Modern Freight Cars Props

[MushyMushy 3,618]

Wow, utterly amazing. You're revolutionizing our ability to make static trains in yards. Nobody has really made a super fleshed out train prop set in a long time, and yours is by far the largest.

I can relate to the pain of angled prop packs - it's the main reason I'm taking an eternity to finish my car packs. Prop packs are already a huge pain to deal with due to having to go through the whole export and modding process possibly hundreds of times, and that becomes more and more troublesome the more angles that are added. I applaud you for going through the work to put these out in so many angles, with these we can actually make static trains that go around bends.

[raynev1 1,887]

Oh Snap ! So smooth , that is incredible . 

[Angry Mozart 1,199]

Hello everyone.

It's been almost 3 months since I posted here, a very long time. I just came to say that this project isn't dead, it's just  taking its time, there are like 2000-3000 models to export (@MushyMushy yeah, it's a  painful and dull step) but I will acomplish it. I want to post these pictures, these are like the last ones I posted, but now there are more cars, more variety:

 

I think it's worth the pain.

[MushyMushy 3,618]

Wow! Looks like we can snake these trains around on lots as if they were automata (except they look way nicer since they are static props). This is very exciting - nice work!

[Lot Creator 304]

Those CSX, KCS, Ferromex trains are pretty spot on. Brings back childhood memories of the grey beasts. One word of detail: Those are actually a bit more dirty and bashed irl. Not sure if you're adding in the optional "smoke n rusted' edition. Great job everywhere!

[Ceafus 88 1,906]

I am glad to see you are keeping on with this one!

[Angry Mozart 1,199]

Thank you for your comments. Also, I've been experimenting with container loads for intermodal cars, these, as the flatcar loads, are standalone, with the purpose of building any combination you may want. These are my results:

What do you think?

[CT14 2,486]

Colors on red/yellow containers (green/teal to a lesser extent) are a little bit bright on this screen. Other than that, looks fine to me.

I'm working on a new project and using your grain car props. Hope to have something to show soon.

[raynev1 1,887]

@Angry Mozart Your work looks superb . Will they be automata or just props ? The three train track images above look so cool . You are doing some awesome work . 

[Angry Mozart 1,199]

@CT14 Glad to read that. A few days ago I finished the grain cars props. Here you can have a look at different versions of almost (only one is missing) all of them.  oh and thank you, I'll work on those textures too.

@raynev1 Thank you for your comments. These will be just props. I don't have the knowledge about how automata works.

[DavidDHetzel 1,816]

<3

[Angry Mozart 1,199]

Also, I've been working on domestic intermodal, especially working on trailers for TOFC cars. In the picture below you can see the TOFC cars loaded with MushyMushy's 53' trailers:

I really like how they look, MushyMushy has done such a good work. But, they do not have all the angles I'm working with, so I made my own trailers:  a 53' trailer and a 45' trailer.

 

These can have different load configurations: Two 45' trailers can be loaded in one 89' TOFC, one 53' trailer on one TOFC or three 53' trailers on two 89' TOFC. Finally, below you can see the consist of a mini intermodal train.

 

[T Wrecks 10,210]

*model railroad feeling intensifies*

It's incredible how much work you're putting up with to squeeze the best out of this future pack. Kudos for that!

[MushyMushy 3,618]

Looks really good!

I would have offered to make those trailers in more angles for you, but I unfortunately lost all of my old gmax models when my hard drive decided it didn't want to work anymore 6 months ago. I copied a lot of folders thinking that the models were included in that, but it turned out gmax kept its scenes in a different place than I thought and by the time I noticed that I had already wiped the drive.

[Angry Mozart 1,199]

@MushyMushy Thank you, but don't worry, in a future, I will make some trailers in different schemes with the angles I'm going to need, but I don't think a lot of people will be using any other angles besides the 90, 45 and 22.5 versions, so there's no problem. Oh, and I'm sorry about you hard drive. It must be so sad losing all of your hard work and effort you put in these props.

Recently, I've been having fun working in the model, resizing it to making it proportional to the props. Also I've made a new trailer scheme, a simple "Xtra Lease" trailer.

Nothing fancy, but it's a good start in my opinion.

