Problem with Track Alignment

[Approach_Medium]

Hi all;
I have been working on my monster route which was created with Transdem, and I have been noticing that even after I grade the track, some of the splines do not turn yellow.
Upon closer inspection, I see to my horror that many of my track segments do not line up. The rails are slightly shifted left or right from one section to the other.

After doing a search in this forum, I found a thread from back in May 07, and pretty much explains the problem. If tracks are laid from different directions, they can be mis-aligned.
This will cause a problem in driver, and certainly if AI is running.

Now my problem is, when I laid out the lines in Transdem, I did most from one direction or another, not usually changing direction for a long stretch, but I really didn't pay attention to it at the time.
It wasn't until now when I realized that a lot of my splines refuse to turn yellow that I have a problem.

I guess what I need to know, is there a way to fix the route easily, or do I have to go over each section, and re-lay the rail?

At least if the track was previously graded, it should retain the grade if I re-lay, so most of the work is done.

Thanks for advice/help

FW

 

[Accipiter777]

I had the same problem, I relaid all tracks in the direction I intended the AI to go. Have not had a problem since.

 

[Approach_Medium]

I had the same problem, I relaid all tracks in the direction I intended the AI to go. Have not had a problem since.

What if you need AI to go in different direction?
I have never used AI in 2006. Still, I do want my route to be as AI friendly as possible.
And, if the bad track alignment will be a problem in Driver, then all the more important it is to fix now.

Now, if I want to relay track, do I need to do it ALL in the same direction, and start with a specific corner of the route and work outwards, and what happens with bridges and tunnels?
It's going to be a LOT of work at this point to re-lay all the track. I have to use guides to show me where the track is now, so that once it's removed, I know where to lay it down again. I am trying to use the zebra spline to indicate where the track goes. Should work, since it's not a track spline, and won't be erased if I erase any track.

One thing I found that is quite odd: In frustration, I shook one spline vigorously a few times, and the alignment fixed itself! Still, the spline did not turn yellow.

This hurts... especially after all that has happened to my IRA portfolio over the past couple of weeks<g>

FW

 

[SuperFudd]

I have payed no attention to the direction I lay track on my layouts and have had no AI or track spline problems.
Hmmm... I do have an AI problem with the coal mine spur on my version of Gorre and Daphited. Perhaps I will re-lay some track.

 

[Dermmy]

Track spline points change colour when the track is 'fixed' - apply height, apply gradient, straighten etc.

Track 'direction' and its detrimental effect on the AI is Urban Myth. Every time you insert a spline point (creating junctions etc) you reverse the 'direction' of the track segment either side. So now your going to have to figure out what's 'reversed' and re-reverse it??? Phooey! Lay the track whichever way is most convenient, the AI will cope. If it doesn't, the problem is not track 'direction'.....

Andy

 

[trackplate]

Not strictly true

Track 'direction' and its detrimental effect on the AI is Urban Myth. Every time you insert a spline point (creating junctions etc) you reverse the 'direction' of the track segment either side. So now your going to have to figure out what's 'reversed' and re-reverse it??? Phooey! Lay the track whichever way is most convenient, the AI will cope. If it doesn't, the problem is not track 'direction'.....
Andy

Details from an earlier post
At the moment I’m having trouble with a well signalled branch with all signals showing green and plenty of space where only reversing into the branch is causing a problem with the train going backwards and forwards several times before finally going to its scheduled destination
So far I have found that if I stop the train where it falters and then continue schedule it runs in without problem so as I said sometimes it is very difficult to understand

Edit; I have just managed to sort the above directional problem after many attempts by re laying some of the track in the reverse direction to the norm
Regards Bob V

 

[chsmt]

I agree with Dermmy. I think all this track direction is nonesense. If you lay track and get an AI driver to drive from A to B then it will. If track had direction then there would be directional arrows in Surveyor. If track had direction you could never operate a single track line! If your AI won't drive then there is another problem. Missing points levers are worth checking first (if you lay track with levers etc which all work and then modify the track at a later date, especially deleting a section and reinserting, the levers can disappear too and the AI won't drive anymore because it can't set the points). Another problem I've found is that track sections may appear to be joined but actually aren't - again this will stop an AI driver. Obviously just moving one of the track ends slightly until they click together solves this problem. I think people who have deleted a section and then relayed it "in the other direction" have simply connected the track properly by default.

If an AI driver refuses to follow an instruction, a method I have used to find the fault is to insert a temporary trackmark into the first track section ahead of the train and give the order to drive to that trackmark. Then move the trackmark to the next section of track and drive to again. Repeat this until you find the section of track that the AI driver won't drive to and check this section thoroughly.

 

[Tokkyu40]

If the circle doesn't want to turn yellow, use the "Get track height" function, then "apply track height" to the stubborn circle and it will lock at that height.

Claude

 

[Approach_Medium]

Yellow, White, it seems not to make a difference. I just ran a single loco train over some of those splines, and not a glitch. I did this in quick drive from Surveyor, and from Driver.
I have not attempted AI, and don't plan to anytime soon.

I have tried setting the spline height, and it doesn't seem to make a difference.
I'm wondering whether it has something to do with the fact that the map was generated with Transdem.

FW