G'day all!

[Blu3wolf]

G'day all! just started using Trainz, and Im after some advice in a few areas. this seemed like the appropriate subforum, but I could be mistaken.

First up, Im trying to recreate Kewdale Freight Terminal in Surveyor, and so far it has crashed 3 times today. Each time, it was as I pressed Ctrl-Z to undo a step. Is this a known bug? my solution so far has been to save every few minutes, but I forgot on this last one... I keep doing the same sections over and over and over... feels like a videogame where you keep losing the game at the same part!

crashes aside, Im wondering if anyone can recommend any 'must have' assets I should be using, either built in ones or ones I can download. As above, I am trying to recreate Kewdale's yard, which is in Western Australia. If I end up finishing it, I guess Ill be moving on to do the rest of the line in WA.

One of the other problems I have had is that of gauge. the yard itself is standard gauge, but the line outside it is dual gauge, SG and NG. I have used the "MAN6" dual gauge tracks to do a small section, but they are not very graphically appealing. Is there a way to create my own dual gauge, or better yet, is there existing dual gauge that looks good?

another of the problems is that of the ballast color. I am trying to match the color of the ballast to satellite imagery as best I can, but it is not very close to the real thing... I guess this comes under "which assets" I should be using.

the other issue is scale. I have imported two screenshots from google earth as the base texture, but the SG tracks are closer together than the SG tracks in Trainz. I used a baseboard of 1km by 1km, and the screenshot was 1km long, so I am not sure where I went wrong.

so. anyone able to give me some advice? Thanks in advance.

 

[cascaderailroad]

I know when I delete a multitrack spline, and press redo, TRS2006 crash's.

I could give you many pointers on laying track via Forum PM, and especially free Skype IM

 

[Blu3wolf]

by all means Im up for free pointers! sent you a skype request.

 

[SD45T-2]

Dual Gauge Track.

I haven't had to lay any, but this is a way to do it.

You lay out all the standard gauge lines first.

Then, you get a narrow gauge track, and lay it so one of the rails on the NG and SG tracks overlap.

Not only will you get the proper look, but diverging the lines is easy, just drag out the NG track away from the SG track, and you have a SG-NG switch.

 

[shaneturner12]

It's not a good idea to use Undo when in Surveyor, as it causes other problems as well, including junctions disappearing/moving.

Shane

 

[Blu3wolf]

Dual Gauge Track.

I haven't had to lay any, but this is a way to do it.

You lay out all the standard gauge lines first.

Then, you get a narrow gauge track, and lay it so one of the rails on the NG and SG tracks overlap.

Not only will you get the proper look, but diverging the lines is easy, just drag out the NG track away from the SG track, and you have a SG-NG switch.

will trains 'detect' each other, for purposes of collision, physics, etc, doing this?

It's not a good idea to use Undo when in Surveyor, as it causes other problems as well, including junctions disappearing/moving.

Shane

much appreciated Shane, I guess if I want to use it I will just have to keep saving every 3 minutes or so.

 

[SD45T-2]

will trains 'detect' each other, for purposes of collision, physics, etc, doing this?

Yes, and no. While the signals will work fine, Trains will phase through each other.

That is I'm assuming no SG-NG Coupling will occur. Then we have a problem.

 

[shaneturner12]

It's unlikely any coupling will happen if the trains are simply passing through each other.

Shane

 

[Blu3wolf]

so far, on the gauge issue, I think I am going to fudge it on the initial layout, and just use the Jointed Rail standard gauge assets to start with.

once I finish it, if I still feel like making the mainlines, I guess I can always learn how to make my own dual gauge like the MAN6 assets - which are dual gauge, sort of... dual track that overlaps and looks like dual gauge, but with the issue that trains driving on the wrong track for their gauge will have wheels in the wrong places, you cannot couple SG and NG (not that that worries me much) and that they will pass through each other (which really DOES worry me!).

on one thread on this forum, I think I saw someone post saying that trainz 12 has a new method of doing dual gauge, but they did not expound upon it. I may have to find that post and PM whoever it was...

 

[boyerm25]

Your problem with the tracks not being the right size is because baseboards are actually 720m by 720m, not 1km by 1km.

 

[Blu3wolf]

um, actually I am using a scenery object 1km by 1km, textured with google earth data.

after checking, I have concluded that the tracks are not the same gauge or are not to scale. 1km of scenery item is 1km of GE, but the tracks are closer together on GE.

ive been there in person, and I know its standard gauge, so im just leaving that alone for now.

 

[Blu3wolf]

so, curve radius.

is a curve radius of 70m too low for a yard turnout? is there a way to calculate the minimum curve radius I can safely use for a given maximum speed?

Im overlaying my track over GE imagery, but I am fairly sure there is a 'break of scale' somewhere, because my rails seem wider and my turnouts sharper. still, if I can lower the yard speed and get by, that will work.

been trying to keep my curve radii in the 3 figures where possible, but sometimes it just does not seem to be so

 

[boyerm25]

Maybe your google earth imagery is zoomed in or out too much.