[Angry Mozart 1,199]

I worked on the textures of the woodchip gondolas. Now they have a realistic floor with some woodchip debris on the bottom. Here it is a before and after of the gondolas:

I tried to make it as realistic as possible, taking as a reference the only one picture I found on the web of the interior of a woodchip gondola:

http://hedley-junction.blogspot.mx/2014/06/railfanning-charlevoix-railway-in-1998.html

Tell me what you think.

[CT14 2,486]

We have plenty of the woodchip gondolas around here, that floor looks great. Their inside walls are smooth steel with no ridges. I can try to get you some pics.

[Angry Mozart 1,199]

@CT14 That would be great, I'll be very grateful if you can get me some pictures. I have some models without ridges on their interior, but the rest  of them needs more works on the inside.

[CT14 2,486]

OK so the newer ones being produced by Gunderson have these ribs inside:

Old ones have the bars across the top, and smooth-welded sides inside.

Here's a similar relic of a slightly different style, now in trash train service:

[Angry Mozart 1,199]

@CT14 Thank you for those pics, I've taken them as reference for the modifications. Now there are two models: a old woodchip gondola with bars across the top:

There's a huge difference between the old model, without bars and the new one with more details. Also I modified some textures, like this one, now it is darker and have a rusty interior.

And there is a modern woodchip gondolas, with ridges in their interior:

I really like these changes. 

[tigerbuilder 131]

They look really good. Great job. 

[CT14 2,486]

Hey, they look great. The rust inside looks perfect and the colors are also good. Just a few minor details:

The Southern Pacific ones probably wouldn't have ridges inside or bars on the top - they are an older design but the extra ridges on the outside support the sides. We have lots of those particular cars around here.

The newest designs from Gunderson with ribs inside seem to have some diagonal bars outside. The ribs inside these cars do look good, just might not be a perfect match to the outsides.

Here is another reference for an older style (FMC Welded Side) with smooth insides and no bars on top, including SP livery. I see some of the collegiate sports ones around sometimes:

[Angry Mozart 1,199]

@CT14 I appreciate your help with this, thank you, around here we don't have a lot of wood industry.

3 hours ago, CT14 said:

The newest designs from Gunderson with ribs inside seem to have some diagonal bars outside.

Are you refering to something like this? I notice the diagonal bars  when I searched more info about the Gunderson woodchip gondola.

I think too that the SP car probably doesn't have ridges or bars, so it should look like the first design I made, shown on some of the pictures of my previous post. Maybe I will include a few FMC Woodchip cars in a future update of this mod.

[T Wrecks 10,210]

Now that's what I call care about an absolutely accurate representation!

Meanwhile I'm just sitting here like:

[CT14 2,486]

That last one you posted in SP livery - build date 1965 with wooden sides, I've never seen any on the lines. Very nice for a historical set but not "modern".

The oldest ones I still see are of the next generation from that - the ones featured in most of the other pictures just above.

[Silur 3,308]

Excellent work. I will definitely try to use it. Your Freight Cars are fully consistent with my Santana Island style! I like rusty and rural objects. Thank You. 

And good luck to You!

[Angry Mozart 1,199]

@T Wrecks Hahaha, I just want this mod to be accurate with the nowadays rolling stock found on the railroad tracks.

@CT14 I thought it was an old design when I saw the wood panels. I don't think they run on the rails anymore. Thank you, I appreciate your knowledge on  woodchip cars.

@Silur Thank you, in this mod there are some weathered cars that you might like.

[Angry Mozart 1,199]

Also, I worked on the coal loads for bethgons and coal hoppers. I have three candidates for it:

1. A  simple, smooth 3D gaussian distribution.
2. A 3D irregular coal load.
3. Again, a gaussian distribution, but this one with sharp edges.

Which one looks better?

[T Wrecks 10,210]

My money is on #2 - not least because I think it looks best from further away, which is likely to be the most common view we're going to get on these props. You just don't scroll around in zoom 5/6 all the time. Besides, it looks most natural IMO, and makes it easiest to recognise it as the bulk cargo that it is supposed to represent. The others are so smooth that they kinda blur this impression.

[DavidDHetzel 1,816]

I like #1 the best. i dont like the texture for #2 and actually #1 is probably more natural looking that #2 or #3