West Virginia Railroads

Civil War Era Archroof Box Cars for Trainz

2010-11-06T09:25:00.000-07:00

W&A #101 Box Car

This Trainz model of a freelance American Civil War era archroof box car, as shown at left, is nowe available at the Trainz Download Station (DLS). The model will work with Trainz versions TC3, 2009, and 2010. I plan to make a TRS2004 and TRS2006 version of the car available soon.

Search for KUID 123250:1141 at the DLS, or use this link to install the car via the Trainz Content Manager.

Car #101 is gray in color, and lettered for the Western & Atlantic Railroad (W&A).

W&A Box Car #110

A yellow version of the box car (#110) painted to match Pencil42's Western & Atlantic Railroad (W&A) passenger cars, is also available on the DLS.

Search for KUID 123250:1142 at the DLS, or use this link to install the car via the Trainz Content Manager.

W&A Box Car #301

Car #301 varies slightly from the other two cars. It should be available on the Trainz Download Station (DLS) within a day or two. Please check back here regarding availability.

Woodbeam Trucks

To use the car, you'll also need to download and install the following two trucks -- one with brakes and one without. These trucks are for Trainz TC3, 2009, and 2010. TRS2004/2006 versions will be available shortly.

Search for KUID2:123250:10014:1 and KUID2:123250:10015:1 at the DLS, or use the following links to install the woodbeam trucks with brakes and woodbeam truck without brakes using the Trainz Content Manager.

Civil War Era Conductor's Car for Trainz

2010-11-05T07:50:00.000-07:00

W&A Conductor's Car #10

This Trainz model of a freelance American Civil War era Conductor's Car, as shown at left, should be available at the Trainz Download Station (DLS) later today. A conductor's car is just another name for a caboose car. This model will work with Trainz TC3, 2009, and 2010. I plan to make a TRS2004 and TRS2006 version of the car available sometime soon.

Search for KUID 123250:1137 at the DLS, or use this link to install the car via the Trainz Content Manager.

W&A Conductor's Car #11

A gray-colored version of the Conductor's Car, also lettered for the W&A RR, is now available on the Trainz Download Station (DLS).

Search for KUID 123250:1140 at the DLS, or use this link to install the car via the Trainz Content Manager.

Woodbeam Trucks

To use either car, you'll also need to download and install the following two trucks required for the conductor's car. These trucks are for Trainz TC3, 2009, and 2010. TRS2004/2006 version will be available shortly.

Search for KUID2:123250:10014:1 and KUID2:123250:10015:1 at the DLS, or use the following links to install the woodbeam trucks with brakes and woodbeam truck without brakes using the Trainz Content Manager.

The Civil War Era Caboose Car

This is a freelance model of a conductor's car with a canvas covered, arched roof, from the era of the America Civil War (1861-1865) based on historic photographs and dimensional data of various cars from the period. Early caboose cars were typically "one of a kind", each fashioned from whatever box car might be available by the railroad's car builder shops -- the variety used and actual location of crew-conveniences such as doors, windows, ladders, steps, etc. varied during the period.

Visit this page to view a photo showing a conductor's car on the Atlantic & North Carolina Railroad during the American Civil War.

The N&W Steam Streamliner that Never Was

2010-10-30T06:40:00.000-07:00

This is a Trainz model of a fictitious locomotive. It's basically a N&W J-class 4-8-4 scaled down to 2-8-4 size. The Norfolk & Western never made a streamlined 2-8-4, but in the wonderful world of Trainz, things that "never were" are possible!

By the use of a little imagineering, it's possible to create a "back story" on this fictional streamliner. But that's a tale for another day. ;)

I plan to make the Trainz model of this steam streamliner available as freeware in the near future. Check back here for updates...

In this Youtube video, the steamlined 2-8-4 stretches its legs on a run on B&O trackage that crosses the scenic Allegheny Mountains.

What is a N&W steam locomotive doing on the B&O? What that is yet another tale for telling at a later date! Besides, it's 1942 and the mission of the train is offically "classified", according to the War Dept. ;)

In this video, the locomotive makes use of the Steam Soundz: Modern Medium NA Steam enginesound files,which can be found by searching the Trainz Download Station (DLS) for: kuid:123250:1103

Trainz Civil War Era Cars

2010-10-28T05:46:00.000-07:00

I'm dusting off some stuff I'd made some time ago. Anyone interested in these?

Conductor's Car

Virginian Railway 2-8-2 Mikado Steam Locomotive

2010-10-27T00:48:00.000-07:00

A Baldwin Mikado Type Locomotive in Service on the Virginian Railway East-bound from Roanoke, Va., the rating for these Locomotives was 100 loaded cars averaging 7850 tons total weight. The maximum ascending grade is 0.2 per cent.

