Ballast on curved track

[schweitzerdude]

Re AJ Fox suggestion

I downloaded his route "Altamont Commuter Express" and the ballast of the track he mentioned is wider than others and seems to me the perfect solution. Others may disagree but I suggest you look at it. Also, for 2 parallel tracks, at a normal distance between them the ballast has no gaps so it's seems ideal to me.

Right now I have plans for a total track replacement on the route I'm working on sometime in the next few days, using the track he suggested.

 

[Davie_UCF]

There is also the possibility of using ballast splines. I sometimes use them if the track is crossing the grid near a 45-degree angle. There are some very nice splines made by 'Michael-h". Look for the name of "schotter"

Bill

Do you know if one can reskin this into any ballast they like?

 

[HiBaller]

Couldn't tell you. Why not ask the author?

Bill

 

[cascaderailroad]

There are several splines that are a wide gravel/ballast-path/roadway, that you lay under a ballasted track, to eliminate texturing jaggies ... I will try to get (remember) the name of them.

Gravel
Track Base ?

 

[deighton]

These are all very good and helpful suggestions. Thank you! However, after over ten years of Trainz work, i am still not quite satisfied. Adding a "ballast path" would just add more spline points and it would affect memory usage. Anyways, that is why i was suggesting a "ballast" tool. It could work like a paint tool with a set diameter and it would follow the track and "snap" to the existing track spline points. Am i dreaming in technicolor?
CD

 

[cascaderailroad]

You will always have jagged painted lines, unless you use a separate road spline, or a wider ballasted track.

You can slather paint the roadbed first, using minimum scale, and a medium radius ... and after that softly mottle in the surrounding grass texture, by slightly tapping on the mouse button.

 

[Dieselbuilder]

If you're lucky enough to have the creator of the track asset making a matching ballast texture it can make the job much easier. The tips about blending the texture still apply.