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Description:
This route is an Australian themed Trainz virtual HO model railway based on the now closed branch linking Grenfell to Koorawatha, on the NSWGR Blayney-Demondille cross country line. It was developed in TRS2019 as a reinterpretation of the section of track I originally modelled back in my WeddinNSW V1.0 'real scale' route (for Trainz Version 1.3, in 2002).
Being a model railway distances have been shortened and yard layouts condensed to fit in the 16m x 6m basement 'train room'. Curves are tight, and gradients challenging! Using a common model railway technique I have selected and modelled a series of scenes from along the line, which I hope will convey the look and feel of the prototype.
The model is nominally set in the late 1960's, when both steam and diesel operated simultaneously. It probably presents a rosier picture than is strictly accurate. At that time government spending on infrastructure and maintenance was low, and the rail network was looking a little run down. While innovations in grain handling provided an economic boost to the rural rail network, and new diesel locos and bulk grain silos were being introduced to handle it, general rail traffic had declined in recent years, due to competition from road transport and the motor car. In the model all stations remain operational, whereas in reality a number of the small stops had been closed by the end of the sixties.
My intent has been to use only content included with the game (TS2019/TS2022 base + TANE Assets pack, without any optional/regional route downloads), and content available to registered Trainz users for free via the DLS. If you find that an asset which doesn't meet this criteria has snuck in please let FootplatePhil know.
References:
'Lines to the Lachlan' - Lawrence Ryan - Australian Railway Historical Society
'The Day of the Goods Train', Grenfell Goods - R.G.Preston - Eveleigh Press
'Country Branch Lines of NSW Part 5 Blayney to Harden Cross-Country Line', Vols 1 and 2 - Richard Barrack - Train Hobby Publications^