The Virginian's Class MC Mikado Type Locomotive

Steam Soundz for Articulated Locomotives Var. 1 and 2 Released

2010-10-25T04:35:00.000-07:00

You can find these two enginesound files on the Trainz Download Station (DLS) by searching for KUID:123250:1122 and KUID:123250:1123, or click the following links to download and install from DLS: Steam Soundz: Large American Articulated Locomotives - V1 -- Steam Soundz: Large American Articulated Locomotives - V1

Virginian Triplex 2-8-8-8-4 Articulated Steam Locomotive

2010-10-21T18:27:00.000-07:00

Click the < button to page-up to read the article regarding the Virginian Triplex.

The Virginian Railway's 2-10-10-2 Mallets

2010-10-19T22:41:00.000-07:00

The following article regarding the Virginian Railway's 2-10-10-2, class AE, Mallet steam locomotives, is from the "Railway Journal", published in 1921, by the National Association of Railway Agents. The locomotives were built in Schenectady, N. Y. by the American Locomotive Company (often shortened to "Alco") in 1918. Because they were too large to be shipped assembled, the huge locomotives were shipped partially dismantled. Each locomotive required one flat, one gondola and one box car to carry the loose and detached parts. When built, the Virginian's 2-10-10-2 locomotives were the largest locomotives in the world. The locomotives weighted 449 tons, were 105 feet in length, developed 5,040 horsepower, and had a tractive power of 147,200 pounds. According to the article, the railroad expect to be able to haul 78-car trains over the steep grade between Elmore to Clark's Gap, on the Virginian's Deepwater division in W.Va., by using a 2-8-8-2 on the head-end, along with a 2-10-10-2 as a pusher on the rear of the train.

Click "more about this book" to read (or download) the book via Google Books.

Steam Soundz: Little Big NA Steam Locomotives

2010-10-16T14:50:00.000-07:00

The Trainz sound experiment continues, this time with sounds suitable for little big North American steam locomotives, e.g. the smaller Mikado, and Pacific type locomotives, as well as Consolidations, Ten-Wheelers, etc. This enginesound file should be uploaded to the Trainz Download Station sometime later this week...

You can listen to the sound file via the embedded player below, or view the Little Big NA Steam Locomotives enginesound file directly from YouTube.

Steam Soundz: The Little Engine that Thought It Could

2010-10-16T14:03:00.000-07:00

The Trainz sound experiment continues, with a steam locomotive exhaust sound file that literally exclaims "I think I can!"

You can view the video below, or view The Little Engine that Thought It Could at YouTube.

Second "Steam Soundz" Sound File Released

2010-10-09T01:51:00.000-07:00

The second steam enginesound file for Trainz 2009/2010 is now available on the Trainz Download Station (TDS). This sound file was produced to emulate the typical crisp, robust exhaust sound typical of modern (U.S.R.A. era and later) large North American steam locomotives, e.g. the Hudson, Northern, Texas, and Santa Fe type steam locomotives.

This enginesound file (kuid:123250:1107) can be found by searching the TDS, or by clicking the following link to install the file.

You can view the following video to listen to this particular enginesound file in use.

About the Video

In this exercise, a 4-8-2 U.S.R.A. (light) Mountain type locomotive, pulling a train of several heavyweight passenger cars, accelerates from 0 to about 70 MPH on a downhill stretch of the B&O's "West End", just east of Grafton, WV.

As is the case in all of the Steam Soundz videos, the purpose of the video is to provide an example of what this particular sound file (enginesound) sounds like when used in Trainz.

First "Steam Soundz" Sound File Released

2010-10-08T14:07:00.000-07:00

The steam locomotive sound file, Steam Soundz: Modern Medium Steam 1, can now be found on the Trainz Download Station by searching for KUID: 123250:1103, or follow this link to install it. This is the first of a series of sound files we've created for use in Trainz 2009/2010.

Steam Soundz #1 was created for modern (U.S.R.A. era and later) North American steam locomotives of medium size, e.g. Mikados, Pacifics, Hudsons, Berkshires, etc. If used with a properly configured Trainz locomotive, these sound files will produce the four chuffs were driver revolution typical of 2-cylinder locomotives. The sound files are based primarily on recordings made in the 1980s of steam locomotive #765, a 2-8-4 "Berkshire" type steam locomotive built in 1944 for for Nickel Plate Road (New York, Chicago & St. Louis Railroad Co.). More information on NKP #765 can be found at the Web site of the Fort Wayne Railroad Historical Society.

You can view the video below to listen to sounds produce in Trainz by the enginesound, or view it directly from YouTube at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hzTCBch-HVk

About the Video

In this video, a 4-6-2 U.S.R.A. (light) Pacific type locomotive, pulling a train of five passenger cars, accelerates from 0 to about 60 MPH on an uphill section of the B&O's "17 Mile Grade".

