Limitations?

[DavidGYoung]

If I had to name the biggest annoyance I have with MSTS's route-building limitations, it would have to be the need for a 10m section between two pairs of points. RailWorks looks like the simulator I would like to buy now, but the deciding factor would be the limitations when building.

What, if anything, are the most common real-world configurations of tracks which have proved impossible to model (in a working manner rather than as decorative) in RailWorks?

[gypbrc]

Slips and double slips. They feature in the default route of Bath-Templecombe; but are very tricky to get right. There's not as many of them around now, but if you want to model a route that used a lot then it would get quite frustrating I imagine. Also diamond crossings can be tricky. There is a certain range of angles between the crossing tracks which only seem to allow the diamond to render; again though you just get used to which angles are likely to work and which ones will not.

The UK signalling is pretty good to be honest. If you take your time to understand exactly how the signalling works (it helps if you know already how UK signalling works), then placing the links for the signalling on each of the paths becomes second nature. I personally found it reasonably intuitive, but others do and have had some difficulty here to the point where it put them off.

Object placement. The way objects are placed in Railworks - by hand - lends itself to being able to create so rather complicated scenes. The only drawback is the time it takes to do this. Again though, practice means it becomes second nature; and you'll learn to work the mouse and keyboard together to place objects rather quickly.

[SouthernElectric]

Speaking of Diamond crossings can anyone say what the optimum angle is for these's as I've got one at LNW Jcn on my Derby route and I've relaid it 5 times or more and I'm still getting the frog closest to the frog on the point not rendering correctly with the result I can't cross from the main to the goods...........at least with MSTS you had a ready built crossing to use.
If it isn't slips it's diamonds.......
Simon

[gypbrc]

Check that you aren't laying them across a join in the track (i.e. not over a red triangle). It also helps if possible that both track sections are straight or have high radii of curvature at the point of the diamond. They also have to be exactly the same height and if there is a gradient, have the same gradient in the same direction. Don't have the snap to track tool on when laying diamonds if you are trying to connect with other track, because a gradient could result from this.

I personally have found more aggressive angles to work better, anything above 20/25 degrees perhaps.

[SouthernElectric]

Rich thanks for your comments I'll have a dip in RW's now and try out your pointers.
Regards Simon

[DavidGYoung]

Are you saying that anything is possible but you might find yourself poring over the controls before you get it right? The slip issue would matter to me because the routes I want to model are all here in Poland where slips are commonplace (the route I am building for MSTS has to be altered so they don't feature). Alternatively, is it that you can build anything as far as track is concerned but it might not render properly?

In other words, if I fitted a number of model railway track pieces together so that a hyper-complex arrangement that a train could physically run over without derailing was the result, I might still have something which RailWorks was not capable of copying?

And am I right in assuming that turning loops, turning triangles, working turntables, triple points, and no restrictions on the proximity of one point to another are features of this simulator?

[gypbrc]

Junctions render correctly if they have been laid correctly. If they do not render it is very likely they have not been laid correctly.

Turntables feature. I personally have built turning triangles and loops and when signaled correctly AI traffic moves over them fine; otherwise they can be driven over without derailing. Points can be laid in close proximity to each other; basically any distance greater than not being laid on top of each other.

[choccy]

Slips work better than they formerly did after a recent upgrade. It's important when laying a slip (single slip) in particular to test it thoroughly before racing on ahead with track laying. If it looks right it isn't necessarily right! AI trains have the most problems traversing slips, so check they will cross the slips through every permissible path. Additionally check that the signalling works through the slips. Sometimes it doesn't.

Slips cannot be laid at every angle, only shallow angles. You will soon discover this and occasionally the rails fly in every direction when you press the weld button. Additionally creating slips with curved track is either very difficult or impossible. Slips can be formed correctly on gradients but only with matching gradients and identical track heights.

One final word way markers are essential in order to persuade the dispatcher to traverse slips; this can also be the case with other junctions! Try for example routing a train from Templecombe Upper station to the yard at Templecombe Lower. It chooses to go via Wincanton unless persuaded otherwise. And there is no slip involved here!

On the while track laying in RW is pretty easy and the builder suffers nothing like the trials and tribulations of MSTS.

Mark

[SouthernElectric]

Mark I'll second your comments on slips and junctions, I've got 4 known areas on my own Derby to Burton route where I can't use a junction or even a simple crossover in some directions, I've got a single line though Sinfin and Chellaston that the Dispatcher only likes to use in one direction only but I still do prefer tracklaying in RW's as you can lay more realistic junctions in a shorter time. I have found the addition of Markers has helped some areas but not others.
Simon

[Darpor]

I've got a single line though Sinfin and Chellaston that the Dispatcher only likes to use in one direction only

Is the track property set for single direction only?

[SouthernElectric]

I've got my single line set to Bi-Directional but like I said the dispatcher seems to only like using it from the Derby end and not from the Chellaston end, when I do try pathing an AI loco the dispatcher sends the loco via Stenson and Melbourne Jcn even when I place the loco on the branch itself......
Simon

[Darpor]

Have you tried using route markers to try and force the route?

[SouthernElectric]

Thanks for your reply Darpor, yep I've tried Route markers at each end of the branch which is only about 3 1/2 miles long and the test loco insists on going the long way round rather than going up the branch..........
Simon

[choccy]

Simon, if you have no joy with destination markers or way points at each end of the chosen slip, the only way round is to relay the offending slip, making the angle slightly shallower than you have done already. If you choose to do this make sure that the area you wish to select to lay a slip is free of red triangle join markers.

Before I lay a slip I always back up the Networks folder (strictly speaking the tracks.bin and Track Tiles folder will suffice but it tends to be easier to back up the whole parent folder, so long as you don't lay any roads or lofts in the interim). This means that if on test your new slip doesn't work you can reinsert the backup of the Networks folder and have another go without having to relay the gap left when you remove the slip. This can be a real pain as you can't just reconnect the gap otherwise you have more red triangles.

If, for any reason, you realise your slip isn't going to work ( only having the opportunity to form a single slip for example) you can use the undo command to repair the damage before you save the new track work (early editions of RS/RW didn't permit this!).

I've had more joy forming a slip successfully by only connecting it at one end before forming it. By that I mean it's a diamond crossing not connected at one of the ends that may be a curved exit. I think doing it this way does not predetermine the angle at which the slip will have to form and allows for more flexibility.

Mark