DualTracks 1.0 Uploaded

Long since promised, my DualTracks track package is now uploaded, and assuming all is right, should show up in the File Library in due time. It is freeware, please read license.txt.DualTracks v1.0 provides dual gauge track sections that match up with MSTS standard gauge and XTracks narrow gauge. Curves and switches come in left common (LC) and right common (RC) variants. Parts are available to make all possible siding and diverging gauge arrangements. In addition to dual gauge, some pure standard and narrow gauge sections are also included. In particular 1 and 5 degree versions of some curves and more short straight sections to make life easier without dynamic tracks. Zero degree (invisible) switches are included that can be used for things like the simulated derailment activity proposed by Steve Thompson, or for dividing up a too-long stretch of single track. Top it off with some animated derails to protect the main!Known oddities: The closesly spaced track centerlines seem to conflict with some assumptions built into MSTS. There are special notes about animation, track placement, activity creation, and signalling in the readme.txt. Please read them before (or at least after) something odd happens.Riding the narrow side:
Part of a mixed gauge yard (no dynamics used):
A close up of narrow and standard gauges diverging from dual:

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RE: DualTracks 1.0 Uploaded, METRAUP, Feb-22-03, 03:23 PM, (1) RE: DualTracks 1.0 Uploaded, 3footer, Feb-22-03, 11:31 PM, (2) RE: DualTracks 1.0 Uploaded, OkrasaGhia, Feb-23-03, 07:53 AM, (3) RE: DualTracks 1.0 Uploaded, 3footer, Feb-23-03, 02:38 PM, (4) RE: DualTracks 1.0 Uploaded, METRAUP, Feb-23-03, 03:29 PM, (5) RE: DualTracks 1.0 Uploaded, 3footer, Feb-23-03, 04:50 PM, (7) RE: DualTracks 1.0 Uploaded, NoMoreTrains, Feb-23-03, 03:40 PM, (6) RE: DualTracks 1.0 Uploaded, steam4me, Feb-24-03, 00:55 AM, (8) RE: DualTracks 1.0 Uploaded, TVRRMAN, Feb-24-03, 10:58 AM, (9) RE: DualTracks 1.0 Uploaded, 3footer, Feb-24-03, 12:07 PM, (10) RE: DualTracks 1.0 Uploaded, smace, Feb-25-03, 06:41 PM, (11) RE: DualTracks 1.0 Uploaded, 3footer, Feb-25-03, 11:45 PM, (12) RE: DualTracks 1.0 Uploaded, smace, Feb-26-03, 09:03 AM, (13)

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Any route using them yet? I assume there compatible (or at least don't interfere) with xtracks. I will download that route! Will you extend the xtracks D1t1mstrt.s series?Thanks!
METRAUP

The "Metra Man" David Kuntz, 14 year old Simmist
Formerly davidpagesweb

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Yes, it includes many straight and curved sections that eliminate the problem of mismatched radii on curves.There are two routes that use them, one is the reference route for DualTracks which will be available for download. The other is also mine and has been a year in the making (the driving need behind DualTracks). I'll say more about it soon.

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Looks very nice!
I know how much work you must have put into this.


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

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Here is a list of the track shapes in DualTracks:A1t0_8mStrt
A1t1_5mStrt
A1t164r10 (matches A1tPnt10d curvature, no tangent like EndPnt)
A1t24mStrt
A1t90r1d
A1t90r5d
A1tDerailLftMnl
A1tDerailRgtMnl
A1tEndPnt3to10d (add to XTracks modular switch to make it 10d)
A1tEndPnt6to10d (add to XTracks modular switch to make it 10d)
A1tPnt0dLftMnl
A1tPnt0dRgtMnl
D1t0_25mStrt (only use inline, TDB rebuild issues if put in a gap)
D1t0_8mStrt
D1t1_5mStrt
D1t1200r1dLC
D1t1200r1dRC
D1t1200r5dLC
D1t1200r5dRC
D1t12mStrt
D1t150mStrt
D1t150r1dLC
D1t150r1dRC
D1t150r5dLC
D1t150r5dRC
D1t1mStrt
D1t300mStrt
D1t300r1dLC
D1t300r1dRC
D1t300r5dLC
D1t300r5dRC
D1t30mStrt
D1t3mStrt
D1t600r1dLC
D1t600r1dRC
D1t600r5dLC
D1t600r5dRC
D1t60mStrt
D1t6mStrt
D1t900r1dLC
D1t900r1dRC
D1t900r5dLC
D1t900r5dRC
D1t90r1dLC
D1t90r1dRC
D1t90r5dLC
D1t90r5dRC
D1tCenterMnlLC (from 3-rail dual to narrow centered in standard)
D1tCenterMnlRC (from 3-rail dual to narrow centered in standard)
D1tDerailLftMnlLC
D1tDerailRgtMnlRC
D1tEndPnt10dLftLC
D1tEndPnt10dLftRC
D1tEndPnt10dRgtLC
D1tEndPnt10dRgtRC
D1tPnt0dLftMnlLC
D1tPnt0dLftMnlRC
D1tPnt0dRgtMnlLC
D1tPnt0dRgtMnlRC
D1tPnt10dLftMnlLC
D1tPnt10dLftMnlRC
D1tPnt10dRgtMnlLC
D1tPnt10dRgtMnlRC
D1tPntEnd (special piece for all dual or diverging gauge switches)
N1t0_25mStrt (only use inline, TDB rebuild issues if put in a gap)
N1t0_8mStrt
N1t1_5mStrt
N1t1200r1d
N1t150r1d
N1t164r10dLC (standard rail size)
N1t164r10dRC (standard rail size)
N1t1mStrt
N1t40mStrt (standard rail size, matches A1tPn1t0d straight length)
N1t600r1d
N1t900r1d
N1t90r1d
N1t90r5d
N1tDerailLftMnl
N1tDerailRgtMnl
N1tEndPnt3to10d (add to XTracks modular switch to make it 10d)
N1tPnt0dLftMnl
N1tPnt0dRgtMnl
N1tPnt10dLft164rMnlLC (standard rail size)
N1tPnt10dLft164rMnlRC (standard rail size)
N1tPnt10dRgt164rMnlLC (standard rail size)
N1tPnt10dRgt164rMnlRC (standard rail size)

