North County Transit District Sprinter Route

[benny335]

Hi everyone, so I've decided that I want to try to build the Escondido-Oceanside route that connects up with the Pacific Surfliner route in Oceanside! However, I was wondering if anyone would like to help me with the task. The route itself is only 22 miles long but I'm not very good at laying track (accurately) using the Google Maps nor am I very good at dealing with gradients. I would love any help I can get! Feel free to comment with thoughts or even offer tips!
You can learn more about the route here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sprinter_(light_rail)

[BoostedFridge]

The route itself is only 22 miles long but I'm not very good at laying track (accurately) using the Google Maps nor am I very good at dealing with gradients.

The best way to improve is with practice! Good luck on your route?

[Chacal]

The above advice is correct.
It's great that you plan to build a route, but your message tells us you need to learn and practice first, before you start your main project.

It's like saying "I have decided to run the 125-km Harricana cross-country race, but my legs are weak, I weight 330 pounds and I get lost easily".
I'd say take care of these problems first and start with smaller races.

[Ryan93]

I agree with the above advice as well. At the beginning of the year I started my own route based in Charleston, SC. I was totally new to route building and wound up changing track many times before I found a suitable match to the real thing (thank goodness for RW_Tools.) After a while, I wound up creating my own track rule since I started off with more than one. I went crazy laying a ton of scenery- and a ton of track too- but I was very inexperienced as far as track laying goes. If I hadn't placed so much scenery, It would have been easier for me just to start over.

I had to have spent over 80 hours re-laying uneven curves and fixing straight-aways because they just weren't straight. I also had to re-do two large rail yards and all of their junctions which was extremely time consuming. If I could do it all again, I'd spend a good bit of time on a small fictional route picking a single track rule and getting a feel for track laying. Everybody is different but I believe learning on a project that can be easily scrapped could end up saving you a whole lot of time on your final dream route!



Good Luck!

[artimrj]

Just so you know I started my first route 4 or 5 years ago (maybe longer), the NERW and I had to restart it from scratch 7 times before I knew what I was doing. Now I laugh at the editor and know all it's quirks...

[benny335]

Trust me when I say I have quite a bit if practice haha. For example, I've been working on a fiction route for quite some time now. My main weakness, though, is getting the track to follow the Google map as closely as possible without slightly zig-zagging from side to side. Here's some of my work: http://railworksamerica.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=31&t=14325

[StrategyFirst]

Just so you know I started my first route 4 or 5 years ago (maybe longer), the NERW and I had to restart it from scratch 7 times before I knew what I was doing. Now I laugh at the editor and know all it's quirks...

Is one of them being able to change direction of a train consist before placing it? This would be really handy.

[Chacal]

Ah yes, the other Lafayette route, I remember.
That looked nice. what's happening with it?

[Ryan93]

Trust me when I say I have quite a bit if practice haha. For example, I've been working on a fiction route for quite some time now. My main weakness, though, is getting the track to follow the Google map as closely as possible without slightly zig-zagging from side to side. Here's some of my work: http://railworksamerica.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=31&t=14325

Not sure if this will work for you, but on long straights (following Google maps) I will hold down the control key and lay two 500meter sections of dead straight track, then select them both and try to get each end to line up with the map overlay. Then, depending on the section, I'll connect to a curve at one end and try to continue with the straight as accurately as possible on the other.

I have found this method to be very useful at getting rid of the zig-zags when I try to follow the map in small increments. When transitioning from a curve to a straight, sometimes I will lay the straight first using the above method and then go back to create the curve and connect it with the track I've that I've already laid. Sometimes it is necessary for me to create a junction and then delete the excess + weld the track to get the curve to connect.

I sure hope you can make sense of some of that and put it to use. I'm posting from my phone so I can't provide example pictures at this time.

[benny335]

Trust me when I say I have quite a bit if practice haha. For example, I've been working on a fiction route for quite some time now. My main weakness, though, is getting the track to follow the Google map as closely as possible without slightly zig-zagging from side to side. Here's some of my work: http://railworksamerica.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=31&t=14325

Not sure if this will work for you, but on long straights (following Google maps) I will hold down the control key and lay two 500meter sections of dead straight track, then select them both and try to get each end to line up with the map overlay. Then, depending on the section, I'll connect to a curve at one end and try to continue with the straight as accurately as possible on the other.

I have found this method to be very useful at getting rid of the zig-zags when I try to follow the map in small increments. When transitioning from a curve to a straight, sometimes I will lay the straight first using the above method and then go back to create the curve and connect it with the track I've that I've already laid. Sometimes it is necessary for me to create a junction and then delete the excess + weld the track to get the curve to connect.

I sure hope you can make sense of some of that and put it to use. I'm posting from my phone so I can't provide example pictures at this time.

Thanks for the tip Ryan93! I'll definitely have to try it!

[benny335]

Ah yes, the other Lafayette route, I remember.
That looked nice. what's happening with it?

It's actually coming along pretty nicely! Ever since school started up I've had to slow my progress WAY down. I'll be uploading some more screenshots really soon!