M300: Bucharest – Brasov Route

Romania’s most iconic mountain railway, recreated with real-world accuracy for an immersive simulation experience.

PROJECT STATUS

Completed

AUTHORS

Suv, negru13, Zsolti, Alexandru Baiu, i29

PROGRESS

100%

Last Update:

December 15, 2024

Published on:

December 15, 2024

3

SIMULATOR

Train Simulator Classic

Route

M300: Bucharest – Brasov Route

Bucharest North railway station

This image shows one of the first stable exports of the asset. You can also notice the first Romanian alpha-based tracks using the S49 concrete model. The catenary wire was a default one, used only for testing.

Inside the station

This image showcases the result of extensive photo processing. All textures were cleaned to remove people and unwanted lighting artifacts.

Bucharest station seen from Basarab overpass

Here you can see the early stages of track placement and the modeling of key elements in the area.

Bucharest train management dispatch building

Although no longer in use, this building remains an important landmark. You can also see the overpass from below, without catenary consoles installed.

The bridge seen from Basarab station place

This is where the Basarab railway station was planned, mainly for commuter trains or those that do not fit into Bucharest North.

Basarab overpass

This bridge was created in just one weekend using original blueprints. It is an important landmark, replacing the old pedestrian bridge.

Night lightning of the bridge

Lighting is an essential feature of the simulator, and special attention was given to decorative illumination.

Google Maps decals

These decals were used to correctly position objects and maintain accurate scale.

The first catenary bridge

One of the first catenary bridges created, originally from Buftea station. It is optimized using alpha planes for better performance.

Bucharest catenary bridge

A native Bucharest-style catenary bridge inspired by Russian systems.

First apartment building

A modernized building near the station. Removing trees from the texture was particularly challenging.

Same model of buildings

All buildings along the boulevard share the same structure, making the work easier.

Under the bridge

A view from beneath the Basarab overpass, showing clear progress.

Catenary bridges in their place

You can also see the Grant overpass and nearby buildings in the distance.

End of line – top view

Bucharest North seen from the top of the bridge, with the satellite decals placed on the ground.

Buildings on the other side

These buildings are a recognizable landmark and cannot be missed when arriving at the station.

Second line of buildings

To accurately reproduce the area, we decided to also create the second line of background buildings.

This was a very difficult part of the project due to the lack of information on how to create a proper skydome. After many weeks of testing and processing textures, we achieved a decent level of detail. This image shows an early version that was later discarded due to poor resolution.

The storm is near

When creating the sky from scratch, it was also necessary to develop a storm version. This is a combination of cloudy and stormy conditions.

The storm clouds did not perfectly match the skydome, and the issue can be observed at the seam.

Much better sky

An improved intermediate version, later abandoned due to resolution limitations despite better cloud variation.

Catenary wires and right-side buildings

To achieve more realistic wires, we had to abandon the RailWorks loft system. This required manually placing every wire on the catenary consoles, which was very time-consuming.

Bucharest Basarab railway station

Although smaller than Bucharest North, this station required a significant amount of work, especially on sidings and textures.

Basarab railway station on the ground

In the end, it fit perfectly into its place on the map, allowing us to continue with further assets like vegetation.

First Romanian black poplar trees

This tree is very common in Romania, especially along railways and roads. We tested multiple shaders and shapes to achieve realistic results. Due to its height, capturing accurate textures required better photography. We also experimented with SpeedTree, but the results were not satisfactory.

Leaving North station

Once the tracks and catenary were ready, the focus shifted to placing infrastructure elements and building the foundation of the route.

Summer TMV signals

After deciding to prioritize functionality, we began developing the signaling system. Dălin created the initial 3D models, while I worked extensively on textures and scripting. One major issue was signal visibility, which was initially very limited. After extensive testing, we managed to increase visibility up to 3 km.

Custom signal behavior was implemented to closely match real-life railway operations.

Custom signal for North station

This signal includes speed indication, direction, and track number, making it more complex and realistic.

Something green

One of the first grass assets created. Vegetation was initially a lower priority. Andrei started working on a vegetation pack but did not finish it, so external assets were later used.

This flower pack was not created by us but integrates well into the environment.

Ground textures

A major challenge was how the simulator blends ground textures. These tests show how multiple textures are combined to avoid repetition.

Tracks and junctions

Example of the first S49 track and a junction. The downside is that sleepers are automatically generated in 2D.

Used mostly in rail yards, with an oily and worn appearance. Very low-poly but visually similar to 3D tracks.

Wooden track variation

Each track type has at least one variation to better fit different situations.

Bucharest Locomotive Depot

To enhance realism, we also created the Bucharest locomotive depot, allowing players to start directly from this location.

Bucharest roundtable

The turntable allows locomotives to be rotated and directed into repair halls.

Depot control center

This includes the depot control building and resting areas for train drivers.

The exit area includes inspection pits where locomotives are checked and cleaned.

Roundtable in action

While on the turntable, you can control the direction and select the track for exiting the depot.

About the project

Bucharest – Brasov is one of the most important railway sections in Romania, part of CFR’s M300 main line, which has a total length of 647 km. The main line connects Bucharest with the Hungarian border near Oradea and passes through Ploiești, Brașov, Sighișoara, Teiuș and Cluj-Napoca. The section between Bucharest and Ploiești is shared with CFR line 500.

The Bucharest – Brasov section was upgraded between 2007 and 2011, bringing several improvements to the infrastructure along the route.

Towns crossed on the Bucharest – Brasov route are Bucharest, Buftea, Ploiești, Băicoi, Câmpina, Breaza, Comarnic, Sinaia, Bușteni, Azuga, Predeal, Săcele and Brașov.

With the release of RailWorks 2: Train Simulator in 2010, new possibilities opened up for the railfan community, including us, as we were already experienced in developing assets for the older Trainz Simulator.

We started this project in 2012 with only four team members, all determined to create the most realistic and accurate railway simulation ever made in Romania.

At that time, the team consisted of Marian (Suv) – route builder, Adrian (negru13) – 3D modelling and scripting, Andrei (Empyro) – research and documentation, and Dalin – 3D modelling and documentation.

Even so, progress has been quite slow due to the lack of resources and reference materials. We had to build everything from scratch, including terrain, rails, ground textures, catenary, sky, clouds, and more.

The turning point came when I created the 3D model of Bucharest North railway station. It was a very challenging task due to its size and complexity. The station was created in about two months, using hundreds of photos for textures, which were later processed and mapped onto the model.

Custom Sounds

3D Vegetation

Detailed Landmarks

Real-World Scenarios

Dynamic Weather and Seasons

Realistic stations

Rolling Stock

Perfect for All Skill Levels

technical specs

Length

166 km

Stations

33

Electrificated

Full

Comments

Share your impressions, suggestions, or ideas for this project.

Comments

Write a Reply or Comment Cancel reply

You must be logged in to post a comment.

50%

060-EA 400014-3 ICOL CSAM

— view —

50%

50%

OBB SGP-Eurofima First Class Pack

— view —

50%

60%

477-871-4 Pasărea Măiastră

— view —

60%

100%

M300: Bucharest – Brasov Route

— view —

100%

100%

060 – EA 476-692-5

— view —

100%

40%

22-76 Passenger Cars Full Pack

— view —

40%