Hot Tip! Making realistic catch/trap points with pro-track using layers.

[Davie_UCF]

Hey guys.

I like putting catch points in realistic locations on my routes, at the end of sidings or loops, just incase of runaway trains. It also helps with interlocking towers as you can have two paths, with one to the catch point for shunting (with a limit of shunt sign).

However it's hard to get realistic catch points with pro-tracks due to having to cross tracks over each other to generate the point blades. Doing this makes it look more like a cut off siding as you have a longer section of track and frogs.

With the above example there's a secret. Split your left track into two so you have a spline point before the right rail crossess the mainline. Then in your layers create a new layer, I call it 'catch points'.
Go to the properties of the section beyond the spline point and change it to the layer you just created.
See the picture for the spline point location and layer trick

Now in the layers panel, go to your catch points layer and set it to invisible by pressing the eye...
Result...

Another example

I think it looks good, you do still get a tiny gap and sometimes get frogs generated or sleepers on the mainline as seen in the first example. I think it depends on where you put your spine points, you do have to wiggle them about to get the result you're after

Hope this was useful!

 

[JCitron]

Nice tips, thanks!

I've never seen them over here in the US, but that doesn't mean they don't exist. Our railways have been stripped down pretty badly even in many urban areas where there was once lots of track.

We do use something called a derail to protect a mainline from rolling wagons left on a siding. In Trainz I use them to prevent my level crossings from blocking traffic because I've left some freight wagons on a branch line. There are two ways to create these. For sidings, I use a portable derail. For branch lines, I use an invisible junction so there's no lever showing. In both cases, I use a piece of invisible track so that only the levers are operational since the invisible track is used only to create the junction for the derailers.

In some locations on my routes, I will build in defunct sidings and branch lines that are still connected to the main line. These sidings will be long enough to hold a piece of maintenance equipment or two, but nothing else. The rest of the track is modeled as ties only. I modified some LRW track by replacing the ballast with dirt, and removed the rails so only the ties remain. When blended in with other track, it looks pretty good. I've also modified the condition of some of my tracks so that when sidings and some yard tracks, like your rusty siding are used, the wagons bounce around realistically. Connecting a sandy rotting spur with bad track to a subsequent section with ties only looks really good. Throw in some trees, shrubs, and grass on the moribund section and it looks even better.

 

[Davie_UCF]

Nice tips, thanks!

I've never seen them over here in the US, but that doesn't mean they don't exist. Our railways have been stripped down pretty badly even in many urban areas where there was once lots of track.

We do use something called a derail to protect a mainline from rolling wagons left on a siding. In Trainz I use them to prevent my level crossings from blocking traffic because I've left some freight wagons on a branch line. There are two ways to create these. For sidings, I use a portable derail. For branch lines, I use an invisible junction so there's no lever showing. In both cases, I use a piece of invisible track so that only the levers are operational since the invisible track is used only to create the junction for the derailers.

In some locations on my routes, I will build in defunct sidings and branch lines that are still connected to the main line. These sidings will be long enough to hold a piece of maintenance equipment or two, but nothing else. The rest of the track is modeled as ties only. I modified some LRW track by replacing the ballast with dirt, and removed the rails so only the ties remain. When blended in with other track, it looks pretty good. I've also modified the condition of some of my tracks so that when sidings and some yard tracks, like your rusty siding are used, the wagons bounce around realistically. Connecting a sandy rotting spur with bad track to a subsequent section with ties only looks really good. Throw in some trees, shrubs, and grass on the moribund section and it looks even better.

Hi John!

I believe you have them over there, maybe set up a little differently, although i'm struggling to find many examples. You appear to have derailers which stop slow moving wagons or stock, we have those too often at the entry of maintenance sheds.
I think this is one in the USA, it uses only one rail, i've seen some like this in the UK too
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipe...l_Derailer.jpg/1920px-Split_Rail_Derailer.jpg
I think it's achievable in Trainz but I haven't tried, you get some odd frogs coming up when using a single rail but last time I tried was before the layer trick so maybe it'll work better now I know theres some single (left and right rail) versions in Elstoko's pro track set.


