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The Coal Road was started on Feb and completed on 23 April 2003. Taking up all my spare time, and all my 4 weeks annual leave in March. I had done route editting from when I first got MSTS, adding extra details and later on track to the default routes, as well as some I got off the web. I had modified the Japan 1 route with extra crossing loops, and would make activities crossing trains at a set time, so train running became a bit more enjoyable and challanging. At the same time I had experimented with improved sounds for the rolling wagons, and the A1 locos going past, to add a bit more reality to the action. However Japan 1 lacked any really big grades so the locos would sound there best, powering uphill and dynamic braking downhill. The big hill at was about the only one which provided this, although stopping at some loops with 4000 tonnes of coal did provide a bit of a challange. As can be gathered by my models, big heavy coal and wheat trains is what I like, so I started to modify other routes with 1 in 40 grades, then make up trains that staggered almost to a stall to surmount them. Craig Scotts 81 class and some American hopper thing I reskinned, used to run these trains, but there was no reason, as such, for them to run. My 80/442 and NHGF followed and now I had a real NSW train, but no NSW tracks to run it. Whilst writing the instructions for my ‘multi unit loco noise’ file, I mentioned they could be used on bank engines, which made me think of Ardglen. Running coal trains, well the Hunter Valley is the place to go. It all then added up. The line from Werris Creek to Newcastle, had single line (crosses), Ardglen (bankers), double line (A1 traffic) and then quadrople line (more A1 traffic, pass and superfreights). It had the lot, it was ideal, and it gave a reason to run trains. I even had planned the line to Gunnedah as well, to give a more ‘branch line’ feel. It would be a big job, but.... From this idea I decided I might as well make it ‘distributable’ from the start, so before even starting certain things had to be thought of. Only Default shapes: All my route edditting had been done mainly usig the
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