[TTDP] Maarten's screenshots

[Deblaauwn]

After a year, the passenger subsidies have expired on the line St. Brieuc-Aurillac, so at another small town along the line (Chamonix) a station is built, hoping to generate more revenue by transporting even more passengers. Some sections of the track have been doubled in the past, so a second train could be added, a 0-6-0 tank engine this time. It's a pity passenger wagons are so very expensive so only one covered carriage truck refitted to carry passengers could be used - so we now have an 'express' train with first class wagons and a 'local' train with a second class carriage (although both service the same line).
In this picture, the 'express' is the first train loading at Chamonix, while the new 'local' is waiting at the passing lane (or is that Englified Dutch?).

In the meantime, some of the track to my second coal mine has been doubled as well, as I'm planning to buy a second train here, since the transport rating of this mine is about 50%.

[as you will observe, my writing is lagging behind the progress as that second coal train is already under full steam - the economy is flourishing these days]

[Deblaauwn]

Having more coal trains asks for a more efficient unloading station. Therefore, the first through-station was designed and revealed to the public (I admit, not my most beautiful station, but I couldn't stop making pics).

Chamonix doesn't seem to be big enough for trains to serve, and you apparently need more than one wagon for a steamer to be profitable. The 'local' has been put off-duty somewhere in a depot and the 'express' has had wagons added to it (first- and second class). The Chamonix station is no longer used by trains using a non-stop order; a bus stop has been opened instead. A bus is waiting at the train crossing to proceed. Chamonix inhabitants now have to take the bus to Aurillac and change to the train there.

[Deblaauwn]

Metz is a town down the line, just past Aurillac. It has been served by a bus for some time, but the growing population could support a train station, which is built there some time ago. The Chamonix station has been cleared altogether, thus making the 'non-stop' order obsolete. This also meant the train schedule only needs to consist of two stops, at both ends of the line, or at some really big station in the middle - the latter one obviously being St. Brieuc, to which a special terminus platform was added. This station is depicted in the second screenshot. On the first one, showing Metz, the 0-6-0 tank engine is waiting to proceed out of Metz; this is the local service to St. Brieuc and v.v., while the express serving the whole line is approaching.

In the future, if I can find enough time, coal services will be upgraded to (if profitable) at least two trains a mine. Also, bus services have to be added to Metz and St. Brieuc to encourage city growth, especially encouraging housing around the station, to assure loads of passengers to be transported in the next decade(s).

Two more things about Metz: I believe trees are in transparent mode here, and I have no idea why i cut the pic that large.