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Well Viconius, I did finally read the posts, and like another member, I don't use Facebook. However, I did click on the website, and found that the illustrations are very impressive. Good luck with the endeavor. :)

Railroads followed gorges and passes that Nature had carved through the mountain ranges, leading often to long and round-about routes. In the "early days" some distances were described as "by the crow or eagle", but later it was to that of the Airplane. So, the airline distance from Denver to Leadville, fo example, is 75 miles, but by the shortest railroad route covered 151 miles. From Aspen to Leadville it is 30 miles apart by air, but a the one time it took 131 miles of railroad track to connect them. Progress. Such problems for the town of Adams, Bolder, Jefferson, Grand, Routt, Gilpin, Eagle and other Denver counties were solved by the Muffet Tunnel between Denver and Gilpin. The plan called for a pioneer bore, 8 feet high and 9 feet wide, basically to provide advance information about conditions and access to the main tunnel, as it advanced. There were some discouraging results with soft ground requiring necessitating costly reinforcements. Water seepage exceeded expectations, as a lower level found a fissure, which was drainage from Lower Crater Lake. It was the hope that the tunnel could be completed by 1926 in conjunction with Colorado's 50th Anniversary to Statehood, but only by Feb 1927 did the teams operating from East and West, joined together the "bore", and not until a year later was the tunnel completed. The initial estimate of cost was set at $7,000,000, but ran a total of $18,000,000, with 29 fatalities. It is 24 feet in height, 16 feet wide, and 6 and 2/10th miles long. Really an undertaking for that period. The distance between Denver and Grand Junction was reduced by 175 miles via Muffet Tunnel. There are a goodly number of tunnel throughout the country which help to aid in the transportation system for both railroads and automobiles. But this is one of which is part of a book solely based on the history of Colorado. Hope you enjoy.

Extend you the best of Luck with your new endeavor. However, seeing that I don't like Facebook and some of the other Blog sites, I may not get to enjoy you creations. That does not mean that I won't attempt the adventure. Will watch for any updates. :)

The remarks or comments which I had and have read about the Sid's creation, was a dissappointment, so have not even tried to make an attempt to play it. Maybe I am too critical, but will follow some of these posts, as maybe they may give me the urge to make an attempt. After all, people have different opinions of "likes and dislikes". Will watch this thread to see how some players react to the game.

It has been a while since I have taken the time to check thru the new "stuff" on the Terminal, so am at a loss of ""what is the Train Fever""? I usually download scenerios into my inventory. NOW, if it is a video game, that is a different avenue, as I have found a number of them which don't have support groups, so have stayed away from them. BUT, am interested to the point of inquiry. A reply would be appreciated, although it might be a time before I would respond. Having problems with wrist tendenitis, so do limit my time with keyboards. ;)

It took me a lot of time to read thru all the posts of this thread. Interesting, but I don't have much to do with the video games . I tried a few of them, of which I either did not find that enjoyable, or did not have a support group to find out answers to why I was having problems. Now my son is a addict to such. He tries everything. Well, except some of those being offerred via TV. If a person doesn't buy those "free" videos, a player is at the mercy of the opponents. With that said, I will mention this RRTX creation, when it becomes available. Now I have another son who is addicted to the Cities type games. For myself, I am basically adhered to the RRT Editions. However, the RRTX appears to be some thing which I could find an enjoyalbe new edition, and am looking forward to its presentation. :)

Now I did not know if the highway on which my wife and I were traveling between Walensberg and Durango was previously a railway snow shed, but it was impressive. Having that in mind, I will repeat a portion of a book, which describes the construction and some information about their history as a quote: These were impressive structures. The beams were massive. 12 inches wide and 24 inches deep, and the walls soared 25 ft into the air, to allow the tall engine stacks to pass through. (my comment: Possibly to eliminate some of the fumes and smoke for passenger comfort.) In addition to covering the tracks, sheds were constructed to protect a number of stations as well as the homes of the station crews. (my comment: Yes homes.) Children grew up inside those great wooden caverns, playing in the strange dim light, while the wind outside tugged and whistled through cracks in the walls. They also lived with the constant fear of fire. Sparks from a locomotive stack some times set sections of the shed on fire, and it would soon fill up with choking smoke. To combat fires, railroad companies stationed men every mile or so with buckets of water. (end of quote) Now I am not able to 'copy' the picture of the actual timber structure, but it is in the shape of an inverted "U". The walls of massive timbers, went up to meet timbers, which were angled to the horizontal overhead timbers. The snow shed which we traveled through was of the highest point of the highway, and even was given a name, which I beleive is Wolf Creek Pass. Off hand, I don't recall the actual structure, but it was still impressive. However, I do believe that there were "cut outs" in periodic locations, so as to view the surrounding scenery. Just believed that some member may find the information of interest, and even have them recall such a trip through areas which have the same "snow shed" features.

