Boston Central Artery/Tunnel Project (Big Dig)

[aldara6166 109]

Looks great...very true to life...

Where were you a month ago when I was starting to work on the Tram wires for the MAPP?!?! 

Check your PM's...I sent you a question...

Great work...keep em coming... 

[Andreas Roth 626]

This looks exceptionally good, better than the RL photos you were showing! My only concern would be the harsh transition between the GLR gravel bed and the concrete base of the tunnel section - while such a transition looks ok on the highway (the new paving just starts where the old was cut), it looks odd with any form of rail. Oh, and what's up with that hovering streetlight?

[TinySim 4]

Looks amazing!

[blahdy 21]

the hovering streetlight will be gone... the tunnel boat section for GLR/RAIL<->U_HW is different class, so i had to take the street light out. i'm going to decide shortly either where to put it or remove it completely.

i'm more concerned about the transition for the overhead wiring for traction current. but i think i have a plan on how to address that one, which is intentionally not told here for a 'surprise'

[simzebu 20]

WOW! Very good work! I can't wait!

[ogreslayer 0]

Great Work, Keep it up!!!!!, i will now continue to drool; Thank You

[theprofessor172 0]

Ok, I've just read through the entire thread and, wow! This is amazing! Keep up the good work.

[ACEfanatic 7]

Orgasmic.

Any chance of a heavy-rail link as well? Or a seperate tunnel entrance for rail?

Not to be overly demanding or anything... :-p

-ACE

[bixel 1,228]

Everything you have done is simply marvelous, incredible detail and great texturing

[blahdy 21]

aldara6166: Thanks, i got your PM. I'll take a look at your thread shortly and review them... sorry i've been slow to catching up to messages

ACEfanatic: Initially the way I envision it is to just have the modder do heavy rail + light rail editions without any changes in model, mainly for simplity purpose. But I may make a separate model later for heavy duty rail.

[blahdy 21]

Okay, I've put some serious thought into how to best provide smooth and coherent transition for electrified overhead lines as they get out into SC4/Maxis land from Big Dig land. 

And I just noticed frogface had made an awesome Railway Electrification Mod for people to use to electrify their rail roads.  His file can be found in stex at: https://www.simtropolis.com/stex/index.cfm?page=1&Keyword=frogface&view=all#

So, taking that further, I've incorporated regular electrified rail's overhead system at the terminus of the lot for transition into regular Maxis railroad/GLR with frogface's lots (ofcourse you dont have to use his lots, that's purely optional to you).

As you can see, the overhead lines at the transition terminus stop there, instead of continuing out into Maxis/SC4 land.  That's purposefully done.  In real world electrified rail systems, there are sectional areas for electric power systems where overhead wiring or third rail simply stops.  The train has its own centrifugal force directed by inertia of moving locomotive that even when power is shut off for a second or two, it will continue to move on its own to the next power section where electricity is restored.

But the problem with this is that as the train re-energizes as it reaches the next power section, it will create a huge arc.  While it's not too much of a problem for DC power systems at 750volt for third rail power distribution, it can be a bit serious for overhead wiring running at 12k Volt+ phased AC.  So the solution is, rubber detection blocks.   Rubber detection blocks are located next to the railway itself where when it detects train is moving thru, it automatically shuts off the power in nearby section ahead of the train's moving direction, thus minimizing the possibilities of huge arcs being created.   I'll model them next time and put them at the transition area, so that transition into Maxis/SC4 land is as realistic as it can get.

[SC4BOY 21]

hehe.. just a note not of much import, but its called a CATENARY WIRE or CABLE here in the US also.. don't know about Canada... Maybe in some regions of the country another slang word has been applied, but I'm a railroad fan from way back and so was my dad.. so at least back as far as about 1925 its been a catenary wire..

[blahdy 21]

Installing the Booster Transformer box (green box and the thick black wires that runs from the contact overhead wiring, thru the green box and down to underground concrete which goes to the rails).

Because the electric rail system used in this Big Dig project is powered using AC for heavy rails and subway systems (as opposed to trams or some light rails which use DC), the voltage current alternates as it traverses through the contact wiring.  Since basic AC electric traction system uses the railroad itself as a return path for electricity, voltage becomes unequal as distance becomes long, and if left unmanaged, it can create a safety hazard.  The booster transformer box is installed in every interval to ensure that voltage of return current through the rail is equal at all times to ensure safety, and also to prevent noise interference with communications cables that may be running nearby the rail tracks.

Installing the insulators on the messenger/catenery wires closer to the tunnel transition.  We don't really want electricity leaking everywhere.

