Attaching track on a grade

[Expressman]

Hi, I'm new here and to TS. I used to do some scenery stuff in Flight Simulator, but I'm taking a break for that and rediscovering my first love: trains.

With the help of the lovely Google satellite overlay in TS2014 I have been modeling the CN Holly Subdivision, which runs from Detroit, through Pontiac, up to a sleepy town called Holly where it meets another CN mainline to Durand, then on to Chicago. I live a few hundred yards from part of the Holly Sub mainline, not far from their craneless intermodal yard.

Anyway, though Michigan is horribly flat, there still is some terrain to model.

So I found myself needing to reattach a siding to the mainline where the siding and the mainline had a different grade. They aren't off by far, but more than zero is a big deal. All the tutorials I've watched said it's tricky, but none of actually tried to show it work out.

At one time, after disabling snap to terrain I got a magnetic connection between the two levels of track. They looked perfect (aside from the angle at which they met) but it would not let me weld them. And without a weld I can't smooth them.

So... how is it done? Is it possible? If it's tricky that's fine, I can do tricky, but I need to know what the tricky is.

Cheers.

[Toripony]

If I understand your question correctly (and sometimes I don't, lol)....

I would start by turning off snap to terrain. Next, check the gradient of my mainline track. In the lower left flyout set that same gradient. Select the same track rule and track type as the mainline (must use the same to allow a weld) and start drawing my siding track out from the main going 10-20 feet beyond the frog. This will give a nice complete frog with both halves at the same plane.

Then set the gradient I want for the siding, choose whatever track rule and type I want and finish the length of the siding. Then smooth out the transition using the gradient smoothing tool as in this video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2mxEnEBInp8

Lastly I would use the snap to track terrain editing tool to fill the space that may be left under the siding.

[Expressman]

I understand about keeping the turnout level. That isn't an issue because fortunately the siding runs parallel to the main for about a hundred yards before it descends.

So you're saying that if my siding is downgrade, that re-selecting snap-to-terrain will help me bring it flush with the original level mainline?

(Sorry I can't say gradient in this context: I'm a graphic designer so "gradient" is one thing and "grade" is entirely another.)

[Toripony]

Now I'm pretty sure I don't understand what you're trying to do. The thing is, I don't think many people use the snap-to-terrain feature; it's too unpredictable unless you're laying track on default flat landscape. If you've loaded real terrain or manually shaped your own terrain you might end up with a roller coaster of track using that feature.

I usually either know (or discover) the grade I want to lay and set that in the lower left flyout before I lay a track segment. Or, lay the segment then adjust it manually using the gradient markers. To do that, lay the full segment of track, then click on the Gradient tool (different than the Smooth Gradient tool); yellow markers will appear on the track. You can click on the track at the starting point of your grade to add a marker which will fix the track elevation at that point. Then move to the next marker, grab it and adjust it up or down to achieve the grade.

There is a danger with this method... a bug will sometimes "Level" all of your track from one end to the other forcing you into a do-over. To avoid this ALWAYS cut (Split tool) your track at the first weld (red triangle) on either side of the area you are adjusting. Re-weld those splits after you finish all your adjustments. In the case of a turnout, cut the track at the weld where your turnout starts.

[OwainGlyndwr]

It is advisable not to use "snap to terrain", but to use "snap to track".

Start your siding from the main line and work away from it towards the end of your siding.

Lay the first small section of track from the ML at the same incline or grade or gradient as your ML.

Then introduce the correct amount of up or down elevation that you want the siding to rise or fall by.

This is done in the bottom left hand flyout.

Once the track is in place, you can then select a small brush size and use the \Painting Tools\Snap function to smooth the terrain up to the trackbed.

If i have misunderstood what you wish to do, i apologise.

O.G.