How to start with route building

[DuctTapeGuru]

I thought it might be interesting to learn how to make routes. I was thinking starting with a route about 20km long based on a local short line. Where does one start? I have TRSE5 installed. Would it be better to get the new fork from the file library? I have read Pete Willard's manual for TRSE5, but really have no idea where to start.

[trampeltier]

Get Pete Willard's book.pdf (Train Simulator Route Explorer), on page 27 the Chapter: Creating a new route should explain the details.

[eric]

That's really a good length to do for a starter. How I learned was a pool table, flat route where I just started slapping track together. Once you can get the basics of laying out track figured out, start placing a couple of buildings. Run the route and enjoy it.

That will teach you the muscle memory needed to use the editor.

Spend a little time doing that and then move on to the short line you want to build. If you are using real geography, define the lat long and bring the terrain in. Then start learning how to rotate and set the angle of your track.

Go into it understanding that your first route will be entirely disposable. You can use it to practice other things like signal placement and roads, painting terrain and adjusting height. That way you don't accidentally blow up your real route.

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[DuctTapeGuru]

So far I have created a new route. I cannot do anything with it regardless of how many time I go through Pete's book. I have also learned that TSRE5 can be a diabolical software.
After creating the route, how exactly does one populate said route with terrain? Or track? Pretend I'm a complete imbecile, because in this context I am.

[eric]

I'm out and about this weekend, but will see what I can do for a step by step on at least getting some track laid.

As long as you have the normal essentials for track installed, you should be able to open F1 and see the object menu and a dropdown containing track shapes.

Click one and place new, then click on the viewport.

Click select, select your track piece, and then R for rotate, and you can use the movement arrow keys to change its compass direction.

New pieces will snap to that direction at the blue poles.

(this is from memory and not guaranteed to be 100% accurate....)

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[pwillard]

Honestly, the documentation could use an update, so anything good that comes out of this thread could be added...

[DuctTapeGuru]

The thread isn't going anywhere. After a massive high stress disaster of a day trying route building, I will leave it up to the people who know what they are doing. It's aggravation I don't want at this time in my life. The good thing is that I have learned a new respect for those that tough it out and complete routes. I will stick to what I'm good at.

[JSMR]

The thread isn't going anywhere. After a massive high stress disaster of a day trying route building, I will leave it up to the people who know what they are doing. It's aggravation I don't want at this time in my life. The good thing is that I have learned a new respect for those that tough it out and complete routes. I will stick to what I'm good at.

I feel your pain. I read about someone who described laying track as the easiest part and adding objects the hardest. I always wondered what he was smoking.
I’ve tried too and found laying track an impossible task. I spent 2 hours on laying 3 pieces and even though it worked it wasn’t smooth and made the loco skip a little over the join. An hour was spent just trying to get the loco to not get stuck on it. Feels like the ctrl arrow keys don’t allow fine enough adjustments to line it up enough.

So I stick to adding grass/shrubs/trees, buildings etc on exisiting routes. That I can do.

[eric]

Sheesh. I said I'd put together something. Sorry that it wasn't possible to do same day service.

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[DuctTapeGuru]

post deleted

[DuctTapeGuru]

this is what my new route looks. like. What is the first step? Please be patient with me and my mood swings. I'm OCD, ADHD, and Aspergers. Screenshot 2026-05-04 111507.png

[eric]

First thing... to get rid of the black ground.... you need to have "terrain.ace" in your {route}\Terrtex folder. Grab one from an existing route's Terrtex folder.

[eric]

Second... let's lay some simple track... straight sections.

You show the F1 / Objects pane up. That's where you start anything involving placing objects onto the terrain.

• In the search box, type "25m" to get a filtered 25m track section
• Click the "A1t25mStrt.s" and it should turn orange
• Click the "Place New" button
• Move your mouse onto the viewport (the main window) and click BUT do not release the mouse just yet.
• With the mouse button held, you can move this around left/right/forward/backward.
• Release the mouse button when it's in a place you want it.

capture_5100568(00001).jpg

At this point, you have choices... place more of the same track piece, or stop to select something else.

• To place more of the same track section, you can keep clicking while holding down the mouse button.
• If you click ON the previous track piece and near the end, it will automatically position itself.
• With the mouse button still down, you can drag it to either end of the previous piece and it will snap into place, or into an entirely different location.

capture_5100569.jpg

To pick another track piece type, find something in the list (the search box is dynamic and automatically wild-carded). Once something's highlighted in orange, if you still see the "Place New" button highlighted, you can keep clicking to place.

If you're done or need to adjust something already placed, click on "Select" to get out of placement mode.

If the track piece isn't where you want it, click Select, and then click on the piece of track

From here you can delete it (click the delete key on your keyboard) or you can move it.

Moving a placed track piece involves a few more steps....

• Click Z on your keyboard to remove its TDB entry. The yellow line should disappear.
• Click on the track again BUT don't release the mouse button, and you can move it around as needed
• Release the mouse button when you've got it in place, and click on an empty piece of the terrain
• The yellow line will reappear which tells you it's back in the TDB

When you get to things like switches, curves, and other specialized pieces, you can use the T key while the track is selected to flip them around for the right alignment. If it already has a yellow line, toggling the Z key will correct things.

[eric]

Once you're comfortable with that, placing other static objects is the same, except that there's no yellow line or TDB entries to worry about.

Don't try things like signals, speed signs, mileposts or crossings just yet. Stick to track and static objects like buildings and trees.

[JSMR]

Don't try things like signals, speed signs, mileposts or crossings just yet.

I tried on an existing route and using the mouse as you mentioned, the track snaps into place. A miracle! Its actually easy. Strange the TSRE guide says to use arrow keys to move the track into place which I was doing and it was painful and never worked. And took forever.

Of course the route wont load because I think I messed with the signals but its a start. lol.

Hopefully old mate above has been successful.