Accuracy of vertical scale and required overhead clearance.

[parsifal300]

Hi All;

Could someone help me out with vertical scale? Reading up on dubious sites I've discovered the required vertical clearance for railcar tracks is somewhere between 20-22 feet. So what I've been doing is getting the ground elevation and adding 20' to the clearance vertex elevation to net 20' of clearance. This appears to be a very high elevation requirement and if this is correct then many of the asset support splines are woefully inadequate.

Is this calculation correct? If so, is the surveyor vertical scale skewed and I should be using less clearance?

Just sign me "scratching my head"

~P

 

[pware]

I believe it is the case that all vertical displacements in Trainz/TANE are measured in metres even if you are using Imperial measurements for your horizontal distances.

A rough conversion is 3 ft = 1 m

 

[bendorsey]

Back in the days of steam 20 ft was probably the norm. A look thru the MR Cyclopedia shows no locomotive taller then 17 ft (usually the stack). Buildings probably used 18 ft or so.

Today bridges and structures must provide clearance for hi-cubes and double stacks which are around 25 ft tall I believe so 27 or 28 ft vertical clearance is not unreasonable.

Ben

 

[DWBennett55]

As of 2004, UP's engineering standards have the standard minimum operating clearances (for industry owned structucers and facilities) for all overahead structures at 23'-0" (min.) from the top of the rail and 26'-0" (or more) in electrified territory. The side clearance from the middle of the track varies from 9'-0" to 20'-0" depending on the obstruction.

You can find the specifications here: http://www.up.com/customers/ind-dev/operations/specs/track/index.htm

Take care,

 

[oknotsen]

23'-0" (min.) from the top of the rail

For those using the metric system: That is 7.01m. Add the 0.3m height of the top of the rail (in Trainz) and you are looking at a 7.31m clearance.

 

[parsifal300]

Due to everyone's help here I think I found the problem:

I have Imperial units set in the route configuration. Do the elevations in surveyor still display in meters? If so that could explain the vertical distortion and I've found the big AH HA!

Could someone please confirm this.

Also, thanks for the official vertical clearance specs.

~P

 

[oknotsen]

Height in trainz is always done in meters, even if you set surveyor to imperial.
... if I remember correct. I always use the metric system.

 

[cascaderailroad]

I usually put the highest double stack car under a bridge, and raise the bridge @ a foot clearance, as it makes things look exciting when they just barely clear ... that's also why I use 4m track spacing.

With signal bridges, I raise the bridge until the signal support tube is flush with the bottom of the signal bridge

 

[parsifal300]

Height in trainz is always done in meters, even if you set surveyor to imperial.
... if I remember correct. I always use the metric system.

Mmm, looks like I've got a little redesigning to do but it does explains why it is so difficult to keep grades under 2%.