Region of Salem

[bakercity 270]

This is my first cj in a long time. This is Region of Salem and it has a varied landscape including canyons, plain, mountains, hills, valleys, islands, and waterways. Salem was established in 1799 with the city of Peoria as the seat of government. I am using the Nam, Missouri River Breaks terrain mod and tree controller. All lots belong to their creators.

[bakercity 270]

This is The City of Peoria. Peoria sits on a mesa at about 2,000ft above sea level surrounded by farms, and mountains. Peoria is located in the southern part of a valley on top of a mesa.

 

Top picture shows one of Peoria's neighborhood. Known as West Peoria and famous as Peoria started in 1799. Currently the population of Peoria is about 17,000 but continues to grow slowly to this day. Thanks to West Peoria.

The bottom picture shows Peoria as a whole from a birds eye view.

 

 

 

Farms just south of Peoria and just north of some mountains.

 

 

 

Regional Bus Station and one of two truck stops in Peoria next to the freeway.

 

 

Peoria's main shopping complex and a part of Peoria's main industrial/ business park.

 

 

And finally Peoria's small downtown. Right now, there seems to be talks of buy some residential lots to expand downtown.

 

Next week, we will explore more of Peoria and the surrounding area and freeways of the area.

[Schulmanator 5,812]

Glad to see you back. It's been a long time.

[freemunchies 124]

I like your varying RHW interchanges! Gives the town more character!

[Hester 700]

I really am glad to see you back!  And the town looks good.  I enjoy how you have arranged it.  

[Benedict 3,119]

Great to see a new CJ here. Nice start - great farms.

[Markus J 242]

I really like it, very small city feel like where I live good job. Though I think the two tall brown buildings are just a little too tall for even that size.

[JP Schriefer 5,591]

I like it. Great start.

[Ceafus 88 1,906]

I like the truck stops and suburbans the most.

[bakercity 270]

Welcome back to Region of Salem. Today, we are still visiting Peoria, exploring the freeway interchanges and several other areas of Peoria. First of all, replies:

Schulmanator= Thanks and it feels good to be back.

 

Hester=  Thanks. Without you asking politely, this CJ would never happen.

 

Freemuchies=  Thanks. I get inspired somewhat by exploring Google Earth and my travels.

 

Benedict= Thanks. I take pride in my farming areas and their respective towns and cities.

 

MarkusJ= I am glad it feels like that for you. Those two brown buildings in downtown do seem tall, but they do seem to fit in though.

 

Shriefer= Thank you. I tend to try my best. I improve over time and learned from my past CJ.

 

Ceafus 88= Thanks. I do my best to make things blend together and feel almost realistic.

 

 

 

   

 

This is Green Acres Gardening Center / Greenhouses and a satellite classroom of University of Salem.

 

 

This is the house of the Mayor of Peoria. Located in West Peoria neighborhood.

 

 

Burmuda has a triangle named for it, Peoria has one; for the railroad without all the mysteries and disappearances.

 

 

One of two roundabouts in Peoria. Mayflower Road (east-west road) intersecting with Peoria Avenue (north-south road) in North Peoria neighborhood.

 

 

The second roundabout in Peoria. This is University Avenue (north-south avenue) intersecting Salem Street (east-west road).

 

 

This is The Airport Interchange. The freeway goes from north-south to east-west. South of this interchange, the freeway is known as the bypass. Officially named Peoria Bypass connecting Burlington Highway in the south to the main freeway system here.

 

 

 

This is where the Peoria Bypass ends. Burlington Highway begins here and heads to the town of Burlington to the west (Burlington will be shown at a latter date). Continuing east on Burlington Highway, the highway transform to Burlington Road on the southside of Peoria.

 

 

This is The University of Salem at Peoria. The university has buildings for Business Management (tall red/orange building to simulate working in a hi-rise office building), Main campus (surrounding by parking lots), School for Ediquite (across the street from Business Management building), Peoria College, an Ivy League like campus (just south of Business Management building and north of the park), and University of Salem Medical College (the "L" shaped building behind Ivy League like campus). The University was charted by the U.S government in 1850.

 

 

And finally Peoria Regional Airport. Has connections to Denver, Colorado; Chicago, Illinois (both Midway and O'Hare airports), Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and New Orleans, Louisiana.

 

Next week, we will explore the small town of Burlington and the very steep railroad grades.

[Hester 700]

I have to say I really really like the look here.  To me, the farmlands we saw and the rural aspect are so home-like to me.  The city parts offer a well planned juxtaposition. I think it is well balanced.   Glad you began the CJ.  

[BLANKBLANK 4,414]

Nice! A great blend of Maxis RCI, NAM, agriculture and... Greenhouses!?! Cool, I'm gonna look for those greenhouses right now, thanks for the update.

[Ceafus 88 1,906]

Nice greenhouse, and railways!

[scott1964 138]

Looks nice

[wwetom1 831]

Great work on that airport! Also, if you go to edit your first post, you can change the title to "Region of Salem" instead of "Region fo Salem."

[ThirtyThree 141]

Your use of the RHW is especially fantastic. Great start!

[JP Schriefer 5,591]

Nice, beautiful city

[freemunchies 124]

Another nice update!

 

Great use of the new roundabouts in the NAM pre-release! Love the single track rail!

