[TTDP/OTTD] Ameecher's Screenshots

[Ameecher]

Btw I still can't get myself to use the freight multiplier. It just seems so artificial to me. Instead I try to create some quite heavy and long trains. Though they still pose no problem at all for the stronger electrics. (In TTDP at least.) What's the case in OTTD? My experience is that with the realistic acceleration patch locos barely have to slow down any time. Any ideas how to simulate behavior similar to TTDPs realistic curves and mountain handling there?

Unfortunately not that I have found. This is the biggest thing that I [now] miss from TTDP because hills are not a problem in OTTD for trains unless you make them twisty, whilst climbing a height of one shouldn't affect a train much a rise of 1 every few tiles should have more of an adverse effect than it does.

As for the original line into Zwickau, yes it was hideous which is why I changed it. The trouble is, I built the Wilhelmshaven to Zwickau line first and then it seemed logical to me to build a Zwickau to Herne line, in hindsight not brilliant but hey, it's turned out alright now!
I did infact when rebuilding the Zwickau area consider diverting the Wilhelmshaven line via Herne and just making Zwickau a station for the trains from Hamm and still create the new line through the Munster pass, that wouldn't have got rid of the issue of too many trains piling through the single track Herne pass and doubling that would have cost a fortune!

[audigex]

I find that a 10x multiplier makes the situation seem more realistic too. Especially when I deliberately don't choose the most powerful locomotives and lengthen the trains.

I try to avoid going straight up the side of a hill, but it's more out of choice than necessity.

[Ameecher]

I present a rather hideous, diagramatical map of the passenger network. This shows pretty much all the lines except a few chords at some junctions that are freight only and freight branchlines.

[Silverx50]

that sure is some cool stuff.
how do you decide what to do when anyway?

[ivanfurlanis]

Goood, a map Thank you that you posted it, but now I have more question for you, of course.

1) Are the town that aren't shown in this map (Bielefeld, Schwerin, Leipzig) connected to the rail network with buses or are they simple without public transport?
2) Have all these passenger rail lines two tracks or sometimes just one or more than two?
3) I'd like to see a shot of Augsburg and Aachen rail hub.
4) When do you think to post a freight map ?

[Ameecher]

Goood, a map Thank you that you posted it, but now I have more question for you, of course.

1) Are the town that aren't shown in this map (Bielefeld, Schwerin, Leipzig) connected to the rail network with buses or are they simple without public transport?

Erm, Nuremberg (which you forgot) has a tram link to Ratisbon and Leverkusen, it was originally railway but I didn't have enough space at Ratisbon to continue running trains there so merely extended the city tram network. Bielefeld is linked by bus to Bonn and Goerlitz. Leipzig and Schwerin have nothing, I keep meaning to do buses to Hamm and Zwickau respectively but never do!

2) Have all these passenger rail lines two tracks or sometimes just one or more than two?

Erm... lets see... Ludwigshafen to Ratisbon via Zwickau is fully double track except for a couple of bridges at Wilhelmshaven, Ludwigshafen to Goerlitz is double track as is Ludwigshafen to Essen (aside from the junction near Gottingen) but most of the rest is single track or single with short sections of double track (essentially long passing places).

3) I'd like to see a shot of Augsburg and Aachen rail hub.

Prepare to be under-awed...
Aachen, the mainline runs from right to left while the branchline to Goerlitz runs to the bottom. Originally the branch didn't run to Aachen but instead straight to Hamburg but the closure of the line from Augsburg to Hamburg saw the branch diverted to Aachen on what remained of the mainline to Essen (which was diverted to the right to Dresden). To make things a bit clearer. Back in the day, the mainline ran from the bottom of the screen to the left but has since been rebuild to run from the right to the left. A pair of BR614s operate the popular branchline service (just off screen where the line stops following the alignment of the ex-mainline the line narrows to single). Aachen Sud is a solitary single platform affair opened when the branchline service was diverted through the town and whilst electrified only sees services as diversions, since the demise of Augsburg coal mine no trains use the curve from Sud to Zentral aside from a saturdays only local that runs into Sud before reversing to go to Zentral and beyond to Essen.

