Friday 26 February 2016

A fishy plate week

It's always good to have a week where the progress is tangible and there's something new to show.

YQA Super Tench

Some of the YLA/YQA wagons have found themselves converted to general materials wagons by stripping off the existing deck and fitting mesh sided 'Tench' modules originally designed to be fitted to container flat wagons. Nicknamed as 'Super Tench' as they are much larger than the other 2-axle 'Tench' general materials wagons, one or two can often be found marshalled as a part of engineering train formations to carry small items and odd materials as required. Although not as prolific as the container flat conversions they are still an impressive vehicle and will help to add to the engineering wagon variety available in Train Simulator.

SPV 33t Plate Wagon

Work has continued on the 33t plate wagon with the completion of the texturing and decals with thoughts moving towards the loads for the wagons. Naturally big steel plates will feature but as that traffic reduced and the wagons found themselves spare, alternative uses were found including carrying bogies and wheel-sets between BR workshops.

Thursday 18 February 2016

Plates, Vans and Sleepers

It's been another one of those periods where tasks completed don't produce pretty pictures with more manuals compiled and packs submitted to Dovetail Games for QA but things stride on nonetheless!

SPV 33t Plate Wagon

Fastline Simulation: A clean Dia. 1/434 22t Plate wagon in its original pre 1964 Bauxite stands waiting ready for another load.
The modelling of the wagons is now complete along with the unwrapping and shadow baking to allow the application of the base liveries and the decals. With this process virtually complete thoughts are now turning to the loads that these wagons carried.

COV AB Vans

Both of the COV AB van packs have now passed Quality Assurance at Dovetail Games and are waiting their turn to be released. While we wait for them to be released here are a few pictures of some of the finished examples.
Fastline Simulation: This work weary ventilator fitted version is carrying faded Railfreight flame red and grey livery which seems almost an odd mixture with the ventilator on the end harking back to the steam age.

Fastline Simulation: A freshly constructed 46t van stands outside of the works in pristine freight brown livery accompanied by COV AB coding and the Air Brake Network yellow disk.

Fastline Simulation: This dia. 1/257 has been repainted in maroon livery and along with a VBB TOPS code the wagon has a white roof to help keep interior temperatures down when carrying chocolate for Rowntrees.

Fastline Simulation: Moving forward in time this example of lot 3840 has gained a sparkling coat of Railfreight flame red and grey livery along with the correct TOPS code!

YQA Parr

Fastline Simulation: A work weary YQA Parr with a full load of concrete sleepers.
These have now completed internal testing and have been submitted to Dovetail Games for thier quality assurance checks in preparation to join the release queue.

Friday 5 February 2016

Sleepers and Track Panels

It's been one of those weeks this week where lots has happened like compiling manuals and unwrapping models ready for baking/texturing, things which don't make for exciting blog post pictures!

YQA Parr

Fortunately around all these tasks some progress has been made on the track panel and concrete sleeper loads for the Mullet and Parr wagons for the forthcoming YQA Parr wagon pack.

The first image shows a short lived task for the Mullet with a load of track panels. Only a small number were converted and originally they just gained the TOPS code YMA rather than the YLA code of the bolster fitted versions with the Fishkind then changing to Parr.
Fastline Simulation: A YMA Mullet in engineers grey and yellow livery loaded with 4 prefabricated track panels.
Use as track panel carriers seems to have been short lived and recoding to YQA Parr and other body changes took place around the time that further YLA Mullets were converted for sleeper carrying. These further conversions appear to have been coded YLA with the Fishkind of Parr from the outset and originally had 9 tensioners per side and a foot step/recess at each corner.
Fastline Simulation: A YQA Parr with Civil Link branding loaded with over 60 concrete sleepers.