Creating the Reading : The Infrastructure

Trains need railroad tracks and other infrastructure to run and deliver passengers or freight. My next step was to create this infrastructure for the Reading. I decided to begin the map itself at the main hub of Philadelphia. The exact point of the center of the map is the 9th Street Viaduct, which still stands today, spanning from Temple University to Reading Terminal (which of course is not active today.) The viaduct is active from Green Street to Temple University, under Septa. Since most of the infrastructure stands today, creating the viaduct was going to be very easy due to seeing it in person and Google Maps. I used the same steps in creating the trains as creating infrastructure; using Blender to model, texture using a program such as Substance Painter outside of both, then import to Roblox. I used the rollingstock, such as the coaches, for scaling infrastructure. 

Viaduct Catenary Poles in Blender (Coach for Scaling)

The first piece of infrastructure I built was the catenary poles along the viaduct, which hold the wires for electric powered trains. Once imported, I connected them with wires, creating this : 

Test Scene with the Catenary Poles.

My next piece of infrastructure I built was the viaduct structure itself, which was completed and imported within an hour. 

Viaduct Section + Catenary Pole

    

The next step is to start the scenery around the area, and to extend the map further out than just a single viaduct section.

Creating the Reading : The Rolling Stock

 A locomotive on itself would make no profit. The profit made from trains is what it pulls, which at this point, I had nothing. My next goal was to make passenger coaches for the G-1sa, and any other passenger locomotive I create for the Reading. Creating coaches was much easier than the locomotive, as many are preserved, and due to the great source of information at The Reading Modeler's website (Reading Modeler's Coach Index). Due to the abundance of information on them, and the time period I was modeling (early 1950s) I created the PBr and PBh type coaches. Not even a day into modeling, I was nearly finished the exterior of the coach. 

PBr Passenger Coach (In Progress)

I decided not to put any interior on the coaches, as it would cause lag and I have a system that can be used to board passengers easier. Once done, I imported the coaches to Roblox in the same format as before. The outcome was this : 

Finished PBr Coach

The numbers on the side of the coach was something I implemented very quickly. It is an auto generated numbering system, which adheres to the number of coaches that there were on the Reading. I also implemented it onto the locomotive as well. 

After the coaches were done, I realized I could easily edit them into a combine, or a combined Coach and Baggage car. The Reading Modeler also has a page on the site for combines, which I used. Creating the combine was a quick and easy process, which was completed within two hours. 

Modeling the Combine

Combine on Consist with Coaches and G-1sa

Since I had a basic set of equipment, the next step is to create the basis of the map, including the infrastructure.

Starting the Reading : Rigging the G-1sa

 The main goal of a train is to move passengers or freight. My goal on October 10th, 2021, was to get my G-1sa steam locomotive able to move in Roblox. In Roblox, you have a series of constraints you can use to link together moving parts. These include but are not limited to Hinge, Ball and Socket, and Ropes/Rods. I began by researching what type of valve gear, or how the rods worked, on the G-1sa. 

I found that the G-1sa used Walschaerts Valve Gear, a common type of valve gear for this type of steam locomotive. 

(Walschaerts Valve Gear in action)

I began with using hinges to connect the wheels to the axles, and the main rod to the three driving wheels. I then connected the connecting rod (the rod that goes to the crosshead) to the crosshead (the part that pushes into the main piston.) This was the outcome (the white on the wheels is a guide so I know the center of the wheel.) 

(Starting Valve Gear)

Since this worked, I continued with creating the rest of the valve gear. This was the final outcome of it, which worked perfectly. 

(Final Valve Gear)

The next step in the process would be to get the locomotive itself moving, which was a very easy task as I already had a system for it that I scripted. This used a force built into Roblox to propel the locomotive forward, as the wheels used friction to drag across the ground and move themselves. This was the outcome of putting the system onto the locomotive.

(Valve Gear + Moving System in action)

The overall "base" of the G-1sa was complete at this point, and all that was left to do was to do the scripting for functions of the steam locomotive. However, this will come later, as it is not that important at the moment. The next thing to do was to create rollingstock, or things the locomotive could pull, such as coaches.   

Starting the Reading : Modelling the G-1sa

 For most of my life, I have been interested in railroading and how it works. I have also been interested in designing and 3d modelling for a good portion. During most of the pandemic, this is what I did. A while ago, me and a few others decided to try and recreate most of the Reading Lines System, which spanned from Philadelphia to many points across the northeast. I have used Roblox (which is mostly known as a kids platform today due to their target audience) for my builds. I use Blender, a 3d modelling program, to model the assets, then import them to Roblox in somewhat of a plug and play system. In September of this year, I began creating assets. The first asset was a Reading G-1sa, a passenger steam locomotive built in the late 1920s, lasting until around the late 1950s. About a week into creating it, this is the progress I had. 

     (Progress as of 9/22/21)

(Progress as of 9/30/21)

Over the coming weeks, I continued at a steady progress, finishing the model by the beginning of October. The main issue in this entire project would be reference photos and overall finding correct information of whatever is being modeled. I searched mainly Facebook groups containing people who actually used the Reading, and others who worked for it posting their insights and photos. Photos such as these : 

(From the Friends of the Reading Railroad Facebook Group)

helped greatly, as technical drawings from 1920 were not sufficient.

The next step in building the G-1sa was bringing it into Roblox, the platform that the game itself would be on. To make the locomotive itself pop and overall look better, before importing, I used Adobe Substance Painter, a paid texturing program, to texture the locomotive and give it an older grimy look. 

In early October, I began importing the locomotive.  

(First part of the locomotive imported into Roblox, 10/3/21)

I continued importing the locomotive, and this is how it came out.

(Fully imported G-1sa)

The next step of the process was to create the tender of the locomotive. I used the same steps as before, in the same order, to create the tender within 2 days. 

(Tender in Progress)

 

(Tender Completed + Locomotive)

The static version of the G-1sa was now complete. The next step is to make the locomotive work, which will be written about in the next part.