Ludwigshafenbahn, 3rd Dec 2080.png (257.73 KiB) Viewed 1248 times

Then there is Augsburg, the same branch as discussed previously was constructed first way back in the 50s. In the 90s, with the prospect of a heavily increased freight flow through Dresden an alternative route via Hagen was sought and the low-level line and platforms built. The traffic never really materialised and the entirely double track line is reserved for a pair of BR112s working shuttles from Ludwigshafen to Goettingen and the occasional diverted freight. Depending on cost some new grain trains could be using this route to access Ludwigshafen FPP but road might win this traffic.

Ludwigshafenbahn, 19th Dec 2080.png (112.92 KiB) Viewed 2850 times

4) When do you think to post a freight map ?

I'll think about it

[DonRazzi]

BTW: Did you know the railway connection of the real Ludwigshafen is one of the most questionable of Germany? The corporate headquaters of BASF are placed there and the city is a centre of German chemical industry. In WW II it suffered heavy bombings and had to be rebuild nearly from dust. So it has become a bad example of what 1950ies architecture thought to be a modern city. The main railway station is far out of downtown and year by year it lost importance. Only some local trains are stopping there. The station itself is very unpopular at commuters, because it has long and dark underpasses. Citizens prefer the station of Mannheim, which is just on the other side of the Rhine and has a good tramway to Ludwigshafen.

Don

[michael blunck]

[...] Ludwigshafen [...] Mannheim [...] Rhine

I bet [*] that in Ameecher´s Norfolk scenario there´s neither a river between Ludwigshafen and Mannheim, nor will there be a city called Brunshausen in real Norfolk, not to mention its famous windmill and the cat.

[*] a good Rioja

regards
Michael

[ivanfurlanis]

BTW: Did you know the railway connection of the real Ludwigshafen is one of the most questionable of Germany? The corporate headquaters of BASF are placed there and the city is a centre of German chemical industry. In WW II it suffered heavy bombings and had to be rebuild nearly from dust. So it has become a bad example of what 1950ies architecture thought to be a modern city. The main railway station is far out of downtown and year by year it lost importance. Only some local trains are stopping there. The station itself is very unpopular at commuters, because it has long and dark underpasses. Citizens prefer the station of Mannheim, which is just on the other side of the Rhine and has a good tramway to Ludwigshafen.

Don

I know Ludwigshafen Hbf station (the real one, I mean!), it's really one of the ugliest German stations I've ever seen, but it is curious as its tracks form a triangle. An aerial view is available with Live Search Maps. By the way, also trams at the Hbf don't have a nice stop as it's completely underground. If I'm right, the old pre-war Ludwigshafen Hbf was close to the Rhein and had a terminal configuration.

@ Ameecher: thank you very much for answers and screenshots.

[Ameecher]

BTW: Did you know the railway connection of the real Ludwigshafen is one of the most questionable of Germany? The corporate headquaters of BASF are placed there and the city is a centre of German chemical industry. In WW II it suffered heavy bombings and had to be rebuild nearly from dust. So it has become a bad example of what 1950ies architecture thought to be a modern city. The main railway station is far out of downtown and year by year it lost importance. Only some local trains are stopping there. The station itself is very unpopular at commuters, because it has long and dark underpasses. Citizens prefer the station of Mannheim, which is just on the other side of the Rhine and has a good tramway to Ludwigshafen.

Don

I was unaware of that, there are many places in the UK that have some significant importance nationally that claim to have a second rate rail service, although, we have our fair share of dark and dingy stations. Many of the London stations have office blokes built over the platforms and everyone's favourite, Birmingham New Street, one of the busiest stations in the UK is quite frankly a hell hole.

Michael, one day I shall have to create such a scenario just to prove you wrong!

Ivan, no problem, anything else you'd like to know? I'm currently quadrupling the line from Ludwigshafen to Dresden, for your information. It's a bit messy at the minute!

[ivanfurlanis]

Ivan, no problem, anything else you'd like to know? I'm currently quadrupling the line from Ludwigshafen to Dresden, for your information. It's a bit messy at the minute!

I'm impatient to see the finished work!

[Ameecher]

Functional, not pretty.
Firstly, Dresden got moved so that more platforms could be provided. This does mean that trains can no longer call here if on a Ludwigshafen - Hamm services. The additional platforms and through track mean that trains are more capable to keep to time (I've recently started to introduce timetables to this area of the network). A Ludwigshafen facing bay negates the need for carraige sidings that did occupy the site on which the station now stands.

