Using Surveyor to rough out a real model railroad?

[m0ng0l]

Hi all,

I've been looking at someday starting a model railroad as a shelf layout in a spare room. What I'd like to try, is to use Surveyor to pre-plan the layout, and get a feel for what might be possible. However, I've noticed a couple things, and I'm wondering if I'm doing something incorrectly, or if it's a quirk of Trainz.

When I lay out the size of the shelves, with a baseboard set to N scale, it seems the curves are FAR tighter than I would expect. It also seems virtually impossible to get the tracks high enough for any sort of crossover. Are the engines and cars somewhat "out-of-scale" in Trainz, or is it just me?

Any suggestions?

Thanks,
Jason A.

 

[itareus]

AFAIK the Scale in Trainz only affects the ruler dimensions.

I think your best bet may be to "think in reverse" and scale up the your spare room baseboard by about 148:1 to 160:1 (depending on your N scale ratio) and then use this size to work in Trainz "real scale".

I have not tried this myself - hopefully somebody who has will be able to give you better information.

 

[wreeder]

Hi Jason,

While what you are attempting is possible in Trainz, the game really isn't designed for that purpose. It can be done and there are some nice layouts out there that were done this way but it isn't easy. What I would suggest is getting a program like RightTrack from Atlas. It is free.

http://forums.auran.com/trainz/Hi J...ice layouts out there that were done this wayhttp://www.atlasrr.com/righttrack.htm

This will give you the precision that you want. Then you can recreate a version in Trainz to check out what operations on the layout would be like.

William

 

[SuperFudd]

Certainly you can do what you are trying to do with Trainz but, if you are trying to simulate exact N scale demensions, it is rather difficult. As mentioned you can simulate operation with Trainz.
You might want to get the layout, "N Scale" from the DLS and see what you think.
I went the other way. I once had a 5.5 foot by 10 foot N scale layout in my garage. I have duplicated it in Trainz. It would not have filled 1/2 of a base board so I widened the curves, lengthened the straits and put in more sidings so it would fill one base board. One base board in N scale would fill a two car garage wall to wall. See my Elko and Lincoln in several versions on the DLS.

 

[m0ng0l]

Hi Jason,

While what you are attempting is possible in Trainz, the game really isn't designed for that purpose. It can be done and there are some nice layouts out there that were done this way but it isn't easy. What I would suggest is getting a program like RightTrack from Atlas. It is free.

http://www.atlasrr.com/righttrack.htm

This will give you the precision that you want. Then you can recreate a version in Trainz to check out what operations on the layout would be like.

William

William, thanks, I'm going to give that a try. I think what I'm going to do, is as was suggested, get the general track plan down, without worrying about being true to scale, then do what condensing I need to get it to fit my space. That, or use Trainz to test out the operations of whatever I come up with in RightTrack...

Jason

 

[itareus]

Jason,

Just a cautionary note - I bought TS2006 at a model railway exhibition (in late 2005 I think) just for the purpose of planning out a garden railway layout. 5 Years later the garden railway layout is only part built and I have RSI from spending too much time in front of the computer (and enjoying every minute of it)...

You have been warned !!

Cheers

 

[ray_whiley]

My approach, after over 40 years of railway modelling, is to take a layout plan which I have always wanted to build and to expand it to take advantage of the unlimited space offered by Trainz - for example, a 4 metre by 3 metre, 5-station light railway expanded to 7 Trainz baseboards. My notes on this approach, http://myweb.tiscali.co.uk/raywhiley/page38.html, may be of interest as facts like track radii are discussed.

I have also created a Trainz layout, the West Norfolk branch in the UK, from Heacham to Wells-on-Sea (sic), using prototypical station layouts but as yet devoid of scenery.

Ray

 

[itareus]

Ray,

I just had a look at your website and saw the following

"I often use model railway layout plans as source material for a TRAINZ route, and especially those by that prolific producer of plans for around half a century, Cyril Freezer"

Which made me wonder if you had a copy of CJF's trackplan book which contained a "garage" sized plan of a layout with a terminus (loops underneath) and a branch line with (?) 3 stations. Always wanted to model that as a kid but could never afford it.... I would love to do this in Trainz but have not seen the book (just 30 ish pages?) anywhere (If my memory serves me it cost me One Shilling and Sixpence - would that be 7.5p? -brand new)

I can't recall the title of the booklet or name of the plan but if you think you know the one then please get in touch.

Sorry for going off topic guys (nostaligia has taken over)!!!

 

[ray_whiley]

You may be thinking of plan 70, parts a to e, "Nelson" in the PSL Book of Model Railway Track Plans by CJF, 6.10 metres x 4.10 metres in EM/OO/HO gauges. This is similar to what you describe but without intermediate stations on the branch - Nelson is a large through station (part a), Weston North is a simple through station (part b), Canal Bridge is a linking section, Payne (70d) is a large terminus and the diorama-style layout is completed by part e, Nelson MPD (also large). It would be easy to add a few intermediate stations. on both the branch and the main line and it could be built section by section. I have had my copy of the book for a good few years - it is rapidly disintegrating! - and it is ISBN 0-85059-905-9 and cost me £5-99 when bought. It may be out of print, in which case a specialist model railway bookseller may be able to help - see adverts in the model railway press.

I have looked at this plan many times over the years and wanted to build it but never had the room to spare! However, just before my computer recently failed (cracked motherboard) I had begun laying out the tracks for the terminus in TRS2004. With a new, more powerful computer and TRS 2010 ordered, I shall probably resume work. Incidentally my Dukes Denver Light Railway (on the DLS with over 800 downloads to date) is based on Holman Valley, plan 54 in the same book.

There are also a number of garage plans in the same book (Nelson is really aimed at a loft, but a large garage would suit).

There are of course a good few other CJF plan books including "Plans for Larger Layouts" which dates back many years (I think it was published in the 1960s) and cost about the price you mention, so that might be it. Unfortunately, I lent my copy - and it never came back!

With Railway Modellers dating back to about 1954 I have a good collection of CJF plans to enjoy looking at!

I hope this helps.

Best wishes, Ray.

 

[itareus]

I think it may well be in "Plans for Larger Layouts" now that you mention it. I will have to do a search on the net for a copy.

Cheers

 

[alanti]

Have you had a look here for plans

http://www.layoutdepot.com/

 

[ray_whiley]

This may be of interest - a garage layout based on a 1978 CJF plan and published with modifications in several of his books.

http://www.onehouse.co.uk/plans.html

Ray

 

[itareus]

Thanks guys,

I found a couple of second hand copies of "Plans for Larger Layoouts" on the net, one at GB£ 12.48 and one for Aud$ 5 - bit of a difference from the original selling price (which was clear from a cover picture on one of the sites) of 17 pence!!!

If I was sure that was the right book I migh splash out, but at GB£ 12.48 I might have a day out the Warley show (NEC Brum) and have a look at the second hand book stalls!

Cheers

Chris