How does one eliminate a break in invisible track?

JonMyrlennBailey

Well-known member
I have a stubborn gap in my loop of track.

The track ends will not join when the loop is closed.

I kept the track going in the same direction from spline point to spline point
so it is NOT a track direction issue.


Does a visible gap in Surveyor at the spline point (colored invisible-in-driver track used) mean there really is a break in the track?

I am about to test drive to see if a train will cross this point. I was able to drag a loco across this gap in Surveyor. This
Move tool engine crossing would not be possible wherever the track terminates.
 
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One common cause of this problem is a difference in the heights of the two end splines. What happens when you use the set track height tool on one spline end? Does it also set the height of the other spline end? If not move them apart, set them both to the same height and try rejoining them.
 
I have a stubborn gap in my loop of track.

The track ends will not join when the loop is closed.

I kept the track going in the same direction from spline point to spline point
so it is NOT a track direction issue..
TANE will change the direction as you lay it to join up to other sections as it see fit. Quite easily seen as you lay any track with unsymmetrical visible mesh about the centerline of the spline (3 rail dual gauge with separate invisible track for instance or 3rd rail electrified track). So I don't see this as relevant.

Does a visible gap in Surveyor at the spline point (colored invisible-in-driver track used) mean there really is a break in the track?
If the spline is visible in surveyor and you can grab and move one vertex and not see a spline attached to the other move with it then I'd say yes. My track utility I use to convert vector data to track splines has a plot feature that displays a track vertex like this as a red filled circle if not connected to another spline and clear if a connection exists. Maybe a future request for surveyor?

I am about to test drive to see if a train will cross this point. I was able to drag a loco across this gap in Surveyor. This Move tool engine crossing would not be possible wherever the track terminates.
The move tool will just move (jump in the case of an actual gap) the loco across the gap. If you can stop and make the loco straddle the two vertices you believe to form the gap then I'd say there is no gap.

Why all the supposition. Just run the darn loco in driver and it will derail at the gap or continue across if no gap.

If you can't get it to connect post the kuid. I use tons of invisible track in the dual gauge track I lay. It should behave just like regular visible track. Grab and move apart and then move back over the spline point should connect them. If the points have white circles then they are floating on the terrain at the height of the ground under them. If yellow they have a fixed height and as pware suggests get the height of one and then used that height to set the height of the other. Then try to connect them.

Bob Pearson
 
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