[bakercity 270]

Today is only for quick replies as an update will come Monday afternoon sometime.

 

Hester= I get my inspired by my hometown and few other cities and villages, but mainly from my hometown. A city surrounded by farmland.

 

Ln X= Nice profile picture. That is Morn from Star Trek Deep Space 9. I am a big Star Trek fan. I got those greenhouses from either Lex disc of stex discs that I have. Can't remember which one though. I use what I have on hand to use and to blend together.

 

Ceafus 88= Thanks. The railroad is one of my favorite tools to use.

 

Scott1964= Thanks. I do my best.

 

wwetom1= Normally I use the maxis airports. I will look into changing that. Thanks for catching that for me.

 

ThirtyThree= I just love the RHW. IK have been using it since 2007 when it debut as a mod (before NAM was born).

 

Schiefer= Thanks for that nice comment.

 

freemunchies= Actually, the new roundabout(s) are from the full release of NAM 32. I like double track rail, but single comes in handy sometimes.

 

A special note, This CJ has made it to Ben's top 10 +10 list for this week. Thank You to all who made it possible to be on that list. Thank You  very much. JKB

 

 

 

[BLANKBLANK 4,414]

Ln X= Nice profile picture. That is Morn from Star Trek Deep Space 9. I am a big Star Trek fan. I got those greenhouses from either Lex disc of stex discs that I have. Can't remember which one though. I use what I have on hand to use and to blend together.

 

Morn: ...

[Ceafus 88 1,906]

Congrats on making it into the top 10!

[TekindusT 3,809]

wwetom1= Normally I use the maxis airports. I will look into changing that. Thanks for catching that for me.

 

Changed it for you, no problem.

 

BTW, nice start with the RHWs! I suggest you to work that airport a bit more, it feels not really realistic right now. 

[bakercity 270]

Welcome back to Region of Salem everyone. Today we visit the small Village of Burlington. Burlington lies at the western end of the valley in a knob surrounded by mountains about 5 miles from Peoria. Burlington also is the eastern end of team track for the journey down the mountain through tunnels and a short portion that is steep (about 4.5% grade). Helper locomotives help the trains down or up the mountain are based in Burlington.

Replies:

Ln X: Just what Morn would say.

 

Ceafus 88: Thanks. It was a complete surprise to me seeing it there.

 

TekindusT:  Thank you for changing the name for me and your comment. RHW is a wonder to use (if you know how to use it) and I will rework the airport soon.

 

 

Scenery around Burlington.

 

 

Lower portion of the railroad tracks down the mountain. Salem Highway the straight RHW in to the mountain. Both routes goes through spiral tunnels in order to gain height.

 

 

Salem Highway and tunnel.

 

 

 

The Village of Burlington. The railroad use to go straight until the workers encountered a very, very strong rock that can not be dug or blown up; so they went around with success.

 

 

Upper team track at Burlington. Helper locomotives are based here. A total of three locomotives sit here until needed.

 

 

 

 

Upper portal of the railroad spiral tunnel near Burlington.

 

 

Upper portal of the lower spiral tunnel and a grade of 2% in between.

 

 

Lower portal of the lower spiral railroad tunnel.

 

 

The steepest grade of 4.5% grade downhill from the lower spiral railroad tunnel. The lower Burlington team track is about 1/2 mile west of here where the helper locomotives depart the trains to Salem and points west to help with the next train going uphill to Burlington and Peoria and points east.

 

Next week we will explore the areas north of Peoria and Salem will be in two weeks form now. See you all then.

[Ceafus 88 1,906]

A nice. scenic, railroad, with a nice little community at the beginning, very nice update!

[JP Schriefer 5,591]

Beautiful city! I really liked your landscapes

[freemunchies 124]

Fantastic terrain! I like the way the rail runs through it!

[BLANKBLANK 4,414]

Great landscapes and I like how the railway and the main road disappear into the mountain.

 

(BTW, Morn is my favourite secondary character of DS9)

[jmsepe 2,039]

Nice rotunda is that the one on NAM?

[bakercity 270]

Welcome back to Region of Salem. Todays update is a short one and we will be visiting the nice little Village of Kara. Name for one of my cousins who died last week. This update is dedicated to her memory.  Kara is a farming village located north of Peoria and it is quiet place to live.

 

 

Birds eye view of Kara.

 

 

Village of Kara proper.

 

 

The only exit of the freeway for Kara.

 

 

The rest area and service station just north of exit for Kara on the freeway.

 

Now for the replies:

 

Ceafus 88: Thank you for that nice comment. I am happy how it turned out too.

 

Schiefer:  I take pride in my landscapes and towns, cities, villages.

 

freemunchies: Thanks. I try to blend it all in to look fantastic.

 

Ln X : Cool how it all looks and how the tunnels looks too. I liked O'Brian and Worf the most on the show. Sisko was in close seconded for me.

 

jmsepe: Yes they are in the NAM. I bet you meant to write roundabout (that is how we say it here in America).

 

Next week we explore the City of Salem. The largest city in Region of Salem and the namesake of the region.

[JP Schriefer 5,591]

Good job there, bakercity. Beautiful farms.

And my condolences, she's probably in a better place now.

Keep it up.