In December 2019 I created a series of 3 lots to make a Christmas train for the BnS Challenge #221. Some folks liked the idea of adding additional lots to expand the train. Then I had an idea... how about the community collaborating to create The Orient Express (‘murder mystery’ train)? With the support from many talented simmers, this idea developed into reality. Inspired by actual photos, participants created and decorated cars for this train, as well as others. The Alpine train is fictional so designers had more creative freedom. See the destination posts below for details and links to all the creations.
I also hoped to have a special world to showcase the trains. Due to the interest received, and with the CAW talent of Jessabeans, this became a much larger project. We created a world built around the journey of the OE from London - Paris - Venice. Each destination has a station to showcase the train cars decorated by community participants. Players can have their sims 'travel' around the world by moving their sims to the destination train engine cars (or other residential lots) as desired. Each destination also includes a wonderful mix of residential and community lots reflecting popular landmarks and architecture for that city. A great backdrop world for story-tellers as well.
Over a year later we were still building and coping with the impact of the Covid pandemic. Jessabeans, world builder, bowed out to take care of her family and eventually only a few participants remained active. This project was put on hold until March 2024 when KarilynMonroe2 offered to help finish off the world base. A few remaining TS3 creators came on board behind the scenes and we diligently worked on wrapping up unfinished builds and abandoned claims while the world was being tweaked.
@romagi1 I'm glad you've had some time to play after all the work with the base cars! :smiley: All your cars are beautiful, of course. Love the light/dark contrasts in the bar car. Genius how you've connected the three small dining tables together for the longer look in the Vera, and can I book the sleeper car, please?
I've been thinking that everyone did a good job of getting pictures of the little spaces and that I'm a slacker because mine are only in the overheads. haha
Wow @Sandraelle, your black walls and the dark carpet in the L'Orientale are a great contrast for the russet!
@ciane, Love the colors and the walls in Cote D'Azur those wall sculptors are perfect!
@BreeMiles, Fabulous colors and I adore those wall lights you used in Etoile du Nord.
@ciane, What a wonderful layout in your blue sleeper! So many little touches and I had to steal the safe idea for my Luxury suite!
@Sandraelle, love how you went with the jewel colors and your patterns always look amazing! More homey touches in all the compartments!
@suzses, I see your mosaic floor and think it looks fantastic! Such creative ideas in all your cars! Love that pattern on the chairs with the black background in Cygnus! Goes so very well with the mauve.
Minerva, Green being one of my fav colors I simply adore what you did with this one! The bakery window is an awesome touch!
The green dining car has such a homey feel to it. The buffet, all the pictures and having a rug look instead of carpet just pulls it all together!
Great job on the Royal Scotsman Lounge @ciane! The observation deck would be so much fun when traveling on the train. I like how you pulled the suppose to be Lion logo in on the walls!
@suzses, Oh yes, I saw your mosaic floor in your bathroom on the Cygnus and it looks gorgeous (and definitely worth keeping)! I look forward to downloading all these trains for closer looks. I wish now that I had gone with that round tile look floor like you did (or sometimes I just use the round rug and just color it to make it look like tiles). I don't think I mentioned either, but on the Cygnus, I absolutely love how that pattern turned out on your chairs!
For the coupes, I first had my compartments open with tables, but really wanted them to be more private so came up with the couches, lol.
@romagi1, Can't wait to see more detail in your train cars, but wow, all 3 look gorgeous! The green colors in your diner definitely look totally different with that pattern that we both ended up using. And that big bedroom suite on the end of your sleeper, very pretty and so spacious! That's how I wanna travel on a train. I like how you have something alongside the bed in the first room. Are those the backs of chairs? I wanted to put sinks in my sleeper rooms, but nowhere to put them since I put dressers, lol.
Funny how we all ended up choosing some of the things, like lamps or lights, patterns, furniture, etc, but yet every train looks so different and all so elegant! I hope we did Paula proud! LOL (@soocoolsim)
@romagi1 – I love that long gorgeous bar and the way you put the grand piano in between the lounging area and the bar. I also love that dark wood paneling with the gorgeous pattern on top. I second @suzses comment about the genius and the look of merging three round tables together to make a long one! I also love that coffee table choice with the sofas in the private area. And, I agree with @Sandraelle that the first bed with its unique look is very striking and that the suite is just gorgeous. Who doesn’t love that India bed?
