July 16th, 2009

Tim Muir and I have cooperated a number of times in the past on MSTS projects. The relationship started (I think) when I produced my first heavy electric, the Milwaukee EF4 "Little Joe". My version is on the left.

Tim took that model and worked his magic on it and produced a series of "Joes" that were absolutely beautiful. Tim's version is the gem on the right.

Aside from the 1970's version of Milwaukee's  "Joe", Tim also produced a South Bend version and a freelanced version for his Williamette County Electric. The Milwaukee versions of these locomotives have recently been updated by Lukas Lasser for his revamping of Jerry Sullivan's Rocky Mountain Division Routes. Lukas has also spent some time updating and enhancing Tim's Milwaukee Boxcab electrics and the beta version of my quill.

That's one of things I like about MSTS modeling. There can be this level of cooperation that can be found in very few places. Because MSTS (and each model) is computer software it can be shared with the entire planet. Each one of can contribute something and the end result is something none of us could have achieved on our own. The combined talents of individuals as far apart as Tennessee, Oregon, Switzerland, New Zealand, and any other location with an Internet connection can be applied to a project. It's a pretty amazing thing to me. It's not always this way, but often enough that some terrific things get accomplished. Lukas comes up with a better sound or engine file or some other improvement and it gets incorporated into the next revision of the model for everyone to share.

Tim and I have been at it again, this time on the series of truck models based on renders by Niko Moritz. I had mentioned this series in my last epistle. Tim's critique and contribution to the artwork was invaluable in the production of the first model.

After the Moritz truck was released we started playing around with colorizing the textures like I showed last time around. Apparently that was just the tip of the iceberg. Tim started working on some trucks he's wanted to build for quite a while, basing them on the WH-4...We started a kind of round robin development process which is very productive and a heluva lot of fun.

I create a simple red version of the original gray...Tim takes it and...

Now we both want to hang a tank trailer off the back. I morph a tanker from the earlier WH series and throw on textures from one of Niko's trailer renders. I toss in an idea I had for a Gulf tractor...

and forward the files to Tim. He sends back his version...

While I've been playing with the trailer Tim has been surfing the web for more ideas and comes up with a Allied Van Lines version of the tractor...

I rework Tim's version of the tanker into another trailer...

We both decide this looks like a reasonable live stock trailer, but what's really needed is something more like this trailer Tim created while I was creating mine...

Then, just for good measure Tim throws in this refrigerated trailer...

Looks like it's my turn again...I have some ideas for that "livestock" trailer...One of them is a canvas covered stake body or "covered wagon". Though rarely seen nowadays, they were once a common site. I also found this old school bus based on the same model...

You can see how this development cycle could go back and forth like this forever with both of us devoting the rest of our natural lives to this one make and model of truck. There are hundreds of variations possible. And for all that, this is only the first of the dozens of renders we have to work with...We could be at this for centuries.

Well I think that's about it for now...Thanks for listening.