Closing Track Gaps

I have noticed a problem with a trick I had been using, so this is to warn others (or receive corrective info) about it.When laying track (without dynamics), often there is a bit of a gap remaining when track is joined, eg when closing a wye. The track would join and the blue poles disappear, but the small gap (about 0.1m) was still visible. To close this gap, I had been using a homemade 0.25m straight piece, laying track up to the gap on one side, then putting in the 0.25m gap filler, then laying up to the gap filler from the other side. This would overlap the gap filler a little and close it visually, and the blue poles still disappear.The problem is two-fold. First, when running a train over the filled gap, the cars will compress into each other because the track in effect doubles back on itself for the overlap. This could still exist for other track laying where the track overlaps a little naturally without the gap filler, and I've not explored the physical effect on equipment couplers, derailing.The second, more serious problem is that even though the blue poles disappear and the pieces can be selected and deselected and everything appears to work fine, after saving and restarting the Route Editor, the gap filler piece will produce an "adjacent pieces not loaded" error upon selection. This means manual deletion and track database rebuilding (which for me is always an adventure). I suspect that this problem stems from the small size of the gap filler, such that there are three blue poles (the original edge of the gap, plus the two ends of the added gap filler) all close enough to attach to the piece from the other side of the gap.The proper solution is probably to make a version of the 0.25m piece that is only a scenery object and not functional track, and just slip it under the connected but visual gap. 3footer

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RE: Closing Track Gaps, sniper297, Aug-18-02, 11:28 PM, (1) RE: Closing Track Gaps, calr, Aug-19-02, 01:20 AM, (2) RE: Closing Track Gaps, 3footer, Aug-19-02, 02:53 PM, (3) RE: Closing Track Gaps, LawrenceKellie, Aug-19-02, 03:06 PM, (4) RE: Closing Track Gaps, sniper297, Aug-19-02, 04:30 PM, (5) RE: Closing Track Gaps, 3footer, Aug-19-02, 06:23 PM, (6) RE: Closing Track Gaps, OkrasaGhia, Aug-20-02, 10:57 AM, (7) RE: Closing Track Gaps, 3footer, Aug-20-02, 04:27 PM, (8) RE: Closing Track Gaps 3' dynamic track, timken, Aug-20-02, 07:14 PM, (9)

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Hee-hee, rather than screwing around with custom track pieces, it might be better to adjust the dynamic track for smooth joints!http://www.railpage.org.au/steam4me/trainsim/tutorials/ig_dyna.htm

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I agree with sniper. It is tricky but it can be done. The problem with dynamic tracks is the blue poles can dissapear and still not have a good join. Keep tweaking until the blue poles are gone AND you have a smooth looking joing with NO overlap.
Cal Rasmussen
Beaverton, ORColumbia Gorge Route (The Dalles Dam 90% done)

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Sniper297 wrote:
>it might be better to adjust the dynamic track for
>smooth joints! Alas, as hinted at by my username, I'm working in narrow gauge so dynamics are not available (unless someone here has discovered new information since I did my initial survey of the archives). And I'm completely unreasonable and won't just do it in standard gauge (I've actually got dual gauge going in, which just doesn't have the same appeal when both gauges are standard). 3footer

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>Sniper297 wrote:
>>it might be better to adjust the dynamic track for
>>smooth joints!
>
>Alas, as hinted at by my username, I'm working in narrow
>gauge so dynamics are not available (unless someone here has
>discovered new information since I did my initial survey of
>the archives). And I'm completely unreasonable and won't
>just do it in standard gauge (I've actually got dual gauge
>going in, which just doesn't have the same appeal when both
>gauges are standard).
>
> 3footer I thought that referred to your height!!! Lawrence

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And here I assumed he was bragging about how well endowed he was.
Oh well, you're doing the whole route with custom track sections I guess it don't matter. No dynamics for narrow guage? You talk to Okrasa about that?

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>No dynamics for narrow guage? You talk to Okrasa about that? That was the consensus back when I was deciding how to build a narrow/dual railroad. In general, it appears that MSTS has a template that it uses in creating the dynamic track shapes (.s files) on the fly. Since this template is standard gauge, so is the resulting track. I've not searched (but I think Okrasa has) for a location of this template that could be changed.... *IF* such a thing existed, the RE could probably be used with it in Standard mode to build some track, then exit, change the template, and restart the RE to lay narrow dynamics. BUT this is all wishful thinking so far as I know. 3footer

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The dynamic isn't a shape like other track sections but handled somehow by the core. Have been looking in the various folders that make up Train Simulator but so far have not found anything to do with the dynamic track sections that would allow customization of it.


//Okrasa
Chief Engineer
okrasaghia @ yahoo.com
http://www.geocities.com/okrasaghia
http://www.geocities.com/okrasaghia/XTracks



Steam: 4-4-0 8, 0-4-0ST 9, 0-6-0 12, 0-8-0 15, 2-6-0 25, 2-8-0 27, 2-6-6-2 37, 2-8-2 40, 4-6-2 56
Diesels: SW8 16, F3 53, F7 54, FP7 57, CPA 58, RDC 61, GP7 81, GP9 82, RS11 86, H16 87, TM 88

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>The dynamic isn't a shape like other track sections but
>handled somehow by the core. Do you mean they're never stored as their own shape files but only exist within MSTS (figured on the fly from the route's local tsection)? That's a bummer, as it couldn't be fooled to do different gauges within a single route (though it might yet be fooled to do a single gauge of the builder's choice). 3footer

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Well, sort of...... Since I'm building the Sumpter VAlley Railway in 3'gauge, I've given this some thought. Here's my idea in a nutshell, use standard dynamic track where you can't get things lined up, and make a good connection. The trains don't care which track they run on, and you can mix and match with no problems. Now, with the dynamic track selected, right click and set the detail level to 10 (invisible). Next, the part I haven't tried yet. Make some "dumb" 3' gauge track sections. It might be best to lay these and overlap as needed to connect the existing problem spot before putting in the dynamic track, so the DT can be properly lined up with the route! A bit of a hassle, but it could solve some otherwise real problem spots!

Steve T.

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