The key to great pics in little rooms is to tab into camera mode and get the camera in the little room with the walls up. Then, you can X to pan out and the camera will stay in the room (as long as you have sims you are playing there).
I worked on decorating two more train cars today for the Royal Scotsman. My large family of handy sims are still upgrading, but hopefully, tomorrow...
I wish now that I had gone with that round tile look floor like you did (or sometimes I just use the round rug and just color it to make it look like tiles).
@Sandraelle I'm going to try to remember the round rug idea so I can steal it sometime. ;)
@Jessabeans So, I realized that even though I was trying to limit Store item usage, there's still more in there than I was trying to use. *cough* I made you a list with the Store download links - both the individual item and the basic set (meaning I didn't do combo/compilation kinds of sets). For my stuff, downloading the individual item probably makes sense in most cases, but I know I saw some additional items others used from the same sets, so I thought it might be handy to have the set links. (There are a couple exceptions: I only included the Romanza set link because I used several items there; seemed to make more sense to list Business As Usual Bistro stuff as a set; and flowers I used from Grandpa's Grove can't be downloaded separately, which had I known, I wouldn't have used them..)
I know I used the Bravo Bistro Table from Monte Vista, but I also already knew we were using that world. Sometimes it's hard to tell where Store world items are from, so I hope I didn't use others. I'll try to browse the item lists for the worlds and see if I spot anything. I didn't make a new folder to work on the train cars because they're not so complicated that I thought I'd have a problem keeping track. I just unchecked the stuff packs and ITF in my launcher, so all my worlds are in there.
^ Edited to add: I did turn up a couple things from looking at the worlds' content and added to my list. Seems anything I used that might end up being a problem is on the Minerva. I can make a different version of it for the world if need be.
I started with the Cygnus and placed an asterick beside any item that is also used in one or both of the other cars. I think for you that doesn't matter, but it helped me keep track and not list things more than once. So, the lists get shorter as I go through the other cars, but they definitely use some of the previously listed items.
British Pullman Cygnus
The Big Cheese Coat Rack https://store.thesims3.com/productDetail.html?productId=OFB-SIM3:34098 from Jazz Age Living Room https://store.thesims3.com/setsProductDetails.html?productId=OFB-SIM3:34069§ion=UpSell
Gothique Painting https://store.thesims3.com/productDetail.html?productId=OFB-SIM3:19300&categoryId=13814&scategoryId=11527&pcategoryId=11525&ppcategoryId=11509 from Gothique Living Room https://store.thesims3.com/setsProductDetails.html?productId=OFB-SIM3:19275§ion=UpSell
* Sugar Spice and Everything Nice Wall Shelf https://store.thesims3.com/productDetail.html?productId=OFB-SIM3:56487&categoryId=13814&scategoryId=11531&pcategoryId=11525&ppcategoryId=11509 and Plant Pocket https://store.thesims3.com/productDetail.html?productId=OFB-SIM3:56486&categoryId=13814&scategoryId=11526&pcategoryId=11525&ppcategoryId=11509 both from Mid-Century Modern Dining and Style Set https://store.thesims3.com/setsProductDetails.html?productId=OFB-SIM3:56409§ion=UpSell
* Turn the Tables, Mmmmmm! Cupcakes!, Portable Platter, and Napkin Sculpture all from Romanza Ceremony + Reception https://store.thesims3.com/productDetail.html?productId=OFB-SIM3:22743&categoryId=13814&scategoryId=11519&pcategoryId=11517&ppcategoryId=11509
* One Love Rose in Vase https://store.thesims3.com/productDetail.html?productId=OFB-SIM3:72146&categoryId=13814&scategoryId=11531&pcategoryId=11525&ppcategoryId=11509 from Bohemian Garden https://store.thesims3.com/setsProductDetails.html?productId=OFB-SIM3:72093§ion=UpSell
* Murano Retro and Ripe Fruit Bowl https://store.thesims3.com/productDetail.html?productId=OFB-SIM3:44589&categoryId=13814&scategoryId=11531&pcategoryId=11525&ppcategoryId=11509 from Mid Century Modern Kitchen Marvels https://store.thesims3.com/setsProductDetails.html?productId=OFB-SIM3:44630§ion=UpSell
