Railsimroutes.net

Project Status (21st April 2019)

[WJ-R]: 1980s object removal (Castlethorpe/Hanslope area)
[XCS]: Pending
[UkTrainSys]: v0.3.2.0 released
[Object Library]: Preparing...
[Website]: Fifth version of website launched

Welcome to the Railsimroutes.net Blog, where I'll be posting progress updates, work-in-progress screenshots, information about the progress I'm making with active projects, as well as anything else I feel is worth mentioning. Hopefully more frequent updates here will make the wait for upcoming releases more bearable! News from 2008, all the way back to 2001, can be found in the News Archive.

My openBVE videos and other comments from users and myself can also be found via my YouTube channel.

Blog and Progress Updates

April 18, 2019

Watford Junction to Rugby – current progress on 1980s object removal

Posted by admin on April 18, 2019 at 5:23 pm

Watford Junction to Rugby – current progress

Railsimroutes Logo Firstly, I’d just like to say thank you to everyone whose offered me a warm welcome back to the openBVE scene, it is much appreciated and it’s great to be back! Having looked at some of the newly updated openBVE documentation, I’m looking forward to having a play with some of the new features. Let’s see where we can take openBVE in 2019 🙂

Just a quick update on what I’m working on at the moment… As the Watford Junction to Rugby project has developed, I’ve modelled the route with features which occur in two different eras – the 1980s and the 2000s. Such features include signals, gantries, lineside location cases, insulated block joints (IBJs), axle counters, Mk1 and UK1 overhead line equipment, and so-on. The project consists of a “main” routefile at the moment, which includes all of these different-era objects. My current task towards getting the route closer to a release is to hide the 1980s-only objects from the route, leaving just the 2000s objects visible. Here’s a before and after screenshot showing an example of the changes:

With 1980s objects in place

Project banner
With only 2000s objects in place

The location is between Linslade and Soulbury (south of Bletchley), so I’m making good progress. I have finished inserting the commands and beacons for the UkTrainSys simulation of the Automatic Warning System (AWS) and Train Protection and Warning System (TPWS), as well as added beacons for the neutral section Automatic Power Control (APC) magnets. .Section commands have also been added to the corresponding axle counter locations too.

More updates to follow! Take care all 🙂

Tags: openBVE, openBVE Community, Screenshots, Site News, Watford Jn to Rugby
Posted in openBVE, Site News, Uncategorized | 4 Comments »

March 12, 2014

Watford Junction to Rugby update, and collaborative project development

Posted by admin on March 12, 2014 at 11:41 pm

Update on Watford Junction to Rugby project

Railsimroutes Logo I’m pleased to say that I resumed development of the Watford Junction to Rugby project recently. Currently I’m working on implementing new .Beacon commands which support the UkTrainSys plugin’s advanced safety system functionality.

An example of platform and signal aspect night lighting, on the Watford Junction to Rugby route (openBVE Routeviewer Tool)

Night lighting
[Click to enlarge]

Signalling along the entire 66.5 mile / 107.1 km route has been updated, with all aspects now comprised of animated objects with ground night lighting.

Note the positioning of the section with the axle counter head, and TPWS induction loops beacons, on the Watford Junction to Rugby route (openBVE Routeviewer Tool)

Sections and axle counters, and TPWS induction loop beacons
[Click to enlarge]

All Automatic Warning System (AWS) magnets are now comprised of beacons simulating the permanent magnets and electro-magnets of the real life system, and sections are now aligned with track circuit breaks and axle counter head locations.

TPWS induction loop beacons, on the Watford Junction to Rugby route (openBVE Routeviewer Tool)

TPWS induction loop beacons
[Click to enlarge]

All Train Protection and Warning System (TPWS) induction loops are now simulated with beacons emulating the real life system in terms of induction loop spacing and frequencies.

APC permanent magnet beacons and OHLE neutral section, on the Watford Junction to Rugby route (openBVE Routeviewer Tool)

APC beacons and OHLE neutral section
[Click to enlarge]

There are four OHLE neutral sections modelled on the route, and all of these are now updated with UkTrainSys compatible beacons for the Automatic Power Control (APC) permanent magnets both before and after the neutral section, as well as denoting the start and end of the dead section of contact wire itself.

New signals awaiting commissioning (note the out-of-use covers), and modular AWS magnet objects
[Click to enlarge]

Collaborative development

The other significant development, is that the project is now open to third party contributions, to speed up development and bring the release date closer. Ben Leahy is the first developer to contribute to the project by building objects, and I’d be more than happy to hear from you, if you think you’d be able to contribute some more high quality, efficiently coded 3D models for the route, leaving me free to concentrate on the systems and permanent way infrastructure.

Currently there’s a list of objects which need to be created and added to the route. These include:

Station buildings from Kings Langley through to Rugby inclusive;
A few lineside buildings, such as houses, warehouses and the like, to be positioned at various locations along the route, but especially at Roade, Weedon, and Rugby;
A few road overbridges for the Weedon Line, as well as retaining walls at Weedon;
Road vehicles for road bridges, and the section of M1 motorway at Watford Gap;
Passing train objects.

If you think you can contribute any of the above, please get in touch and we can discuss options, and I’ll draw up an effective collaboration plan. Thanks 🙂