Train's eye view as it exits tunnel system:

[blahdy 21]

Originally posted by: SC4BOY hehe.. just a note not of much import, but its called a CATENARY WIRE or CABLE here in the US also.. don't know about Canada... Maybe in some regions of the country another slang word has been applied, but I'm a railroad fan from way back and so was my dad.. so at least back as far as about 1925 its been a catenary wire..quote>

You're probably right yup.. (I'm new to railroads, sorry... but am trying to keep everything as real as we can). 

[hamsterTK 93]

that freaking awesome!

have you considered putting together a overhead wire mod? Not now, but someday after you finish this and what you plan on doing next. all you would have to do is model them and export them as props and the modders would take care of the rest if you werent able to.

[blahdy 21]

yup, i've considered that.  but as with others, some day after project is finished..

ok, even before it's completed, i must say... these pics look orgasmic!

note that some of these pics are low quality previews to speed up posting:

[ardecila 125]

Wow.. this is getting absolutely amazing! I just got home from a 15-hour drive from VA, so I'm incredibly tired and it's 2:30am. Had to check up on it, though. I'll get you that LOD pic as soon as I can tomorrow morning.

Oh - we should probably have another IM chat sometime, to work out some stuff on the real-world end. This thing has tremendous potential.

[sloppet 3]

wow, you've just killed me with that pics!

[ACEfanatic 7]

You. Are. A. Machine.

"Seriously, sir? You. are"... wait... I've used that one, haven't I?

hmm...

*opens .txt with H2 quotes*

"Dude, are you made of leprechauns? Cause that was awesome!"

-ACE

[Andreas Roth 626]

Whoa, I'm really running out of superlatives - simply marvellous! Not that I want to pat myself on the shoulder, but making the third tunnel entrance GLR was the best solution of all possibilities.

[jlemen 0]

When's the release??? This thing is awesome!! I've been watching this thread from the begining and it's been tough waiting on it to be released on the stex..

It was awesome when I first seen the model without alot of the detail added recently... It will defintitely be a HUGE hit...

Great work guys!!

[blahdy 21]

jlemen: The release engineering will be basically as follows...

1. We're going to try to get the highway-to-underground highway transition model which is done already as well as the on-ramps and off-ramps released by 22nd. They all need to be properly LOD'd and modded.

2. In all honesty, I don't think the sunken transition lots here will be done by the 22nd, but as soon as they are done, they will be released as an add-on pack after 22nd.

3. The Zakim bridge... once we figure out the LOD'ing aspect of it, I'll nightlight it and let it take 4 days to render. We may need this released seperately as well purely due to sheer size + scale of this component alone.

We want to at least get the basic systems released by the 22nd (the highway entrance + on/off-ramps) so that people can get started in building the underground highways. Then we'll release others as they become completed on one-by-one manner, similar to BSC's Brick Canal Set release schedule.

[Meastro444 1]

Niceness at its best, even the rails are 3d, maybe you should consider a mod that makes rails 3d too.

[SC4Noobie 5]

Man, this is awsome! Too good for words. Thats the first time I've used those words on ST! This is the best!

[HunterIrked 1]

Its just amazing... Not to be impatient or whatever but do you have an estimated time that it will be ready to download on the STEX?

[Battlecat 14]

Amazing work!  This is just getting better every time I turn around!  I'll have to find a home for this in one of my cities for sure!

[ICFan 0]

In two days I have read this and fell in love with it.  I am a Big fan of the Big Dig.  Only two signs are causing me problems both can be seen in the Southbound lanes of the Leonard P. Zakim Bunker Hill Bridge.  The 1st problem is the Yellow Hazmat sign, you have there I 95, when it is suppose to be I 93.  The second Sign concerns The Exit 27 Signs.  As of that bridge their is no EXIT 27 in the city of Boston, to get to Route 1A (Exit 24B)  Also the other Exit 27 sign confuses me alot, to get to I 90 South via 1A is once again Exit 24 B.  To view the offical map of the big dig: http://www.masspike.com/pdf/maps/I93map.pdf  I am sorry for being a pain in the butt.

[blahdy 21]

ICFan: thanks; yea i know about those errors.  but i decided not to fix them b/c in SC4, the signs look small enough that you can't easily read what they say... so it wouldn't make any difference gameplay wise whether i correct it or not

[blahdy 21]

FYI, i am out of town for the rest of the week, so this project is temporarily put on hold until weekend.

[killerbyte 0]

I think you are going to have to make another collapsed version of the tunnel

i was just watching the news when i heard this:

http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/B/BIG_DIG_DEATH?SITE=MNCLO&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT

i also found this really nifty map if you are not from the boston area like me and want to know what blahdy is talking about

http://www.masspike.com/pdf/maps/I93map.pdf

btw, nice work on this whole project, i can't wait till its done