Something for the weekend...

[Bill EWS]

As with Coxter I enjoyed test running the new ECML route. Eezypeezy has to be congratulated for the time and effort he has put into producing such a prefessional BVE4 route. From Newcastle,which is perfectly recognisable with the glance over the viaducts into the town and it's photographic quailty building objects, to the spacious run up to the junction on the viaduct with the Gateshead line and the well-known castle site in the triangle. Everything is well laid out and detailed. On into the country and the numerous level crossings, of which most were once old stations. From overbridges to the well defined viaducts you get a great feeling for this mainline. Speed restriction boards can be hidden just around a curve or behind a bridge just as they are for the real train driver and stations are placed on fast lines where you have to really learn the route to be able to stop at them comfortably. Gradiants are also felt and the train takes time to build up to maximum speed or drop back in speed even with the controller open. This is when you have to make skillful use of the controller and brakes to keep the speed of the train in check. A driver just doesn't sit there watching the scenery go by, they have to concentrate on power settings as the route dictates and make subtle movements of the controller and/or braking, in advance of wanting the affects to take place.

In spite of the Border Bridge viaduct there is a very fast run up to Berwick station and you need to pace the braking distance well.

As mentioned, the objects are really excellent. The resolution of passing trains is also very good. I am impressed with the amount of detail in and around Newcastle station and also at Berwick. Likewise the visual affect of running into the embankment and onto the Border Bridge. You get a realistic sense of the height and You also notice fine detail when slowly passing through all the stations, be it the station buildings, people on the platforms or the country appearance of the signalbox at Almwich. I especially like the viaducts where you really know you are on one and the loops are all of a very realistic length. The level crossings are so well defined that at a number you are able to read the name of the crossing, which is printed on a building to one side. This is a good help to knowing where you are on the route.

Overall, there is an excellent group of train types to keep you happy, either by flashing through the countryside or pottering along on an all-station local.

This is another great addition to BVE4 and has potential for future upgrades or extension. Now, if I can only up those frame rates! This mis my only disappointment with running BVE4 at present.

Many thanks Eezypeezy for another great 'new' route. Thanks too for linking my route guide to your web page and I hope that those who download it find it of some real use.

Cheers.

BillEWS.
http://billreid678.fotopic.net/
http://aberdeenharbour.fotopic.net/

 

[Boxcars]

Thank you so much for this impressive addition to BVE. Like Bill I also have problems with low framerates in BVE4 ad: and unfortunately this route is very demanding for my integrated graphics. I really must think about buying a new computer so I can enjoy routes like this one to the full.

 

[Bill EWS]

As with Boxcars I too have considered buying a new computer, but then, this computer is only a little over two years old and hardly paid for itself, yet! I had it built to give the best possible processing speed and graphics at that time. As it looks as if other Forum members are getting very reasonable frame rates I wonder if it really requires a new computer, or simply finding the correct graphics card upgrade or perhaps simply adding more memory, what do others think? Frame rate does appear to differ with each train type.

Likewise, there appears to be even more problems getting BVE4 to run when you upgrade to the Windows Vista! So what is the easier answer?

Cheers.

BillEWS.

 

[eezypeazy]

Thank you both for your kind comments on the route.

Re frame rates: best I ever manage is about 28fps, when using one of the 142 units. Worst performer is the HST, rarely getting more than the high teens.

Depending on the age and speed of your machine, it may be worth getting a better graphics card. My system is relatively modest. I added a Radeon 700SE card to this machine,which produced far beter frame rates and quality.

Regards

eezypeazy

 

[Boxcars]

Thank you both for your kind comments on the route.

Re frame rates: best I ever manage is about 28fps, when using one of the 142 units. Worst performer is the HST, rarely getting more than the high teens.

Depending on the age and speed of your machine, it may be worth getting a better graphics card. My system is relatively modest. I added a Radeon 700SE card to this machine,which produced far beter frame rates and quality.

Regards

eezypeazy

I did once try adding a graphics card to my computer (which has integrated graphics). The new graphics card made hardly any difference which makes me think I did something wrong. I think maybe I'll try again before thinking about buying a new computer. Liam says he got 30 fps throughout with the HST. I'd like to know what type of graphics card he has too. The only time I've ever reached 30 fps was once with BVE 2.6.3
In BVE4 I get less than half this usually (and I also get a lot of stuttering which is very annoying).

 

[Bill EWS]

As explained my computer is just over two years old. I have just checked the Graphics card and it is a Gforce 4 MX 4000. Stats show:

IRQ 1.6
Bios 4.18.20.38
TV Encoder type Integrated (MV)

AGP8X
Memory 128MB
System processor AMD Sempron (tm)
Direct X version 9 x or better

I have checked out the Gforce web site for updates but all that was on show was for Gforce FX, 6, 7 and 8. Nothing about Gforce 4!

If all this means something to you or anyone I would appreciate any help you may give to pointing towards whether I need to upgade or not.

