[OTTD] Jim Starluck's Screenies

[Jim Starluck]

Figured I'd toss my hat in the ring. My current project, which I've been nursing for at least a month now, uses the MiniIN (not the most recent version, r7217), NARS and a smattering of station graphics and other minor additions, is set in the Sub-Arctic climate with a day-length of 8x, and fluctuates between 1930 and 1945. I don't like playing past '45, because I like the look of early-game buildings and I also loathe statues & fountains with a passion, so whenever the date approaches '45 I move it backwards with the cheat panel.

Anywho, today we are following Engine No. 322, which runs a circular route through the main cities serviced by the Kinston Railroad (in a fit of irony, the railroad has never serviced Kinston itself and probably never will). There are of course extensions of the railroad beyond No. 322's route, but it covers all of the main areas.

We start our journey (first screenie) in Flinningwell Ridge, the largest city in the country with a population of 33,200. It is a major center of industry: there is the always-busy printing works, one farm within city limits and another just to the north (linked by a short, dedicated rail line). The city produces livestock and wheat, a total of about 3,100 and 4,700 tons respectively, and around 5,000 crates of goods, per month. Flinningwell Ridge Station is a stop on the schedules of thirty-one main-line trains, and has in the past peaked at a traffic of 63 trains a month.

Engine No. 322, a 4-6-4 "Hudson," calls this town her home. She was built in the shops right off the main-line seven years earlier and has served both city and railroad faithfully ever since. Today, she is loading on Track Eight, farthest to the right from the engineer's perspective. As the station services both passenger and freight trains, it is built to accomodate both, and as luck would have it No. 322 drew one of the not-quite-so-polished tracks. Her sister engine, No. 308, is pulling out of Track Four, running directly under the switch-house for the south-east end of the yard. The switchmaster's job can be hectic, with as many as four trains departing simultaneously, and the railroad routinely rotates them between other, less-stressful duties. Back at the entrance No. 265, one of the road's ubiquitous all-purpose 4-8-4s, is pulling into Track Five with a train-load of paper bound for the printing works.

After loading (second screenie), we exit the station through the four tunnels that drill for nearly a half-mile to emerge at the upper end of Karlyle Valley. Two other trains preceeded us: No. 312--a fellow express passenger--is already plunging back into the northbound tunnels on the start of a long journey out to Conburg Valley, at the far end of the railroad, while No. 208, one of the older locomotives at 26 years, is just emerging with its train of wheat bound for Drendingstone Bay. We, however, are heading south to Rutfingway, and make for yet a third set of tunnels. High on the hills is the tiny little town of Fuborne and the dedicated rail line for the heavy coal trains that keep the Marnwell Power Station, far to the north-east, fed with fuel. None of the railroad's eight massive 2-8-8-2s is visible on the tracks today, though.

We burst back out into sunlight (third screenie), albeit briefly, overlooking the coastal town of Nunninghall. The city is a popular vacation spot; quiet compared to others we will be stopping at. The railroad doesn't run here directly, but a ferry service has linked it with Rutfingway for years.

(Cont'.)

[Jim Starluck]

We emerge once again (fourth screenie) into the hills between Nunninghall and Rutfingway. Up ahead, No. 266 is returning to the mainline off the Flinningwell Ridge southbound bypass. For many years, trains heading south to Rutfingway had to go straight through the Flinningwell station, and eventually the traffic congestion got so bad that something had to be done. By the time the need for a bypass was reckognized, however, the city had grown so large that building one proved difficult, as the city council wasn't going to let the railroad bulldoze a swath through houses and offices. The bypass eventually wound up climbing up into the hills and circling around to the south, and the strain on Flinningwell Station has eased tremendously.

The bypass, however, goes up an exceptionally steep grade right where it turns off the main-line, which is why Northern No. 245 has No. 707, a Pacific, helping at the rear. The oil trains bound for the Rutfingway refinery need just a little bit more power to get up the hill, and the Pacific is the only locomotive that can provide that power for a reasonable cost but also keep up with the Northern's speed on level track.

We dive under Ninningstone (fifth screenie), originally a town in its own right but mostly merged with Rutfingway at this point, and pull into Track Three. The oil refinery is Rutfingway's main industry, producing nearly 6,000 crates of goods per month. No. 317 has just departed for Wudingville out of Track Four, while No. 239 and its helper No. 705 await a green signal on Track Two. Rutfingway (population 21,800) is actually a much more recent addition to the railroad than most of the other cities; the ferry to Nunninghall ran for sixteen years before the rail station was built.

Having concluded our business in Rutfingway (sixth screenie), we've departed the station, dove under yet another hill, and are now climbing back up on the bypass that will lead us back onto the main line. Just ahead of us, No. 248 is returning from Tudinghattan, the easternmost city reached by the Kinston RR, and also outside of our tour. No. 248 runs back and forth along the mostly-coastal line that, at present, only links Rutfingway and Tudinghattan. It has minimal traffic, but there are plans to add branches to some of the towns that aren't too far out of the way.

