[OTTD] JamesP's UK Screenshots

[Supercheese]

Leaving the magic bulldozer on doesn't do anything bad - it may have done so a long time ago, but for some reason people still think it will make your cities build over your industries.

Yeah, it's never done bad things to me...

[Pilot]

Leaving the magic bulldozer on doesn't do anything bad - it may have done so a long time ago, but for some reason people still think it will make your cities build over your industries.

Yeah, it's never done bad things to me...

I think it is to do with the AI isn't it?

[JamesP]

Having said that most airports aren't in built up areas, I got thinking about the exceptions - such as Chicago Midway, Congonhas Sao Paulo and London City - and the spectacular images of planes descending over the roof-tops...

We've visited Nondhattan before, but an intensive search showed it to be the last city capable of a recreation of that type of scene, without demolition of more than one building (firmly against my principles!)

'Nondhattan City' takes advantage of the city's steep hills to allow aircraft descending into the prevailing wind sufficient clearance over the tops of the tallest buildings, whilst taking passengers close to the city centre, and being linked to the central train station. Its 3,000 foot runway - which has no hope of extension - is insufficient for the "RJ's" used at the bigger airports, so it is served by "Dash 8's" on the relatively short local flights to the capital.

In this shot the pilot aims to touch down right 'on the numbers' as a runway overrun in this location is particularly undesirable... At City station, overlooking the airport, a '90' awaits the 'off' with a westbound express while a heavy coal train passes through the station heading east. In the Carriage Sidings a '37' awaits its next turn of duty with a short rake of Mk.1s.

West of the station a '158' DMU re-starts from a signal stop, with the offending '150' just visible in front on an 'all stations'.

[DarkUk]

Its shots like these which make me want to keep playing the game, amazing work dude!!

[Jacko]

Epic Hill Climb

You have a point about airports not being in Cities

And epic screenies!

[JamesP]

A class 37 starts away from its Ponnford call, straight onto the viaduct. A few miles down the line a DMU awaits time on a local at Sardstone Central.

[JamesP]

A Class 45 with '13 on' shatters the peace of Tronhill forest as it makes maximum use of level ground before attacking the climb to the summit tunnel.

[Pilot]

That Dash 8 on take off.
Pilots:
V1
Rotate
V2
Gear Up

Meanwhile:
The automated Ground Proximity Warning:
10
20
50
30 (At this points Pilots say 'Oh Bother')
*Claxon* Too Low, Pull Up
50
100 (Phwh)

Lol, that CS Sidings causes millions of probs by the looks of things.

[JamesP]

I note from the first post in this thread that the Robin Region had 630 trains at that time. It's now has close to 1,000 (plus 16 planes) so I think it's time for another screenshot of the network.

Of note is that the 'Three Cities' region just to the left of the centre of the map has grown considerably in importance, developing its own network of commuter lines to challenge that of the capital, Sonninghall, near the coast.

The network has 873 stations and 5 airports.

More screenshots to follow shortly.

[JamesP]

Fretfield is a large city in the South East of the region, and is the terminus for four main routes, including the main line from Sonninghall. It's central station was built, with only two platforms, as a branch line terminus at a time when Fretfield was a small town, and such intensive traffic was not expected. The station quickly became hemmed in with buildings, and the only expansion possible was the addition of a single platform. The three platform station is absolutely full to capacity, and a red signal outside the station 'awaiting platform' is the norm.

There are eight suburban station on the lines out of Central station, seven of them visible in this picture.

As we watch, a Class 25 accelerates out of Central station on a regional service. At the top of the picture a DMU regains the mainline and enters Brunfingley Tunnel after its Brunfingley Woods call, with a Class 37 hauled train approaching in the other direction.

[JamesP]

Seddinghattan is the furthest East of the region's cities, and is served by HSTs from Sonninghall as well as loco hauled services on the secondary line to Fluntway, and local DMUs on both routes. Steam trains on the preserved line from Grudstone (July 19th 2011 post) also terminate at Seddinghattan Valley.

The main station is Seddinghattan Central, with its famous main building. Here a semi-fast HST has just arrived from Sonninghall. Once passengers have alighted it will run empty to the carriage sidings to await its return trip. On the 'Up' line an HST screams through Valley station on a fast Sonninghall service from Dredhead Cross (South of Seddinghattan) having called at Central station.

Meanwhile, a Class 150 trundles over Seddinghattan South Junction with a local service. It will terminate in the 'Up' platform at Central station, and form the return service from the same platform (note the bi-directional signals protecting the two 'Up' platforms at Central, which allow this to happen). It's first call after departure will be Seddinghattan South, at the bottom of the picture.