I love old pieces of track and sometimes a trap point will be where there used to be an old siding. It's lots of fun having these little details in Trainz, it brings things to life!

Here's a good example which is close to what I have made
http://www.railway-technical.com/_Media/trap-points-leamington_med.png

 

[stagecoach]

Hi Davie_UCF
That seems to be a hard way to get the look you want. Could you not just lay the short piece of track and then use invisible track for the bit that crosses the other rail or even just sleep track with no rails.

 

[pware]

Could you not just lay the short piece of track and then use invisible track for the bit that crosses the other rail or even just sleep track with no rails.

The original suggestion is interesting but I agree, that is a better solution and there are dangers in splitting track between different layers - I did a series of experiments on this many years ago and trains will still move down track that has been laid in an invisible layer.

There are single rail assets that can be used for catch points. One that I use is <kuid:61119:38801> Rusty 1 Track which is built-in.

 

[Vern]

Good idea, the only snag being - which is a limitation of the Protrack system - where you have a junction with clean and rusty track, you end up with half of the point blade on the main line rendering with the rusty texture.

 

[Davie_UCF]

Good idea, the only snag being - which is a limitation of the Protrack system - where you have a junction with clean and rusty track, you end up with half of the point blade on the main line rendering with the rusty texture.

Yeah this bothers me, I have a mixture of rusty and clean rails on my route and when they meet for an old siding or catch points it is rather irritating.

Hi Davie_UCF
That seems to be a hard way to get the look you want. Could you not just lay the short piece of track and then use invisible track for the bit that crosses the other rail or even just sleep track with no rails.

The problem is if you use another type of track that isn't protrack you won't get the generation of point blades.
Invisible track does work if it's pro-track, before the layer trick I did actually clone the LRW protrack and make an invisible surveyor only version which worked also, but for most users the layer trick is easier as there aren't any invisible protracks available yet (or is there?)

The original suggestion is interesting but I agree, that is a better solution and there are dangers in splitting track between different layers - I did a series of experiments on this many years ago and trains will still move down track that has been laid in an invisible layer.

There are single rail assets that can be used for catch points. One that I use is <kuid:61119:38801> Rusty 1 Track which is built-in.

Like what i've said to stagecoach, if it's not a pro track you won't get the generation of point blades. Protrack has to cross another protrack and then go on for some distance to generate blades and frogs.
If you really want it to derail a train you could have an invisible buffer stop I suppose?

 

[stagecoach]

<kuid2:368725:49052:1> Protrack NSWGR rusty left rail only (for catch points)
<kuid2:368725:49053:2> Protrack NSWGR rusty right rail only (for catch points)

 

[JCitron]

Hi John!

I believe you have them over there, maybe set up a little differently, although i'm struggling to find many examples. You appear to have derailers which stop slow moving wagons or stock, we have those too often at the entry of maintenance sheds.
I think this is one in the USA, it uses only one rail, i've seen some like this in the UK too
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipe...l_Derailer.jpg/1920px-Split_Rail_Derailer.jpg
I think it's achievable in Trainz but I haven't tried, you get some odd frogs coming up when using a single rail but last time I tried was before the layer trick so maybe it'll work better now I know theres some single (left and right rail) versions in Elstoko's pro track set.


I love old pieces of track and sometimes a trap point will be where there used to be an old siding. It's lots of fun having these little details in Trainz, it brings things to life!

Here's a good example which is close to what I have made
http://www.railway-technical.com/_Media/trap-points-leamington_med.png

Yup those are the split rail kind. I really had to hunt around for the catch points like you have.

Anyway you might like changing the track conditions for bumpy track.

Look for the line:

track-condition 0.5

or if it doesn't exist, add in. The value is a percentage with 1 = 100%, 0.5 middle, 0.2 bad, and 0.1 really bad, and anything less totally the worst track ever.


For something where the wagons bounce around try this:

track-condition 0.05 for really, really bumpy track.

The alternative is to click on the ? in the track panel and click on each segment which is an awful pain. With a clone with this tag, you can setup all kinds of bad track.

Once done, you can now have bumpy and rolling sidings and branch lines.