Mileposts on extensions and other Route Questions

[Retro]

Hi,
After placing mile posts on my Main Route I decided to add another twin line section where I had portals before. On the up section I could just continue to add numerically to the Milepost already there from 26 upwards. On the down section the Milepost starts at 0 from the original starting point. What would be the procedure for numbering these or would I have to start from scratch on the downside from new starting point of the new section.
Secondly I have completed all the stations on the route and am now struggling for ideas to fill in the lengthy sections between the stations and main towns. I have so far used Cuttings, Rolling Hills, Shrubs etc. How much detail do you more experienced guys use on the sections in between and how do you deal with these sections between Towns and Stations. I would like to keep the Route interesting but don't want to go to heavy on my 7600 GS card. I am running about Detail Slider 6 on the default Routes.
This is my first time producing a Route as I could never get my head round the MSTS Route Editor and I would like to be able to produce something decent. Would much appreciate any advice or ideas.
Thanks and Regards
James

[Sly401]

Are the numbers on mileposts important James?

I could do procedural Milepost, 1/4, 1/2, 3/4 and milepost

In fact if I made a set of mileposts 1 to 100 miles........ these could be put into a (very) long Xml

Editing out the uneeded ones at the begining would then give you

23 miles
1/4 mile
1/2 mile
3/4 mile
24 miles

Oh just thought.. it would have to be downwards as well

Can be done but you would need to edit the xml each time... simply select uneeded and cut it out (following xml rules of course)


won't be done tonight

Sly

[Retro]

Hi,
Yes the numbers are important. I am quite happy to place them using a system I developed I was just wondering what the real procedure would be if a real life route was extended. ie. Would they dig out and replace the old mileposts or do they have some system of numbers and or letters which would only mean new mileposts on the new part of the line. Thanks for the offer anyway. You must have loads to do already.
Regards James

[mbtech22]

Hi,
Yes the numbers are important. I am quite happy to place them using a system I developed I was just wondering what the real procedure would be if a real life route was extended. ie. Would they dig out and replace the old mileposts or do they have some system of numbers and or letters which would only mean new mileposts on the new part of the line. Thanks for the offer anyway. You must have loads to do already.
Regards James

The probable method would be to start the new route measuring from the existing zero pint and treat the new route as an end on junction. The principle purpose of mile posts is not to measure a route, but to provide defined reference points at regular intervals. The accuracy at which the mile posts are place is not very good on occasions, as can be seen when you compare the mile post positions relative to the latest route surveys. They would have originally been set out probably with a "chain" measure so could suffer accumulated error. Also route lengths do change slightly due to curve re-alignments etc. which can affect post to post measurements.
Railway engineers, even in Victorian days, were not given to un-necessary work/expenditure, so the chances of them changing the existing mile posts (and therefore changing all their records), just because the line had been extended is unlikely. If however, it was decided to undertake replacement of all the milepost, then they may have replaced them with a sequence starting from a new datum point.
Mileage is normally measured starting from a Junction or principle terminus so starting from a zero point in "reverse" would be some-what unusual.

Mark Brinton

[Retro]

Thanks Mark for all that information. I might try the end on junction method as this seems to be the less time consuming method.
Regards James.