(Cont'.)

[Jim Starluck]

A nice, level stretch of track and a steep hill immediately afterward combine to push No. 322 up to her maximum speed of 109 mph as we head back out onto the mainline just north of Ninningstone (seventh screenie). Sadly, she can only keep up about 105 on a level straightaway. Looking out to the right, we have a gorgeous view of the south-western end of Lake Petunket and the two huge bridges that carry the coal trains from mountaintop to mountaintop.

We re-trace our steps and this time use the set of tunnels that No. 312 was entering earlier. The northbound bypass runs straight through downtown Finningwell Ridge, and is so heavily-trafficked that no grade crossings have been built across it. We pause momentarily at the switches by the farm, waiting for No. 268 (on a regular passenger run to Drendingstone Bay) and Nos. 239 and 705. After a track clears we head out onto the main, passing the shops were No. 322 was built (eighth screenie).

Just ahead we'll pass under the soutbound bypass; you can see the aforementioned hill that neccessitated the addition of helpers to the oil trains. Off to the left of the busy main line are a pair of abandoned tunnels. They were dug when the southbound bypass was being planned, abandoned when the engineers decided that going around the other way would be easier, and the railroad never got around to demolishing them. At the bottom of the screen you can also see the picturesque Weston Lake, ringed by high-price properties.

The main line between Finningwell Ridge and our next stop, Pluntfingley Market, is quite busy (ninth screene). No. 213 waits at a red signal, while No. 314 is picking up speed on the outside track. No. 239 and No. 705 navigate the junction to head off to their destination far to the east, while we head for Pluntfingley's northbound bypass. Up ahead the southern ends of the Pluntfingley Yards are coming into view, and out on Lake Achtane the ferry is heading to the docks over in Wudingville.

(Cont'.)

[Jim Starluck]

The Pluntfingley Market northbound bypass has no less than six tunnels: two for trains exiting the station and heading north, two for trains coming from the direction of Finningwell and entering the station, and two for trains bypassing the town entirely. The middle two can also serve as bypasses should traffic get backed up.

Pluntfingley Market itself is a relatively small town: 6,500 inhabitants. Right up the hill is the town of Pinningstone (4,700). Pinningstone is small because it's snowbound all year long, and Pluntfingley is small because between Pinningstone and the railyard it doesn't have room to grow. Don't think it's insignificant, though. The railyard is a transfer point: heavy lumber trains from the forests in the mountains to the south offload their cargo here, and it is carried by main-line freight to the paper mill in Farnville. More than 5,300 tons of lumber a month goes through this station.

As we come to a stop on Track Two (10th screenie), No. 203 is just vanishing into the bypass tunnels with a load of lumber. No. 244 is taking the one-track southbound bypass with a trainfull of food bound for Wudingville. Just across the lake we can get a peek at Wudingville Station, but don't worry--we'll be stopping there later on.

Unloading and loading with a minimum of fuss, we take the bypass a second time and head out onto the main line to Drendingstone Bay (11th screenie). The vast, blue expanse of Lake Achtane, the tiny spit of land that is Kaystone Island and yet another ferry are visible briefly before locomotive No. 201 and her consist of refrigerator cars obscure them. The view from up in Pinningstone is truly spectacular.

A little further down the main (12th screenie) we pass No. 251 and No. 200, the first Northern to run on the Kinston RR, still chugging away after twenty-seven years. The Drendingstone Bay yards are visible up ahead, as is No. 203 again. The track leading to the southeast is a branch line running out to a cluster of farms out in the countryside, while the four cherry-red bridges are the end of the Drendingstone southbound bypass.

(Cont'.)

[Jim Starluck]

Drendingstone Bay is remarkably quiet as we head onto Track Eight (screenie 13), but when this station gets busy it needs all nine platforms. The food processing plant takes in livestock and wheat and churns out nearly 7,400 tons of food a month. A pair of somewhat-overworked Consolidations bring oil down from the wells up in the snow-bound hills for transfer to main-line freight. And all of that is on top of the heavy passenger traffic. Drendingstone is a far bigger city than it's population of 12,000 suggests, and while No. 322 is stopped here we'll take a look around.

The hilly neighborhoods in north-eastern end of town (screenie 14) suffer from no end of pork-barrel politicians getting short, pointless and unecessary roads built and named after them. Every so often the city transport comission quietly goes in and bulldozes a few, but they grow back like weeds. Along one of the main thoroughfares, a convoy of trucks carries food directly from the processing plant up to nearby snow-bound Great Gondworth.

The greater Drendingstone Bay area (including the towns of Great Gondworth and Ninhill) is also one of two that has an electrified commuter rail line. A recent upgrade to the line allowed the addition of a pair of passenger carriages between the Pullman Interurbans, but one of the trains has yet to be expanded. They run a moderately long loop with four stations, two in Drendingstone and one each in Great Gondworth and Ninhill. A modest bus service supplements the line.

Also visible is the rest of the oil feeder line, and the other Consolidation--No. 402--starting the trip down to the main station.

