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| Project Title: |
Autoballasters |
| Status: |
Under construction |
| Start Date: |
17th October 2008 |
| Completion: |
Ongoing |
| Prototype: |
The Autoballaster concept was an attempt to improve the speed and accuracy of ballast deposits from hopper wagons. A batch of wagons built in 1988 were modified in 1996 with eight remotely-controlled chutes. The design was successful and a total of 104 wagons were rebuilt over the next few years. These were joined by 350 new-build wagons, formed into 5-wagon sets complete with an on-board generator.
For more details, see my profile of the type on LTSV Wagons. |
| Models: |
There had been several requests for models of this type on the UKTrainz forum and I eventually agreed to take it on in October 2008. The project appealed as the wagons come in several versions (inner, outer and outer with generator) and most carry distinctive liveries. There was also the possibility to back-date the model to produce the original Tiphook aggregate hoppers.
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| Releases - Main |
| No items released yet |
| Releases - Related and Dependencies |
| No items released yet |
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| Updates
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17/10/2008
Autoballasters |
Work on the Autoballasters has started! The main body was formed from a 32-sided tube, slightly flattened on the vertical sides. The high number of sides was chosen as most of the faces will be removed, and the curve of the main side panels is crucial to the model's appearance. A side elevation drawing was used to shape the end cut-outs, and also for the solebars. Bogies and buffers are temporary. |
18/10/2008
Autoballasters |
The shape of the main hopper body is proving to be troublesome, not in itself but in places where it interfaces with other parts. Here is a first in-game view, with the wagon in works grey livery. |
10/08/2009
Autoballasters |
After a period working on other things I returned to Trainz, picking up the work on the Autoballasters. The hopper chutes (for the original Tiphook variant) were created using a lot of estimation! I wonder who will finish their model first, Bachmann or me?! Seeing the Bachmann model would certainly help with some of the details that can't be obtained from photographs... |
13/08/2009
Autoballasters |
Good progress is being made on the Tiphook version, with lots of small details added and the start of texturing. The texture uses a single 1024x256 image. Even so, the copious lettering on the hoppersides does not stand up to close scrutiny. |
19/08/2009
Autoballasters |
Lots more detail has been added to the KPA hopper, both inside and out, although the hopper doors and animation remain to be sorted out. Also missing are the buffers, door levers and various other bits and pieces. Keeping the poly count down has been a challenge and I will have to ensure that the LOD meshes achieve a significant reduction. The wagons were seen on an early in-game test run. |
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| Key |
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| Features: |
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Industry compatible |
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Level of Detail reduction meshes |
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Chameleon (or equivalent) texture switching |
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Couplestar (or equivalent) working couplings |
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Animated parts (other than wheels and loads) |
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| Star ratings: |
These are my own personal appraisals of each model, based on the quality of the mesh and texture, the features, and the realism/accuracy of the complete model. |
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1 star. Poor. Inaccurate mesh and/or texture |
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4 stars. Almost perfect |
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2 stars. Adequate |
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5 stars. Unimprovable! |
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3 stars. Good |
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Not rated. Applies to my own models! |
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| Trainz versions: |
These indicate the lowest version of Trainz that an item will work with. For example, an item with version number 2.0 will work in any version of Trainz from 2004 onwards. Note that the version numbers are taken from the config file of the main item. The version numbers for dependencies may be different, resulting in the item having a higher requirement. |
| 0.9 | Beta |
1.4 | CE+language |
2.3 | TRS2004+SP3 |
2.8 | TC3 |
| 1.0 | Community Edition |
1.5 | Ultimate Trainz Collection |
2.4 | TRS2004+SP4 |
2.9 | 2009WBE |
| 1.1 | CE+SP1 |
2.0 | TRS2004 |
2.5 | TRS2006 |
3.0 | 2009WBE+SP1 |
| 1.2 | CE+SP2 |
2.1 | TRS2004+SP1 |
2.6 | TRS2006+SP1 |
3.1 | 2009WBE+SP2 |
| 1.3 | CE+SP3 |
2.2 | TRS2004+SP2 |
2.7 | TC1/TC2 |
3.2 | 2010EE |
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