-2T No. 80 at the head of flat wagons which carry smaller loads of normal bricks.

Also at Kempston, two passenger trains. The first is a 4-carriage local train hauled by 0-4-4T Metropolitan No. 151, calling at Livingston, Kempston and Oldcastle. The other is the beautiful 4-2-2 Spinner Lady Livingston, with a load of 7 carriages, having just arrived with an express from Aldridge. At Livingston station, a similar local train is hauled by No. 154.

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[S-Transport]

Nice!

[Kevo00]

Very neat building style!

[Dave]

Some more, 12 years in...

In 1896, the company started expanding south, with the Southern Line that reached Chesham Iron Ore Co, near the town of Chesham. Two branches leave this line fairly close together. To the west, a branch runs to Findlay & Co farm. Here, 0-6-0 Goods No. 13 is at the head of a train of grain wagons. Two 0-6-0T Jintys are also in the platform, No. 36 leaving with a train of livestock wagons. No. 38 is loading a similar set of wagons behind the grain silos.

Out at the junction, a third Jinty No. 41 Ethel is at the branch signal, waiting for another grain train, hauled by Goods No. 16, to struggle up the gradient. Similarly, Goods No. 23 is stopped on the line from Chesham with a full iron ore train, and will suffer a similar strain up the gradient. There's also a Jinty, No. 47, stopped at the exit from Torrington Quarry. Note the flying junction, which took advantage of the natural contours and removed the need for gravel trains to climb from a standing start. No. 44 is approaching the junction with empty gravel wagons for the quarry.

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A very busy shot, centred on the Livingston Corporation's power station in May 1901.

The tunnels under the approach to the Power Station Yard is a new addition, as recently as late 1899. The gravel trains mentioned above previously continued on the line up towards the industry on the east of Livingston, then turning on to the main lines by way of a chord at Torrington Junction, on their way to Nimmo Building Supplies on the east side of Kempston. This caused serious congestion, both on the goods line and on the lines between Livingston and Kempston. To combat this, the tunnels were constructed to meet with the single line between the power station and Harris & Co Brickworks, at that time only used by a twice daily gravel service between Livingston Quarry Co and the brickworks. The line was doubled and fully signalled, which rendered the chord redundant. At the top of this shot you can see the chord, disconnected from the network. Clearance of vegetation has taken place to allow the chord to be lifted. The signals and signalbox will likely be re-used elsewhere.

In this shot, at the bottom left, the twice a day service between Baxterhall Colliery and James Carrington Steel crosses with engines No. 4 and No. 9 at the helm of the respective trains. These trains then run alongside the Power Station yard via a chord to the Southern Line and then continue to the east side of Livingston. In the top left, one of the aforementioned Torrington-Nimmo gravel trains returns empty, behind 0-6-0 Jinty No. 46. In the bottom right, No. 45 is at the head of a similar train, having just passed No. 48 with a loaded set of wagons. It will need to wait for No. 44, with a livestock train, to clear the junction.

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Compare this second shot with the one I posted previously - the goods lines have now been given full access to Kempston, which allows the Torrington-Kempston trains to access all platforms at Kempston station. A quietish view shows No. 35 and No. 80 from the previous shot, on the same duties as before, around the brickworks yard. Kempston has grown significantly as a result of their supply of bricks.

The station itself has expanded to five platforms, including an overall roof on the lines nearest the station building. A road bridge has been provided over the approach lines. Two trains pass each other on the main lines - an 0-4-4T Metropolitan on a through local train from Oldcastle to Torrington heads south, whilst a 2-6-4T Suburban hauls 9 loaded Siphons from Jefferies Whole Foods to Aldridge. These trains are highly profitable.

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[Dave]

The gravel trains which I have gratuitously referred to above are destined for here: Nimmo Builders Merchants on the east side of Kempston.

This short branch has three level crossings. The first is controlled by River Branch signalbox which oversees operation at both ends. However, the other two crossings are manually operated by. When high volumes of traffic are expected, the railway sends a passed porter from Kempston to each of the crossings to facilitate the trains to pass.

However, this isn't the case in this shot, where 0-6-0T Jinty No. 48 is stopped short of the Isledon Road level crossing. Outside of peak traffic hours, the crossings are closed and re-opened by the train guard. This causes issues for loaded trains at Isledon Road, as the train is stood over the LC at River Branch SB whilst the guard closes the gates.

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[S-Transport]

Nice!

[Dave]

A quaint little shot of Livingston, dominated by three different tank engines!

To the left, 0-4-2T No. 80 is at the head of an almost loaded set of flat wagons with bricks for Kempston. As previously discussed, this short trip working conveys ordinary Livingston brick materials to Kempston for expansion.

No. 151, an 0-4-4T Metropolitan, pauses at Livingston with a local train to Great Torrington. This train uses 4 wheel coaches and is mostly used by workers from Torrington to reach the larger towns.

Finally, a 4-4-2T Suburban, away from its normal passenger duties, hauls a fast train of perishable goods for Aldridge - these trains are tightly timed and take priority over all trains except the crack Aldridge-Kempston expresses.

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The company's "jewel in the crown" No. 1001 Lady Livingston leads her train across the Oldcastle Viaduct, spanning the Tewton River. Another two Spinners have been acquired but neither hold the allure of this engine.

In the opposite direction, No. 158 0-4-4T brings an Oldcastle local train out of the station.

Oldcastle started as a small town but has grown quickly and may command a more regular service rather sooner than the company had planned.

[Dave]

One from a random new game - in that cycle again now!

The Newcastle Mineral Railway was established in 1890 and quickly built a loco and wagon works alongside its main yard at Newcastle Forest Colliery, which serves the town of Henley with domestic and municipal coal stocks.

Engines 8 and 10 steam past the Works with a long coal train along the Polebrook Branch. This originated at Polebrook, where there is a high output colliery. The management of this company paid large sums to be connected to Henley, due to the NMR's strategic position on the shores of Lake Holmes.

There's plenty more to see in the works and yard. Engine 2 and 3 load shorter coal trains in the loading roads. There are plenty of spare wagons in the yard sidings, and we can see 0-4-0ST No 101 Doris shunting. The identical No 102 Mabel is the designated works shunter, currently in its siding. A rake of new mineral wagons are being checked over in the inspection siding, on the west side of the shed (partially hidden by the box label).

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The same train behind engines 8 and 10 has unloaded and is leaving Henley Wharf. The S.S. M. J. Anderson steams away from the wharf having been emptied of coal. The town's local coal merchants can often be seen queuing with their carts to load sacks from the ships on the wharfside, but today's consignment was "unadvertised" as it was entirely for the municipal power station at the coal yard.

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And finally, here's where the ships pick up their coal from, using a short industrial line from Corley Mining Co. This self contained railway has its own shed, but the engines and wagons were delivered on the ships from Henley Wharf. Note how there is no provision for all three of the branch line engines to load at once - three engine crews work the branch on a rotation basis. The end of one rotation runs the train down to the colliery home signal and walks back to the wharf to clock off duty. It's then the responsibility of the outgoing crew to draw their train out of the sidings, run the waiting train in, and then rejoin their train to take it to the wharf for loading onto the boats.

You can see S.S. Corley Bay arriving empty to load the coal waiting at the wharf - there's about a train and a half of coal for each boat load - and the current regime has the boats on a fairly even spacing on the route around Henley Head.

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