freelance modelling Freelance project

[Paleopotato09]

Most people when they say freelance think of a small project like an industrial company or a what if pre-grouping railway but I decided to come up with something slightly different. A whole new continent to build my miniture railway empire. Hopefully over my life time i can build bits and pieces of my world in model form, making the various lines and locos that will exist in this fictional world.    

The first step is having an idea of the basic land shape. I have went with two large landmasses as i like the idea of having a viaduct connecting the two landmasses joining them up. 

I am planning to set a lot of my modelling in the early days of railways. This kingdom is just starting to embrace the railway. So i am thinking the 1850's to 1870's would give me this quaint period as i am having it spread across the whole map.  (I have provided a map of my concept)

 

I might end up changing my mind and model a later period...who knows. 

I am planning to include some 2-2-2, 4-2-2, 2-4-0 and 0-4-2 tender engines for passenger workings. 

Some 0-4-0, 0-4-2, 0-6-0 and possibly larger engines for freight and mixed traffic workings. 

4 and 6 wheeled coaches will be the standard but i might sprinkle in a few bogie coaches....i'll see how this fictional history evolves. 

Goods wagons will most likely be converted ready to run ones just repainted. 

 

Now to start making many place names and giving each location a main industry for the railway to serve.  

  Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. 

[MarkSG]

This sounds a bit like a physical version of Railroad Tycoon

 

What language does your fictional country speak? That will, obviously, affect the choice of names.

[Paleopotato09]

1 minute ago, MarkSG said:

This sounds a bit like a physical version of Railroad Tycoon

 

What language does your fictional country speak? That will, obviously, affect the choice of names.

Well its is going to be English Or (Common) as i am Using a Dungeons and Dragons map generator

 

[PatB]

Something else to think of is the geology and history of your kingdom, as this will, to a significant extent, influence your freight traffic. Is it rocky with mineral deposits (mining/quarrying)? Are there large areas of good agricultural land (heavy seasonal livestock and crop traffic)? Is it a seafaring nation (fishing and cargo ports)? Is it an imperial/militaristic society (military traffic, troop trains, munitions factories)? Does it have land suitable for forestry (timber lines, sawmills)? 

 

Of course, Britain ticks all these boxes in various places, which helps to make it such a rich source of prototypes. Southern European countries like Spain or Greece would tend more towards agriculture. Eastern Europe or Scandinavia might be more forestry oriented, whilst much of Scandinavia might also have a heavy emphasis on the sea. 

[The Johnster]

Google 'Rhunian State Railway', Paleopotato; an imagined Central European system with a detailed and  plausible full history, with line drawings of locos and some stock.  I am sure you will find some inspiration in it, and it is very entertaining.

 

What scale is the map?  What sort of climate and geology are you considering for the continents, and are they colonial or self-governing?  Are the railways state owned or run by competing companies?  All these factors will have an influence on the railways that serves them.  If there are trackless wastes to be crossed, locos need cowcatchers, and if there are bleak polar regions the style of cabs will be affected.  Desert areas will need additional water tenders for the locos, and if there are extensive forests wood burning may be more appropriate that coke or coal, especially if the continents' mineral resources do not include good steam coal and the expense of importing it has to be taken into account. 

[Paleopotato09]

Its mostly going to be based on UK designs but the map is a height map showing the elevation.

And I am planning a large narrow gauge network in the more mountainous regions.

The lines are state owned but are in different branches based on region. Just like network South East and regional railways and intercity. 

 

So its a very British climate on the western island while the east island is more Mediterranean in the south 

[Nile]

Could be a variation on the Doggerland theme, with a mixture of British and Continental influences.

[Paleopotato09]

2 hours ago, Nile said:

Could be a variation on the Doggerland theme, with a mixture of British and Continental influences.

possibly everything is still a work in progress 

 

[ianmacc]

With all the problems of the real world right now I can see the appeal of a fake one! 

[Paleopotato09]

34 minutes ago, ianmacc said:

With all the problems of the real world right now I can see the appeal of a fake one! 

