Having a key item of infrastructure become obsolete, without a comparable replacement, part-way through a major construction project definitely counts as 'not fun'. Accordingly, I would like to suggest that unless there is some particular reason for the retirement date of the masonry viaduct elevated way (currently Dec 1852), it remain available at least until the appearance of the iron girder elevated way (Jan 1860), which is its natural successor as a midrange elevated track, intermediate in cost and speed between the cheap but slow trestle and the fast but expensive brick.
On the other hand, 1835 seems extraordinarily early for a waytype allowing a speed of 160km/hr. Perhaps the better of the two brick elevated ways should not be available until rather later; if really desired, the introduction date of the other ('early') one could be pushed back (from 1840). The earliest track type with a speed limit higher than the 115km/hr of the slower brick viaduct is improved wrought iron track, 130km/hr in 1855.
Any changes should obviously be mirrored in the corresponding bridge type.
Best wishes,
Matthew
I must admit, I'm a bit surprised that the elevated way types start so early in the game. Elevated wooden trestle roads and railways are available from 1750. Surely that's not historically accurate?
Some of the first public railways were built almost completely on brick viaducts (London to Dartford for example). Before this trestles would have been possible and there'd have been no reason not to have curved structures and junctions on them. Obviously with the low weight limits that a timber structure could support.
Well, the London to Dartford line was built a century after 1750; nevertheless, I take your point. The reason there were few, if any, 18th century elevated ways is presumably that there was no economical demand for them, not that they were not possible. I expect that will be the same in the game. It'll rarely be economically sound to build them, but they're possible if required.
Exactly (note that I did say one of first public railways rather than railways full stop :p ). Early railways should be the last resort when transporting goods - needing almost as much engineering as canals with significantly greater running costs per unit transported. It's only when steam comes on the scene that railways really become viable. The fact that early railway use is so marginal means that extravagances like elevated ways (or bridges and tunnels for that matter) should probably lead to large losses.
I don't think that this issue is unique to Experimental, is it?
Quote from: jamespetts on September 14, 2013, 02:03:36 PM
I don't think that this issue is unique to Experimental, is it?
Assuming that I am reading the correct source for Pak128.Britain standard, the date ranges for elevated ways are quite different from those in Experimental: in the standard version, masonry lasts to 1900, and the better brick doesn't start until 1860 (and never becomes obsolete).
Best wishes,
Matthew