[JamesP]

The delivery of the thousandth train to the region seemed like a suitable landmark for a few more screenshots.

This is Dronhill, the zoomed in map showing its location. It's a sizeable enough city, having merged into the neighbouring towns of Suntwood and Huntbridge, giving a total population in excess of 18,000.

Its development has been boosted by its location on the mainline from Plennington to the far West, with HSTs calling at Dronhill Main, located, not particularly conveniently, to the east of the city centre. Expresses then run via the avoiding line at the top of the picture, but those wishing to travel to another part of the city - or to Suntwood or Huntbridge - can use connecting local services which serve the stations on the line through the middle of the picture.

Here, one such train - a 3-car DMU - departs Dronhill Main, next stop Suntwood. Another local service has just begun its journey at Huntbridge Central, weaving through the crossover onto the 'Up' line, and can now be seen beneath the overbridge on approach to Huntbridge East.

At Dronhill Main a 'Peak' awaits the 'off' with a long train on a Plennington semi-fast. Meanwhile a Sulzer type 2 growls into the carriage sidings having terminated at Dronhill Main after arriving from Nondhattan on the lines at the top of the picture.

[JamesP]

This is Invedtown - part of the 'Three Cities' conurbation with a total population in excess of 150,000. Again, the location can be seen on the map (Invedtown is at the centre).

It is, in fact, the smallest of the 'Three Cities', but it's location places it at the heart of a complex mainline and suburban rail network in the region - a network the rapid growth of which is beginning to challenge the capital, Sonninghall. Whilst Sonninghall remains the administrative and cultural centre of the region, the 'Three Cities' have long since taken over as the industrial powerhouse.

A look at the map is necessary to make sense of the multitude of lines visible in the picture, but the primary route is the mainline from Plennington to Cunfingley Market (off the North-West corner of this map). Expresses are formed of Class 90s with rakes of Mark 3s, and at the bottom of the picture one such train crawls through the crossovers before running through the suburban stations to its Invedtown Central call.

Those suburban stations are served by a collection of Class 315 EMUs on local services, and a number of them can be seen, including one at the bottom of the picture about to enter the 'fly-under' on the branch through Invedtown Hill.

Towards the centre of the picture a pair of '37s' roll an empty coal train through Invedtown East. It will continue on the mainline through Invedtown Central, into the tunnels beneath the city streets, and grind up the steep bank beyond, towards Nondhattan. These heavy freight movements do not help the punctuality of passenger services, but are part of the reality of a mixed-traffic railway.

Local lines to the North and East of the city - whilst also carrying an intensive commuter service - are not electrified, and a collection of Class 158 and 150 DMUs can be seen.

From an operational point of view, note the way that Invedtown Central station is split into 3 parts, denoted by platform numbers. Of course, this is actually done by making it up from three different stations, using the 'CNTRL' function to allow them to be physically attached, but operationally separate. I use this technique where there is insufficient space to use signal boxes to force trains into a particular part of the station. This is necessary because some trains must use the 'through' platforms (1 to 3) to be able to continue their journeys, where as terminating trains must be forced to use the terminus platforms to prevent the through platforms becoming congested.

[JamesP]

158s pass at the crossing loop on the single track between Plundhattan and Trudingworth, as it cuts through Wennford forest.

[Level Crossing]

Splendid!

IMHO you might get your comments if you crop your screenies to 800*600 or less; that way, they show up w/o having to click.

[FLHerne]

That's a ridiculously complicated network!
Very impressive, especially the realistic network and trackplans and the attention to detail with them.

[Edd.Dragon]

Wow, how nice!

[JamesP]

Thanks for the kind comments guys.

LC - you're probably right about the screenshot size, but that means making them a quarter of their current size, which seems like a step backwards. Perhaps I'll give it a try with one or two.

[JamesP]

This probably marks the end for the Robin Region. The game year has reached 3090 (although, as mentioned before, for me the era remains some time late in the 20th Century). There are 1,084 stations, 1,252 trains and a handful of ships, planes and trams.

We have begun to reach the stage where - although there are more towns I could connect to the network - I think the network map looks about as dense as it realistically can, and any more will start to take away from the look of it. I'm also keen to try the latest releases in the UK Renewal Set, which means starting a new map as an update in-game didn't work this time around (I'm not complaining, I know it's not meant to work, and it's a bonus when it does).

I have in mind a map made up mostly of one very large urban area, in order that I can make use of the UK Renewal set's fantastic new tube trains, operating alongside mainline railways and a modern tram system. Mind you, the set also has an enticing collection of 'kettles' these days, so maybe a change of era is in order. We'll see....

For now, attached are some farewell shots.

[JamesP]

Some more...