Creating your own AUs or alternative universes is great and experimenting with some imagination is always good to break the endless cycle of samey looking layouts. 

[Joseph_Pestell]

On 29/06/2021 at 19:29, Paleopotato09 said:

Most people when they say freelance think of a small project like an industrial company or a what if pre-grouping railway but I decided to come up with something slightly different. A whole new continent to build my miniture railway empire. Hopefully over my life time i can build bits and pieces of my world in model form, making the various lines and locos that will exist in this fictional world.    

The first step is having an idea of the basic land shape. I have went with two large landmasses as i like the idea of having a viaduct connecting the two landmasses joining them up. 

I am planning to set a lot of my modelling in the early days of railways. This kingdom is just starting to embrace the railway. So i am thinking the 1850's to 1870's would give me this quaint period as i am having it spread across the whole map.  (I have provided a map of my concept)

 

I might end up changing my mind and model a later period...who knows. 

I am planning to include some 2-2-2, 4-2-2, 2-4-0 and 0-4-2 tender engines for passenger workings. 

Some 0-4-0, 0-4-2, 0-6-0 and possibly larger engines for freight and mixed traffic workings. 

4 and 6 wheeled coaches will be the standard but i might sprinkle in a few bogie coaches....i'll see how this fictional history evolves. 

Goods wagons will most likely be converted ready to run ones just repainted. 

 

Now to start making many place names and giving each location a main industry for the railway to serve.  

  Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. 

 

A viaduct that long in that era seems a bit improbable. Train ferry more likely and always an interesting model opportunity.

[Paleopotato09]

1 hour ago, Joseph_Pestell said:

 

A viaduct that long in that era seems a bit improbable. Train ferry more likely and always an interesting model opportunity.

It was thinking of having it island hop. The two small islands on the south of the map is how the bridge is going to work. It will be many small viaducts rather than one long one 

[Joseph_Pestell]

12 hours ago, Paleopotato09 said:

It was thinking of having it island hop. The two small islands on the south of the map is how the bridge is going to work. It will be many small viaducts rather than one long one 

 

Yes, I got that. But how deep is the water?

 

What is the scale of the map?

[Paleopotato09]

2 hours ago, Joseph_Pestell said:

 

Yes, I got that. But how deep is the water?

 

What is the scale of the map?

The deepest point on the height map was 15 meters around the coastal area. With the highest being over 1000 meters 

[doctor quinn]

15 hours ago, Paleopotato09 said:

It was thinking of having it island hop. The two small islands on the south of the map is how the bridge is going to work. It will be many small viaducts rather than one long one 

Perhaps bridges to each island then a ferry across the deep (navigable) channel as getting the clearance over water for shipping wound be difficult.

[Paleopotato09]

8 hours ago, doctor quinn said:

Perhaps bridges to each island then a ferry across the deep (navigable) channel as getting the clearance over water for shipping wound be difficult.

Yep that's what I was thinking 

[Paleopotato09]

The first step is going to be turning some of these tank engines into the industrial engines working some of the many industries that i have marked on my map.  possibly starting with a few quarry locos 

[cypherman]

Hi Paleopotato,

Well as your plan is basically 2 large Islands. Bit like Rev Audry's  Sodor. One of the main industries I expect would be fishing. That would allow you to have docks, canning facilities and cold storage This could be expanded to mining for tin to make the tin cans for fish and factories making the tins. Plus you can have the sale of fresh fish around your islands, And hence the need for insulated fish trains. Plus your docks could also be used to export fish products. Other simple industries that could expand your rail use is things like growing tomatoes and potatoes in a similar way they were grown on Jersey and Guernsey. Importing things like fertilizer and exporting the grown products. On a more animal based topic. You can have dairy herds that would need milk trains to take the milk to market between the 2 Islands.

As for your motive power, You want steam, So where does the coal come from. Do you mine it and have the need for trains moving from the mines or do you import it and have the need for coaling stages at your docks. Or do you even export it and need transhipment facilities at your docks. Same with oil based products.