Ludwigshafenbahn, 17th Aug 2093.png (164.75 KiB) Viewed 2752 times

The Hamburg-Dresden section of line. The mainline has been quadrupled which will allow the introduction of BR101 locomotives on the express services replacing the BR112s and will give a dramatic improvement to journey times. To improve the passenger services the wood services leave the mainline and run down a branch to the yard.

Ludwigshafenbahn, 7th Jul 2093.png (187.2 KiB) Viewed 1271 times

Ludwigshafen station has had another platform added and the yard has been scaled down again, mainly thanks to the construction of an avoiding line for the wood trains and other through freight services. The approach tracks negotiate some twisty tracks and flyovers before narrowing to 3 tracks in the throat of the station.

Ludwigshafenbahn, 16th Aug 2093.png (313.53 KiB) Viewed 1271 times

[Ameecher]

Some screenshots from a pioneering game with Paxdest. Took some getting used to...
1) Witten, a small town on the main Wilhelmshaven - Bremen mainline. BR103s on the expresses scream through the station and the stopping service is provided by ET-30s. Ideally the station would have platforms located on loops off the mainline to enable the expresses to continue un-hindered but that isn't practical so instead loops were sited to the west of the station. Timetabling means that the locals are only briefly held up to enable the expresses to pass.

Higgins & Co., 1st Dec 1970.png (149.89 KiB) Viewed 2518 times

2) Witten in more modern times. The station is now a junction and an important interchange. The enlarged station and increase in speed of the local services has negated the need for the loops. Expresses can now overtake trains in the station if necessary. The down loop remains as a siding for permenant-way trains.

Higgins & Co., 9th Jun 1991.png (216.54 KiB) Viewed 1258 times

3) Wilhelmshaven, the largest station on the map in passenger numbers, train movements and platforms. The line to Bremen and Witten leaves to the right of the picture and the line to Kassel and Aachen to the left. As it is the terminus of many lines there are a number of passengers transitting through the station. There are plans in the pipeline for a highspeed line to Aachen to operate from this station.

Higgins & Co., 19th Jun 1991.png

(518.76 KiB) Downloaded 159 times

[Ameecher]

4) Kassel, the origins of the network and the old centre before the development of Wilhelmshaven. Pretty self explanatory. Track and trains and lost of 'em.

Higgins & Co., 8th Jun 1991.png (342.48 KiB) Viewed 1262 times

5) Muenster spirals. These bring the mainline from Kassel down to the level of the floodplain at Wilhelmshaven. These engineering marvels are what prevents the upgrade of stock on the line as getting faster trains would be fairly pointless as all speed would be lost in the tight curves, hence the willing to build a high speed line to tunnel through the mountains. The knackered ET-87s are due to be replaced by ET-30s that have been displaced from the Witten stoppers following comissioning to operate to Stuttgart.

Higgins & Co., 8th Jun 1991#1.png (384.04 KiB) Viewed 1250 times

6) Aachen and Wolfsburg. The original line between Wolfsburg and Aachen is merely a commuter route nowadays and enables passengers to complete their first/last leg to/from Wolfsburg. The line that exits over the cantilever bridge currently goes nowhere due to lack of funds (it goes a long way but there are no towns or junctions en-route) and is instead used as a testing ground for new stock. The other line is the Kassel to Aachen main.

Higgins & Co., 2nd Jun 1991.png

(331.44 KiB) Downloaded 129 times

[Ameecher]

Oh and a map:

[Benny]

Yaay, more screenshots! And they are awesome as always.
I really like the way you explain how the stations have developed, and of course, your famous junctions and station entrances, I just love it!

[Badger]

Normal service is resumed I see
More to come I presume?

[athief]

These are nice.

Where'd Hassloch be on this map? I have friends there.

Also- I'm assuming this is a .grf thing- how'd you get these waterfalls?

NEWLudwigshafenbahn, 16th Aug 2093.PNG (312.5 KiB) Viewed 1283 times

My apologies for butchering the screencap.

[XeryusTC]

Those are rivers. They need to be added tot he map before starting to play it (aka, in the scenario editor) in OpenTTD. I don't know how adding them in TTDP works but I suspect something simular.

[Ameecher]

You can add rivers in game in TTDP. However, you'll never get those rapids as they'll never be released. They are my highly ugly hack of MB's rivers and as such I can't do owt with them unless I put those graphics in with some other graphics not drawn by Michael and release them. Needless to say, I'll probably never get round to it...