Category: Reviews

At the start of April I paid a (long overdue) visit to the Zany Zen Railway (see: Letting off steam with Zany Zen Railway in Second Life). During my chat with the ZZR’s owner and operator Zen Swords-Galway (ZenriaCo), she made mention of Dizzi Sternberg, who helped her with scripting elements of the ZZR.

At the time, I didn’t actually realise that Dizzi runs a narrow gauge railway of her own, the Valkyrie Light Transport Railroad  Having since been made aware of this, I decided to hop over and take a look.

Unlike ZZR,the VLTRR is located on a single region – Lexicolo – rather than crossing multiple regions.  However, it is every bit a busy – and in places as novel – as the ZZR, running both goods trains and passenger services on a central looped track that includes several branches, and even elephants trundling around their own route (I did say it was novel!).

Now around 14 years old, the VLTRR is an entirely scratch-built narrow gauge railway, part of the Great Little Trains of Second Life network – a small group of enthusiast who celebrate everything about narrow-gauge railways. Dizzi developed it with her SL partner, NightShade Fugu and Janet Rossini.

The best place to start a visit is the VLT Main Depot. This see passenger and goods trains passing through it  together with the VLT trams, giving visitors a choice of rides.

A lot of work has cone into the layout – working trains run back and forth between yards and mines, and steam trains of a bygone era huff their way around the tracks while a Double Fairlie loco – perhaps most popularly associated with the Ffestiniog Railway in Wales hauls a couple of passenger cars and a caboose. The latter and the trams are available for riding around the main loop – although be aware that the trams may head into the sidings from time to time to allow another to take to the tracks.

Given the age of the VLTRR, the rolling stock is an interesting mix of prim and mesh builds with some of the older units possibly dated in looks – but if this is your focus, you’re missing the point. Much of this rolling stock has  – as Dizzi informed me – been running continuously around the clock for 14 years (allowing for region restarts!)  to cover a distance equivalent to a journey to the Moon!

As well as offering rides around the track, the VLTRR also offers access to the Aerodrome Amilia Earhart, owned and operated by Lady Meirit (Meirit). Built around the idea of an airfield first opened in the 1930s, it offers the chance to take in various historic aircraft dating from that period through World War II, both real and fictional, including a Supermarine S.6B of Schneider Trophy fame, a Free French Dewoitine D.520, Tiger moths, Lockheed Model 10s (appropriately enough).

The VLTRR is one of a number of rides and attractions Dizzi, NightShade and Janet provide within Lexicolo. A significant part of the region is given over to their passion for Norse history, including a number of rides, whilst tucked into a corner of the region is a theme park and a further train ride – this one modelled on Dizzi’s favourite Swiss Alpine narrow gauge track. All of this can be accessed from the main store and portal platform, where anyone wishing to have a narrow gauge railway on their own land can also purchase complete sets.

Compact and rich in history, the VLTRR is an engaging mainland visit and offers a gateway to a lot more that is waiting to be found.

SLurl Details

• Valkyrie Light Transport Railroad (Lexicolo, rated General)

Shawn Shakespeare pointed me in the direction of La Vallee, a Homestead region held by Som (Sominel Edelman) and home to his business Landscapes Unlimited – the in-world store for which is located overhead within the region.

The reason Shawn gave me the nudge is that currently the ground level of the region is sporting a design by Isha (Sablina), a talented region design whose work encompasses the likes of La Virevolte, Ponto Cabina, Field of Dreams – all of which have featured in articles in this blog – and, most recently a design on behalf of Gnaaah Xeltentat for Florence at Low Tide (see: Spring at Florence in Second Life).

La Vallee is a design that serves two purposes: the first is to demonstrate Som’s latest off-region surround, the Alpine Valley MEGA, which goes on sale from May 1st; it’s also as a setting for exploration and – for those so inclined  – for entering Som’s “50K Photo Contest” that is focused on the setting.

As with the majority of Sablina’s designs, this is an incredibly restful setting, a tall island rising from the midst of a lake guarded by a ring of high alpine peaks where snow yet nestles in the folds and dips of rock where the snow has yet to fully penetrate.

The island rises fairly tall and sheer from the waters, although on the west side, the lower reaches of the island slope more gently down to the water’s edge, reached by a switch back path of hard granite that drops away from the paved path that runs across the island’s saddle between its two peaks.

The first, and lower, of these peaks is home to the landing point: a small country station that faces a thatched-roofed cottage across a single line of track. An old steam loco is huffing its way towards this terminus across the high stone viaduct that connects island to the rest of the land (actually the region surround); but no passenger service is this – there are no cars riding along behind the loco’s tender.

The taller of the two peaks is home to a pair of farm houses that sit together within a low wall of stone that rings them, a couple of gaps within its circumference offering the means to wander to the very edge of the cliffs. Pass through one of them, and you’ll find it also offers anther path that winds around the peak, outer edge marked by lengths of drystone wall to eventually return to the steps that lead up to the farmhouses.

This path is one of two that ring the peak, the second sits lower, reached by a crossroads in the path lining the farmhouses with the railway station. It offers a pleasing walk with plenty of views, together with a number of vignettes and places to sit and pass the time.

Those who want to can wander further can fly over to the smaller island to the west – but keep in mind this actually blends with the region surround, so be careful of where you walk.

The beauty of this region really doesn’t require the level of description given here – its the kind of place that really speaks for itself during a visit. So with that in mind I’m going to say no more other than suggest that if you haven’t already done so – be sure to take the time to jump over and pay a visit. For those interested, a board at the landing point provides a a link to the region’s landing point – although specifics are a little light in terms of prizes, etc.

Slurl Details

• La Vallee (Landscapes Showcase, rated Moderate)