Just north-west of Drendinstone is Ninhill (screenie 15), which is actually larger with 14,600+ people but doesn't have a rail station of its own. Between the two is Drendingstone Lake, which is not exactly clean, sparkling and safe for swimming in. Fishing would be inadvisable as well. In fact just steer clear of it altogether. You've got Lake Achtane right on the other side of the tracks anyway.

(Cont'.)

[Jim Starluck]

No. 322 finally pulls out of Drendingstone Bay (screenie 16) and heads onto the main line to Farnville. Just ahead of us is No. 222, heading to the same destination with a train of empty boxcars in tow; we won't be breaking any speed records on this leg of the trip.

We climb up into the mountains (screenie 17) and onto quite possibly one of the busiest sections of track on the entire railroad. A massive amount of traffic runs through here, and at times all eight of those tunnels are necessary.

We're stuck in the tunnel for a bit, as there's a modest traffic jam up ahead. The line into Farnville narrows from two tracks to one, and sometimes causes a bit of a back-up. Eventually we get out onto the northern half of the main (screenie 18), and up ahead the outskirts of Farnville are coming into view.

(Cont'.)

[Jim Starluck]

We finally arrive at Farnville Station (screenie 19). No. 322 slips into Track Seven while No. 228 is departing Track Six and No. 222 loads on Track Three. Farnville is quite a large city, with a population 27,700+, and like Drendingstone Bay has a local Interurban service.

Southwest of the station, the numerous tunnels driving straight into the hillside lead to a branch line that runs out to a cluster of logging operations and oil wells in the mountains to the northwest. Due east, the mainline to Tudinghattan heads out to meet the southern shore of Magere Lake.

Farnville climbs right up into the surrounding hills (screenie 20), and the outskirts of the city are snow-covered year-round. One of the city's Interurban trains is heading for the station on the other side of the city.

The main industry is the Farnville Paper Mill (screenie 21), producing more than 10,000 tons of paper a month. Consolidation No. 400 has just returned from dropping off a load from the local forest, while trains also come in from the branch line and Drendingstone Bay on a regular basis. In earlier years the paper mill had a small transfer line with a number of hard-working Shays chugging up and down the now tree-covered hill, bringing lumber up from the main station and taking paper back down.

Whoops! We've dawdled around town too long! No. 322 is already heading out under the branch line's southbound bridges, so we need to get a move on!

(Cont'.)

[Jim Starluck]

No. 322 makes good time coming back down the main, despite getting stuck behind No. 222 again. We catch up with her as she approaches Wudingville (screenie 22), the last station before she returns home to start all over again. This city was another late addition to the railroad, and the bypass takes a wide loop under three hills to get around it. No. 322 is right now climbing up towards the first set of tunnels.

As No. 322 vanishes into the tunnel (screenie 23), we pass an airfield on our left. It's largely abandoned, a relic from the days when zeppelins used to frequent the skies. They were decomissioned many years ago, and Wudingville is the only city that hasn't gotten around to demolishing the airfield. Wudingville was large before the railroad moved in, and has only grown larger since: the town has spread over the tunnels and up into the surrounding snow-covered hills.

The tracks that lead off to the north are one end of the main line out to Conburg Valley, and are frequented by both passenger and freight traffic.

We circle around the west end of the city (screenie 24) and approach the final set of tunnels. Just ahead, No. 317 is descending towards the station, but her route takes her south and on to Rutfingway. On the other side of the hill, No. 710 brings up the rear of an oil train heading out towards Conburg valley (on the other branch of that main line).

(Cont'.)

[Jim Starluck]

We finally come to a stop on Track One of Wudingville Station (screenie 25). The food processing plant right nextdoor is not as busy as the one over in Drendingstone Bay; little under 4,000 tons per month. It was actually built to divide the load, as the Drendingstone Station couldn't be easily expanded and was getting swamped with traffic. Ironically enough, food trains from Drendingstone still unload here regularly.

The southbound bypass through Wudingville actually splits in two: one half allows access into and out of the station and takes the long way around, the other goes straight past towards Flinningwell Ridge and tunnels right under downtown Wudingville. The northbound bypass, on the other hand, goes under the station itself.

After departing the station and circling back around, No. 322 crosses the junction (screenie 26) that will take it back onto the main and home to Flinningwell Ridge. She'll catch up to her earlier traveling companions, Nos. 239 and 705, before they head up the hill to the southbound bypass.

And that concludes our tour! Some general statistics on the railroad:

Trains: 125
Locomotives: 151
- 2-8-0 Consolidations: 6
- 4-6-2 Pacifics: 15
- 4-6-4 Hudsons: 23
- 4-8-4 Northerns: 78
- 2-10-2 Santa Fes: 5
- 2-8-8-2 Mallets: 8
- Pullman Interurbans: 16
Road Vehicles: 19
Ships: 6
Annual Income: $187,500,000
Annual Cargo Transported: 1,260,000
Current Company Value: $1,975,857,854
Global Population: 787,817

And finally a map of the entire system (screenie 27).