Columbia and Western videos
Nicely done. How did you create the 50% compression for height and geography?
I use the grid system to layout the route. Each grid represents 2526 * 2526 ft (approx 770sq m). So I establish each grid as a 1 sq mile (ie 5280ft by 5280 ft). Quick math puts this at 48% for horizontal compression.
So for every sq mile of horizontal on the topographical map, I laid out the track route in 1 grid.
To maintain accurate gradients, I applied a 50% reduction to the vertical also. A slight complications is my base elevation (ie Trainz 0) is actually 1640 ft in real life so I adjust verticals based on
( real elevation ft- 1640ft )/2 and I set the vertice to that number.
Then to maintain accurate train schedules I use a 2:1 fast clock such that trains time between stations matches original schedules. This is usually the trial and error as building the route and adding curves and speed limiters and slowing down in stations and coupling can impact the train schedules, so I have to adjust distance sometimes to maintain schedule. Basically I always build the route between two time schedule stations, run an engine and record the time and then adjust the route.
The only inaccuracy is the engine odometer in a Driver session records 50% of actual distance travelled which I can live with as I base operations on a train schedule.
I have found this simplifies building a route from actual topographical maps.
