Building and updating a route using US3 and US3r tracks.

[rrdiesel87]

Hello all,

First. I have converted most of my routes to US3 tracks through the GLOBAL shape replacement and dynamic track conversion with minimal issues. However I would like to start replacing some of the individual tracks in each route with the US3R variant (for old sidings, branchlines, abandoned ROW, ect). Ive tried looking through the forums but have yet to define a definitive answer. so a few questions hopefully i can find answers to.

1) Is there a way to swap out individual sections of track from US3 to US3R without swapping every instance of that section in the route?

2) I dont see US3 anywhere in the objects panel when the route is loaded, I'm assuming thats because its not included in the global tsection.dat?

3) When I get this all figured out I would like to continue building an entirely new route (CSX/B&O Cumberland Sub between Point of Rocks-Cumberland) using the US3 and US3R profiles that is self contained like the TS Ruel and Mullen routes.

Thanks, any insight is appreciated.

[dcarleton]

Routes are still built using xtracks. The USTracks conversion is done after the route is finished.

To convert your secondary tracks to US3r, open the route in TSRE, navigate to the secondary track that you want to convert, select a piece of track, and in the field which shows the name of the shape edit that to read US3r instead of US3. Sounds like a lot of work, but it goes really quickly.

That method works until you get to dynamic track. If you're using dynamic tracks with a US3 profile, then all dynamic track pieces will have clean ballast and shiny rails even on your secondary tracks. On the other hand, if you did a dynatrax conversion, you can use dynatrax to convert the individual dynatrax pieces on your secondary tracks to US3r. (But finding and converting those specific pieces can be tedious.)

Oh, and if you do what you intend to do, then you probably should really turn off superelevation.

[geepster775]

In the past, your working copy of the route was always a preserved Xtracks version. You only apply US conversions on copies that become 'disposable'. This may be less important in the future as TSRE has added some new features to instantly substitute other shapes (place it with Xtracks, instantly substitute with US)

The super-elevation module really isn't as sophisticated as it needs to be. Ideally, slow speed yard tracks and industry spurs containing curves should never super-elevate. Super-elevation really should be tied to a speed limit factor applied to the track involved. A main track with a 60 mph speed limit should super-elevate on curves, but a 10 to 25 mph well used controlled siding right along side that main track should not. Right now, the SE code follows an 'all or nothing' approach.

[CSRX]

Personally, if there were more pieces with US3 track, I'd be all for it on converting everything over to it, especially with the built in berms. However, much like Scalerail, I noticed there is some slim selection. Even scalerail, the pickings are pretty slim when it comes to the switches.

I also agree with Geepster on the SE coding. Majority of the time I simply have that feature turned off, as it does look a bit odd on industrial tracks or slow speed 10mph sections.

Even the railroad I work on, there aren't many curves left with super elevation, as it's all under 30mph track, and that just makes the slower trains push against the inside rail even harder.

[rrdiesel87]

Thanks for the replys guys, Im going to try that out in tsre a little later and see what the results are.