[TTDP/OTTD] Ameecher's Screenshots

[Ameecher]

1)All the sidings serve a purpose, a lot of the time instead of building a normal station with terminus tracks I just let the trains that "terminate" run through to the sidings (which are actually waypoints) to reverse and then enter the station again to carry on with their journey. This happens on both sides of Saltash mainly but also at Longbenton the line was originally going to continue through but I scrapped this idea and that is why the sidings were there, as a continuation to the line and I just left them there as they seemed to work. They also allow a lot of trains to use a station. For instance, Saltash has about 50 trains running through it of which about three-quarters "terminate". If I were to have a station that had terminus platforms as well as through platforms I would need about 8 platforms (2 through, 4 terminus facing towards St Ippollitts and Bristol) and 2 facing the other the way. At a place like Saltash that space doesn't exist.

2) Occasionally trains do have to make 90 degree turns but oh well. I try for realism but sometimes space doesn't allow.

Glad you like the shots

[MrMox]

Thanks for the explanation, handy trick to keep in mind. Doesn't hurt that it also looks very realistic with the sidings

I can see the need for the waypoints to get the trains into the siding, but in scr46 I don't see one of the normal waypoints buildings? And the buffers at the end, aren't they part of the generic buffers grf, in effect making it a station?

[Ameecher]

What I do is build a waypoint and then build station tiles over it, but it still acts as a waypoint. I have a grf that makes track tiles station tiles and then I tack the generic buffers on the end (because if you don't put a station tile that it is possible for a train to pass through/over, it will not go onto the next order. So there you have it!

[Ameecher]

Screenshots will be on hold for a few days while I play my portion of the shared game. If you want to see some more of my shots hop over to that thread and have a look there. Never fear I will resume with some more shots.

[Ameecher]

Triple Post.

An increase in the amount of freight on the network has resulted in some challenging new routes for trains being created. No new lines have been built, just some upgraded and small branches added.

1) Middlesborough Mines. This twisty spur off the mainline at Leicester sees relatively heavy use (5 clay trains, although they do go a fair old way) Trains are hauled by brand new class 67 diesels, their rapid acceleration and not too shabby top speed (92mph with Polybulk hoppers) means there is little disruption to passenger services which run at 100mph on the majority of the route.

2) A new spur of the Bristol to Stafford line to this coastal quarry, trains are hauled by Class 47s which have been cascaded from Passenger duties.

3) Batley brickworks, where the clay and gravel are made into bricks. See arriving is a Clay train while a class 47 hauled goods train awaits access to the mainline once the class 47 cross country passenger train passes.

[Ameecher]

This is where the imaginative routing comes in. Batley to St. Ippollitts is about 30 tiles. However there is no capacity at St. Ippollitts to handle goods as well as passengers, nor for that matter is there at any existing station, so a new goods yard needed to be built. Saltash was the second favourite but there was no room and Long Benton or Oxford would have resulted in a hugely circuitous route, so it was decided to build a goods Yard at St. Ippollitts and redouble some of the former Northern Mainline to cope with this increased number of trains.

1) The long container train on the single track line between Stafford and Bristol, is seen here passing the local train that operates the passenger service on the line.

2) The Intermodal gains access to the freight only line at Brownhills.

3) Seen passing the site of Hayward's Heath Junction

[Ameecher]

4) Recognise this place? The new container unloading point at St Ippollitts.

5) Saltash avoiding line. The junction at the throat of Saltash station was becoming too busy to operate efficiently and passenger trains were becoming delayed so this line was built, primarily to divert coal trains away from Saltash but is now used by Gravel and Container trains.

6) The Map, as of 2005. The container trains route from Batley to St Ippollitts via Gateshead, Bristol, Stafford, Bradford and Brownhills

[Ameecher]

Now then Children, let this screenshot be a lesson to you. Don't just build a station and then add lines and platforms without rebuilding it. EVER. It ends up with this sort of mess which remarkbly never clogs but it is far from being efficient. The mainline leaves at the centre-bottom of the shot. Trains are BR110/BR103 hauled. The other lines are hauled by various D/EMUs and some V200s operated longer distance services. Freight is hauled by BR140s and E16s.

[Ameecher]

A little rail tour outing involving a V160 and some spare stock that was kicking about in the depot. The tour travelled down a little used branchline to a very small terminus station at a very small town (Needless to say the town grew fairly quickly after I forgot to withdrawn the train ).

1) The train enters 1 of the 2 passing loops on the line.
2) The first of the spirals that the train has to traverse to reach it's destination which can be seen high above.
3) The second of the spirals and the approach to the station. The train manages to retain much of it's speed through the progressive climbs created by the spirals.

