Missing ties

[JenniQuest]

Hello RWA community. I have a question about these missing ties. Am I doing something wrong? It's so tedious to add all those ties back to the switch. They are Smokebox's [Prom] Track (UPRR). I don't think it happens on all of them so I wonder what I must be doing wrong to cause it.

missing_ties.jpg

Thanks for any help anyone can offer

[tntrainer]

Hello JenniQuest,

I have not used the specific track you have indicated but I have had similar issues while route creating.
Are you familiar with using the elevation arrows when you click the Gradient Tool? If not I will explain further for your benefit and anyone else who might search this topic in the future. Usually, a minor adjustment in the elevation arrows corrects ballast or rail issues when laying a turnout. Its really very simple. Here's a picture on my route with a couple of issues that I need to correct to make the ties visible and correct a rail misalignment at the frog. Note I have Highlighted the Gradient tool. When laying track on a grade, these issues can crop up when the diverging track ascends or descends from the main track quickly.

20221112222700_1.jpg

After clicking the gradient tool button in the toolbox, the yellow elevation gizmos appear on the track where sections of the track are joined or you may have added one on purpose.

20221112222723_1.jpg

When I laid the side track away from the turnout it is ascending (Yellow Arrow). As a result it left some crossties under the ballast (Blue Arrow) and caused a misalignment of the frog (Red Arrow).

20221112222853_1.jpg

This is easily corrected usually by adjusting the elevation gizmos. I have left clicked and added two adjacent gizmos, one on each track line. Note that one appears higher than the other (Red Arrow). Using the elevation indicated on the toolbar (Yellow Arrow) set them both the same elevation.

20221112222924_1.jpg

Now, that has corrected some of the ballast and the rail mismatch.....

20221112223031_1.jpg

Continued in next post....

[tntrainer]

Next I make a slight downward adjustment on the next Gizmo on the siding (Red Arrow). Note all the crossties now appear and the rail matches.

20221112223108_1.jpg

This sometimes creates another issue. At the Elevation Gizmo on the siding we now have an uneven transition or bump in the track...

20221112223445_1.jpg

I added two more Gizmos on each side of the one with the dip in it (Blue Arrows). I then raised the middle one (Red Arrow) ever so slightly to eliminate the rough transition. You can add as many elevation arrows as needed to smooth out things until they are pleasing to the eye. Be careful about recreating the original problem in the switch.

20221112223555_1.jpg

Looks Better!

20221112223559_1.jpg

Final Results. I might note that deleting/removing any Elevation Gizmos will result in the track returning to its original profile before you made adjustments. You cannot delete the Gizmos the game installs by default.... only ones you add.
I hope this helps solve your problem. If the crossties are missing completely and not just under the ballast due to elevation issues, I hope someone else may speak up with another solution. Good Luck!

20221112223608_1.jpg

[JenniQuest]

Thank you TNTrainer for the detailed reply. I have used the yellow spikes to adjust my grades but I've haven't used them on a turnout the way you did. I will give this a try, and I wish I had asked the question sooner because now I have so many to fix. Every turnout did this. Even if your method doesn't fix this issue, it's still really great information. Like tutorial level information. Normally I just deleted bad turnouts and rebuilt them until they worked. I was afraid to even try the spikes on a turnout

I'm still learning this editor. You should have seen me struggling with grades because I was using UK track with US grade % numbers

So I will test this and let you know. Thank you again!

[Railfan722]

The Promontory tracks purposely are made such that no ties render on switches. By default in TS, switches will only render with 2D ties, and there's so little track on the Promontory route that I guess Mike was willing to hand-lay tie assets for every switch. If you go into one of the asset menus, either Track Objects (the signal icon) or Misc. (the bag), I can't remember which, you should find the appropriate assets to build your own 3D switches. If you'd prefer a more ready-made solution, both Jupiter and 119 come with track that will automatically render 2D ties.

[tntrainer]

Good info Railfan722,

I've always said, there's no limit to what you can learn from the great folks at RWA!!

By the way, does your username reference Southern Railway Consolidation class number 722?

[JenniQuest]

Thank you both and Railfan722, this must be the issue. I even flew into the roadbed and I could see ties before and after the switch but none within the switch. I can't give up on the track because it's the best fit for my route period so I will either add the ties individually or try the custom switch building. More learning and only so much fits in my head.

Thank you TNTrainer for the valuable gradient spike information too. That was great. Thank you both!
Jenni

[tntrainer]

Glad to Help when I can,

I learn best by doing things by trial and error. So if that's the track you find pleasing to your eye, then keep on experimenting until you get it right. Don't get frustrated and quit. Sounds like 722 got you headed where to look.

Good Luck

[railroadamerica]

I have a question about these missing ties

If I recall correctly, this track set uses 3d sleepers need to be placed manually (if this is from Smokebox's route).
I saw the 3D sleepers in his facebook promotional video.

[JenniQuest]

Hi, thank you railroadamerica. I have found them and have been placing them. I never knew the switch ties went 2d except they did look plain. It looks like they are drawn on the ballast in some cases or just a flat 2d flat strip. I found sets of 3 and 6 ties so placing them goes faster than the individual ties and looks better. It may seem simple but for me this was a big thing to learn.