Romanian Railway Infrastructure - Classic Catenary System
Growing up in Romania, the silhouette of these concrete catenary poles was always a constant part of the landscape. For my current project, I wanted to move away from generic rail assets and recreate this specific communist-era electrification system from scratch.
The challenge was balancing the thin, intricate geometry of the support arms and insulators with game-ready optimization. I spent a lot of time in Blender ensuring the proportions of the concrete poles were accurate, using Gimp to hand-paint the textures to reflect decades of exposure to the elements—porous concrete, rusted metal clamps, and weathered porcelain insulators.
This set includes both long and short cantilever variations, fully optimized for ETS2 with clean topology and baked Ambient Occlusion to ensure they look grounded in the simulation environment.
Main render of the long cantilever pole. Focused on the balance between the heavy concrete base and the intricate tensioning system.
Real-world reference from the Romanian rail network. Matching the specific geometry of these old concrete poles was key for immersion.
Close-up on the assembly. Every clamp, bolt, and porcelain insulator was modeled to reflect the technical reality of the system.
Short cantilever variant. I created multiple modular versions to cover different track configurations on the map.
Detail shot of the short arm assembly, showcasing the weathered metal textures and realistic cable connections.
In-game implementation under a bridge. The baked AO helps the pole blend naturally with the surroundings.
Testing the short variant in-game. Even with the complex wiring, the asset remains highly optimized for performance.
Front wireframe view. Despite the thin wires and supports, the topology is kept clean and efficient.
Side profile wireframe, showing the alignment and technical precision of the catenary system.