Superior Pedestal Sink https://store.thesims3.com/productDetail.html?productId=OFB-SIM3:18140&categoryId=13814&scategoryId=11534&pcategoryId=11532&ppcategoryId=11509 from Regal Living Bathroom Set https://store.thesims3.com/setsProductDetails.html?productId=OFB-SIM3:18071§ion=UpSell
Clutter Cutter End Table https://store.thesims3.com/productDetail.html?productId=OFB-SIM3:36075&categoryId=13814&scategoryId=11520&pcategoryId=11517&ppcategoryId=11509 from Mid-Century Fantasy https://store.thesims3.com/setsProductDetails.html?productId=OFB-SIM3:35949§ion=UpSell
* Edwardian Expression Kitchen- Delicacy Server Stand https://store.thesims3.com/productDetail.html?productId=OFB-SIM3:45960&categoryId=13814&scategoryId=11531&pcategoryId=11525&ppcategoryId=11509 from Edwardian Expression Kitchen Set https://store.thesims3.com/setsProductDetails.html?productId=OFB-SIM3:45921§ion=UpSell
Kingdom of Cambodia Bedroom- Higher Illumination Ceiling Light https://store.thesims3.com/productDetail.html?productId=OFB-SIM3:50801&categoryId=13814&scategoryId=11549&pcategoryId=11545&ppcategoryId=11509 from Kingdom of Cambodia Bedroom Set https://store.thesims3.com/setsProductDetails.html?productId=OFB-SIM3:51219§ion=UpSell
* Business as Usual Bistro oven, menus, ceiling light/rack from https://store.thesims3.com/setsProductDetails.html?productId=OFB-SIM3:67573§ion=UpSell
* Ideal of Emptiness Table https://store.thesims3.com/productDetail.html?productId=OFB-SIM3:57693&categoryId=13814&scategoryId=11519&pcategoryId=11517&ppcategoryId=11509 from Itadakimasu! Japanese Inspired Dining https://store.thesims3.com/setsProductDetails.html?productId=OFB-SIM3:57680§ion=UpSell
Aurora LushStyle Waste Receptacle https://store.thesims3.com/productDetail.html?productId=OFB-SIM3:17146&categoryId=13814&scategoryId=11539&pcategoryId=11536&ppcategoryId=11509 from Bayside Bathroom Set https://store.thesims3.com/setsProductDetails.html?productId=OFB-SIM3:16993§ion=UpSell
British Pullman Minerva
* Dolly Door https://store.thesims3.com/productDetail.html?productId=OFB-SIM3:19598&categoryId=13814&scategoryId=11570&pcategoryId=11566 from Hogan’s Deep-Fried Diner Starter Kit https://store.thesims3.com/setsProductDetails.html?productId=OFB-SIM3:19500§ion=UpSell
Slate Slab Lamp https://store.thesims3.com/productDetail.html?productId=OFB-SIM3:37460&categoryId=13814&scategoryId=11546&pcategoryId=11545&ppcategoryId=11509 from Contemporary Comfort Living https://store.thesims3.com/setsProductDetails.html?productId=OFB-SIM3:37325§ion=UpSell
Faire Wall Lamp https://store.thesims3.com/productDetail.html?productId=OFB-SIM3:20404&categoryId=13814&scategoryId=11548&pcategoryId=11545&ppcategoryId=11509 from Faire Folk Den https://store.thesims3.com/setsProductDetails.html?productId=OFB-SIM3:20382§ion=UpSell
* Vineyard Rustica Countertop https://store.thesims3.com/productDetail.html?productId=OFB-SIM3:38086&categoryId=13814&scategoryId=11518&pcategoryId=11517&ppcategoryId=11509 from Mediterranean Villa Kitchen/Dining https://store.thesims3.com/setsProductDetails.html?productId=OFB-SIM3:37984§ion=UpSell
Pastoral Practical Kitchen Shelf https://store.thesims3.com/productDetail.html?productId=OFB-SIM3:23111&categoryId=13814&scategoryId=11531&pcategoryId=11525&ppcategoryId=11509 from Provence https://store.thesims3.com/setsProductDetails.html?productId=OFB-SIM3:22998§ion=UpSell
Cornucopia https://store.thesims3.com/productDetail.html?productId=OFB-SIM3:17102&categoryId=13814&scategoryId=11527&pcategoryId=11525&ppcategoryId=11509 from Hewnsman Bedroom Set https://store.thesims3.com/setsProductDetails.html?productId=OFB-SIM3:16996§ion=UpSell
Jar O' Flowers from Grandpa's Grove (no clue why you can't download this separately - sorry!) https://store.thesims3.com/setsProductDetails.html?productId=OFB-SIM3:70461&categoryId=13570&scategoryId=13570
Coastal Blooms: I thought these were IP, but they're from Sunlit Tides. I do see a mention of a spa using it, so possibly this is ok (although, I guess you can download the spa itself separately). This really doesn't need to be in my lot - I was just looking for something to sit on top of a hallway counter/trash compactor.