That is some very interestng comments Gwizz. My post was basically in mostly "quotes" from an article I had read, which was to give a back ground as to the reason for which the Shay was invented. However your post gives more of a back ground as to other comparitive inventions, which also adds to the history of locomotives. Very interesting history, of which we should appreciate the endeavors of the inventorys

Trying to abide along the line and scope of "railroading", I ran across some interesting mention of the "shay" in the occupation or industry of "logging". Although not of the Railroad theme, it initiates the forerunner of the "logging" industry, which actually was the reason for the Shay. I believe it more interesting to have some background, for which circumstances lead to the creation of the Shay. With the increased necessity for lumber in the expansion of territories by the explosion in population, the logging business became an industry of problems, as well as profit. Back breaking manual hauling, flumes with water, logs dragged by animals, initiated a better means for "hauling". Hence the start in the creation of the "donkey engine", which had the power to drag logs. But then there was the problem to haul the logs to a mill. SO, this bagan the "cart hauling" on wooden rails, pulled by oxen, donkeys, or horses. A solution, but the animals were not always able to climb some of the steeper inclines, and on down grades the loads could catch up to the animals, and possibly kill them. That brought us to the creation of the Shay. And that was the idea of Ephraim Shay of Haring, MI. Engines were being used, but they were of the "piston" type, and at times, weighed too much for the wooden bridges, as well as poorly ballasted roadbeds. The "powerful thrusting rods that ran from the pistons to the driving wheels, provided uneven traction, and the wheels would spin under heavy loads and on grades greater than 1 percent ( 1 foot of rise in 100 feet of track), and the engines would loose traction altogether. To attempt to overcome the problem, some lumbermen commissioned lightweight engines with double-flanged wheels that ran on "pole roads" of wooden rails. It was of some advancement, and this experiment gave Shay a "germ" of an idea. Althourough the 1880s, Shay had experimented with a "radical engine", that was light and did not work as the conventional "piston-and-rod" arrangement. So in 1880, Shay introduced a "mad inventor's nightmare", as it was called. The pilot model of the loco-motive consisted of a "short railroad flatcar", with a "wooden water tank" at the one end, and a "wood bin" at the other end. There was also the "unsightly assortment of machinery surrounding an "upright boiler" in between. It was "lopsided with the boiler on one side, and the "geared transmission machinery" on the other side. (I am sorry that I do not have the capacity to download the picture depicting such a creation.) Unsightly? But effectively incorporated Shay's central idea. Power from the lone cylinder was transmitted by gears, not rods, to the four driving wheels in each of two trucks mounted on a single chassis - 8 wheels total. The gears were the key to greater & steadier traction. A gear shaft ran from the engine to each wheel, meshing with a ring of gears on the wheel. Locked in its gears, the wheel could not spin. This system entitled the Shay to taverse a 3 percent grade, (3 foot rise in 100 ft of track"). In June 1881, Shay was awarded a patient with a No. 242,992, and thereby started to improve his invention with more powerful versions in the 2 and 3 cylinders. (I fail to remember the radius of which the Shay can negotiate.) It is just a bit of history of which we take for granted. However, there is a web site which will give those interested with more of the Shay upgrading of equipment. Hope you enjoy. :)

That had to be a very interesting trip. And although a "pain", youngsters do add fun to the project. It was interesting to see that there were not any 3rd rail stuff. Now although there are agencies keeping track of your every move and correspondence, and although there had been some report on "drones", now the report includes "small airplanes". Not much privacy nowdays. >:(

My play usually requires an amount of micro-management, until in a few years, the operation is such, that I discontinue the management. However, although you find it disagreeable to have your train numbers to change after a merge, I have found in some mergers, a couple of differnces. 1- all the trains are new, but the 2- is that there are not any trains. Never really tried to keep a record of such happenings as I basically just like to play. LOL

The article from which I have been making posts have some information on what was in use for passenger travel in those early years. I have tried to shorten the article's lengthy explanations. First Class fare was $100 from OMA to SAC. Luxurious and plush seats. An extra fee could obtain seats which could be converted into a berth. But means had to be taken at whistle stops, although for another extra fee of $4.00 a day, meals could be taken on board. In this case there was not description as to what the meals consisted. Secon Class had a fee of $80. Padded seats, but they had to sleep in their seats. Accommodations could be had at lower prices for "short haul" passengers. These and the Day Coach passengers had to get their meals at whistle stops. Day Coaches for the short haul pasengers and Emigants was $40. There were fitted narrow seats along the walls. There was initially a barrel stove in the far end of the car, but later it was replaced with a Pot belly stove. >>>>>>>>>>> Oh, there were special cars for those who could affort it. These were Pullman Parlor Cars. Plush upholstery, rich hangings, and hand carved inlaid paneling. The Day and Night accommodations:: hinged upper berth well upholstered. Hinged seats that could be flattened for night travel. Top of the line of luxury:: Hotel Express trains, which had all right-of-way. A Fine Diners Car was part of the train, serving luxurious 12 course meals. Breakfast of beef steak, fried eggs, fried potatoes, and "delicious chicken stew". (Actually it was prairie chicken.) Dinners of blue winged teal, antelope stek, roast beef, boiled ham and tongue, broiled chicken, corn of cob, fresh fruit, hot rolls, corn bread, and fresh trout. >>>>>>>>>>Now in all of these articles, there was not any mention to that of toliet facilities. Possibly a small enclosure for regular passenger trains, but private comodes for the Hotel Express. As a youngester myself, the toilet facilites would be locked prior to entering towns. The reason?? Well anything flushed went onto the ground. Not too appealing for passengers and onlookers waiting for their friends/famly to get off the train, for for those passengers to board embark. LOL Hope you enjoy. :)

