Completing a loop in the track

[adrianinwales]

The following is drawn from modelling practice and not prototype

Situation: double track reaches end of route.

Required modification: extend the track "offscene" to create a loop ie train leaves original route on up line and re-emerges on down line.

I thought I understood, join, weld, snap tools ................. wrong!!

Problem: I've laid a loop, including a straight section (for future development, ie some storage sidings), but can't seem to complete the circuit.
The extended ends (ie up and down lines) of the proposed loop currently finish with the usual buffer stop.
However, when I try to bridge the gap to make the circuit, the starting point is fine but the end point creates a double buffer meeting.
This "joint" won't accept the weld tool and if I apply the join tool I get two widely separated buffers and no progress.

Any suggestion how to complete the circuit please?

Adrian

PS why would I want to do this??

I hoped to take an up train "somewhere", swop in the offscene sidings for another and re-emerge with this second down train. Later on the cycle repeats and I can collect the original train and bring it back on to the route
You can see why I admitted to modelling practice in my opening sentence!!

[levisham]

There are loops either end of the main line section on The Coniston Branch so it must be possible.

[AndiS]

The join tool is one of the usual traps for beginners. It is rarely used in practice. What you need is the "snap-to-track" feature. In the bottom left layout, you find a magnet and a piece of track next to a bullet (circle). If you select that, then track that you lay will try to snap to other track. The track to which your track piece will snap is framed in pink. You will find a switch formed there. If you don't like it, delete the branch of the switch that you don't like and weld the remaining two track pieces if required.

The track piece to which you snap must be a single piece (i.e., no joints of "track ribbons" where the switch will be formed). And for best results, it ought to be a straight, although wide curves work too, if you get the combination of radii right, which is a matter of practice and judgement.

When you form circular courses of track, be warned that the AI dispatcher may go nuts when reasoning about them. The basic game design is a line from A to B. But there is nothing stopping you in building all the loops and triangles you want. Just be warned that when you set up AI trains, making them run in cycles is not what the game logic will want to digest, at least not easily.

[hertsbob]

Hi

Basically what Andi said. It won't let you lay an arc of more than 180degrees so you have to do the loop in two halves, but you should find it reasonably straightforward.






Cheers

Bob

[adrianinwales]

This must be one of the best forums I've ever belonged to

Within a very short time this afternoon I got the help I needed and the problem was solved!

First some guidance from one member pointed me to something I hadn't fully grasped re the Snap Tool - thanks for that Andi

Then another member put together and posted here a series of illustrations that backed up what Andi had said and confirmed what I had now learned - thanks for that Bob

For anybody, at a similar level in the game, reading this:
to join the ends of two pieces of track, involves use of Snap command.
I knew that, but clearly I didn't fully understand it.

However, the help I received drew my attention to the fact that the joining is achieved via the creation of a converging junction, which is then modified.

What I was trying to do was "plug in" a piece of track to bridge the gap (a bit like how basic model track is assembled using fishplate connectors).

I couldn't succeed because the Snap tool doesn't work like that.

Well impressed - thanks guys.

Adrian

[Acorncomputer]

Hi

RailSimulator.com have prepared a number of video tips which may be of use to you -

http://www.railsimulator.com/videos.php?p=1

[hertsbob]

Hi Adrian

Always happy to help, although if you'd posted in Route Building you might have had a quicker reply.

Those tutorial videos are great, too. I've got to disagree with setting all the track properties before you lay each piece of track, though. All you need to select, if anything, is the track type; the rest are far more efficiently done later. IMHO.

Hope you enjoy putting your new found knowledge to use.

Cheers

Bob

[Acorncomputer]

Hi Adrian

As you stated in your OP, you are drawing on your model railway skills and applying them to TS2013 which is OK to get you going but you will soon realise that you have the ultimate Train Set here, so you need to think bigger. The idea of having train consists disappear from view and then reappear again later is dealt with by the use of portals where trains can disappear into them and then later that train or a variation of it can reappear from that portal or any other in the route.

There is also much useful advice here -

http://forums.uktrainsim.com/viewforum.php?f=359

and also check out the older TS2012 and RailWorks forums for advice and assistance, much of which is still applicable to TS2013 -

http://forums.uktrainsim.com/viewforum.php?f=339

[Kiwisteam]

Saw this and thought to myself: now I need to build a route with this! Seriously though, great advice.

[adrianinwales]

Thanks again to all the later contributors who have taken the trouble to post further suggestions - and share their knowledge/experience with me/us.

Brilliant!

Adrian