FEC Miami to Jax

I'm trying to build the FEC from Miami to Jax. I've already extracted the tiles, but I'm a bit in the dark as far as how to begin. Is there anyway of getting vector data so I can lay the track precisely? The route already shows up as a red line in the RGE. Orientation is another matter. I've picked the Lat/Lon coordinates for the Tri-Rail(former CSX)/FEC diamonds(IRIS) in Hialeah to start. FEC's double track "beltline" crosses Tri-Rail's single track here. I "jump" to these coords. I assume I'm looking north(0 degrees). I laid a piece of double track and rotated it 90 degrees(east). How do I know it's in the right place??I started @ Iris, because it's fairly straight track. I'm converting kilometers to miles to get the distance about right. Is this the best way, or am I missing something?? Or, am I missing a lot of somethings..hahaha??If anyone wishes to contact me directly, my email is rrmike1@attbi.comYour help is greatly appreciated.
RRMike1

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RE: FEC Miami to Jax, kevarc, Sep-06-02, 03:09 PM, (1) RE: FEC Miami to Jax, flarrfan, Sep-06-02, 03:31 PM, (2) RE: FEC Miami to Jax, rrmike1, Sep-06-02, 04:13 PM, (3) RE: FEC Miami to Jax, Kentucky86, Sep-06-02, 09:33 PM, (4) RE: FEC Miami to Jax, Kentucky86, Sep-06-02, 09:35 PM, (5) RE: FEC Miami to Jax, flarrfan, Sep-06-02, 09:56 PM, (6) RE: FEC Miami to Jax, rrmike1, Sep-06-02, 11:19 PM, (8) RE: FEC Miami to Jax, rpicardi1, Sep-07-02, 08:05 PM, (9) RE: FEC Miami to Jax, rpicardi1, Sep-06-02, 09:58 PM, (7)

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LAST EDITED ON Sep-06-02 AT 03:10 PM (EDT)

Search the forums, there is a guy doing the FEC already and he may be able to help you out.Kevin Arceneaux
gdapia

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Bob Pickering (Kentucky 86) is doing the FEC from Jax to New Smyrna Beach. His track is all in, and last we heard from him, he was putting in scenery and road crossings between Jax and St. Augustine, I think. He's from Daytona, knows the northern part of the FEC well, and has already uploaded one route, so anyone else looking at the FEC might do well to plan only on other segments. And if you haven't spent much time in the route editor, best advice anyone here can give you is START SMALL. If this is your first RE project, you might consider limiting yourself to a shorter segment, say Ft. Pierce to Hialeah if you're in south Florida and that's the part of the line you know the best. Kent

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That's not a bad idea. He's actually doing one of our districts and Ft. Pierce to Hia just happens to be another district.How about that vector data? Is there something out there, or do I just use lon/lat to best position the rail?RRMike1

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Hey Guys and Gals (I know there are some gals out there in MSTS land) Anyway one of the reasons I decided to only do the Jax to NSB part is the massive amount of work involved. The other reason is the size of the file. I wanted something that could be easily downloaded. What I do is I work a blitz then take a break from it then work on it again. This allows me to think of ideas and stuff. A progress report!I have now placed all bridges in place, all gradecrossings and most roads and I am now working on scenery items.I am not exact on the lat and longs though I started close enough. When you drive the route it has the FEC feel. I can't give a date of release as I am FAR from that yet.My next project may be a short extension of the high speed route and the Boston MBTA Red Line.Keep going on the FEC! Two routes won't hurt!Bob

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FURTHER..Sounds like you are using my method a little bit. I used the track lengths, lat and long and compass headings as a guide. I had to redo tiles a few times as I got close to the edge.Bob

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There are lots of ways to lay prototype route track. I spent a couple of days at topozone and terraserver, noting lat/lon coords for road crossings, creeks, overpasses, sidings, significant bldgs, etc., then (since I couldn't get a marker file program to work) marked all 95 miles of my route with tree blocks, most of which are still in the scenery of the finished route. There are two non-prototype curves in the Funnel between Jax and Callahan, where using the standard track sections for curves rather than exact curvature dynamic track had me close to running off the tiles a couple of times. There are lots more exact ways of getting track laid...a forum search would help. If you do the FEC between West Palm Beach and Ft. Pierce, you should DEM the route, as I think the main grades on the FEC are probably where the line runs through those tall sand dunes at Jonathan Dickinson State Park and along the Indian River north of Jensen Beach.Kent

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LAST EDITED ON Sep-06-02 AT 11:20 PM (EDT)

I was hoping for some luck on the vector file aspect, but it doesn't seem like there's a lot out there in respect to this. I'd be nice to have predetermined routes according to actual railroads. Then, all we'd have to do is let the editor tell us precisely where to put the track. I know, I know, that just sounds too good to be true...hahahaI guess i'll stick to my current method since I'm very familiar with this end of the railroad. Unfortunately, I only see the north end on runs to Jax. 360 miles of main line is a lot to memorize!!!I haven't looked very hard, but is there a bridge in the editor similar to the double track drawbridge in Ft. Laud.? Also, the one in Jupiter is similar, but, a rail has been removed from the west side. And, finally, the diamond @ IRIS in Miami is FEC double track crossing Tri-Rail single track. Is there such a diamond in the editor?I appreciate all the help. Maybe we can talk FEC sometime??rrmike1@attbi.com

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The collection of objects supplied by MSTS is very limited and lacking in details.Check the file library and search for srv. You may find some of my bridges useful for your route such as a double track rolling drawbridge.SRV Ron

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If you have a map program such as Topo USA, you can print maps out using metric measurements and the GPS cooridance that the RE uses. Then, you can just lay a ruler on the printout, grid the tiles to it, and measure directly. Just keep in mind that the RE uses 2048 by 2048 meter tiles with the origin point in the center. Use a protractor with your map and you can orient the RE compass to the heading of your track which makes track laying much easierThe track layout in Topo USA is ok although you may want to download maps of the yards from Maptech.com or use the overhead photos from terraserver.homeadvisor.msn.com. The Maptech maps tend to have tracks that may no longer be in use. The Terraserver photos are 2 to 3 years old.Start in one place and work out from there. Don't worry about laying out the track super accurate. It's nearly impossible to do and won't detract from the overall feel of the route anyhow.And, back up often.SRV Ron

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