Yuwana, I am not really an authority when it comes to using the Editor, but I have had to check engines in the Editor to see which ones were "supposed" to be available for a particular scenario. I believe the there is an "engine" item, which will bring up all the engines available for the system. Those engines which are specifically for a particular scenario is "checked" in their particial box. This could answer you problem, but I have had problems with "engines" in prior scenarios. Good Luck.

Although there were a number of reasons for a Transcontinental Railroad, there also were: >>>>>>>>>>>>>> Oppositions: Wells Fargo - loss of stagecoach lines revenues Panama Steamship - Panama to SFO revenue from over the Isthmus routing Sitka Ice Company - more local railroads using glacier ice - while Railroads would be using close at hand Sierra Mtns snow for refrigeration >>>>>>>>>> Central Pacific - Financial problems Tried for Govt Loan for $15M, butcould only raise $300,000. Union Pacific - Finacial problems Also stied for Govt Loan for $3M, but could only raise $300,000. Inflation problmes for both railroads. The CP in its initial stage of construction the main reason for risk. But even though the UP was already in operation, wanting an expansion, both ran into the problem of investors wanting fast profits in a boom during the Civil War in munitions, metals, provisions, all for the war effort. They believed Railroads as a risky business even for the up, and the Cp was still in its initial stage, and would take years in its completion for operation. If they would be available, an engine prior to the Civil War cost $1,000. Now that price was incresed to $13,666. A ton of rails price rose from $55 to $115, and that price was at the Boston Wharf, and for the Cp, they would have to suffer the cost to have it shipped to the West Coast. There was also the problem with the railroads getting funding in "greenbacks". The Problem? Businesses on the West Coast believed "greebacks" too unstable. Hence an exchange into Gold, at a loss of 47c on the dollar. One of the many delays was, if they could be obtained, it was a duriation of time to even get rails, spikes, shovels, wheelbarrows, hammers, etc, basically due to the War effort. >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Tunnel Trivia On of the 15 tunnels on the Central Pacific. Summit Tunnel 20 feet in ehight 1659 feet of solid granite 7032 feet above sea level, and 124 feet below the summit The tunnel required 500 kegs of dynamite a day for blasting of which only 8 inches of progress was made in a 24 hour period. Winter snow avalanches initated 37 miles of snow sheeds and 65 million board feet of timbers In 1867 it took 12 engines to ram the Bucker snowplow through 30 foot snow drifts 24 hours a day. In 1890, a rotary plow could clear that same 30 feet in 1 hours. >>>>All is in the progress. Just compare the difference of a man shoveling an amount of snow, compared to that which can be removed by a snow blower. I lived in the Northern regions of WI and MN, and I can verify the difference. >:( <<<<<<<<<<< LOL Enjoy ;)

The portion of "who" were the contributors of spikes for the joining was not found from a few attempts to locate in the article. However, as Gwizz mentioned none of the "States" of which I mentioned, AZ, UT, and NV, has not gotten statehood until after the Prometary event. Hence I did find during my "attempts to locate" the contributors, I did find mention of these "States", as we know of them today, but did not incorporate the word "State" in the article itself. SO, then I would assume I am in error to have included the word "State" , as they were in some type of "Territorial" level. My apology. Now I do also have to apologize for an "error", of which I have corrected in the original post, to that of the stealing of the spikes, tie, and sleeper. I failed to use the word "replacement". In the original, a reader could possibly assume that the "original" items were stolen, and not replacements. However, during my attempt to find the contributors for the "spikes", I did find some item of interest, which may not have been known to members. From the artical, I would assume that the "Golden Spike", was not driven into the tie. This is the way the artical reads: >>Moreover, once these ceremonial shafts were in place, - dropped, not driven, into prepared auger holes = an iron spike,partially driven into an adjacent tie and wired into the nationwide telegraph sysstem, was to be struck with a hammer, similarily wired. Thus on the instant, the outside world would learn that the deed was done.<< Now, that being said, a short version is to that of neither Durant, pres. of the UP, and Standford, pres. of the CP, were able to strike the spike on their first swing. It was the telegraph operator who actually sent the initial signals. And in the reading I did find the metals used for the "iron" spike of which the article mentions. It was a composite of "silver, iron, and gold". Guess it pays to read a little more closely of what is being written. LOL Enjoy