Not forgetting passenger trains for workers and perhaps tourists. You could have tourist steamers coming into your harbour and being met by a train there to be taken to where ever you want them to go. Plus general goods trains.

The list is endless for getting things for your trains to do.

I would suggest that you look at the railway in New Zealand which is basically what you seem to be trying to emulate. 2 large islands part of the same country that speaks English. Then transpose what they do. 

Edited July 3, 2021 by cypherman

[Paleopotato09]

23 minutes ago, cypherman said:

Hi Paleopotato,

Well as your plan is basically 2 large Islands. Bit like Rev Audry's  Sodor. One of the main industries I expect would be fishing. That would allow you to have docks, canning facilities and cold storage This could be expanded to mining for tin to make the tin cans for fish and factories making the tins. Plus you can have the sale of fresh fish around your islands, And hence the need for insulated fish trains. Plus your docks could also be used to export fish products. Other simple industries that could expand your rail use is things like growing tomatoes and potatoes in a similar way they were grown on Jersey and Guernsey. Importing things like fertilizer and exporting the grown products. On a more animal based topic. You can have dairy herds that would need milk trains to take the milk to market between the 2 Islands.

As for your motive power, You want steam, So where does the coal come from. Do you mine it and have the need for trains moving from the mines or do you import it and have the need for coaling stages at your docks. Or do you even export it and need transhipment facilities at your docks. Same with oil based products.

Not forgetting passenger trains for workers and perhaps tourists. You could have tourist steamers coming into your harbour and being met by a train there to be taken to where ever you want them to go. Plus general goods trains.

The list is endless for getting things for your trains to do.

I would suggest that you look at the railway in New Zealand which is basically what you seem to be trying to emulate. 2 large islands part of the same country that speaks English. Then transpose what they do. 

The original concept was a large Russia  sized continent but i later cut that landmass in half creating the two islands. 

Both islands are huge when compared to the UK for example.  

[cypherman]

1 hour ago, Paleopotato09 said:

The original concept was a large Russia  sized continent but i later cut that landmass in half creating the two islands. 

Both islands are huge when compared to the UK for example.  

Hi,

I think that you may be over sizing what you want to do. Unless you just plan to run small snippets of it or you have a room the size of Wembley to build it in. If it just small snippets then it does not matter high big you want your original land mass. it will never be seen. That is one of the reasons I suggested New Zealand as they are 2 fairly big islands and probably more suited to your ideas. I look forwards to seeing what you plan to do.

[Paleopotato09]

1 minute ago, cypherman said:

Hi,

I think that you may be over sizing what you want to do. Unless you just plan to run small snippets of it or you have a room the size of Wembley to build it in. If it just small snippets then it does not matter high big you want your original land mass. it will never be seen. That is one of the reasons I suggested New Zealand as they are 2 fairly big islands and probably more suited to your ideas. I look forwards to seeing what you plan to do.

I just enjoy worldbuilding. I am only going to be modelling a coastal town i think but i want to make the entire world for fun 

 

[cypherman]

That's sounds like fun.

How about this for an idea. get one of the train sims like Railway Tycoon and build your world and lines. then make the end stations or towns as models. Then you could run you trains town/city to town/city via the sim. And have the actual models arrive in the destinations.

[Paleopotato09]

Just now, cypherman said:

That's sounds like fun.

How about this for an idea. get one of the train sims like Railway Tycoon and build your world and lines. then make the end stations or towns as models. Then you could run you trains town/city to town/city via the sim. And have the actual models arrive in the destinations.

I would but my computer is a potato battery 

 

[cypherman]

Think it is time to trade it in for a turnip powered one.........

[RedGemAlchemist]

7 hours ago, Paleopotato09 said:

I would but my computer is a potato battery 

Hearing you say that immediately makes me think of this clip of a VTuber totally losing her mind: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e2wC9fzrl-c

Still, we don't see a gigantic amount of true fantasy layouts, so nice to see you doing something truly different!