acelejalde
Urban Transit Developers
Tracks, yards, and answers.
I use different types of tracks depending upon their job on the route and for diversity. For example, the surface tracks that are on the Dyre line are made by ExpressLine3Train, part of the NYCTA super-pack. They don't do well with too many bends, so they're perfect for the Dyre line which only has two major interlockings (south of Morris Park and south of Dyre Terminal). The MCQ tracks are the ones I used after E 180 St and Unionport Yard; because there are so many tracks in the area, as well as lots of switches and some double-slips, the MCQ tracks work better; the third rails are different because the MCQ tracks are meant for a U-Bahn type layout. I did notice the darker third rails in my EL stations, that don't mesh well with the normal lighter colored ones on BStyle's EL tracks--I simply forgot to swap out the textures while modelling, so it's an easy fix!
About the yards: I have Peter Dougherty's excellent guide "Tracks of the New York Subway", which is similar to the published maps on www.nycsubway.org, except up to date (as of 2011, though I have the 2010 version), and the full yard layouts are included. This is an excellent resource for me because I can cross-reference the current track configurations with those on my signal diagrams (lots of switches deleted or added between 1976 and today). Since Unionport wasn't in existence until 1997, I had to rely solely on Peter's book. I definitely recommend it because it has a wealth of subway information besides just maps and signal info. I "eye-balled" the maps in Peter's book and tried to get it as accurate as possible in Trainz; obviously that's impossible, but I tried my very best. I started at the bumpers and measured 520 feet downward (a little more than a full 10-car IRT train), and then connected the switches as they are in the book. I left a little wiggle-room between the switches and the actual start of the storage tracks because Trainz likes to stop AI trains a good 10 feet or so prior to a trackmark.
I know it sounds like a lot of work, but once you are building for an hour or two, it gets easier.
Any other questions, ask away!
-A :wave:
P.S. Late afternoon #5 line update: all signals, signs, speed limits have been laid for Dyre, E 180 & WPR lines; also, all junctions have been named according to the signal diagrams.
I use different types of tracks depending upon their job on the route and for diversity. For example, the surface tracks that are on the Dyre line are made by ExpressLine3Train, part of the NYCTA super-pack. They don't do well with too many bends, so they're perfect for the Dyre line which only has two major interlockings (south of Morris Park and south of Dyre Terminal). The MCQ tracks are the ones I used after E 180 St and Unionport Yard; because there are so many tracks in the area, as well as lots of switches and some double-slips, the MCQ tracks work better; the third rails are different because the MCQ tracks are meant for a U-Bahn type layout. I did notice the darker third rails in my EL stations, that don't mesh well with the normal lighter colored ones on BStyle's EL tracks--I simply forgot to swap out the textures while modelling, so it's an easy fix!
About the yards: I have Peter Dougherty's excellent guide "Tracks of the New York Subway", which is similar to the published maps on www.nycsubway.org, except up to date (as of 2011, though I have the 2010 version), and the full yard layouts are included. This is an excellent resource for me because I can cross-reference the current track configurations with those on my signal diagrams (lots of switches deleted or added between 1976 and today). Since Unionport wasn't in existence until 1997, I had to rely solely on Peter's book. I definitely recommend it because it has a wealth of subway information besides just maps and signal info. I "eye-balled" the maps in Peter's book and tried to get it as accurate as possible in Trainz; obviously that's impossible, but I tried my very best. I started at the bumpers and measured 520 feet downward (a little more than a full 10-car IRT train), and then connected the switches as they are in the book. I left a little wiggle-room between the switches and the actual start of the storage tracks because Trainz likes to stop AI trains a good 10 feet or so prior to a trackmark.
I know it sounds like a lot of work, but once you are building for an hour or two, it gets easier.
Any other questions, ask away!
-A :wave:
P.S. Late afternoon #5 line update: all signals, signs, speed limits have been laid for Dyre, E 180 & WPR lines; also, all junctions have been named according to the signal diagrams.
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