Xtracks yard with curves

Can anybody offer me some advice on how to do a yard ladder coming off the backside of a 20d curve then run the yard along an extremely curvy path? I am having a problem getting the tracks aligned tightly to the main. My north lead also comes out on the main not right on a curve but on the inside fairly close to the curve. Currently construction is halted for the week due to school and what not but I am stopped at the south lead to the ladder. Oh and I'm using Xtracks 3.3 if that helps anybody with any advice. Thank you!

EIN

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RE: Xtracks yard with curves, calr, Sep-30-02, 00:37 AM, (1) RE: Xtracks yard with curves, SouthernCpl, Sep-30-02, 03:27 AM, (2) RE: Xtracks yard with curves, SouthernCpl, Sep-30-02, 03:40 AM, (3) RE: Xtracks yard with curves, davidbeach, Sep-30-02, 03:52 PM, (8) RE: Xtracks yard with curves, OkrasaGhia, Sep-30-02, 05:37 AM, (4) RE: Xtracks yard with curves, jleslie, Sep-30-02, 09:38 AM, (5) RE: Xtracks yard with curves, calr, Sep-30-02, 11:45 AM, (6) RE: Xtracks yard with curves, LawrenceKellie, Sep-30-02, 12:56 PM, (7) RE: Xtracks yard with curves, OkrasaGhia, Oct-01-02, 11:20 AM, (9) RE: Xtracks yard with curves, bwaterman, Oct-01-02, 02:59 PM, (10) RE: Xtracks yard with curves, davidbeach, Oct-01-02, 03:42 PM, (11) RE: Xtracks yard with curves, SouthernCpl, Oct-01-02, 10:09 PM, (12)

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Can you post a picture of the portion of the yard that is causing difficulty. Not a screenshot but the track diagram you are working from. You are probably going to have to use dynamic track for most of the yard.
Cal Rasmussen
Beaverton, ORColumbia Gorge Route -- 20%

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Hard to get a diagram of the track up but here is a link to an arial photo of the yard I am doing.
http://terraserver.homeadvisor.msn.com/image.aspx?t=1&s=10&x=2362&y=20635&z=17&w=2
Just follow the yard to the north northwest and you'll see what I am talking about.
If you have any trouble with the above link it's Yards, WV.
Thanks, Ps, Are you with the CGL model railroad club?

EIN

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I forgot to mention, my dynamic tracks hyperdrive my engines uncouple the cars one by one then concequently derail my trains. I went in and removed any dynamics that I had used. Any idea why that might be?

EIN

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Did you put in the dynamic track before starting to use Xtracks (and the standardized \global\tsection.dat file) and then NOT run Horace on the route?It is absolutely essential that the full process be followed.David Beach.Palouse & Lewiston

1% Completed

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Looks like you'll have to do an approximation using curved & modular switches and probably some dynamic tracks to even things out.


//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 beauty of Xtracks is that now you can set up perfectly spaced ladders with the 3d and 6d modular switches. By perfectly spaced I mean that you can use multi-track pieces such as a2t..., a3t..., a4t... without having to use dynamic track. Without Xtracks, there are very limited configurations available to make ladders with standard spacing. Once you get the track spacing correct, you can use curves in your yard all day long. Make a bowl of spaghetti if you want too, it will work just fine.When you use the 3d and 6d modulars, keep in mind that you are actually constructing a 6d switch with the 3d, and a 12d switch with the 6d, although you can use them without their respective end point pieces (A1tendpnt3d for the 3d modular, and A1tendpnt6d for the 6d), they look much better if you add the end point pieces. This first shot is a small yard on a slight curve using the 6d modulars. The red highlighted piece is an A4t500r10d. Once you get the ladder established, it's real easy to set up the yard on a curve. Note that I could use any curve once I get the spacing set. There is no dynamic track in this yard.This next yard is actually not made with modular switches, it was made before they came out, although I do use the scissorpnt10d switches here which still requires Xtracks. I had to use dynamic track quite a bit here to get the spacing right. The highlighted piece is an A4t1000r10d. The yard makes a 15 degree bend. Here is a yard on a curve that makes a 90 degree turn. It also uses the scissor switches, and all dynamic for the curve because the radius is non-standard which means no multi-track pieces. All you have to do is get one track where you want it, then put any multi-track piece at the end (I use A4t10mstrght) to use as a "gauge" to give you the spacing you need to line up the next 3 dynamic pieces. Then you can keep staggering the multi piece for as many tracks as you like.This last one is my pride and joy, and is a perfect example (if I may say so myself... ) of what I just said in the last caption. There are 30 tracks in this yard, although only the first 27 are correctly spaced. The interesting thing to note here is that the curves on all 27 tracks are 150m radius. Don't ask me how it ended up that way with the same diameter track at the curve. Again, I use the scissor points and lots of dynamic track here. I actually use the curve here to set the track spacing with the dynamic track AFTER the curve, or at the far end of the curve. With Xtracks you can pretty much make anything you want now. I can do a step-by-step screenshot if you would like to show how to make a ladder using Xtracks.Jeff Leslie

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I installed Xtracks yesterday and placed my first 6d switch in The Dalles yard. It was the only way I could get the associated yard track to line up.The Wishram yard on the BNSF line in Columbia Gorge wraps around a bend in the river. I had to use dynamic track for most of that yard. I would be tempted, at this point, to go back and try it with Xtracks. However, it works, and I have too much else to do! The Dalles yard has a bend in it and I am going to try to do the whole thing with Xtracks.Okrasa, I found the other night that a a1tPnt5dLftMnl with a a1tEndPnt5d lines up perfectly with a double track section (all default track pieces). Don't know if it will work for a ladder--haven't tried it. It might make for a rather long ladder which is not good if space is at a premium.
Cal Rasmussen
Beaverton, ORColumbia Gorge Route -- 20%

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Cal, I have not used a section of Dynamic track ever since XTracks 3.1 or 3.2. For those who want the layout to be nanometer prototypical, they will have to use dynamic track for everything. However, with XTracks 3.1+, I have been able to get very, very close. Sometimes it does take some fooling around to get the right combination of pieces.Lawrence

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Cal, a1tPnt10dLftMnl and a1tEndPnt10dLft also line up perfectly but you can't make a ladder out of them because the track-to-track spacing gets too large.
Same thing will happen with MS/Kujus other switches because they made them all as a combination of a short straight followed by a curve, when used in a ladder the short straight upsets things.


//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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I was intriqued with your reply to this thread where you suggested the use of either the 6d or 3d modular switches in Xtracks. I currently have Xtracks 3.3 loaded and would be interested in knowing the exact combination of 6d modular switches, 6d end points and straight sections needed to build a ladder track that will have spacing that is the same as the spacing for multiple track sections (2t, 3t, and 4t).

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Download the Xtracks reference route from the file library. Install it, open it in the RE and find the track configuration you want and take notes. There are many, many, different configurations.David Beach.Palouse & Lewiston

1% Completed

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I took your advice and it worked. Now all I need to do is reconnect the northern lead with the mainline again.
Thanks,PS Nice Yards!!!

EIN

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