How to use an image of layout schematic to facilitate building a route>

W

wklang

New member
Several years ago there was a message thread on how to use an image of a model railroad schematic to assist in laying track in Surveyor.

As I remember, the image of the the layout was put into a an image file already used by Surveyor and the image was positioned just above the surface of the layout grid.

After laying out the track to conform to the image, the image was then moved downward to just under the grid (effectively causing it to disappear) and the result was your track layout in Surveyor that conformed to the desired layout on the image.

Does anyone remember this procedure and - if so - (1) will it still work with TS12? and (2) can you point me to this thread or procedure?

Thanks,

Wes
 
Thanks, had just logged on to ask this question!

I got trainz in order to test layouts I'm planning to check the usability before committing to building the model railway.

I've just read through and thoroughly confused, perhaps another read through and I'll be fine!

My layout plans are layed out in feet for N gauge, I've noticed that Trainz will let me build in scale measurements - guess I just need to dive in and have a go.
 
yorkshireSheep said:
...I got trainz in order to test layouts I'm planning to check the usability before committing to building the model railway...
Click to expand...

That's what I bought my first copy of Trainz to do, as a result the model railway has not been touched for years now.

It would be a good idea if you registered your copy of Trainz, this will then show next to your name so that people know you have a legal copy of Trainz and also what version (this helps when answering questions which may have version specific answers).

Getting your head around scale in Trainz takes a bit of doing and it's nigh on impossible to explain, but basically all that gets changed when you select 'N' or any other scale is that the ruler in Trainz changes measurements.

Cheers

Chris
 
I've been trying to do this using a 1:148 scale plan (British N gauge) to see how my planned model will look / operate but can't get my head round splitting the plan up.

I can export the plan at full size from my track planning software to be the 12ft X 3ft baseboard size that I'm planning on building the model.

The tutorial linked to earlier says to chop the map / plan into 720M square sections.

How do I work out the size sections to be able to build my model plan in Trainz

If anyone can help me understand the measurements involved I'd really appreciate it.

Thanks
 
G'day yorkshireSheep,

...firstly, I always thought that "N" Scale was 1:160, almost half HO Scale (1:87), I have never seen the ratio 1:148 mentioned anywhere in the lists of relative size to which I have been privy (or does the "mother country" have different ideas in this regard?). Anyway, as to your 'problem', I would, first of all, suggest that you ignore the Scale factors that are available in Trainz and build your 'test' layout in full scale. Imagine your 12' x 3' layout space as "your world". With a ratio of 1:160, this means, that in our 'real world, this 'space' would occupy an area (12 x 160) x (3 x 160) or 1920' x 480'. Now, after conversion to meters, this is 585.6 x 146.4 meters, which, as you can clearly see, is less than the area required for a single 720 x 720 meter baseboard, so you would need to follow the instructions in the tutorial in a manner that would have the layout occupy just the one baseboard...

G'day xcrossi,

...might I point out that, at least, at the time of this writing, yorkshireSheep shows a registered copy of TS MAC (which we cannot, nor should not, hold against him)...

Jerker {:)}
 
Last edited:
Jerker said:
...I always thought that "N" Scale was 1:160, almost half HO Scale (1:87), I have never seen the ratio 1:148 mentioned anywhere in the lists of relative size to which I have been privy (or does the "mother country" have different ideas in this regard?)...
Click to expand...

@Jerker,

The scale varies, for more info check this out for starters:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/N_scale

@YorkshireSheep,

You might find this asset C+ MR N Ruler Object 8 ft high,<kuid:243828:100214> (a 1:160 N Scale Ruler) useful, it's on the DLS. You could always re-skin it to be 1:48 - or I might be persuaded to do a 1:148 version :).

Cheers

Chris
 
@Jerker

Brief history of railway scales in once paragraph:
Being among the first to build railways, tunnels etc were built to fit the small, early trains being built giving a restricted loading gauge compared to Europe and the US. When miniaturising to make working models the HO 1:87 was found to give too little space for the mechanism so 00 was made to a scale of 1:72 using HO track, the same for N gauge giving the UK 1:148 on the same track width. As the track layout is essentially the same for 1:148 and 1:160 it shouldn't be an issue for laying track.

With regards registration, I couldn't find how to register my copy, it's been registered since that post.

So I'd need to chop my plan to fit the baseboards in Trainz? I think I saw a tutorial how to add another board alongside the existing one?

I'll try and find time to give it a go :)
Thanks for your help
 
G'day yorkshireSheep,

...I was not aware of those 'limitations' applied to the English scales (I was aware of "OO" scale, of course)...

...either way, I don't see any need to crop (or chop) your plan to fit a baseboard, since it is already smaller (quite significantly) than the baseboard on which it will fit. The 'trick' is going to be to expand your 'plan' drawing size (the size of the sheet of paper on which it is drawn, not the actual track plan, itself), to a point where (in the correct 'scale') the size of it's "baseboard" matches the length of a Trainz baseboard, so that the image can be used in the manner intended by the tutorial...

...I am also at a loss to understand the need to add any further baseboards to the one (and only one) that your track plan requires...

Jerker {:)}
 
Baaa gum Yorkshire, thaas not picked owt simple ter start wi.

As Jerker said there is no need to split your plan because 12'x3' scales to less than one Trainz baseboard, if your plan was, for example, 24' x 3 it would need to be split as it would require 2 baseboards.

Using the 1:148 scale your route (layout) needs to be 541.3218 metres x 135.3312 metres.

On a blank Trainz baseboard there is a squared grid, each Yellow square is 10 metres (the dark grey divisions intersect the yellows at 5 metres).

So your "baseboard" size needs to be (approx) 54 x 13 yellow baseboard squares when "projected" onto a Trainz baseboard.

Chris
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

W
How to straighten the orbit of a linear object?
Replies
1
Views
442
JCitron
J
Z
(Usability) Inconsistent behavior of 'rotstep' config option in Surveyor 2.0
Replies
5
Views
1K
ZyxwvU
Z
T
Cannot figure out how to get MY engines into an EXISTING route or session!
Replies
10
Views
2K
tbryson2
T
K
Trainz - Christmas Holidays entertainment, ‘How not to run a Railroad’.
Replies
9
Views
2K
EdisonBis
E
J
NEW Update! New versions BNSF Grade Xing's updates and how to use Custom Invisible Roads
Replies
6
Views
2K
jjeff1955
J
Back
Top