Port of Baltimore update

This is a switching route featuring some of the industries in the area. Additional tiles were added to the MSTS original NEC. The tiles were DEMed using DEMEX. I designed the major structures. Track textures, locos, and some cars are from the download area by other authors. Here are some preliminary screenshots.

Attachments

http://www.train-sim.com/dcforum/User_files/3d80166766cde9fb.jpg

http://www.train-sim.com/dcforum/User_files/3d80169a671f66c2.jpg

http://www.train-sim.com/dcforum/User_files/3d8016e667d421e7.jpg

http://www.train-sim.com/dcforum/User_files/3d801713682b6892.jpg

http://www.train-sim.com/dcforum/User_files/3d80177569153aaa.jpg

http://www.train-sim.com/dcforum/User_files/3d80179f6984c322.jpg

http://www.train-sim.com/dcforum/User_files/3d80180a6a6cd48d.jpg

http://www.train-sim.com/dcforum/User_files/3d8018266acc9fbc.jpg

http://www.train-sim.com/dcforum/User_files/3d8018616b6ee359.jpg

http://www.train-sim.com/dcforum/User_files/3d8018946bc2d27c.jpg

http://www.train-sim.com/dcforum/User_files/3d8018ba6bf5e285.jpg

http://www.train-sim.com/dcforum/User_files/3d8018e16c472ae4.jpg

http://www.train-sim.com/dcforum/User_files/3d8019086ca85419.jpg

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RE: Port of Baltimore update, jleslie, Sep-12-02, 08:21 AM, (1) RE: Port of Baltimore update, MRRextreme, Sep-12-02, 08:14 PM, (3) RE: Port of Baltimore update, jleslie, Sep-13-02, 01:19 PM, (8) RE: Port of Baltimore update, lnghairedwizard, Sep-13-02, 03:29 PM, (9) RE: Port of Baltimore update, jleslie, Sep-13-02, 11:37 PM, (13) RE: Port of Baltimore update, lnghairedwizard, Sep-14-02, 00:15 AM, (15) RE: Port of Baltimore update, MRRextreme, Sep-14-02, 01:12 AM, (16) RE: Port of Baltimore update, MRRextreme, Sep-13-02, 04:31 PM, (10) RE: Port of Baltimore update, jleslie, Sep-13-02, 11:18 PM, (12) RE: Port of Baltimore update, MRRextreme, Sep-14-02, 01:17 AM, (17) RE: Port of Baltimore update, JMan, Oct-07-02, 01:15 PM, (23) RE: Port of Baltimore update, csxt602, Sep-12-02, 09:48 AM, (2) RE: Port of Baltimore update, MRRextreme, Sep-12-02, 08:18 PM, (4) RE: Port of Baltimore update, NSFAN, Sep-12-02, 08:55 PM, (5) RE: Port of Baltimore update, MRRextreme, Sep-13-02, 00:47 AM, (6) RE: Port of Baltimore update, erielackawanna, Sep-13-02, 10:24 AM, (7) RE: Port of Baltimore update, MRRextreme, Sep-13-02, 05:15 PM, (11) RE: Port of Baltimore update, Engineer, Sep-15-02, 09:14 AM, (20) RE: Port of Baltimore update, MRRextreme, Sep-15-02, 11:37 AM, (21) RE: Port of Baltimore update, Simerjoe, Sep-13-02, 11:44 PM, (14) RE: Port of Baltimore update, MRRextreme, Sep-14-02, 01:24 AM, (18) RE: Port of Baltimore update, lincolnzoo, Sep-14-02, 10:16 AM, (19) RE: Port of Baltimore update, napoleo1, Oct-07-02, 12:50 PM, (22)

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Sweet! You have been very busy since the last shots. Still doing these yards without Xtracks?Did you do the highway overpasses? You need to upload some of that stuff.I'd like to see your framerate counter in your screenshots.... Jeff Leslie

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<<Sweet! >> Thank you.
<<Still doing these yards without Xtracks?>> Yes.
<<Did you do the highway overpasses? >> Yes.Have you done anymore with your route?

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>Have you done anymore with your route?Hehe, yeah I work on my route almost everyday, and my wife lets me know about it almost every day too.It might be a little tacky to post my own screenshots in your post, but here's a couple shots anyway. These are of the PPG soda ash plant at Barberton Ohio. The soda ash plant today is gone, PPG has a small industrial chemical plant on the same site now, but nowhere near the size of the old soda ash plant.I made it all with public objects, no custom objects by me yet. I don't like the object count in this tile though, way too high - framerates are single digits with static consists laying around.I'm sure you're starting to run into the same problem as me - too many objects in one tile. I hate to do it, but I might have to remove some stuff to keep the object count manageable. This area is also in the middle of an urban area which I haven't even begun to place the objects for yet.Looking south from North Yard toward the PPG plant.
Overall view looking southeast.
Overall view looking southwest.
Jeff Leslie

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Great work!!! I love heavy industry!If you have to delete some of the objects to make the FPS more managebal, then I suggest deleting the blast furnace as it is a very high poly-count object.Also, Im curious about a few objects your using? IN the second screenshot, what are those trestle objects your using?...also in the foreground of the 2nd pic, there is a small mill type building(with openings to run trains through it) that is raised in the air and has some type of hopper attached to the front of it...what are these?...could definetly use them on the steel mill I am doingPS...got any pics of the prototypce soda plant.....would love to see'em!Longhairedwizard

