Are Track Charts to Scale?

A

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Youtube dude
I have in my possession a very detailed, full system chart of the Maine Central RR on a CD. I'm wondering if these track charts are actually to scale. They have track lengths, etc, and nowhere does it say, "Not To Scale" as it should if it's not.

The reason I ask is because I'm wondering if I can use the 'Base Map A' system to lay out these track charts in Trainz 2010 and lay my track right over top.

So, maybe an 'old head' here can answer this question.

-Joe
 
If it is truly a "chart" then it may very well be in scale, but if it is in the form of a "schematic", then no. I have a very good set of the NJ Transit, but it's in the form of a schematic and just shows every track, but it is not in scale.

Take a look somewhere for a scale notation where it may say something like "1/2 inch = 10 miles" or like that.

Schematics just show things like this:

[A]--------[C]

But the distance between [A] and might be 1 mile and and [C] might be 2 miles.

Bill
 
Hi Joe,
I have been using track charts and railroad valuation maps for several years to build my prototypical route.

Like the post above says, track charts might mark off miles, but they are usually not to scale. The maps you need to get that are perfectly to scale are railroad valuation maps, which are usually scaled to 1 inch=100 feet.

I use the valuation maps constantly while building my route. The procedure I follow to lay track precisely in Trainz is as follows:

1) create a DEM baseboard map of the route your going to model with HOG lines showing the location of rail lines, roads, and water areas.

2) measure the track on the railroad valuation maps with a ruler. Place the track over the hog lines using the measurements you have taken from the valuation maps.

3) Once you have placed about 1/4 a mile of track on your route, print out a map of your route using Trainz Maps.

4) Printout an aerial view of the exact same area of track using Google Earth, Bing Maps, or a topographical map program such as Topo Maps. (set the scale of the printout to the same scale as the printout from Trainz Maps.)

5) Now put the printout from Trainz Maps on top of the aerial view (or topographical map printout) and match both sheets using landmarks. Hold both sheets up to a light and you will be able to see how close your track placement is to the real thing. While holding up the two sheets to the light, make pencil marks where corrections need to be made.

6) Make your track corrections in Surveyor using the pencil marks on the Trainz Maps printout as a guide. Save your route with the new corrections.

7) Close and reopen Trainz Maps to reload your route with the corrections you have made. Printout from Trainz Maps another copy of the section of your route your working on set at the proper scale and place the map printout over the aerial view and recheck your track work.

8) Repeat steps 6+7 until you get the track laid precisely.

9) Once you get the track right in a mile section, use your track charts and the gradient tool in surveyor to set your track to the correct grade.

It sounds tedious but you will get used to it. I followed the above procedures when I laid 80 miles of track on my route and it worked perfectly. Don't worry, over time, you will get good at it and be able to do it very quickly.

Hope this helps!
Gary
 
Last edited:
dricketts said:
I haven't heard of Trainz Maps. Are you referring to software that will allow a printed version of map view?
Click to expand...

TrainzMaps makes it's own highly detailed printable maps of your route which are much better than map view. It is one of the most useful freeware Trainz utilities available. It can do much more than printout maps. Much, much more!!!!

Unfortunately, it looks like VistaMare Software which makes TrainzMaps no longer has a website. But you can download TrainzMaps from here:

http://web.archive.org/web/20080110053308/http://www.vistamaresoft.com/page.php?a=3&p=5

There is also a TRS2010 version available at TPR downloads.

Hope this helps!
Gary
 
Last edited:
I have no idea what that is. All I get is one huge long page with orange squares on it. Certainly nothing downloadable from the "Download" button.

Bill
 
G'day Hiballer,

...same here, Bill!! Even an attempt to register my TPR Forum username and password for use of the Download Depot, takes me to exacty the same page. I have just posted a "note" to this effect on the TPR forums, directed at Meridious, himself...

Jerker {:)}
 
HiBaller said:
I have no idea what that is. All I get is one huge long page with orange squares on it. Certainly nothing downloadable from the "Download" button.

Bill
Click to expand...

Bill,
This is the readme file in the download from TPR that gives instructions on how to install TrainzMap Viewer to be able to look at route maps from TRS2010 SP1 or latter:

"PLEASE NOTE. This is not a replacement for TrainzMap. You must have TrainzMap installed for this to work.
This program converts Trainz 2010 track files to Trainz 2006 format for use in TrainzMap.

Run the TrainzMap Viewer Setup.exe to install the viewer.

Start the viewer from your Windows menu. The viewer should automatically fined the locations for TrainzMap and Trainz 2010. If it fails to find either of them, click on the change button and select the correct location.

After a delay (depending on the speed of your PC and the number of routes installed in Trainz 2010), the viewer will display a list of routes. This program will only work with routes having a build number of 3.2. Changing the number in the config.txt file will NOT make the route work with this program.

Double click on a route to start the conversion process. TrainzMap will be opened automatically to display the route.

Some very large maps may cause a problem for TrainzMap. So far the ECML route is the only one that seems to cause problems. TrainzMap will open the route on some PCs and not on others. Since the problem appears to be within the TrainzMap code, it is unlikely that this will ever be fixed."



So to install TrainzMap viewer do the following:

1) If you do not have Microsoft.net installed, download from Microsoft and install. Without this program Trainz Map Viewer will not work.

2) Download and install TrainzMap (link in post #5 above )

3) Download TrainzMapViewer from TPR. Unzip and run the installer. (I just downloaded TrainzMap Viewer using the link in post #7 above and got a zip file with the installer and a readme file)

4) Since TrainzMap Viewer works only with TRS2010 SP2 it will not work with anything older. The installer will create a fake TRS2006 file to make Trainzmap "happy". If you are using TRS04 or TRS06, just use Trainz Map to open maps. TRS2009 users are apparently out of luck.

That should do it. Enjoy!
Gary
 
Jerker said:
G'day Hiballer,

...same here, Bill!! Even an attempt to register my TPR Forum username and password for use of the Download Depot, takes me to exacty the same page. I have just posted a "note" to this effect on the TPR forums, directed at Meridious, himself...

Jerker {:)}
Click to expand...

That's very strange. I just tried to download it again using the above link and had no problems. When I clicked on the download button it gave me the correct trainzmapviewer.zip file.

Are you guys choosing "open" instead of "save" when the dialog box pops up after hitting the download button?

You need to save the file to your desktop, then unzip it.
 
G'day leader2302,

I can't speak for hiballer (but I suspect he would be in the same boat), we don't even get to any page capable of providing any option to download anything. Immediately we press the [download] button, we get directed to the page described...

...this page shows up as "paFileDB" in the tab of my browser...

Jerker {:)}
 
Last edited:
Jerker said:
G'day leader2302,

I can't speak for hiballer (but I suspect he would be in the same boat), we don't even get to any page capable of providing any option to download anything. Immediately we press the [download] button, we get directed to the page described...

...this page shows up as "paFileDB" in the tab of my browser...

Jerker {:)}
Click to expand...

Jerker and HiBaller,

Send me a personal message with your home email addresses included and I will send you the two files you need as attachments using my home email.:)
 
Hijacked! :p

The track charts I have don't show a scale anywhere on them so I'm guessing they're not to scale. Just to be clear I have both track charts a schematics. They will still be an invaluable source of in for for my routes since they do show overall track length and car capasities as well as grades and signals. So it's better then nothing! Thanks for the info.

-Joe
 
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