Problem With Switch Alignments

So something weird is going on with Trainz 2019 that I am fighting with as I build my new route... Every time I work on track, I save the route and then I occasionally go into "Quick Drive" to see how the alignments work with my locomotives (I have engines with some longer wheelbases like ATSF 5000). I do this so I can tweak track layouts as I go along instead of having to go back and fix things after all of the track is done. When I am building switches I make sure to "straighten" the track leading into the switch to ensure that the switches are smooth or fluid, so to speak. The first picture below shows this. I have circled the switches and drawn a straight line to show that the track leading into each switch is straight:



The weirdest thing happens when I go into "Quick Drive" though. When I launch "Quick Drive" (again, to test the trackwork), some of the trackwork (especially the switches) seem to "kink" at the joints. This next picture is in the same spot, shown after going back into Surveyor mode after doing a "Quick Drive" test of the route. As you can see by my markings, the track directly leading into the switch is still straight as an arrow but now the joint between the straight piece of track and the switch is super kinked and creates an undesirable condition with the track layout. This doesn't happen on every joint and doesn't seem to be constrained to one type of track, either.



I will note that after the problem occurs, all of the "straight" pieces of track are still straight. When I fix them I have to "unstraighten" them (so the tracks go back to their natural "curved" shape) and then straighten them again, which works to solve the problem but this has happened a few times now while I've been building this route.

Does anyone know of a solution to this? I am modeling a four mile stretch of track on Buffalo's East Side and am only a day or so into the route but I have to build a massive yard on it and would hate to do all of the yard work (and the rest of the work on the route) and then have to go back and fix every single switch (of which there are dozens, if not a hundred or more) on the route every time I drive on it. I hope I explained this enough, I have other routes that I have worked on the track for and this hasn't happened, but most of my routes have the trackwork embedded into the session layer, not the route layer. Would that make a difference? Let me know if anything I said is unclear, like I said I hope I explained the problem well enough. I am kind of stuck until I can figure out what the problem is.

Added a couple more photos. I hope it's clear what the problem is, and why it's so annoying!

Just curious: Why I see the red (invisible track?) on the track next to the point?

llebrez said:

Just curious: Why I see the red (invisible track?) on the track next to the point?

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The answer is in the first post

BrianPacos said:

=I have circled the switches and drawn a straight line to show that the track leading into each switch is straight

Click to expand...

Some actually look like they aren't joined, particularly the last two shots. Also I notice some of your switch levers aren't even at the switches, so it's rather a guess that this is causing some of the problems. Those last 2 look broken to me, but if you are sure they are joined, then there's something else going on.

It is much better to have a short straight after the switch i.e the frog side. Also the switch lever should be just on the edge of the spline point on the opposite side to the frog. In the middle picture it look as though you have two adjacent sections of track that are straightened but are not in line. If they are not to be in line one of the sections must be unstraightened.

Cheers,
Bill69

Alikiwi said:

Some actually look like they aren't joined, particularly the last two shots. Also I notice some of your switch levers aren't even at the switches, so it's rather a guess that this is causing some of the problems. Those last 2 look broken to me, but if you are sure they are joined, then there's something else going on.

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I can assure you they are joined, I can take a locomotive over them just fine in Quick Drive (which is when I first notice that the switches are messed up, in Quick Drive not Surveyor). I haven't moved a single switch lever with it (nor have I ever had a problem with switch lever positioning in the past, I just check to make sure the lever still shows a green arrow and a red arrow)

Had this happen when two pieces of track are straightened that are joined together. A slight curve on the join does not always show in surveyor but will in driver. Your image does not show spline points to see how the track was placed.

stagecoach said:

Had this happen when two pieces of track are straightened that are joined together. A slight curve on the join does not always show in surveyor but will in driver. Your image does not show spline points to see how the track was placed.

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Spline points disappear when I take a screenshot for some reason. Either way, the first image shows how everything is supposed to be aligned (and is normally). As you can see I don't have any straight pieces joined together, I always join a curve to a straight piece.

Yes I think that is a failing in TRS19, spline points don't show in a screenshot and they should show.

Bill69

I have just recreated an exact image of your junction. You have a very very short straight piece of track on the approach side of junction and the track diverging left has had the straighten tool used on it. click the straighten tool on that track and it should revert to the correct look. Because such a short piece of track was used it may not show up in surveyor.

Not much value here but for info only I'll throw in the fact that I've seen this exact same thing. I consider myself a novice at laying track so I assumed I was doing something odd or strange between Surveyor and Driver and back to Surveyor. But I've only noticed this on later versions of '19. I was laying some very simple test track to help myself learn more about track priority marks. Simple loop with some passing sidings. I experienced this same thing several times. Exactly as shown in the pics above. I would then delete siding track, relay and rejoin, and everything would be OK. I may be a novice, but I've had TRS-19 since Early Release, used Surveyor off and on, and I've only just recently seen this issue.

When joining track the two spline points must both be at the same height unless one has not been fixed i.e. one is white instead of yellow. In this case the white one will adopt the height of the yellow one but if both are yellow and at different heights they will not join properly. They will look as if they are joined but you will get the effect seen in post one.

Bill69

Normally, if two splines are not at the same level, they will not join. I don't think this is the problem here. I have had some instances were after joining two tracks (splines), they do what is described. Re-doing the junction fixes my condition, sometimes laying new section of track or using another type. We know is a bummer, but we have to adapt.

I overcome the problem by laying a short length of the same track along side where I want the intersection to be and clicking it with the track straightening tool to ensure it remains straight. I then drag it over, and alight it with the existing track, reducing its length as short as possible while keeping it aligned. By zooming in to gain more control I find I can achieve a length about half the diameter of the spline connection circles while still retaining alignment.

Still without disturbing the existing track I then create the layout of the junction from this short piece of track to see what it looks like and move and adjust as necessary. Once happy with the results I finally brake the original track and connect it likewise to the short length of track. The original track although very slightly longer is basically still aligned and without the kinks associated with joining curved splines. Peter