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You mean this building?Here's a pic of the prototype, circa 1941...from the Library of Congress website. Glad I found them because the real plant is now an open field and I never saw it in person.The drive-through building is 7DRIVEIN_WAREH1 by Enocell, and the hoppers are from Nick Fitzsimmons' cement plant and are the MAIN_SQUARE_HOPPER. The trestles are SRV Ron's viaduct pieces.I'd like to be able to make my own custom trestles for this area and my own buildings, but right now I'm just concentrating on track laying and getting buildings down with what I have. Custom objects will come later. I also have to do 3 Goodyear Tire plants, the Firestone Tire plant, BF Goodrich, General Tire, and Babcock & Wilcox Boiler plant just to name a few. Jeff Leslie

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After looking at that prototype picture, I have to congradulate you once again on a job very well done!!!Thanx for the info on that building...As to poor framerates....you might consider switching the SRV trestle peices for the default japan type ones...I beleive them to have a significantly smaller polygon count which should help with the slow framerats, granted, they don't look as nice the SRV trestles though...here is a pic of them...I used them for my blast furnace highline, the slagdump ramp, and for a teeming platform inside the mill (as in the pictures)PS..where did you get those nice coal piles at???here is a pic of some slag piles I just made (day and night shots...day shot has a BOF furnace and a custom refinery tower also)....I used "Alpha-brite TSM textures so they stay "glowing" day and night!Longhairedwizard

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I think I commented before in your thread describing this model, but this steel facility is really cool. Especially the molten steel.

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<<but here's a couple shots anyway. >>
Your route looks excellent as always. BTW I do not mind the pics. You have to have a thick skin on this forum. <<I'm sure you're starting to run into the same problem as me - too many objects in one tile. >>I have about 500 objects on the Locust Point tile. I do not know if that is high or not. I am still in the low teens but sometimes single digits.

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500 objects is not bad at all, but it adds up quick. Don't get too concerned until you hit the 1200 mark, then you might start to worry. I don't think there is an absolute limit of objects per tile, I haven't reached my limit yet. It seems to be more related to the computer you have than anything, and I use XP Home so I wonder if my limit might even be higher since XP eliminated memory leaks. Enocell on N&NJ has several tiles over 1200 and I think he even has a 1500+ tile. When you get that many objects in a tile, poly count is kind of a moot point because your framerates will still suffer.I've been thinking about going back to some of my large yards and removing a couple tracks here and there, I don't think anybody would care (to be honest it doesn't even bother ME anymore...) if my 33 track yard was actually only 25 tracks...it would really help the object counter and the framerates. No way could I populate a yard like that anyway and still have decent framerates - even with 25 tracks.Keep up the good work!Jeff Leslie

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<<removing a couple tracks here and there, >> I go back and forth on this as well. Sometimes I put them all in with the hope that the computing power will eventually catch up.

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Nice shots man.
first 1 blows me away.
like the look of that rail.
whats it called?
My first route maxed out quick 2.cya L8r,JMan

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Nice! The routes looking better with every set of screens you post. Keep up the excellent work, as it's looking like the real thing!Chris Denbow - Baltimore, Md.
CPL - http://cpl.railfan.net/

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<<Nice!>> Thank you. Chris, I will post a screen shot of an industry near one of the pics on your site.

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Are you going to include the tracks that go by Candem Yards? I have been there several times to see the ball games and man you see a lot of trains up there.

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LAST EDITED ON Sep-13-02 AT 00:51 AM (EDT)

<<Are you going to include the tracks that go by Camden Yards? >> Yes, the track is already done in that area. The NEC Track Team will be covering the track in this area as well in their NEC 4.0 release

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http://www.train-sim.com/dcforum/User_files/3d816e393d35144a.jpg

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Excellent progression on your route. I was wondering if the Port of Baltimore will be compatible with the NEC v4 route? You might want to coordinate your efforts with Vince to save time and effort. Walter Conklin
Silver Spring, MD

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<<Excellent progression on your route. >> Thank you.<<compatible with the NEC v4 route? >>
I have asked Vince about the trackwork of the NEC4.0 in an update thread of his a couple of months ago. We really overlap with trackwork between Riverside and Bayview. The industrial areas I am modeling required additional tiles and Vince is modeling the NEC with stock MSTS objects and existing tiles. The NEC Track Team also intends for the route to be electrified. The CSX trackage is not electrified in my route. The industrial areas I am modeling have loops which Vince stated are a "no-no" for the NEC4.0. I am very excited about the release of their route but I do think we have different objectives.

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I'm very interested in the Camden Yard area, I'm working on the old WB&A which started in Camden Station and winded near Cherry Hill. I guess by the sound of it your are doing all of Baltimore? Are you covering the branch to the old McCormick plant on the inner harbor? I use to ride the loco's with my uncle when I was a kid, he was in charge of operations of the B&O at the Shipyard and Downtown streets in the 50's.

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LAST EDITED ON Sep-15-02 AT 11:38 AM (EDT)

My trackage reflects an 80's forward snapshot, which would put McCormick's out in Hunt Valley area. I am not sure if the McCormick's leads were part of track that use to come down Key Highway as well. So while I have trackage that goes to Camden station, I do not have track going to McCormick's. As an aside, I always liked the Port Covington yard which is now replaced by the Sunpaper, WalMart, et.al. So much good railroading gone these days.

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This is very, very, very impressive. You should be proud.Joe Fortier simerjoe@cox.net

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<<impressive>> I am glad you like it. I really began to push the work on the route once I saw jleslie's complex trackwork and purchased Micheal Vone's tutorial.

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Damn all of you! I have to upgrade now. (All Right!)

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Hey,Is your route available for download yet? Where can I get it? Did you model the interstate (95) highway in the first pic or is that by someone else. If so where can i download that as well. Your route is superb I live in DC and from what I see yours is very prototypical and realistic. Good job. I like swithcing routes too. I plan on doing ivy city and eckington yards in DC and benning road yards.

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