17-Apr-09 MSTS Route Update

[Paul Charland]

Hi All,

Just wanted to let you have a look at the progress I've made on the MSTS route. I wanted to include structures that would be visible from the tracks so there would be enough of them that people would recognize Kentville and Kentville. Every time I think I only have half a dozen to go I see other structures I'd like to include and the list of structures to draw grows faster then it goes down! Anyway, it's going to be a while before the next beta comes out, here's what I have now:

This is the trestle Dan suggested adding this morning, just up from the bridge over the Cornwallis River at the Roundhouse:

Two general views, almost finished drawing structures to the south est of the Aberdeen Street crossing:

...Part II to follow....

[Paul Charland]

...Another general view...

The structure to the right is the Gooscap Curling Club, almost out of town as far as drawing Kentville structures go.

Paul

[fergusontea]

Paul, I'm so amazed. Really.

Seeing those buildings come back to life is like a trip back to my childhood. Let me know when we can test drive the next Beta version!

-mike

[Paul Charland]

Hi Mike,

Recapturing the '70s and '80s for me too. Back in the mid-80s I was a volunteer firefighter here in Brockville, one of the other volunteers was a Baptist Minister that had moved here from Lawrencetown. Dan Gibson was transferred to Toronto a few years later to do his doctrine for his church.

Last week I was going to draw the Baptist Church in Kentville so as I usually do, went on Google to find pictures. Found one and then a website that had all the Baptist churches in the Valley along with contact information. Was a little surprised to find Dan was the Pastor of the church in Canning, e-mailed him and he's still a volunteer firefighter... small world!

Paul

[stem]

Paul, you truly are an amazing 3D and railway layout artist. You don't know how greatful I am that you took on this project of breathing life back into the valley's beloved railway. It's difficult to describe the feeling when I look at these screen shots but rest assured this will turn into an emotional trip for many.

Thanks Paul.

[Paul Charland]

Hi Steve,

Thanks for the kind words. I created the FJ&G route after years of thinking it would have made a nice HO layout with all the switching, but I never had the room to build a layout the size you would need to do the line any justice. Took 16 months and 2200 hours to find out I was right. Back in 1981 I spent an entire hour on the Springfield Terminal and thought it was neat, Scott Whitney's two articles that appeared in RMC back in 1999 were really interesting and although I'd never been much of a traction fan, I had a go at it and it too turned out to be a nice way to kill some time switching. Both of these were nice but there really is something about doing the DAR route that make these other two route, maybe not meaningless, but they lack something, actual knowledge of the area I'm working on. I'm still working on Kentville but there's something to be said about 'having been on that road', or 'I know where that is' sort of thing.

Anyway, a bit of a progress report... I've been threatening to post another beta in a "week or two" for the last month! Every time I thing I have it down to a dozen buildings to draw I see a few more I'd like to include for one reason or another. I'm just up to Aberdeen Street, the north side that is. This is also where one big blue tile is on MSTS, so I think what I'm going to do is to finish the few remaining buildings on the north side of Aberdeen, that scenic the area south of there, add the electric crossing signals on Aberdeen and a few car spawns to a couple of roads and post a beta before moving north.

I think I'm probably 70% of the way through Kentville, have a few structures drawn for the area north of Aberdeen and comparatively, few structures to draw being as most of this is residential.

Here are a few screen shots for you showing how far I've gotten:

The pad in the lower center is finished, it was Robinson Chrysler Plymouth back in the early '70, now Perry's Auto Service. The Aberdeen Street bidge has also been replaced.

The distant building is the Gooscap Curling Club... speaking of Distant, Distant Mountains have been added, really is a nice improvement.

[Paul Charland]

...Part II...

A few general shots around the yard area.

[Paul Charland]

...Part III...

Not sure how I like the ball diamonds. There are straight out of Google Earth to get the ground textures, added the dugouts, and placed them (including rotating them) to start to form Memorial Park. There are a few storage sheds to add, plus a few trees and trackside shrubs, might end up drawing the ball diamonds in TS Modeler to see how they look.

Last but not least is the southern end of Kentville with Superior propane, Texaco, and Esso.

