Laying new track alongside existing track

[whyfly]

I am trying to put down another track alongside the existing track in the Marias Pass Approach route in the north/southbound segment to the To/From Switchgrass portals (Trainz 2006). I’m having a difficult time getting the new track to be at the same level as the existing track.

I tried widening the roadbed using the Plateau function in the Topology menu, hoping that would level the widened roadbed, but it doesn’t seem to be working out that way. With very few splines in the existing track, it’s practically impossible to get reference vertex heights with which I can level the new track to match the existing track level.

Can anyone offer any suggestions that would help me get this right? Thanks in advance for your help. (This supposed to be fun, isn't it?)

Art
(whyfly)

 

[Bill69]

I am trying to put down another track alongside the existing track in the Marias Pass Approach route in the north/southbound segment to the To/From Switchgrass portals (Trainz 2006). I’m having a difficult time getting the new track to be at the same level as the existing track.

I tried widening the roadbed using the Plateau function in the Topology menu, hoping that would level the widened roadbed, but it doesn’t seem to be working out that way. With very few splines in the existing track, it’s practically impossible to get reference vertex heights with which I can level the new track to match the existing track level.

Can anyone offer any suggestions that would help me get this right? Thanks in advance for your help. (This supposed to be fun, isn't it?)

Art
(whyfly)

Hi whyfly,

To lay another track beside existing track first match your new spline points alongside the existing splines, this will keep the new track parallel to the existing track. Next use the get spline height tool on the old track then the set spline height tool on the spline alongside it on the new track. Do this to a few splines along the new track then use the smooth spline tool on the new track one section afer the other.

Hope this helps,
Bill69

 

[cascaderailroad]

?

Using the hold "Shift" key...Lay your new track right next to the original track. The spline points on the new track should be right next to the original tracks spline points.

Then take a height measurement of the original spline point...now apply that same height measurement to the new track spline point. Continue this in every spline point location...matching the original tracks different spline point with the new track spline point.

Then hit the "smooth spline" button on the new tracks.

 

[whyfly]

Bill69 and Cascaderailroad,

What you both suggested works fine for straight track. But what about on those long, sweeping curves whose splines are spaced far apart? I end up with a long, straight track that cuts across the existing curved track. To fix this, I add lots of splines to my new track between the first and second one, and use the Move Track button to shift the track I added to match the existing curve. When I try to add splines to the existing track, the track flies off in another direction. Is there a way to overcome the lack of spines on the original curves?

Art

 

[cascaderailroad]

?

You can put a temporary "Add Spline Point" to the original track, to find outs its height in that particular area...and apply that same height to the new track spline.

The delete the "Added Spline Point" on the original track spline.

 

[whyfly]

Cascaderailroad,

That sounds like a great idea. I'll try it! Thanks.

Art

 

[Euphod]

The track does not conform to the original curve until you add the NEXT spline point. Each section you add affects the sections before it.

 

[RPearson]

You should only have to match the existing spline points. Straightened track segments also have to be duplicated. Unfortunately there is no surveyor tool to indicated if the track segment has been straightened or not. You can sometimes get an indication just from the look of it or by hitting it with the straighten tool and then undoing it to see which way it jumps. For TRS6 I think trainzmap can indicate which segments have been straightened - it reads the .trk map file which has bit flags indicating various characteristics of each track segment with one bit indicating whether the segment is straightened.

In any case you should be able to match all the curves using the same number of vertices if you follow this.

Bob Pearson

 

[nbrettoner]

Hi,

Have you considered replacing the existing track with a double track?.
Delete a section, then add the twin track in it's place. continue one section at a time.
If I'm right in my thinking, the twin track replacements will take up the same curvatures as what you have with the single track?.
I realise you may want shiny new tracks beside older 'used' tracks 'though.
Just a thought. :wave:

 

[Dermmy]

... and to add to Bob's, you don't have to tweak the terrain either, because the original use of the 'smooth terrain' tool will have left a trackbed more than wide enough for double track....

Edit - Noel just beat me: I would not use double track, it cannot be 'straightened' and will therefor not conform to the original curvature or trackbed.

 

[whyfly]

Thank you all for your help.

Art
(whyfly)

 

[JohnnyG1973]

As someone above mentioned, you will need to "straighten track" feature exactly where the existing uses it (where the existing track is straight). Unless you are adding turn-outs, you should only need exactly as many spline points as the existing track. Use the get spline height feature mentioned above to set your track height to be the same as the existing track. Do not use the "platue" feature to widen the roadbed because the track may have a grade. Hope these suggestions work for you.

also: if the track you are laying conforms to the land rather than staying relativly level, use the "adjust spline height" feature. Simply click on the spline once (not moving it) and it should turn from white to yellow.

 

[R707]

Someone may have mentioned this.

When laying track, make sure you lay it in the direction of travel. It really helps when signalling later.

So, if you have a double line, lay one direction first, say the down line. Then lay the up line coming from the other direction.

Pete :wave:

 

[Tokkyu40]

When you first lay the second line it will try to be as straight as possible while maintaining a reasonably fair curve, so it will cut across your first track. But laying the next section will pull the previous section out to follow the same curve the original track followed. Just match the original spline points and the parts where the first track was straightened and it should duplicate the original track configuration. Everything should correct itself without any additional spline points.

Claude

 

[whyfly]

Tokkyu40,

I tried what you suggested by starting a test route in Surveyor, and it works great when there are a number of splines in each curve. But in long curves in, say, the Switchgrass route segment in the Marias Pass Approach route, there is one spline at the start of a curve and one at the end -- none in between The new track cuts across the existing track and stays there even after adding the next segment beyond that. Am I still missing something?

Art
(whyfly)

 

[stagecoach]

Use the straighten tool on the segments outside the curve

 

[Dermmy]

oops - missed page 2 - Stagecoach beat me to it

 

[crohakon]

Something that has worked for me in these situations is aligning the spline points slightly offset from each other. Instead of having them run right next to each other, you might have to have one slightly before the other to make for the slight differences in the curves.

Instead of:
*
*

You might try
*
-*

Or
-*
*

Just a thought...

ps.. the - is for a space, since the form deleted my nice spaces.

 

[Tokkyu40]

Do you need to straighten the track at each end? That'll push the curve of the new track farther out. If the old track has a straight section at each end and the new track doesn't they won't line up properly.
If that doesn't solve the problem, you can set the ends of the curve to match the height of the original track, then add a single spline point halfway through the curve and pull it out to the correct position.

Claude

 

[Dermmy]

Sorry guys, but this really is simple...

For all Trainz many failings the track geometry is good. If two tracks side-by-side have adjacent spline points aligned radially and the 'straighten' tool used (or not used) on adjacent segments then the tracks must line up without the need for any fiddling.

The ONLY exception to this is on very long curves composed of a single spline length where there may be some very slight variation in the space between tracks. Since very long single spline curves present all sorts of other problems I don't use them and neither should you

QED

Andy...