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RealRailway (RRW) - Development and Support

Started by Swordmaster, June 14, 2013, 08:42:19 AM

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Flatron

nope, the brown colour is because of rust from the rails and trains.
asfarasIknow, the RAM is included in the NAM...
a track that is in use usually has brown ballast, whereas underutilized/new tracks have clean, grey ballast...


Indiana Joe

Quote from: Flatron on July 22, 2013, 03:18:58 AM
nope, the brown colour is because of rust from the rails and trains.
asfarasIknow, the RAM is included in the NAM...
a track that is in use usually has brown ballast, whereas underutilized/new tracks have clean, grey ballast...

In my research I've found it's not so cut-and-dried.  The initial color of ballast has to do with the color of the rock in the region.  Just talking about the United States: on the east coast, where most rock usually comes from the Appalachian Mountains, the rock is grey (limestone, granite, etc.)  In the Midwest, or farther west, I can imagine rock can be browner or more sandy.

I think it might also have to do with track maintenance.  If fresh ballast is added frequently enough, it will never turn very brown.  Also high rainfall and good drainage probably wash off ballast.

Take this Google Maps picture for example.  It's part of a large rail yard in Newark, NJ, which must be very heavily used.  The ballast looks pretty grey to me.



There's just a lot of variation.  The current RRW ballast is probably very representative of most rails all around the world.  But you will eventually have the option of grey ballast--depending on when I finally get into the groove of texture making.

Flatron

#223
That may be true to some extent, but I live in a region where rock is only granite/gneiss, and the ballast is mostly a reddish brown, even though the tracks were only replaced ten years ago.(with Y-sleepers)
What I'd like to see are railroad sleepers made of steel, as wooden ones are not used any more... But as I am a total noob in texture creating, I'll have to forget this wish, I think.

Indiana Joe

Like I said, there's so much variation.  Texture modding is pretty easy if you've got a little patience and even the slightest artistic ability, by the way.  I'm technically a noob too; I only recently started.  I encourage you to give it a go  :thumbsup:

Anyway, from what I've read, steel ties are pretty much exclusively used in the UK.  Concrete, on the other hand, is the material of choice outside of North America.  How's this for 'Euro' textures?


Flatron

That looks great :) Here, in bavaria, they normally use steel or concrete, but in some cases, on older stretches, there are still wooden sleepers, for example at the station of the town where I went to school.(I used to take the train twice a day from september 2005 until may 2013, so I noticed some things about the tracks ;) )

vester

Guys, please. This project is not just about the textures, but making the track configuration more like the rails of the real world. So if people are up for doing some texturework, I am pretty sure Willy would mind sharing his texture file for you to work from.

BTW: Think Willy has more experience with rails in the real world than most people around here :P

Dexter

Here in the UK, ballast is usually a light grey colour when new, but rust leaching from the rails and fastening clips, and general dirt soon turn it brown, so it's not uncommon to see a mixture of grey and brown.  As far as rail ties go, concrete ties are the standard for main lines - timber and steel are only really used on older secondary lines.  Also, many rail lines, especially In London, use the "Third Rail" electrification system, although new lines must use overhead AC.

That aside every country has different standards when it comes rails, much like roads.  I really like the textures Willy has made, I think they fit the game nicely and are a vast improvement over the Maxis default.
Why does one park on a driveway, and drive on a parkway?

Indiana Joe

I've thought about Third Rails too.  It would definitely give an older, more rustic feel to the rails.  Many MD/CJ authors would probably appreciate them.  At the moment though, that lies pretty low on my list of considered projects.  Especially since you would really need some custom train models to go with them.  I haven't gotten into automata modding at all.

Besides, Eggman has made some pretty awesome catenaries.

Swordmaster

Like mentioned a few times, there are possibly more variations in track ballast color than in road asphalt color, globally. There are a gazillion parameters that determine this: what rock they're made of, how old they are, how busy the track is, what rolling stock runs on them, maintenance practices, weather conditions, and a host of other variables. Also noteworthy is what Frank said, the time of day.

Consider this: there's a big difference in ballast look if a track has diesel, or electric, or mixed traffic. Not only because diesel may leak stuff, but also because overhead wires add to the potential sources of track oxidation. Similarly, freight-only lines are quite different in look to passenger-only lines. Unless, of course, frequent maintenance cancels this out.

Or another one: here in Belgium the tracks are sprayed with weed killer, which is known to discolor the concrete ties, not to mention that it prohibits any kind of greenery from growing too near. This, however, I've been told is not allowed in Germany.


Quote from: vester on July 22, 2013, 03:18:58 PMThink Willy has more experience with rails in the real world than most people around here :P

Well, I'd say Belgian rails at least :D


Cheers
Willy





Flatron

That's right :) german railway tracks are known for their biodiversity, and I guess that we could even make a national park of them... You'll find canadian goldenrod and japanese knotweed, along with other neophytes, as well as plants that are from europe. There are lizards, etc. and biocides would kill them

MR.Y

@Indiana: Steel sleepers are also used in Germany...You could often find them in Rail Yards or sometimes in curves. In germany There is also a special version of steel sleepers:
The Y-Steel sleepers:
http://www.peiner-traeger.de/MDB/www/Produkte/Lieferprogramm/y_stahlschwelle.jpg

I don't want you to make them. I think concrete and wood are enough, may just with grey basalt and mixed (one track concrete and one with wooden sleepers)

What you also will often find in germany is, thet you have a track with brand new concrete sleepers and the levers just have there wooden sleepers...may something like this would be nice?

But nice work you are doing, I just have not enough skill to do that...

esto

By the pictures it looks like an automata upgrade as well - yes.

Flaviolovesimcity4

There will be in the future the possibility to see the angled rail?

Gugu3


Swordmaster

No news at all - I've been mostly away from my computer these past few weeks. Stay tuned, though - summer is ending fast.


Cheers
Willy

themaroonday

What an amazing project. This would add realism to more historic areas and industrial parts of a city. Well done!
--Themaroonday

Kuewr665

I am looking forward to the project as well, but take your time.

Flatron

I have a technical question: Will there be double (ie. quad-track) curves? Because nowadays, a four-track-railway can only go straight or diagonal, but smooth curves are impossible...

Indiana Joe

Quote from: Flatron on September 09, 2013, 08:56:27 AM
I have a technical question: Will there be double (ie. quad-track) curves? Because nowadays, a four-track-railway can only go straight or diagonal, but smooth curves are impossible...

Check the FAQ on the first page; triple and quad-track probably won't even be included in the first release.