Paul

[stem]

Wow!

You wouldn't be considering the Cornwallis Hotel would you?

You must be using this photo right?
http://www.dardpi.ca/wiki/index.php?tit ... yard_1.jpg

You must be using this map too right?
http://www.dardpi.ca/wiki/index.php?tit ... Map_2L.jpg

[Paul Charland]

Hi Steve,

The Cornwallis Inn with an Acadian Lines bus around the back... of course! I happened upon an album on line a few weeks ago that had scale drawings of the entire building so I have something better then a Google Earth roof shot to work from.

I'll be doing all significant buildings between the station and the Curling Club, might even do the big government agriculture facility if it can be seen from the tracks (if I recall it wasn't too easy to see from the highway, not sure if that's because of trees or because my eyes would have been glued to the tracks still!). Anyway, I'll do a quick mock-up and test it when I get that far.

I do use those two maps, plus Google Earth, pretty much anything I can get my hands on. I just discovered that the Kentville Town map, a PDF I've had for eight years, has street numbers and not lot numbers. This is a big deal for me because I can now enter the street address for the building I want to draw and find a bit of information or even a photo of the building. I can also go into my 1973 phone book and find out what the business was back then.

Fun stuff!

Paul

[stem]

I should have known before I asked that you never miss a trick!

[fergusontea]

Wow! I keep laughing in amazement as I look at each new photo. That's just way cool.

I think it would be ok if you did not place the Kentville swimming pool. I took lessons there and it was always bone-chillingly cold. I don't think anyone would miss it. Ha ha ha ha!

-mike

[Paul Charland]

Hi All,

Could always have some poor child shivering in the shallow end of a pool! I most likely will add the pool and tennis courts, along with the football field in the middle of the track. Just wondering... there are three soccer fields just south of the track, were they there back in the early '70s? Soccer wasn't popular at all when we lived in the Valley.

Yesterday morning I was drawing the Business Bank building, I remember passing this on the way to school once a week. If you remember, this building is (still) on the north west corner of Aberdeen and Webster and next to the tracks... has a saw tooth wall along Aberdeen. While trying to line out the irregular walls I zoomed in as far as I could and ended up getting a spot in the center of my vision, sort of like looking at the sun. Still waiting for it to go away so no drawing for the last day and a half... I'm having withdrawal symptoms! Funeral home at 100 Cornwallis is next, don't want to screw that up!

Paul

[Dan Conlin]

Looking great Paul! I like the little trestle and love all the new buildings. Mr. White who runs the funeral home in Kentville is a great train buff by the way. He has a pair of illuminated marker lights on stands which he always sets up in the chapel whenever there is a funeral for an old railwayman!

It is neat to see the fuel depots and that long siding to the west of the yard. You did a very nice job on that old red storefront across the street from the station which I've had my eye on for a model someday.

Can I put in a plug for a digital building for the Kings County Museum at 37 Cornwallis Street, just a half block from the tracks? I did a Wikipedia page for them with a good photo:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kings_County_Museum

Cheers,

Dan

[Paul Charland]

Hi Dan,

I will be doing the Courthouse Museum, there's about a dozen building to do on the east side of Cornwallis Street, including the Cornwallis Inn of course.

Back in the '70s the funeral home was the Hiltz Funeral Home, before the White's bought it and did a serious renovation, that's what I'll be shooting for. Found a small shot of the front of the building this afternoon.

There's a building between Webster Court and the tracks, it's actually 49 Cornwallis, right at the tracks. This is a long building that the eastern most siding parallels like it served the building. I have vague memories of seeing cars spotted along this siding but can't find any information about the building other then it now houses an insurance company and the tracks side has been rebuilt into 10 and 12 Webster Street, the building is currently for sale. Anyone know what this would have been back in the '70s, I had a look through the phone book and only turned up the insurance agent.

I remember seeing the little red building at the crossing across from the station when I was going to school, thought it was some kind of news stand back then, just found out while going through the phone book it's Al's Taxi and Al's Lunch Bar. Guess this was where people got a bite to eat when the train stopped in Kentville in the days before VIA's food services.

Cool stuff!

Paul