Winchester

[Twenty20 28]

Excellent, I love this city, it's very well organized as usual, it's impossible to lose its way in this town !

[packerfan386 3]

This CJ reeks with awesomeness!!

[jacqulina 162]

awesome work and pics my friend,excellent signs and transport system.

[kj3400 178]

The university area's looking nice. Interesting how i've only ever seen those 5-light vertical traffic light only in DC or in Colorado, where I am now. Did you recognize the new avatar?

[Equilibria 16]

Nice campus, and I like the various building selections. That one high-rise dorm does appear to be in disrepair, however.

[edmonton_stinks 5]

Great university! It's a shame about the terrible football team.

[oroen 0]

I don't have a whole lot to say, but I thought I'd drop a line. Although I don't frequent ST a whole lot anymore, I still visit your CJ as often as I can. I like the variety with some of the overhead BGSs mounted on overpasses. And you're definitely honing your traffic light assembly skills.

[phoenix7 3]

[dfnva 34]

Fabsies55: Thanks for your comment. Unlike a lot of others, I don't find Maxis buildings terrible if they're not too repetitive. Also glad you liked the amusement park update further back.

Phil (Phil's Cafe): Haha...luckily the red light appears as usual, just the signal casings are painted green. Good luck with college.

Bruce (Schulmanator): Thanks. The PHU Fighting Wildcats' mascot is a black panther dressed in green/yellow garb. I'll have to photoshop an image sometime.

DeathtoPumpkins: Thanks. Glad you like how PHU looks. As for driving long distances, often I get bored going on the interstates, so I like driving down the back roads for a change of pace. 

Phoenix7: Thanks for commenting and glad you have enjoyed lurking. I agree about turning off the UDI icons, it's irritating when I accidentally click on one when I'm building. As far as the sign graphics, I make them using Powerpoint, simply putting shapes, etc. together. 

David (Dedgren): Thanks...your observation is an interesting one as I was thinking the same thing with PHU. It's sort of like my college (James Madison University) had the bluestone buildings that were the oldest but as it grew, there were more modern buildings without the traditional bluestone style.

Suplado: Thanks! Glad you liked the proximity of PHU to the river.

Will (Penguin007): Thanks! Glad you liked the update and improvements.

Twenty20: Thanks. I always feel good signage is important to finding one's way. It's surprising how badly signed things are sometimes in towns.

Packerfan386: Thanks!

Jacqulina: Thanks!

KJ3400: Thanks. I did see your previous Colorado avatar. Now you've got I-70 which is interesting as it goes through both MD and CO. As for 5-light vertical signals, they're fairly common in the midwest and as pole-mounted protective/permissive signals. Virginia has very few of these, as noted by their extensive use of doghouse signals even when mounted on vertical poles and pedistals. 

Equilibria: Thanks. I will say that high-rise dorm is being, uh, remodeled. lol.

Edmonton_Stinks: Thanks... well at least the basketball team is pretty good.

Dave (Oroen): Thanks for your visit, hope all is well with school and everything, and glad you like the signage and signals.

Phoenix7 (#2!): Ha! Yep, Massoponax is where I got the idea for the name Massopax.

And now...


Well here it is, the long-awaited update. What with the beginning of school and other things going on, I've been really busy, but still plan on updating Winchester.

Here's a shot of where we left off, on Westbound MP-130/W. Moore St. on the fringe of the Patrick Henry University.


Continuing further west, we're nearing the edge of the Winchester city limits.




To the right on Costello Rd, we see the house of Dr. Ed M. Ontonschtink, a professor of political science at PHU, and his privacy hedge. Seriously, though, the house is "The Costello" by Edmonton Stinks and the hedges are by Penguin007, both frequent contributors to this forum. They look great.


Continuing further west, MP-130 becomes Swanson Rd upon crossing into Piedmont County. To the left is a new dense residential development being built along the Wanata River.




As you can see, much of the development still needs to be built, the state of the current economy is slowing the building as well as the buying of condos that have already been built.


MP-130 crosses SR-637/Salem Rd here. At this junction is a shopping center with a Bloom grocery store (Food Lion's upscale division). MP-130 was widened here recently as part of a construction project replacing the old bridge across the Wanata River.





And thus, we cross the Wanata River.


