Switch Anomaly

SharkNose

Active member
Hi. Here's one that has me quite puzzled:

Train is heading towards the left. Why does it take the direction opposite of what the switch indicator shows?

SharkNose_20121231_0001_zps7f71b5ce.jpg


SharkNose_20121231_0002_zps51bbf587.jpg


I've relaid the junction, checked track direction, rolling stock points the correct way, used different switch levers, rotated switch lever, changed switch position in Surveyor... The same junction configuration works on other parts of my route.

I've run out of ideas to try. :'(

Thanks, and Happy New Year everyone!

Andrew
 
It's a bit hard to tell from the screenshot but I'd guess the switch is on a curve. The loco IS going in the direction of the arrow because if you look real close in surveyor you will see that the track kinks slightly in the 'wrong' direction immediately after the lever before going in the 'correct' direction. You can prove this by dragging the next spline point beyond the crossing a bit to the right, the track will then look awful but the 'direction' it takes will be clear.

Fixes are either live with it, tweak the track vertex locations or -best - straighten the length of track leading to the lever....
 
I had one like this on an old route I built, caused a number of derailments from trains coming in on the trailing side (one-way track) when I wasn't looking before I thought to manually run a train towards the facing side to test it. Only way I was able to fix it was delete all three splines coming in and relay them from scratch. Just deleting, say, the divergence wouldn't work, it had to be all three pieces.

Don't know what caused it to begin with, but I can tell you that what side of the turnout the lever is on, etc, has no effect on switch directionality.
 
It's a bit hard to tell from the screenshot but I'd guess the switch is on a curve. The loco IS going in the direction of the arrow because if you look real close in surveyor you will see that the track kinks slightly in the 'wrong' direction immediately after the lever before going in the 'correct' direction. You can prove this by dragging the next spline point beyond the crossing a bit to the right, the track will then look awful but the 'direction' it takes will be clear.

Fixes are either live with it, tweak the track vertex locations or -best - straighten the length of track leading to the lever....
That's a good point too, or it could be that all three are "straigtened" (straightening successive tracks still has to lead to some bends somewhere occasionally) and that the diverging spline's attempt to straighten when it is forced to bend may be causing it to ever so slightly overshoot the main before it comes into the turnout.

Being such a "long" switch between points and frog might exacerbate the problem, have you tried shortening that to see that happens?
 
Yeah, the track is probably laid in a way that's messing it up.

Been there, done that. Didn't even get a T-shirt.
 
Anomaly Fixed!

Just when I thought I knew what I was doing, I continue to learn things about Trainz and Surveyor. The mention that the curve might be the cause of my problems seemed logical. Here's a broader perspective of the area in question:

SharkNose_01_zpsf052b45d.jpg


From your suggestions, I moved the junction down a little to the next series of spline points along straight sections. It wouldn't affect my track design any, and if it is what is needed to fix the junction arrows being correct, then so be it.

SharkNose_02_zps0fdbd876.jpg


Well, that worked!

SharkNose_20130101_0001_zps77813863.jpg


SharkNose_20130101_0002_zps68ff2a74.jpg


Thanks for your help everybody. :wave:

Andrew
 
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