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What's the derail point?Thanks!
METRAUP

The "Metra Man" David Kuntz, 14 year old Simmist
Formerly davidpagesweb

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Below is a picture of the derail (this is the standard gauge variant). It's based on the invisible switch, so unfortunately it can run in the trailing point direction without derailing, but just place it so the points are on the spur side and it will protect the main as intented.BTW, these are used on industrial spurs to protect the mainline. If a car gets away and starts rolling uncontrolled (or is inadvertently moved too far), the derail will derail it before it gets to the main and poses a more serious hazard. They are activated by levers much the same as switches (a switch to nowhere). The same function is sometimes served instead by a regular switch that ends just past the frog... I would guess the more invovled full switch would be used when there is a place to put an uphill capture track and some hope of stopping the car short of derailing it.

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Very nice work!! A great addition.Ray

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You wrote>Zero degree (invisible) switches are included
>that can be used for dividing up a too-long
>stretch of single track.
Somewhere here in another thread someone mentioned that invisible switches would still show up when you press F8 and that mis-setting the switch would cause a derailment.Could a possible solution be an "invisible" zero degree passing loop -ie invisible switches at each end of a (short) invisible passing track: then pressing G or Shift-G would have no visible effect on train operations nor would the train derail: you also would have achieved the desired result of dividing long single track.
RegardsYuri.
(steam4me)
-------------------------------------
Webmaster
Australian MSTS Add-ons Page
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I guess anyone designing narrow gauge routes will have an easier time now. Speaking of this, I have a few questions: do the dual gauge turnouts really work? Do you think it would be possible to personalize a route that you own, by adding a narrow gauge interchange connection to it, And would it have any strange effects on the route itself?.
on a final question, is anybody working on a narrow guage version of the East Broad Top Railroad? I was just wondering.Great work though. I am sure that this add-on will be downloaded by anybody wishing for a narrow / Dual gauge route... Looking forward to downloading this file...

Thomas Pearce,

Freight Car Builder, Broadway Limited Locomotive Works

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>Speaking of this, I have a few questions:
>do the dual gauge turnouts really work? Do you think it
>would be possible to personalize a route that you own, by
>adding a narrow gauge interchange connection to it, And
>would it have any strange effects on the route itself?. Yes, the switches work for both gauges (though they only animate for the narrow gauge). The F8 view works fine for both.Adding dual guage would be like adding any other track (though do bear in mind unsolved problems with activity paths running over dual gauge, see the readme.txt).As for using the invisible points to subdivide a long single track, the idea of using two to make an invisible siding so as to prevent accidentally taking the wrong leg is a good one. However, be careful that the now exactly aligned main and siding do not have any section endpoints that are close together, else when doing a TDB rebuild, MSTS will probably confuse which section connects where, resulting in a reversal at best, or two sections may try to connect to a third and it'll crash at worst. There's a section on this in the readme.txt (in the section on "Center"ing track). The invisible points, derails, and centering switches all have differing leg lengths to conform to this need (plus it distinguishes 'divering' from 'straight'). Let the Reference Route be your guide to connecting to the legs.

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If you make this electrified track, do you get one or two wires. I ask because in the traction forum, there was some small discussion of some thing that would look best with two wires overhead.

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Well, it would appear two! Behind the loco I switched to standard only, so the second wire stops. I must admit I didn't try electrified track, and doubt I'll have time to do so. I did have a problem with MSTS crashing during the route load in "Explore" mode, though the official activity loaded fine. I am hoping this is an unrelated issue with electric track...Now before making new track sections (minus the third rail) just to get two wires, dual gauge (or close track centerlines anyway) does create activity path problems, so it should to be used with care else you're relegated to only exploring. I'd venture it might be less problematic (though more work) to define a two-wire object (or a single extra wire object) and just run it along overhead.

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Thank You for doing this. I will download the sections to play with. I am not good enough to create the two wire fix (yet), so this may give me a short term demo type route to play with, and I will even read the documents for known problems.

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