This project has developed ships and barges that are able to transport locomotives and rolling stock across a river or water area. Other assets to make a complete operational system have also been developed.
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Cross River Transport of Rail Cars by Ferry and Barge Following experimentation with loading rail cars on to ferries and barges, and then transporting them across a river for unloading on the other side, a working system is available. The following pictures and text explain the operation, and ships and objects are updated for operations in TRS2004. Most objects are available for download. Please note that some will only operate in TRS2004. See the bottom of the page for details. |
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Introduction Previous ships and standards: earlier static and driveable ships are placed relative to the sea bed. The standards used are: Ground level zero (0 Metres); Water level -3.0 metres; and Seabed at -10.0 metres. The critical dimension is 7 metres between seabed and water level. This allows enough water depth for realism, and a 3 metre river bank is sufficient to allow wharf details to be used, without the terrain transition from -10 metres being too steep. Refer to the Shipping Download page for more information. |
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New Operations These dimension are retained for the new ferry operations, with new maritime objects placed in 7 metres of water. However, the new ferries operate on invisible track set to the same level as that on land (level 0 metres), the level of the deck. These ships cannot be placed on the same track splines as the previous driveable ships. A train is driven to the dock so the rail cars face the water, the ferry is piloted to the dock wall and rail cars are shunted on to the ferry deck. There is no actual track on the ferry. The invisible track starts at the dock face. The rail cars will couple with a coupler placed near the far end of the ferry (seaward end). The cars that fit on the deck are then uncoupled so the locomotive can back away. |
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Loading Locomotives are usually too heavy to be used on docks and ferries so include a number of spacer cars between the loco and rail cars to be transferred, for realism, and interesting shunting on the dock. Ferries and Barges only load and unload at one end, a function of how couplers operate. This means that they must be turned around to travel to and unload at another dock. Generally, a Wye turning track would be used, but this has some issues, discussed below. It is only possible to have single track on the ferries, as the ferry is a rail car with only two couplers. The ferry apron has dual track for loading so you can choose which track you load and unload from - I suggest use one for loading and the other for unloading, but they are too close together to have two ferries in port at once. |
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Models Available Two rail ferries; A barge (unpowered) to be loaded with rail cars; A tugboat for pushing the barge; A number of red and green navigation buoys that can be used to mark the invisible track on the water surface; An invisible turntable for rotating the ships as needed (see below); A spline of bollards for guiding ships into docking Docks, ferry apron and housing to make wharf structures are already available. A simple sample layout using these components is available so you can understand the operations, see be low. |
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Issues To make the operation work, the couplers on the ferry model are relocated - one is in the normal position and the other is very close to it near the same end, away from the dock. Dummy bogies have been spaced to minimize movement problems of the rail cars during transport. Both the ferries and the rail cars try to follow the invisible track curves, spanning a chord of the curve through their respective bogeys. On sharp curves this causes the rail cars to move laterally on the deck surface. Large radius curves in the invisible track must be used to minimize this behavior. The number of cars that can be transported on a deck may need to be limited to minimize side movement. |
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Invisible Turntable An invisible turntables, span 80 metres, can be placed on the sea bed, joining with the invisible track. These can rotate the ferry or tug/barge combination in 60 degrees increments, so the use of sharply curved track is minimised. The turntable has two navigation beacons at 90 degrees to the track, 50 metres either side, that will assist you in locating the centre of the turntable when driving. The rotation is prototypical as many ferries rotate on the spot using side thrusters, to align with docks. Note that there are separate turntables for use in UTC and TRS. |
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Invisible Turntable 2 It is quite difficult to locate and use the arrows to turn the table, as larger ships can hide them. The table is best used in TRS2006, where driver rules to operate the turntable in AI are available. These rules apply to lift tables and turntables, for a full explanation, please refer to the Project page: |
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Navigating Red invisible track is available in UTC, showing red in Surveyor. TRS has additional invisible track that is invisible in Surveyor as well as Driver. These tracks do not show while driving (good) nor in the minimaps (bad). This makes it difficult to navigate. You can place some of my navigation buoys to assist, with red or green flashing lights that show up at night. I have created new coloured track that shows in Surveyor and the minimap, but is invisible in Driver. It is only invisible in Driver in TRS2006.. Track switches (points, turnouts) levers do show above the water surface. |
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Placement of Track Rail track is placed on level land, at 0 metres at the shore line, and making the track finish at right angles to the shore or dock. I have a number of models on the Auran Download Station that you can use to make a shore transfer facility: dock walls, a ferry apron, and a ferry housing building to be placed over the apron (to simulate the building to adjust dock level for tidal water). You can also place points (switches) in the ferry apron. The apron is height adjustable and should be placed at level 0 metres. Make the sea bed at level -10 metres over all the operational areas (other static and drivable ships can also use this area). |
