what will the steam train ride look like?

ive always wondered because RCT3's trains sucks, even rct2's trains were alot better then this

A 4-4-0 would be nice for an American West theme and 2-6-0 is more of an excursion I think.

In my mind a 2-8-2 would not look out of place.




I have yet to the the 7 1/2 inch railroads in a theme park game Or real theme parks but i believe there are some.

More then likely you will find Narrow and Full gage at theme parks.

Once in a blue moon, well More then that now, you will have the

http://www.flickr.com/photos/mister_goleta/196422490
"Zoo Train"


@_@ I'm a railbuff but I LOVE steam but sadly we need to remember the other types of trains for the game to.

For a Diesel Loco a F7 would be nice since everyone knows it and it can be repainted almost any color and still look alright.


EDIT:
I Forgot European Steam!!!

Bush Gardens Always has the BEST european steam locos.
These would be suitable since they wouldn't need to have a Theme parks logo on them.

http://www.awesomeflorida.com/images/bus...lway-b.jpg

And here is a page full of Amusment park railroad pictures with all different types of trains.

http://www.railroadforums.com/photos/index.php?cat=601

There was a place down in Cornwall called Dobwalls that was entirely devoted 1/6th scale to model engines, not quite a theme park but good fun none the less. I think they'll all be sold off now, but I remember riding on them about 15 years ago when I lived in that corner of the country.

http://homepages.tesco.net/~jksharman/robin2.htm

These days If I'm in the right place at the right time I often get to see the steam specials working their way through London, mostly Merchant Navy or Battle Of Britain class there was a Gresley A4 around at the end of last year.

Merchant Navy 35028 taken from the platform of my local station on the way to work one morning:


Gresley A4 60019 passing through West Brompton:


Southern Railway locomotive no. 850, Lord Nelson pulling out of Clapham Junction:

I would love to see something as large as Knott's train. It's something that always bugged me about RCT. I want a live steamer, not just some Chance CP Huntington type model.

We should have longer, higher capacity trains as well. The trains at Disneyland are about 240 feet long compared to the 6 car American Style on RCT which is about 75

Hrrrm. For the most part, ignore the 'gauge' aspect of this debate. Given that we are creating these, we can handwave if a particular engine type was made in narrow gage or not.

Given that, I'd argue for a 4-4-0 American, for its Iconic looks and the 2-6-0 Baldwin...

You're quite right about the gauge issue, it's relatively irrelevant since most theme park locomotives tend to be scale replicas rather than full size engines suitable for mainline use.

To be honest it's up to the modellers to determine which engines they want to model. Either of your two suggestons work for an American locomotive, it's got the fat blastpipe and "cow-catcher" on the front. The European style is significantly different and you probably want a generic diesel for those instances where steam isn't appropriate.

Well Sebar it seems that some newer theme parks are moving away from the USA locomotives. The new theme park being built up in Wheeling, West Virginia is also using Euro engines for it's park. I would be surprised if this started a new trend, as many have said before me, the Euro engines were built for art and speed while American were built for work, speed and one in a while art.

Lets use the most common guage in theme parks, Three foot guage for the game, and also, use other kinds of train themes like afrcian, Asian, and also include these features:

One, maybe make a seperate Transport Ride Generator.
Two, select the style of the track (english, US, etc, yes they are different)
Sidings and shed
fueling areas at station
create a train feature
create or choose style of cars
Create metal or wooden or stone bridges and trestles
crashing and derailing scenes in game.

And sebar, knott's berry farm use 2-8-0 Constellations on their railroad, so it's feastabile to use them

Loserface300 Wrote:One, maybe make a seperate Transport Ride Generator.
Two, select the style of the track (english, US, etc, yes they are different)
Sidings and shed
fueling areas at station
create a train feature
create or choose style of cars
Create metal or wooden or stone bridges and trestles
crashing and derailing scenes in game.

Yes, that is the general intent, right up to the last point, Looserface.
I see no reason why this could not be handled by the current specs for tracked ride construction(s). Here again, I see no reason to add crashing into the code...

it adds realism.

Will switches and other railroad items be present in game?

maybe...