Along the bridge is a sign for the next intersection. Vista Pkwy snakes through the developments in South Winchester and ends at I-79.


Here is the intersection with SR-970/Vista Pkwy. Some high-tech industry and a new shopping center with Organique Foods line this intersection. MP-130 narrows to two lanes just past this point, for now, though development continues to encroach southwestward. 




That's it for now, but there's lots more to come, including a major construction project further west on MP-130 which we shall see in several stages.

Thanks for visiting!
-Dan

[Haljackey 17,322]

Wow, great update Dan!

Love the intersections! My favorite pic has to be the one showing the city limits of Winchester.

Best,

-Haljackey

[Schulmanator 5,787]

Another quality update. I am glad to see you back. I noticed the back of a signal in one of your pix. Have you done that before or have I only just now noticed it? It's a great touch which definitely adds to the realism. Glad to see a Bloom there. Bloom is nicer than the regular FL, which beats the FL downscale store, the "Stock 'n Save". We have all 3 incarnations here in town.

[deathtopumpkins 43]

Great update! I like the bridge area, and those are some excellent signals as usual.

Oh, and, something that may be of interest to you, I've embarked on recreating Hampton Roads in SC. I have one city tile mostly finished, and when I get a good portion done I'll start a CJ on it.

Schulmanator: FL has another downscale division? Several of our area stores were recently converted into "Bottom Dollars," which are THE ghetto store. They don't even have shelves, just pallets on the floor with stuff stacked on them.

[rusty_777 0]

I don't think I have commented here before but I never realized how much effort you put into your CJ. It's excellent. The road signs are always interesting to find in the SC shot . afterwards. You have a great style of developing your cities in a non-grid fashion. It's great and looks even better. I mean it when I say this is all excellent and one of the most detailed CJs on ST.

Cheers.

[jacqulina 162]

excellent update i like the bridge and the hedge walls,everything is looking awesome my friend

[phoenix7 3]

Nice update, I especially liked the OWR ramps at major intersections (like 130/970). MP-130 narrowing near Piedmont County/Winchester line is the exact problem we have here in CA when roads cross jurisdiction lines, so good realism.

[Benedict 3,119]

I've missed a bit over the last few weeks - all caught up now, though, and really good signage as always.

[kj3400 178]

Nice update. We haven't been here before.

Nice cameras and sensors on the light assemblies. Makes it way more realistic.

About my avatar: That's why I picked it. I wanted to have a link with my home state.

[edmonton_stinks 5]

Ah, so like Villanova then. Or Duke.

SWEET UPDATE! I noticed the house and the road name right away. Thanks for my and Penguin's shameless plugs!

[suplado! 23]

cool coastal area, really like how the avenue turn into road...

[PhilsCafe 8]

Hehe, I thought so... Professor Ed seems to be an influential member of the faculty and he also has a pretty house. I like the scene on the Winchester city limits. I think it's very realistic that the avenue changes to a road there. We have a busy street leading out of town which changes to no sidewalks and street lights as soon as it crosses the city border... it's odd because that's in the middle of a residential neighborhood.

Great update once again, Dan!

- Phil

[spore415 5]

looks nice

[spore415 5]

looks nice

[Geronimo 4]

I think this is my first comment here, and all I have to say is wow! You really put a lot into transportation details, very nice layout and your signs are great! Nice downtown as well!

[dfnva 34]

Greetings,

My computer (which is less than a year old) has been having problems with its video card driver, so bad that often my computer does not recognize that my screen has been turned on. Anyhow, this is the first time in a week that my computer would turn on, so until these problems are fixed, there will be a hiatus. Luckily, I backed up my region and plugins last week.

Anyhow, I'll have plenty more updates on the flip side.

-Dan

[Schulmanator 5,787]

Could you use an external monitor? My mother's screen died on her laptop and she used her old CPU monitor hooked up to it and kept on going. I will miss the updates for a while but I know you will dazzle us upon your return.

[anarchy0029 2]

Hope all things are well. I look forward to the next update.

[jacqulina 162]

hope you can sort out your pc probs soon my friend.

[kj3400 178]

Well, I'll be waiting. I hope you can fix your computer.

[edmonton_stinks 5]

That's too bad. I hate computer issues...

[phoenix7 3]

Of course, I am eagerly awaiting Massopax's re-return. I hope all your problems get sorted out.