to use X-Tracks or ScaleRail

[lvlender]

I have no idea what I am doing with these track and road utilities. I ended up installing multiple track display systems into Open rail (at least I saved the stock OEM Global directory). I installed all the following utilities in this order…

• X-Track
• NewRoads
• ScaleRails
• ScaleRoads

Today, installed a copy of the old MSTS OHIO Rail Route. It did not play in ORTS like it did in MSTS so I used the Ohio Rail uninstall.bat file to delete it. After the uninstall, my copy of the Surfliner Route had no track textures. Just grey shapes. In a ‘Hail Mary’ move, I overwrote the Global folder with the OEM copy I had saved. I got tracks and roads back. YEA.
Of course, now I’m back to zero.

This all got me thinking…

1. what add-on track display is better? X-Track or ScaleRails?
2. Should they be used together or not?
3. Which one to install first?
4. Does using NewRoads or ScaleRoads affect the track programs?
5. Should I even bother with the road programs?

I know…
…lots of questions

[eric]

I prefer Scalerail, because I use 4m track centers for multi-track mainlines.

XTracks... I wouldn't bother unless you're downloading the new Replacement Shapes that were produced earlier this year.

You'll get much better looking track shapes for the most part vs. the 24 year old "tophat track" we have tried to forget for the past 20 years....

There's a bundle with all this: https://www.trainsim.com/forums/file...e?bundle=88594

[lvlender]

Thanks for sharing your preference.😁
As I am not real impressed with the track images in Open Rails, I was looking at the add-on track packages hoping for more realism.

Questions...
I saw the following statement in the ScaleRail 'read me' file,

" Based on U.S. prototype standards, ScaleRail is a new and exciting addition to MS Train
Simulator,..."

Is ScaleRail only designed for MSTS or is it also useful (and gremlin-free) as an addition to Open Rail?
I see there are lots of zip files that relate to ScaleRails. So far I have collected the following zip's from Trainsim...

• scalerail.zip
• scalerail_standard.zip
• sr_common_textures.zip
• sr_standard_gightgrey.zip
• sr_targets_high_standard.zip
• sr_targets_low_standard.zip

I understand that the last two zips are optional and are a 'one or the other' (but, not both) decision.
Which of the above files would you say are needed to get ScaleRails to work (and look good) in Open Rails? Am I missing a zip file that I should have?

Thanks again for sharing your knowledge and experience.

[eric]

I think ScaleRail looks fine in Open Rails.

The railroad you're modeling will drives which texture packs and targets to use. I'm partial to the CNW and MILW, so pink ballast and light grey work fine for those. For my UP routes, I go with the darker grey.

I've mixed low and high targets -- my wood shapes use low targets, and my concrete shapes use high and I've used a wood texture for the ties... that allows me to have the high MILW switchstands next to low CNW targets. It took some trial and error but ultimately was just a matter of keeping the unzipped files separate and being careful with what I pasted over.

.

[crstagg]

Thanks for sharing your preference.😁

Questions...
Is ScaleRail only designed for MSTS or is it also useful (and gremlin-free) as an addition to Open Rail?

Scarle Rail and the document you quoted were created before OR.

[lvlender]

Scarle Rail and the document you quoted were created before OR.

Thanks😉