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Placement 2 Arrange a number of docking or unloading areas at various locations on the river bank or sea shore, where the rail track on land terminates. Remember to finish at right angles to the dock so the ferry or barge can dock properly. It is best to lay all track before water is placed, or remove the water locally when adjusting track and objects later. Place the turntables a little way off the dock so the ship can back out on to the turntable, rotate and drive off in the forward direction. Align the turntable track with the track direction. Join invisible (or coloured) track to the rail on land and to the turntable track. Place points in the track for multiple routes, remembering to make all curves large radius, and incorporate Wye turnaround track where required. |
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Placement 3 If you run a track near parallel to the river bank, you could make a small dock that juts out into the river, but at 90 degrees to the shore. The ferry can then run in, load, back off, and because the main track is parallel to the shore, you only need to deviate 15 degree or so to clear the dock and continue. The invisible track will initially sit on the sea bed, so place additional nodes that you can adjust for height, to raise it to level 0 metres. Track marker and switch levers for each consist are necessary in UTC but you can place rollingstock directly in Surveyor in TRS. When finished placing track and objects, place water at level -3 metres. |
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Driving or Piloting Place all consists, make sure the trains, ships and barges face the correct direction. If you connect the tugboat to the barge on the wrong end, you will find them sitting on top of each other in Driver, as the couplers are both down one end of the barge. The coupling position at the rear of the tugboat is some 10 metres behind the boat. This simulates a towline attached to a ship that you might wish to pull with the tug. The barge has a rope bollard in the middle of the dead end of the barge deck - load from the other end. Most barges were pushed by tugboats. |
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Driving 2 Shunt the cars on to the barge or ferry. Use low speed or the train will push the barge away from the dock. Uncouple the cars on the ferry and drive the loco back off the dock. You can now drive off with the rail cars on the barge or ferry. Practice docking carefully, as the ferries will drive through the dock if speed is too high! |
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Placing Track and Ferries Place the train and the ferry or barge on the track. |
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Driving Train on to Ferry You cannot just leave the cars in the middle of the ferry, they must couple at the rear of the ferry. |
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Uncoupling Train Drive the locomotive away from the ferry. The ferry and cars may not be driven away. Failure to wait for the train to stop before uncoupling can make the cars fall into the water. |
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Cab Control The ferries and tugboats have interior views, but no interior controls. The alternative camera positions assist driving and coupling. Use the [ and ] keys to change between interior views. Navigate the ship using the point levers, additional navigation buoys that you have placed and the turntable navigation beacons, and the minimap. When you have positioned the ship or tug/barge in the turntable centre, you may use the red arrows to turn the table. The default rotations are 0 and 180 degrees. Amendments may be made to the TRS Turntable config file to use the extra track attachments at 60 degree increments. See the readme file for the turntable for information. Some large ships will obscure the red turning arrows. When you have rotated, you can drive off to the next dock and unload. Repeat the process of loading and unloading as you wish. |
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Downloading Previously Issued Models Other maritime objects are very useful, as described above. These are already available on the Auran Download Station, using the following direct links. Please see the readme files included with the models. Ferry Apron Ferry Apron Housing Dock Wall - Steel Sheet Pile Dock Wall - Rock Dock Wall - Timber Timber Jetty |
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About the new Ships and Objects Rail Ferry - single track ferry with lights, smoke, wake and interior (multiple views) Tugpusher - interior, smoke, wake and external views included Barge - unpowered vessel for loading rollingstock Invisible Turntable with navigation Markers - for turning the ships (picture shows locating beacon) Bollards - spline for directing ships to a berth Navigation Buoy Red and Green - with flashing lights, for placement as required, to guide your piloting. |
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Downloading New Models Ships and objects are being modified for use with TRS2004. Some links below may not work until the models are finished. Models may be useable in either UTC and TRS, or both. Please make sure you use the correct model. Rail Ferry UTC Rail Ferry TRS Tugpusher UTC and TRS Rail Barge UTC Rail Barge TRS Invisible Turntable UTC Invisible Turntable TRS (coming) Bollards UTC and TRS Navigation Buoys UTC and TRS |
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UTC Test Layout (Map) A very simple UTC layout has been made with the objects placed so you can understand how things work together. The image has been taken from the map. There is no scenery, only water routes, the dock objects and turntables, and track on land to place locos and rail cars. I have placed some sharp track curves to show how the rail cars are effected. Navigation buoys have not been included in the map. Cross River UTC A map with the TRS objects has not been completed. |
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Additional Ferry
This is a train and car ferry based on the Holder Danske, a Danish vessel. A static model is also available, with night lights. See the Download Shipping page to download the ship. |