May 7th, 2006

I've written a ton about the cost of "real" model railroading in this blog, probably too much! For a change I'd like to focus on the potential for this aspect of our hobby. There is quite a bit that has already been accomplished. I get the feeling, however, that this is only a scratch on the surface of what's possible.

Microsoft Train Simulator is now about 5 years old. It's graphics engine is several generations old. It's buggy as hell, and in it's current state has probably more workarounds than any software application ever devised. Despite that, it is still being pushed further than Microsoft and Kuju ever imagined. There are a ton of user developed features available, from the smallest baggage cart to the fiercest thunderstorm and everything in between. Everyday, somebody comes up with some new way to stretch the limits of the cranky conglomeration of bailing wire and bubble gum.

A case in point is a route being developed by dedicated (if not rabid) Pennsy fans. Somewhere, someone figured out that you could merge two routes in MSTS. Apparently they then realized they could add a third. It wasn't long before the challenge was taken up and extended. I'm not sure how many routes have been incorporated at this point, but the result is something we have never seen before. At present there are over 3000 miles of track stretching south from New York City to Washington DC and west to Cresson, Pennsylvania. The trackage includes the Trenton Cut-Off, as well as the water level route between Perryville and Harrisburg. If the Allegheny Eastern ever reaches it's hoped for conclusion, it will connect (actually overlap) to this "super route" and complete the line to Pittsburgh. Someday someone will undoubtedly drop down the Susquehanna and connect that route at Harrisburg. Would we see the inclusion of the Conrail Indy route towards Chicago? If so then it's very possible that the Chicago Land route could be included and a train could be run from Sunnyside all the way to the Windy City.

Now we won't know if this can be done until it's working, but it does have awesome implications. Is it possible to model the entire Pennsylvania? We know we can reproduce a great deal of a major railroad. Our current routes average 200 miles or so of mainline running. Will we see a day when large portions, if not the entirety, of other railroads are represented in V-Scale? Imagine a Norfolk Southern route encompassing the eastern united states, or the SP Daylight running from New Orleans to Los Angeles.

There are several obstacles to this daydream becoming reality, beyond the capacity of Train Simulator. Such routes would require the major cooperation of several large groups and individuals. The amount of talent and time required to pull off such a project is enormous. Yet it isn't much more than the same cooperation required for a large model railroad club. One advantage in V-Scale is the technology itself. The same innovations that enable e-mail and telecommuting apply. It is very possible to include hundreds, if not thousands of hobbyists in the same endeavor, form anywhere on the face of the planet. A kind of model rail super club running a super layout.

That's quite a lot of food for thought.

Well that's about all for now...See ya' next time.