3D Modeler's notes on the Memorial Edition Class 91

As some of you may know, that while I now live on the “other side” of the Atlantic, most of my youth was spent in the UK, and this is the reason I design British trains. Prior to Sept 11th, Sean Lim (who also lives on this side but has a great interest in British trains) and myself had teamed up to make a new train for the game. I’d make the model and Sean would make the texture maps, putting our resources in the best place as it were. And the model was coming along nicely.

However on Sept 11th 2001, I woke up to the first bit of terrible news from New York City. As time wore on I found myself racked by a variety of emotions and feelings, as I’m sure most of us did. A day or two after these terrible events, I wanted to do something for a variety of reasons. I wanted to pay tribute to the victims, to the rescue workers, and express my shock and outrage.

After reading a lot of the comments in the Train-Sim forums, I decided to do a memorial locomotive as one of my ways of paying tribute. Since Sean and I were working on this train together, I decided to see what his feeling were on the subject and this locomotive is the result.

Sincerely,
James Hunt.

Texture Designer's notes on the Memorial Edition Class 91

When James first approached me a day or so after Black Tuesday about dedicating this model (which was under development at that time) to the victims of the tragedy, my initial reaction was negative. I did not feel that this hobby was an appropriate political platform.

However, Train Simulation is about modeling the real world. Everyone in the hobby is trying to replicate real equipment or practices that was either in use or still being used. We all live in the real world and speaking for myself, I would be lying if I were to say that being an American that I was not profoundly affected by the events that transpired on Tuesday, September 11th, 2001. Our world changed on that day.

Everywhere I look today, our nation's flag is flown proudly from nearly every type of vehicle or building, and I am certain on some locomotives too. The simulation would in this light, be a wholly appropriate forum to express our outrage and grief.

With these thoughts in mind, when we set out to design the texture we hoped to express in the design the feelings of:

• Grief / Sadness
• Anger / Defiance
• Hope / Unity / (International) Friendship

But above all else a "Love of Country" and the firm resolve of a nation of Free People to never allow something like this to happen again in America or any other country in the world.

The yellow ribbon around the train, James' idea, is a symbol to remind ourselves and the world that "AMERICA WILL REMEMBER".

Sean Lim (aka TrackDancer) 09-18-01