Hi Neil,
I'll give you some pointers here but if you get stuck, just send me a PM and I'll try to help you.
To get Canadian DEM data, go here:
http://geobase.ca/geobase/en/find.do?produit=cded
You will have to register at this site so I'd do that first (don't worry it's free) so you can download what you want.
Click on the 1:50,000 ratio and simply single-click where you want to zoom in. Do this until you can't zoom in anymore and simply click on the sections you want to obtain and then click on submit. Click on http:/ and there you go.
Open the file in transDEM (20 M spacing is okay as far as I know). Here is the important part. SAVE this file then close transDEM and reopen it. Even though the file you are opening is a .dem it's not something transDEM automatically recognizes for some reason so you have to open each one, save it and then reopen it again if you want to merge it. Basically you just open each downloaded DEM section you want, open them and save them one by one and then you can merge them together if you'd like. Keep everything you downloaded somewhere safe (annoying to get it back again if you need it for some reason).
Caveat: transDEM can't handle DEMs (combined) over 300 GB of size. Assuming you run windows XP, make sure you have the /3 GB switch in the boot.ini (google this if you don't know about it) but keep it in mind. It is possible to merge larger sections in surveyor, but there are issues with this and it's better to try to merge everything you can in transDEM as opposed to merging in Surveyor (ask me here if you want to know why).
For track spline data go here:
http://www.geogratis.ca/geogratis/en/product/search.do?id=28954
double-click to zoom in. Try to only get the area you want and then click search available datasets and download. If you use your browsers back button, you will go back to the beginning so zoom up instead. Click on submit a few times (and deselect areas you don't want beforehand). Make sure the format is shape file and there you go.
If you look here:
http://ftp2.cits.rncan.gc.ca/pub/canvec/doc/CanVec_feature_catalogue_en.pdf you can get some more info about what vectors you can import. I managed to import rail, road and powerlines into my map. ^^ The rail shape file is _TR_1020009_.shp
This post will help you if you get stuck:
http://forum.uktrainz.co.uk/viewtopic.php?f=131&t=8786&p=115459
I find it easier and more logical to try to use the Web Mapping Server to map the rail lines I want in my map. I import the rail vector and set up the WMS for it (look at the above post for hints). Sometimes, the WMS will complain that it's too complex. If that is the case, open up a new route file, draw a single line over the trackage areas you want mapped, save it, close the first one and then map that. Then, close the last one, reopen the original track vector and just export all of it and you should be good to go! ^^ Reexport for different vectors (after you've opened the map in surveyor) if you plan on importing roads, powerlines, etc...
I haven't had time to work on this (I worked 12 days in a row: a personal record) and I'm trying to figure out how to use TRS '10. I will probably buy a new internal HDD (no room to import all my 30 gigs of content [most of which I don't need but can't find any easy way to do it...] ) and then install 2010 on that. Once I've imported all my stuff and got 2010 working, I will import the route and see how it runs. THEN I'll get back to work on my route. ^^
:wave:
Gisa ^^