Behind the scenes - Researching the Black5 Cab
The Severn Valley Railway (SVR) is located in the heart of the West Country, running steam and diesel locomotives on the route between Kidderminster and Bridgnorth. Bridgnorth is where the Kuju Rail Simulator team went to get a first hand and close up look at the Black 5.
The Severn Valley Railway was a natural choice for the Kuju team – an operational Black 5, running on a full size standard gauge line. We know that they have already been involved in rail simulations as their Kidderminster to Bridgnorth line, featured as an add-on route for MSTS
Contacting the SVR through their website, the KRS teams were put through to the Traffic Manager, Dewi Jones, who scheduled a guided tour of the Black 5 for a day during the summer of 2005. This allowed enough time for the KRS team to spend a few hours photographing and studying the engine.
With complex objects like the Black 5, the artists wanted as many photos as possible of both outside and inside the cab to really understand the shape of the engine and controls.
Senior Artist Gray Poyda summaries the importance of visiting Severn Valley Railway: “With a place like SVR, there’s so much on offer other then the Black 5 that all helps in studying the engine, a place like this helps put the Black 5 in context, how it fits on the rails and getting an idea of the sheer size of the engine as it moves. The opportunity to see this train first hand allows the artists to really get inspired; the Black 5 becomes a real solid object, much more than just a name.”
The KRS artists needed to gather source material for texturing their 3D models of the Black 5, so by photographing textures (i.e. the metalwork of the engine) perpendicular to the surface of the engine meant that less distortion is gained in the photograph, and therefore less work is required when applying these textures in the 3D model of the Black 5.
Visiting SVR on this particular day was also beneficial to the Black 5 research team in a number of ways. The ideal conditions for photographing any object were met; overcast and cloudy, but bright enough to produce soft and diffused light that’s uniform. Direct or very bright light can create strong shadows which makes the artist’s life difficult.
SVR is an acclaimed railway provider that has even featured on TV! The idyllic route travels through part of the country that can’t be seen from the road, and with services running every weekend of the year and daily during the summer the SVR has managed to grow into a successful leisure business. Nearly all those who work at the SVR are volunteers giving up their free time to maintain the daily running of SVR. Preservationist have kept the railway intact since 1965, 100 years after SVR ran as a transport business, and after buying back stock and track from commercial businesses, most of the route that dates back to 1862 is now restored.
To read more about Severn Valley Railway and the special events they hold throughout the year, check out their website at http://www.svr.co.uk
Lastly the Rail Simulator team would like to thank the Severn Valley Railway for their hospitality during the visit and continued support throughout the development of Rail Simulator.
Rail Simulator Team