Straight From the Box

NORTHBAY COUNTY exists in the northern realms, somewhere between Middle Earth and the North Pole. Its creators, the Trainz Narrowgaugers, wanted it to be an introduction to narrow gauge railroading in Trainz. The layout, which comes complete with rolling stock, is included as part of Trainz TRS2006 and features lots of mining and logging action on rugged terrain with steep grades, switchbacks and beautifully rendered scenery. It also includes dynamic loading/unloading of cars and all the rolling stock you will need to carry out the included scenarios. If you operate in Cab View mode, you will find the steep grades to be a driving challenge as you try to avoid slipping drive wheels and runaway trains on the steep grades. You will also learn to set the brakes (A key) on cars before you uncouple them.

Should your appetite for narrow gauge railroading be sufficiently whetted, you will find additional logging and mining rolling stock and accessories available at the Trainz Download Station (DLS) and at individual websites such as Sirgibby's TrainZone and Prowler�s San Juan Trainz Workz.

Layout

When you first launch Northbay County you may be overwhelmed by all that is packed into 30 baseboards in a 5x6 rectangle. That's approximately 2.5 miles by 3 miles in scale, but packed with track and industries. Until you get used to the layout you will want to make extensive use of the Map function (M key) to see where you are and where you're going.



Basically, the layout consists of Gossen Island, where gold mining takes place and the mines are serviced by the 2-foot gauge Gossen Rail Road (GRR). The railroad carries ore from the Gold Eagle Mine and Lucky Mine to the Old Lucky Mill and Refinery on the mainland. It also brings back coal from the mainland for domestic and mining use.


Two-foot gauge Beyer-Garratt pushes a string of empty ore cars toward the tipples at Princess Mine.


Loading ore cars at Gold Eagle Mine.

The mainland affords lots of logging and coal mining by the Northbay Lumber Company, which operates a 3-foot gauge railroad, the Northbay Lumber Company Railroad (NLC). The NLC hauls coal from the mines to the Rockport Coal Transfer, from where it is taken by the GRR to Gossen Island and by the 3-foot gauge

The NLC also hauls logs from the logging camps to the North Bay Lumber Mill at Rockport and finished lumber products from the mill to Rockport.


Log loader hoisting a log onto a skeleton car at Camp #2.

Danville & Red Gorge West Railroad (D&RGW;) operates from the peninsula to points beyond the layout.

The D&RGW; brings general freight, meat, and mine and mill equipment to its terminus at Rockport; and carries out lumber, fresh fish, coal and gold. The line, which is leased from the NLC, provides area residents with their only rail connection to the mainland beyond the peninsula. (Continued)

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