I would think that the memory could be upraded from 128MB easily enough. I just need to work out which type of Memory Card my computer has fitted!

Cheers.

BillEWS.

 

[Dennis]

I'd strongly suggest going for a gig of RAM - I've found that not having enough results in stuttering as things are loaded from the HD (large files like sounds and changes of background being particularly problematical). Adding more RAM will benefit not only BVE but many other 'memory intensive' applications.

A few weeks ago, I had a tinker with some of my graphics settings (from control panel, display, settings, advanced, direct 3d). Here I was able to adjust various quality versus speed options and found that using the default settings combined with 'application preferences' for both anti-aliasing and anisotripic filtering gave just about the highest frame rates with quite good quality.

More RAM and optimising the graphics settings together with closing all other unnecessary applications is certainly worth trying rather than spending hundreds on a new PC.

Also - there have been reports that running media player in the background can enhance BVE framerates, something else to try.

 

[Jord]

I also get different FPS rates, as low as 5 and high as 25, 15 and higher is soooo nice lol but when i zoom ahead of me or i zoom in on the timetable i get high FPS then, but i would love high FPS while just in the cab normally, but not got a clue what to do or how to make it better if any one would like to help me out via PM or MSN or something your quite welcome

 

[Bill EWS]

It's a pity that there are no 'correct' electric units or trains available for Eezypeezy's ECML Route, in BVE4.

However, just for fun I have added the 323 to the MF 09.00 Newcastle - Morpeth route file. I know it's incorrect but I just wanted to see an electric working on Eezypeezy's ECML route.

To keep to the Cl142 timings you need to run at 75 mph maximum and even then, due to the fast excelleration of the 323 you arrive at both stations early. But it makes for a nice run.

The 323 struggles to reach it's maximum 100 mph, therefore to see what the unit can do I got it up to 95 mph and cruised in 3rd notch. It arrives in Cramlington a good three minutes early and at Morpeth around 2 minutes early. Therfore this unit would really speed up this service, but perhaps the reason they are not used is due to the performance and economics not being worthwhile on such a service. However, they would do a good job of a semifast service between Newcastle and Edinburgh.

Hopefully, there will be an electric unit and a Class 91 available for this route in due course.

Cheers.

BillEWS

 

[eezypeazy]

We thinking along the same lines, Bill... I did the same with the 323 last night, and got similar results.

Our local politicians have suggested that electric units could provide a Durham - Chester le Street - Newcastle - Manors (peak) - Cramlington - Morpeth local service, but there would be problems. Firstly, the line to/from MetroCentre is not electrified, so passengers would lose that direct link. Secondly, Morpeth trains terminate by running off onto the Blyth & Tyne branch (on the right as you leave Morpeth) and into a siding; this isn't electrified, either, so electric units would need to use the Up loop, causing the Up line to be occupied for considerably longer than the present conflicting move.

Thirdly, the local politicians and South East Northumberland Rail Users Group would like to see the Blyth & Tyne line reopened to a passenger service, initially between Morpeth and Bedlington, using the diesel unit that stands at Morpeth; electric units would be unable to do this.

Fourthly, even though electric units could operate the service and shave up to four minutes or so off the current public timetable, this isn't enough to make any difference to the number of units required for the service. (Even though everyone knows that timetables have a margin built in at terminii to "artificially" ensure trains arrive on time and operators meet their targets, it still wouldn't be enough to make a difference).

Fifthly, capacity on the ECML between Darlington and Morpeth is already very tight. There might be difficulty in finding a suitable through path between Durham and Morpeth. This is already being cited as a problem reopening the B&T via Backworth to Bedlington and Ashington, as an extra path would be needed for this between Newcastle and Benton Junction. (Part of the capacity problem through Northumberland is due to the signalling, which appears to have been done "on the cheap" - using three aspect signals on 125mph sections results in very long signalling blocks, thereby reducing capacity. This will become evident to BVEers with the next release of ECML, which will include a freight turn for 37901 which uses four of the loops, and results in "yellow to yellow" running between Chevington and Alnmouth). (I believe that it's pathing problems which cause the local services I've modelled in the route to have to stand at Newcastle for eight minutes or so).

I'm sure I could go on and find further reasons why it won't happen in the forseeable future.....

In my opinion, the best option would be to electrify the line to MetroCentre (putting in the bay platform at MetroCentre that got quietly forgotten when the new Interchange was built); this would make electrically operated Morpeth-MetroCentre and Durham-Newcastle-MetroCentre services a possibility.... but I'm not holding my breath.....

Regards

eezypeazy

 

[Donny Dave]

In my opinion, the best option would be to electrify the line to MetroCentre (putting in the bay platform at MetroCentre that got quietly forgotten when the new Interchange was built); this would make electrically operated Morpeth-MetroCentre and Durham-Newcastle-MetroCentre services a possibility.... but I'm not holding my breath.....

Regards

eezypeazy

A topic for a debate in NR General discussion there I think....