dual track
- Thread starter Ghost42
- Start date
cascaderailroad
New member
You can use dual, and quad, track, as a track spacing guide, for straights only, and use single track in the curves ... if you use multi-track in curves, it deforms the straights ... I always swap out the straights, to single track, on the end product route, as multi-track is total junky looking.
Ok, I thought maybe something that interferes with the logic or such that introduces faults, thanks.
It was my understanding that when track is put down, the "direction" of the track is based upon the start to end point. By laying multi-track, all tracks go in the same direction. So, if you put down dual track with the intention of them being opposite direction, you'll have to include some direction markers. I think it could cause AI "decision problems" if you forget to use direction markers.
According to the official word from N3V Brew Crew, this is false. However, track direction does affect the placement of trackside objects such as signals and speed limit signs, which makes placing them awkward because they have to be constantly rotated.
The biggest thing with the multiple-track objects is they are not really track. Instead they are treated like bridges so they can't be replaced using the replace assets tool. Also being bridges, crossovers can't be placed. In order to do this, small sections of single track are needed where the crossovers are.
Laying multiple track using single track takes a bit of practice, but there are track spacer objects, and even as Cascaderailroad said, using small bit of dual track as a guide then replacing it later with the single track as well. After this has been done for some time, you then get the hang of the spacing anyway, and no guide is needed.
John
ray_whiley
Active member
John - I'm sorry to disagree with you but I have found that on viaducts which I have made, if for example three lengths are used, it is possible to use the spline points joining the two outer ones to that in between to create crossovers - admittedly with a little care. I haven't done it recently but I found that by laying track from each of the two spline points to ground level, joining them and then deleting the spline point where they join, pointwork is formed. I'm sure I have also done this with lengths of double track laid at ground level.
Having said that I too would normally only use single track, correctly spaced by using one of my way gauges, spaced at 3,5 metres(UK standard).
Ray
Hi Ray,
That's an awful lot of work and easier to use the single track doubled up.
Some track double-track does connect, it may have to do with how the track is constructed originally.Your track way gauge in the UK is not too far from mine up here in the Boston, MA area. The old Boston and Maine, and even the PRR used 4 meter spacing. We have some of the oldest railroads in our country over here with the Boston and Lowell, and Andover and Wilmington, which connected to the B&L with both dating back to the early 1830s. The B&L even used granite sleepers and iron rails with UK locomotives and wagons, which where imported. The management laughed at the competing companies who used wooden sleepers and newer T-rail, however, as things turned out they found that the wooden sleepers gave a much more comfortable ride. The granite was too hard and caused people and goods to be jostled about, though the grade was extremely level and quick. In the end, the B&L had to eat crow and update their line to the more modern wood sleepers with T-rails.
John
ray_whiley
Active member
Hi John
Yes I agree and would never use other than single track. My method of creating double track crossovers is really only of use on viaducts with built-in track using track offsets Otherwise I think (or thought at the time of creating the viaducts in TRS2004 days) that adding track to trackless viaducts would be even more work! There may be other ways of creating viaducts with track - I'm still learning.
Thanks for your notes on your local railroads which I found interesting, no knowing much about railroads in the States. The way gauges I made could easily be amended to 4 metre spacing but I think there are already some by andi06 (ajs...)
Ray
Yes I agree and would never use other than single track. My method of creating double track crossovers is really only of use on viaducts with built-in track using track offsets Otherwise I think (or thought at the time of creating the viaducts in TRS2004 days) that adding track to trackless viaducts would be even more work! There may be other ways of creating viaducts with track - I'm still learning.
Thanks for your notes on your local railroads which I found interesting, no knowing much about railroads in the States. The way gauges I made could easily be amended to 4 metre spacing but I think there are already some by andi06 (ajs...)
Ray
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cascaderailroad
New member
I do use MB Quad all the time for a track spacing guide (and it shows up best on the Trainz minimap, as it is 4 times as fat). And I do use multitrack bridges and tunnels, but I disregard using the built-in track spline points, and by holding down on the Shift KB key, I lay a track totally independent, and floating slightly above of the original track, @ 0.20 m higher, covering up the original track.
Thank you for the correction.
billhughes
New member
I note that you say that crossovers cant be done with multi track. I don't know if I misunderstand what you mean but I have actually made dual track crossovers, complete with 'trigger multiple signal' rule, with no problems they all worked fine.
I should have been a bit clearer as it appears you are not the only one I confused, which isn't surprising as I confuse myself all the time!
What I should have said is using the dual track to make crossovers isn't possible or it doesn't work because the track will not attach to spline points made in the middle of its length, and only single track will do that properly.
I hope I didn't confuse you this time.
John
billhughes
New member
My apologies John. I completely misunderstood what you meant. I was thinking in terms of twin tracks crossing each other (as in a crossroads). I see now what you really meant.I should have been a bit clearer as it appears you are not the only one I confused, which isn't surprising as I confuse myself all the time!
What I should have said is using the dual track to make crossovers isn't possible or it doesn't work because the track will not attach to spline points made in the middle of its length, and only single track will do that properly.
I hope I didn't confuse you this time.
John
Bill
Bill,
No apologies needed. This is typical of railroad terminology, or something that has been modified for the model railroad industry. A crossover in the level-crossing type should be referred to as that, however, we've changed that colloquially to crossover which becomes ambiguously confused with the true cross-over between separate tracks.
John