As is the case in all of the Steam Soundz videos, the purpose of the video is to provide an example of what this particular sound file (enginesound) sounds like when used in Trainz.

The Steam Soundz Experiment, Parts 1-3

2010-09-27T16:50:00.000-07:00

Take I: A N&W Y6b Mallet accelerates from 0 to 40 MPH.

Take II: Two N&W Mallets accelerate, each using its own unique set of sound files.

Take III: A single Mallet, using a different set of sound files.

Demo: Synthesized Steam Loops (x)RPM for Possible Use in Trainz

2010-09-13T12:13:00.000-07:00

As much as I've enjoyed using Trainz Simulator over the years, I've found the lack of a really good-sounding steam locomotive sound effects to be disappointing. Beginning with Trainz 2009, there seemed to be hope for improved steam sounds via the use of steam (sound) loops in various RPMs. Since getting recordings of real steam locomotives running a given RPM are difficult to obtain, I've toyed with creating steam loops by synthesis, based on sound recordings of real steam locomotives. Here's a demo of what I'm talking about:

Click the "Read more" button (below) to continue reading...

Unfortunately, I haven't found a great deal of the specs, details, and how-tos of how to go about using steam_loops_xRPM files. And making things even more difficult, Trainz 2009 (and apparently 2010) have a glitch that lowers the volume level of the sound loops to the point where they're inaudible within Trainz.

So, in hopes of obtaining some assistance with getting access to the nitty-gritty of Trainz sound loops, I've made the following video to demonstrate examples of synthesized steam sounds that can be created. I'd be willing to create the sound loops, and allow anyone to use them with freeware Trainz creations. But in order to produce some good sounds, I need some specs! ;) Any info would be greatly appreciated!

The Big Red Trains of Dunloup Creek Canyon

2010-09-10T06:33:00.000-07:00

The big red locomotives of the RJ Corman's West Virginia Line

RJ Corman's bright red diesel locomotives have become a familiar sight along the rails between Thurmond, Mount Hope, and Pax, West Virginia. Now known as the West Virginia Line, the shortline transverses the routes originally built as the Loup Creek Branch of the Chesapeake & Ohio Railway (C&O) and the Kanawha, Glen Jean, and Eastern Railway (KGJ&E).

RJ Corman took over the Thurmond to Mt. Hope portion of the route in July of 2005, and rebuilt part of the former KGJ&E branch, extending the line to Pax in 2006. Currently, the line serves four industries along the 16-mile route -- Georgia Pacific, Austin Powder and Tanner Industries in Mount Hope, and Pioneer Fuel Company near Pax. RJ Corman is headquartered in Nicholasville, KY.

Click the "Read more" button (below) to read the rest of the story...

Big Red Trains of Dunloup Creek Canyon (Cont'd from Page 1)

The West Virginia Line interchanges with CSXT at Thurmond, WV, the state’s smallest incorporated town, with a population of seven people. Despite its small population, Thurmond is presently among the most visited locations within the New River Gorge National River.

A coal train coming off the former Loup Creek Branch waits for clearance
before entering the CSXT mainline at Thurmond, WV.

Located near the center of the New River Gorge, Thurmond thrived as a retail trading center during the height of the coal boom of the late-1800s and early-1900s.

Thurmond was a major shipping point on the C&O line. By the early 1900s, hundreds of railroad cars of smokeless coal were being shipped through the town daily from several nearby branch lines and more freight revenue was being generated for the Chesapeake & Ohio Railway (C&O) via shipments from Thurmond than did the much-larger cities of Cincinnati, OH, Richmond, VA, or Charleston, WV.

In 1910, 76,541 passengers boarded trains, and 4,283,641 tons of freight were shipped from Thurmond, which amounted to almost one-fifth of the C&O's entire revenue that year.

The line cross Dunloup Creek several times along its route
through Dunloup Creek Canyon

Trains operating on the West Virginia Line follow the C&O's old route along Dunloup Creek from Thurmond (elev. 1070 ft.), crossing the steam several times as the line makes it's way through Dunloup Creek Canyon to Mount Hope (elev. 1705 ft.)

At the mouth of Sugar Creek, the line follows the old KGJ&E route along Sugar Creek to a tunnel through Packs Mountain. On the other end of the tunnel, at Tunnel Siding, the line reaches it's highest point, at an elevation of 1843 feet. From there, the rail line makes its way through a divide that leads to Pax (elev. 1633 ft.)

The C&O originally completed the branch line between Thurmond and Mount Hope in 1893. The KGJ&E completed its branch line from Mount Hope to Pax in about 1910.

