So my final project for my AutoCAD 2009 3D modeling class is a train car called CPRR1 that some of you may be familiar with. I've modeled it in Blockland before and drawn many, many plans and renderings of it over the years, but I've never tried to do as detailed a model as AutoCAD allows. I'll be posting renders as I go; here's two to start you out as teasers. Enjoy.

Are you doing this in Autodesk Inventor or are you doing 3D in AutoCAD, which is to my knowlegde meant for 2D work? From my experience SolidWorks is much more powerfull than AutoDesk Inventor, but I's never done any 3D stuff in AutoCAD so I wouldn't know how it compairs to SolidWorks in that respect.

Also those teaser render's are pretty haut, you must have some extensiv knowledge of that train to be able to make such acreate models.

What the hell is "acreate"? Were you looking for "accurate"? They don't even sound similar, so its not like you even sounded the word out. What the hell man?

@Kerm: Cool. Do you not have the complete train car, hence the close-up on specific parts?

also, extensiv and haut
Kerm: I like the fans on top.

Well, I designed it in the first place, so I should hope I can make an "acreate" model. It's AutoCAD 2009, not Inventor, which while not the best program ever for 3D modeling is quite capable and full-featured. I have the wheel sets, the pantograms, the fans, the front windshield, and the tracks all done, but I chose not to show the chassis in those pictures since it looks much less impressive than those two details.

Sorry about my spelling fail.

Anyways, I didn't realise that you had designed it, I had thought it was based off of a real train not something of your own creation. Yeah I have mainly used older versions of AutoCAD, the ones before it gained 3D functionality.

Well, the features are based on the correct construction of real trains, but the exact chassis and the internal layout is of my own design.

Now is a fantastic time for me to broach the subject of openttd (http://openttd.org). You should totally make some renderings of that to put in the game. You even get to use a form of Assembly language!

Seriously, have any of you ever played openttd (or similar)? I definitely recommend it, even though it has a somewhat hard learning curve.

ooo, OpenTTD looks cool

It's very cool. And it has so much more than trains. There's a lot to understand, but my favorite thing about it is the way that it can, in fact, all be understood. When you do, it doesn't stop being fun, it just gets better. You can add to the game, or push the limits of what you already have.

Oooh, that looks like a lot of fun; I will have to check it out?

You will have to check it out (since you phrased that as a question).
You can play multiplayer over the internet (in addition to the already plenty fun single player mode) collaboratively or competitively (or a combination, i.e. teams). I'm always trying to get new people to play, because I think it is a great game that deserves a large following (not to mention user contributed extensions, which you all should definitely get into making!), but it's not very popular in America.
Actually, it is a little weird, but the game seems really popular in Europe. Most of the players on the online servers are Danish, Dutch, German, etc. I guess they just must like trains (and planes and ships and trucks and trams) more over there.

Maybe I should start a topic in the "reviews" section and see how many people I can get interested in this game...

Anyway, until then, if you want to try playing on your own but don't know where to begin, I highly recommend checking out the wiki at http://wiki.openttd.org/. Some of it might be a little out of date, because a MAJOR new version was released this week that added some great new features to the game, but some of them might not have been documented there yet. Still, its a good resource if you want to learn about traditional "Block" signaling (and the complicated junctions needed when using that type of logic) and has some information about the benefits of Path Based Signaling (PBS), although it does lack pictorial descriptions of more complicated track layouts using PBS (check in the discussion pages, though, because sometimes someone will post a really helpful explanation or image there).

I've been doing a bit more work on this; although the chassis and interior are progressing smoothly, they're not really ready for your critiquing, so I did a quick render of the tracks, both trucks, the pantographs, and the windows that are in place.

not too shabby

Nice Kerm, I wonder how hard this would be to replicate in Blender...

I'd assume it would depend both on one's skill level with Blender and the detail in any renders and plans given to the modeler.

Yeah I was thinking the same thing for Solidworks. When you finish this Kerm maybe you could post some plans so other can give it a try.

I'd love to, that would exercise my AutoCAD skills some more. Very nice idea.

Edit: A quick render of capacitors for regenerative braking, batteries, fuel tank, and placeholders for the engines, alternators, and secondary alternators installed. I need to do a little more bodywork, bump down the shininess, and post an exterior render tomorrow.

24-hour bump time! Here's some more renders for your viewing pleasure, including the chassis, inner walls, and updated alternators and engines.

*Bumpity bump* Did a lot of work on the chassis, add horns, wanted to show off the two engines with some more ductwork as well as the pairs of primary and secondary alternators: