Duel track mystery

[Richard_Dodge]

Hi

I am building a system which requires duel rail (STD gauge with a third rail set inside to accommodate 36 inch NG), similar to Denver and Rio Grande RR at Antonito, CO November, 1968.
Ref. Book “Ticket to Toltec” pg. 69.

Please note I am not copying this track system. Only using the information as reference.

Elvenor`s “ MAN6 duel track grouping looks interesting so have proceeded to use the track. There are some issues thou that are giving me problems such as the MAN6 duel gauge track will not connect to the “Joining track” even when I use the Invisible or the MAN6 Invisible track!!
The MAN6 Narrow gauge and Man6 Standard gauge track will attach to Man6 Duel gauge track with out any problems. Also the MAN6 Duel gauge track does not allow any turnouts to be added or any other additions.

Feedback on this subject will be greatly appreciated. There must be an explanation for the mismatch some place.

Thank you and please have a good day.

Richard

 

[bendorsey]

Hi Richard:

I've used the late Elvenors MAN6 track components to make all the various dual gauge switch possibilities including a swish (where the common rail changes sides). It does take a little practice and experimentation. There used to be a tutorial on them. Hopefully someone will chime in who has it and can send it to you (I don't have it).

Ben

 

[Shortline2]

Hello Richard, others

A little history and my understanding on how the system works might be helpful here.

The MAN6 Dual Track is only capable of connecting to MAN6 Dual Track due to the way this track works.
For Trainz (the program it self) this track is understood to be of the KIND bridge type -> meaning it is actually a mesh/model with track referenced into it only and therefore not function like a regular track.
Being of KIND bridge, it can only connect to other KIND bridges with the same distance for the tracks references through the config file based on the centerline of this track.
(This is also same reason it might be impossible to connect different bridge tracks to each other as if they don't have the exact same distance on the track on them in the config file, they just don't connect.)

Being of the KIND bridge, it is also impossible to create a junction with the MAN6 Dual Track it self, for the same reason as above.
And, this is also the reason the Straight Button don't work on this track/other bridges - my guess is that Trainz don't know which of the tracks references in a bridge it is suppose to make straight and refuse to do any of them...

But, you can connect regular track at the ends of KIND bridge tracks, and this is where the joining track, invisible track and the other MAN6 components come into play in order to create a junction they are needed.
They all work as regular track, and can be used to straighten, make junctions and so on with.

As Ben says, a little practice, experimentation goes a long way, also the understanding on the underlying workings of this in Trainz as tried to explain above I think would be of use.

I haven't seen the tutorial, so I will let others deal with that part.
Hopefully this post was of some help.

Best of luck

Linda