The C&O's Loup Creek Branch and the KGJ&E shortline were originally built as coal hauling railroads. but both railroads did operate passenger trains on the routes. The last passenger train operating on the route was discontinued by the C&O during the mid-1950s.

The map, at right, shows the routes of the area's railroad, circa 1925, and lists the coal mines in operation during that time period.

Ghost Towns of the New River Gorge

2010-09-10T03:52:00.000-07:00

More than 50 communities once existed in the depths of the New River Gorge along the route of the Chesapeake & Ohio Railway (C&O) between Quinnimont and Hawks Nest, West Virginia. Most of the towns were "company towns", owned and controlled by the coal companies that mined the "smokeless" coal of the New River Coalfield. Today, virtually all of the towns are ghost towns, deserted and long since abandoned to the forces of nature.

View Ghost Towns of the New River Gorge in a larger map

Map: Ghost Towns of the Gorge

Click on any of the markers on the map to view a brief description of each location. You can view a full-sized version of the map at Google Maps, with the option of viewing the map via a Google Earth 3D perspective.

Follow the link in the popup ballon to view additional information on the town, or view the complete list of the ghost towns at our sister site, NewRiverWV.com.

A series of articles on the ghost towns at WVExp.com provides more in-depth information at each town, such as historic information, maps, and photos.

Riding the Virtual Rails: Vol. 1, No. 2

2010-09-08T21:28:00.000-07:00

This is the second in a series of YouTube videos entitled "Riding the Virtual Rails". Additional episodes from the series can be found in the Riding the Virtual Rails section.

Along the B&O's "West End"
A circa 1950s-era depiction of a freight train traveling the West End Subdivision of the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad (B&O), between Independence and Bethany, West Virginia. Filmed in Auran's Trainz Simulator 2009 using Fraps, featuring a Trainz route, the Western Maryland Thomas Sub, by jrfolco.

Riding the Virtual Rails: Vol. 1, No. 1

2010-09-08T21:04:00.000-07:00

This is the first in a series of YouTube videos entitled "Riding the Virtual Rails". Additional episodes from the series can be found in the Riding the Virtual Rails section.

The Magnificent Mallet
A short video made in Auran's Trainz Simulator 2009. featuring Virginian Railway #703, a 2-8-8-2 Mallet type steam locomotive modeled by Ben Neal, operating on a Trainz route, the Western Maryland Thomas Sub, by jrfolco.

Find U.S. Trainz Stuff by Using Our New Search Feature

2010-09-07T20:40:00.000-07:00

Trainz U.S.R.A. 2-8-8-2 Mallet

We've created a Google Custom Search engine that we hope will make it a bit easier for our visitors to quickly locate Trainz models based on U.S. prototypes.

Why on earth have we done this? To learn the answer to that question (and much, much more) please continue reading the rest of this article by clicking the "Read more" button (below).

Find U.S. Trains Stuff (Continued from Page 1)

An Example

To see a live example of the search results, click the following example: 4-6-2 Pacific

Your search results should show Trainz related Web pages that make mention of a 4-6-2 Pacific type steam locomotive.

How It Works

The custom search engine restricts the search to Trainz related Web sites. We've manually created the list of Trainz related Web sites that are included in the search, so if you'd know of additional Trainz related Web site you think we've missed, please let us know via e-mail.

Why We Created It

In short, we created this Google Custom Search engine to provide more relevant search results than one would get from using Google's search, which typically would include many non-Trainz related sites within the search results.

For example, try the two following examples and compare the results:

A Google search for: Trainz 4-6-2 Pacific

Our Google Custom Search engine search for: 4-6-2 Pacific

Is it perfect?

No. Of course not. Nothing in life is (perfect).

One of our goals was to obtain search results for models of U.S. prototypes, simply because many Trainz users will want to model a specific U.S. railroad. However, due to way the real world works, you may find a few non-U.S. railroad prototypes showing up in the search results. (Such, is life...)

Our custom search wasn't designed to replace anything -- it's merely an additional tool we hope you'll find useful. There are many excellent Web sites online that can provide a great amount of information on Trainz models and other Trainz related topics. We encourage you to visit (and support) the many Trainz related sites on the Net.

Some of the more comprehensive sources of Trainz information online include:

Trainz (Official Site)
Trainz Development Wiki
Trainz Discussion Forums

Trainz Resources Directory
Obo's Trainz Locomotive Catalog
World of Trainz
Virtual Railroader
Trainz Railroad Simulator page @ RailServe

Welcome to WVRailroads @ Blogger

2010-09-07T19:25:00.000-07:00

Welcome to WVRailroads @ Blogger, an extension of our main Web site, WVRailroads.net.