[Badger]

Now then Children, let this screenshot be a lesson to you.

Thank you teacher, lesson learned. Good screenies too.

[The Irish]

...Good screenies too.

I don't quite agree with that statement.

These are not good screenies, these are amazing screenies, I would say. Keep them coming

[Ameecher]

Thank you kindly both of you. Now then a few less picturesque shots of my network.

1) That messy station again... Hondworth, a few bits of track have been added to allow the better flow of traffic, It's as busy as ever, BR420s on local services and BR120 have taken control of the mainline services although there is still one BR103 stomping about. Freight is still in the reliable hands of BR140s and E16s that are being to show their age (at long last).

2) Gundworth Falls Junction. At this point the two suburban lines from Hondworth rejoin. The Northern Loop which is unelectrified and the Southern loop which is the mainline and is electrified. The Northern Loop is operated exclusively by DMUs (BR614 VT-08s) apart from the occasional V200 that gets diverted that way instead of the Southern Loop. The Northern loop sees exclusively electric loco hauled locals, which terminate at Gundworth Falls, also passing through are electric longer distance trains which terminate further down the line and finally V200s on long distance trains that continues beyond the point of electrification.

3) Gruntown Lakeside, the end of a long and twisty mainly freight line (there is an intermitent passenger service that passengers want to see increased. The line recently recieved cascaded V200 trains following the electrification of another route, this replaced a 50 year old DMU that was unreliable and uncomfortable for such a long journey). The Iron is shipped across the lake to this loading point served by trains hauled by V160 (with Gondola wagons) and BR232s with Self Discharging Hoppers. The electrified tracks are to do with a short private railway.

[Ameecher]

more....

4) The problem facing the company now is capacity. The main line that earns the company most its money from Hondworth to Grontburg Springs (both very German names ) is reaching capacity with freight holding up passenger. With brand new ICEs on order something needs to be down to alleviate the situation. 4 tracking would be difficult especially on the tight turns between Ivenford and Denninghead. The company is therefore planning a brand new high speed line avoiding these towns and quadrupling the line on flatter ground. Pictured are the last BR103 and E16 with a BR120 hauling a new express train.

5) Nadborough on the Southern Loop line. The Central terminus platform was originally a through line but passenger demand meant that a shuttle service with BR420s from Hondworth was called for so this line was severed and another platform added. Present are a local Southern Loop train to Gundworth Falls and a BR420 on the shuttle to Hondworth. Freight and express trains pass through here.

[Ameecher]

And Finally a network map.

[Ameecher]

The next 3 screenshots are of the new High Speed Line and the fleet of brand new ICE1 High Speed Trains.

[Ameecher]

Some other shots of other lines now.

1) Plubourne, the main station for the Northern Coast Branch lines. It was originally served by a V200 with special F-Train stock but the patronage was never very good and the service was infrequent, the stock was returned to Mainline use and replaced by a pair of cascaded BR612 DMUs in a mix of liveries. VT-08s operate the branch lines.

2) Prudworth Falls. The junction station on the Northern coast branch lines. All trains are operated by VT-08s

3) Ninnbridge South Junction. This where the line from Plubourne joins the Northern loop line. All service trains travel north to Ninnbridge with the chord to Gundworth falls being little used except for stock movements, once upon a time there was freight but this has long since declined.

[Ameecher]

1) Gundworth falls again, A BR111 with S-Bahn coaches waits to return to Hundworth via the Southern Loop line while a BR250 hauled steel train routes through the through lines. The BR515 battery MU waits to return to its small little branch line that was initially set up as a subsidy.

2) The Western line was originally going to be a mainline but traffic never really materialised and double tracking never occured. The line has never had any new stock, instead having to put up with cascaded stock. The only passing place at Praninghead is about half way along the line. It is perched above the town between a tunnel and long viaduct. A V200 with former TEE coaches leaves the viaduct with a Hondworth bound train. Brand new trains are being sought for this line and electrification may well reach Praninghead and beyond.

[Badger]

Great work! I like the bay that sits in the middle of Gundworth Falls station.

[Ameecher]

Well I wanted the footbridge to go the whole way across and I was going to use it for services but the signalling didn't allow it so it does nothing, I may stick an old steam loco in there perhaps. Not sure yet.

Thanks.

[Vloris]

Well I wanted the footbridge to go the whole way across and I was going to use it for services but the signalling didn't allow it so it does nothing, I may stick an old steam loco in there perhaps. Not sure yet.

Thanks.

In Hengelo, a station in Holland near where I live, they do have such a short terminus track at the station, which almost everytime I come there has a loco standing there, so that might be a very nice idea!