I have an idea. Before the 160 acre design for Disneyland, and after the 11 acre design, there was the 50 acre design. Here there is a type of train that would be perfect: A train so small that you sit on it.

well, that would not be feastblie for large park operations, tfullwood

I like the idea of steam locos, but I think we might want to break ground, and include a diesel in the mix.

Also, since the cars are relatively simple. We might be able to afford to put a bit more detail in the steam engines & coal cars.

What about audio? Just a few ideas here, to get that subject going...

Maybe each train could have a different whistle/horn sound. One thing I noticed in RCT is that the trains sound the same. And pretty much just hearing the wheels rolling along and no actual engine "chugging" was a let down. Only when it started to leave the station, but after that, nothing. Then the whole thing went silent once the trains entered the station. Just the wheels again. I think these behaviors should be different.

For instance. The trains speed drops substatially when the train meets the station. When it makes more sense that the trains should slow down BEFORE they enter the stations. And not abruptly slow down. But gradually slow down.

Trains shouldn't blow their whistle constantly. I hind this annoying. Usually this is used wherever a path crosses the tracks, as a warning to not walk across the tracks. (Then there is crossing gates, which might work as an event trigger assigned to a section, somewhere up the track, then another event trigger assigned after the crossing to raise the gates again.)

Since dual tracks are not unheard of, I think we might consider the ability for crossing gates to be assigned multiple lowering and raising triggers. Open the "sensor" window, and by clicking on an "event", we might be able to see which track section has the trigger, in case it has to me moved further or closer to the gate.

If the tracks cross a path, or if a path is built across a track, the crossing gate should just "appear". Being automatically adjusted for size, depending on the width of the path that the tracks cross.

Speaking of stations, I think the stations with the steam-powered engines should have a small watertower where the engine comes to a stop. The engine and "coal tender", should roll past the station, slightly. Allowing the station to hold only the passenger cars.

This way, the engineer can hop out and maintain the mechanics of the engine. Like applying grease to the wheel linkage elements, or pull on a rope to lower the water boom to top off the tank/resevour, load coal, (unless we want to go with propane,) or even switch the crew of the train.

Back to sounds:
While the trains are in the station, there is still a cycle of steam going. Sometimes the steam builds up and it can't be used as their still waiting for people to climb aboard. So uppon occasion, a large discharge of steam has to be relieved from the boilers.

Also, a much slower cycle of "chugging" takes place. While out on the circuit, the chugging is at a steady clip. But in the station, the time between "chugs" is much longer. Probably like 30 seconds or so, (although I've never had the opportunity to time them.) But it IS something I noticed.

Then there is the bell. This is usually supported on a stand, and is pulled by a lanyard, by the brakeman. So there's a few different chugging speeds, a loud whistle, a small whistle and a bell.

Switches:
I think that if a length of track is already placed, selecting a track section that already exists, then select a curved or straight section, (which would alter the course of the track,) would automatically create a switch where the track branches or merge.

Same thing happens when a track being built, comes to a previously built track. It just does it. Although an "Alignment" function might appear in the build window, so the track reconfigures itself to align the rails, rather than try and line up the guage manually.

Keeping the course of the second track, (or ignoring the "alignment" feature, would create a cross-over, or intersection. Only no actual switch would be created. The switch would show up at first. But if the track keeps going, it turns into a cross over instead.

Just my $0.02:160:

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Around here, however, we don't
look backwards for very long.

We keep moving forward, opening up new doors and
doing new things, because we're curious...
and curiosity keeps us moving down new paths.

Walt Disney

all nice thoughts, but let us remember we are creating a theme park simulator here, not a railroading sim...

Star_Ranger4 Wrote:all nice thoughts, but let us remember we are creating a theme park simulator here, not a railroading sim...

I agree with the Nice Thoughts but I disagree about the railroading sim.

If WE are building a Theme Park Simulator then WE should have as many details as possible. The engineer and fireman would be another member of the staff. They don't have to get out of the train like suggested above but it would be nice to see the fireman shovel coal or pour some oil in. The Engineer would pull the whistle, control the throttle, brake, and if near a path maybe wave at the people they pass by.

The idea for the crossover,switches,sounds,crossing, and diesels are all needed. They are not options, they are needed.

I feel if a roller coaster, peep, or anything other then a train can be detailed then a train should also. It's only fair.