Laying new track alongside existing track
- Thread starter whyfly
- Start date
MailtruckChris
New member
re judders
Is that where those judders come from. Wow, that is good to know.
Also, Art, what these folks have been saying about putting the new splines right next to the existing ones (holding the shift key, of course) and then finding the right segments to straighten, is exactly right. I'm fairly familiar with the stretch of track you're talking about, having just replaced about half of the mainline track on the Marias Pass layout for track direction. The Sweetgrass line gave me the most scares because of those long curves, but once I found which segment I forgot to straighten it all went back to the the way it was.
Is that where those judders come from. Wow, that is good to know.
Also, Art, what these folks have been saying about putting the new splines right next to the existing ones (holding the shift key, of course) and then finding the right segments to straighten, is exactly right. I'm fairly familiar with the stretch of track you're talking about, having just replaced about half of the mainline track on the Marias Pass layout for track direction. The Sweetgrass line gave me the most scares because of those long curves, but once I found which segment I forgot to straighten it all went back to the the way it was.
Wandering off topic slightly, those long curves can be fixed to remove the judder.
Simply inserting spline points won't work, the smoothness of the curve will be lost.
Start by finding a tree with a reasonably straight tall trunk. Place one tree about every forty or fifty meters bang in the centre of the track along the length of the curve. You now have a reference for where the track needs to finish up. Go to the start point of the curve and use the 'get gradient' tool. Now add spline points all along the curve. The curve will twist about all over the place, but that is OK. Now move the added spline points till the track is back where it belongs with the trees smack down the middle.
The track alignment is now good, but the gradient will be out. Use the 'apply gradient' tool on every added track segment and you now have a smooth curve aligned and graded exactly as the original with no judders.
You should probably delete the trees....
andy
Simply inserting spline points won't work, the smoothness of the curve will be lost.
Start by finding a tree with a reasonably straight tall trunk. Place one tree about every forty or fifty meters bang in the centre of the track along the length of the curve. You now have a reference for where the track needs to finish up. Go to the start point of the curve and use the 'get gradient' tool. Now add spline points all along the curve. The curve will twist about all over the place, but that is OK. Now move the added spline points till the track is back where it belongs with the trees smack down the middle.
The track alignment is now good, but the gradient will be out. Use the 'apply gradient' tool on every added track segment and you now have a smooth curve aligned and graded exactly as the original with no judders.
You should probably delete the trees....
andy