DEM wanted-WV Elkins

rwk

Well-known member
Can someone please model the DEM from Tygart Jct. through Belington and Elkins to High Falls, Cheat Bridge, Big Cut for me? Here is the website for the railroad http://www.mountainrail.com/ It is a scenic passenger train route. Or, since I have TransDEM but can't figure out how to use it, what map files to use, could someone generate a map file for me of that route for use in TransDEM? Thanks, Robert K. My email is rwk9024@msn.com
 
Robert,
I needed to do some testing this morning, coincidently. As a result, your TransDEM data has been uploaded.

Part 1: DEM, vector route and 1:500k topo maps
http://rapidshare.com/files/43005012/wv1.zip

Part 2: 1:24k topo maps, 1st half
http://rapidshare.com/files/43001552/wv2.zip

Part 3: 1:24k topo maps, 2nd half
http://rapidshare.com/files/43007809/wv3.zip

The parts are about 50MB each.

DEM is USGS 1 arc sec NED, re-sampled to 20m.

Topo maps have have been downloaded along the route path from MS Terra Server USA, via WMS. the route path itself is handcrafted, tracing the line on the topo map. (Looking at some of the tight radii, is this really standard gauge?)

To get started in TransDEM
Open DEM: NED_49863731_t.dem
Open georef. raster map: wmsMap500-001.lgb
Open georef. raster map: wmsMap24-001.lgb
Open vector route: route.str

If anything is missing, you can easily add topo map clippings with the TransDEM WMS client.

This is a fairly long route. To create your Trainz terrain, I highly recommend to split the route into sections (20 miles or 30 km) and merge in Surveyor later. Follow tutorial 1 in the TransDEM Trainz manual to create your Trainz map.

geophil
 
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Hey, I don't want to pay to download them. Is there another way? It says my free limit is up.
 
If it's Cass, Durbin, Greenbrier, etc there is a DEM on the DLS I believe for that area. It's called "Cass RR" or something to that effect and I believe it might only cover Cass and Cass alone.

Cheers,
John
 
Hey, I don't want to pay to download them. Is there another way? It says my free limit is up.
Just wait for the time specified and your limit will be reset. Will take several hours but you'll be able to get all of them - for free!

Bob Pearson
 
As Bob says, downloading is free. It'll take some time for your download quota to be reset after downloading one file.

I'm sorry for any inconvenience but I don't have 150 MB available on my own web space.

Edit:
If you have successfully downloaded part 1, you can easily create part 2 and part 3 yourself - these parts contain the 1:24k map clippings. Just follow the WMS tutorial "Durango & Silverton" for MS Terra Server, TransDEM main manual, pp 91. All data you may need to download map clippings along a path is in part 1.

You can blow up the clipping size to 1800 x 1800 pixel and should set the scale to 1:30000.
 
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It works, although is there an easier way to adjust the terrain to the track when you import track to cover the route? What happens is the track is hilly and uneven and you have to use the smooth terrain tool in the track section for each section of track plus use the raise/lower track tool to smooth the track first before smoothing the land. Is there a way to smooth all the track at once in TranzDEM? What are parts 2 & 3 for? I tried opening wmsMap24-001.lgb and it gave me an error. It works with just part 1.
 
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What are parts 2 & 3 for? I tried opening wmsMap24-001.lgb and it gave me an error. It works with just part 1.

As listed in my post on Sunday, Parts 2 and 3 contain the large scale map clippings. wmsMap24-001.lgb relies on all the clippings in part 2 and part 3.

Maps in part 1 are 1:500000 only. These are good for a first orientation but provide no details at all. If you haven't downloaded part 3 yet, open one of the individual clippings of part 2 and compare to the 1:500000 map. You will notice the difference.

It works, although is there an easier way to adjust the terrain to the track when you import track to cover the route? What happens is the track is hilly and uneven and you have to use the smooth terrain tool in the track section for each section of track plus use the raise/lower track tool to smooth the track first before smoothing the land. Is there a way to smooth all the track at once in TranzDEM?

TransDEM has no clue about the correct track alignment. As I said, I hand-crafted the route by simply tracing it on the large scale 1:24000 map. But this is 2D only, it does not have any elevation information - and I won't guarantee for any of those tight curves. You can add DEM elevation in TransDEM but that's what Surveyor normally does anyway.

Hence, in Surveyor this first draft of track will follow terrain contours, like a roller coaster at some spots. See it as a line of markers, like having pegged out a route.

The DEM I have used for creating the terrain is 1 arc sec NED, re-sampled to 20m grid width, as said in my first post. In the original DEM you will have an elevation point about every 20 x 30 m (60 x 90 ft). That's not detailed enough to show cuttings and embankments. You can try with 1/3 arc sec (10 m / 30 ft) NED instead, downloadable from Seamless Server ( http://seamless.usgs.gov/ ) - expect a download of over 200 MB for the DEM alone - but even such hi-res data will leave most of the track geometry work to you.

There is one option, though: You can ask the successors of Western Maryland and B&O if they have 3D CAD data of their former track. If they don't, I'm afraid you have to do it manually. :)

geophil
 
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