Fastline Developers Diary

A brief spell back at home today gave the chance to do a touch more work on wethering the HBA/HEA Hoppers. Oddly the challenge with these isn’t in the heavily weathered version but getting the clean version to loom only slightly work weary.

The journey away to the day job this evening has given the chance to do the basic set-up of the bullion flat along with a few early tweaks to the shape.

It was pretty successful last week, with the majority of the planned tasks completed other than the bogies which would have made more progress hadn’t time been lost sorting out website issues on Thursday.

It’s looking a wild week in the real world for me this week so not going to chance my arm too much in terms of the work plan.

The Planned work for this week is:

PEC-05: Bullion Carriers

Both Vehicles: Complete Bogies

Bullion Flat: Set up in source folder and initially export to game and DVCS.

Bullion Flat: Chop off unneeded parts using clone of Bullion Van and create action plan for new and modified parts.

Very little to report tonight I’m afraid as a chunk of time after getting in late was taken up sorting an issue with the website and shop.

However, the wheel sets are in place at one end of the bullion van along with a box showing the dimensions and location of the bogie frame.

One piece of the frame has been created but work has stopped due to fatigue making the problem solving to get a neat and efficient fit between each of the parts too much of a challenge for tonight!

The session tonight has seen the detailing on the under frame and body completed.

• The door furniture – hinges, buffers, handles and handrails – have been added.
• Windows have been glazed.
• Door has been glazed and drop light bar added.
• Radio pods on the roof have been refined.

The interior has been left for now to enable experimenting to get the required effect from the heavy duty tinted double glazing.

Next up are the bogies to complete the shape.

Renders have been made but will have to wait for a blog post tomorrow.

Not the most productive of sessions this evening with phone calls and dealing with heating engineers for quotes!

However, the dynamo pulley has been rebuilt as it was looking a bit on the clunky side. The RCH jumpers and pockets have been tweaked and the filler points added to the end of the toilet filler pipes.

One door handle has been placed and one set of door buffers installed on the body side for the double doors.

No renders tonight as it’s all small stuff that adds to effect but doesn’t radically change what we’ve seen before.

Completed the rebuild of the dynamo and (hopefully) last tweaking of the other under frame parts.

Some renders can be seen here: http://fastline-simulation.blogspot.co.uk/2013/02/bullion-carriers-underfloor-bits-and.html

The planned work for this week is:

PEC-04: HBA/HEA Hoppers

Start v0.4.0 test of second scenario

PEC-05: Bullion Carriers

Bullion Van: Rebuild Dynamo (new detail pictures show the present shape as unsatisfactory).

Bullion Van: Add basic interior taking into account heavy duty double glazing and interior glass that is believed to be highly tinted or mirrored.

Bullion Van: Create Door window detail.

Bullion Van: Add door handles, door buffers and grab handles.

Bullion Van: Shorten RCH jumper cables and adjust pockets.

Bullion Van: Add filler points to end of filler pipes.

Bullion Van: Rebuild roof pods (current shape unsatisfactory).

Bullion Van: Create B5 bogies.

Bullion Flat: Start refinement of model using updated parts from Bullion Van.

Completed rebuild of air tanks and distributor in light of additional research beyond the original photographs used.

As an experiment (and a way of forcing better time management on me), l’m going to start publishing a quick post outlining what I want to achieve in the next week. Possibly other members of the team will want to do similar.

I’ve decided to do this so folks know what to expect and to hold myself to account as I juggle a busy professional life, family and attempt to drive things forward! What this means is that at some point on a Sunday evening I will add a blog post into this category outlining what (if things go to plan) I want to have completed by the end of the week.

As the week goes on I will update the developers notebook blog with updates as things are completed so we all know things are on track. I’ll also posy iof something has come out of the blue to cause a change in plan.

You folks have a part to play in this as you’re allowed to comment and nag if things aren’t happening or I haven’t posted a weekly plan before 1.00am UK time on a Monday, unless I have previously posted that there won’t be a plan for some reason.

Extended the route northwards from Harecastle to Kidsgrove to include the line from Liverpool Road up to Park Farm opencast on the stub of the former Potteries Loop Line, scenic work off to a good start and having browsed the Trip book I’ve located a working that takes three hours from L/E to taking the loaded train to Stoke