Gothic Arches Wallpaper: I see this is from Midnight Hollow. I've already uploaded the lot, but I can shoot you a version with a different wallpaper if this becomes a problem. It took me forever to find one I wanted for this, but something else will be ok, I'm sure.
Royal Scotsman Green Dining
Simply Ultra Sink https://store.thesims3.com/productDetail.html?productId=OFB-SIM3:21001&categoryId=13814&scategoryId=11534&pcategoryId=11532&ppcategoryId=11509 from Ultra Lounge Kitchen https://store.thesims3.com/setsProductDetails.html?productId=OFB-SIM3:20895§ion=UpSell
Steampunk Kitchen- Teaquinology Enjoyulator https://store.thesims3.com/productDetail.html?productId=OFB-SIM3:45944&categoryId=13814&scategoryId=11531&pcategoryId=11525&ppcategoryId=11509 from Steampunk Kitchen https://store.thesims3.com/setsProductDetails.html?productId=OFB-SIM3:45922§ion=UpSell
New Year Rabbit Painting (there's only a set link for this) https://store.thesims3.com/setsProductDetails.html?categoryId=&scategoryId=12890&index=0&productId=OFB-SIM3:33579&pcategoryId=12858&ppcategoryId=12304
Adding another: I realized the upload didn't list the ceiling fan I used in this car, so went hunting it down. It's from Now and Then Century Manor, another venue, of course. If no one else is using anything from that, I could recolor the other ceiling fan that's just from a normal Store set. https://store.thesims3.com/setsProductDetails.html?scategoryId=13570&productId=OFB-SIM3:72479§ion=UpSell
Gwen is beautiful @Sandraelle ! I’ve added the link to the pictures on page 1. Well done! ? Each of your cars is very lovely @romagi1 . Looking forward to seeing these and everyone else’s creations in game. Well done! ?
Lol Sandy. Absolutely am proud of each of you... not only for the beautiful creations you’ve all produced, but your support of each other throughout the process. Without interest this collab would not be possible. I hope others who may have been shy about participating so far would join in to create the Alpine Express ?
Whew, I think I'm about "dining car-ed" out, lol. So this is my final one, a version from the Royal Scotsman. Managed to leave all 4 side doors in on this one, lol. This restaurant just has the full kitchen serving off the menu. I would never haven chosen that plaid carpet, had it not been in the real train, lol.
Store item notes for @Jessabeans: I didn't use anything from any venues, just random individual items. If you end up needing a full list, I'll work on that later. I'm sure there will be a lot of overlapping items that we all use.
EDIT: Haha, I totally forgot to add my menus to my tables. Be back tomorrow, lol.
EDIT2: Fixed my pictures so that they now have the menus! :)
@soocoolsim, Thank you Paula!! Looks like we were writing about the same time again, lol. You thought you were done updating, and then I go and add more stuff to the thread, haha!
So looks like we're done with the Venice and the Scotsman, but we have two more parlour/dining car spots left on the Pullman. Just a thought -- since there are so many dining cars on that train, what about making the last two cars more a parlour/lounge/passenger train (without kitchens)? Just an idea. :)
