siding length

[johnnyboy99]

Is there a way to determine the length of a siding on a route? Because i'm working on some long 10-part activities across the ATSF Transcon and i'm worried some of the consists i've made for them will be too long for the passing sidings on the single track stretches from Emporia to Belen

[rdayt]

Use the odometer is OpenRails. It'll tell you to the foot.
Or you can use the ruler in TSRE but it doesn't work well around curves.

Randy

[ebnertra000]

The method I use is to run a train along the route to be used, measuring the sidings as you pass them using the odometer tool

[kraus]

You can get the siding length from the track database. In Open Rails Track Viewer locate one end of the siding. Open the .tit file and search for a siding by name and confirm the location.

Shelby North 3 siding.jpg

SidingItem (
TrItemId ( 685 )
TrItemSData ( 530.013 00000002 )
TrItemRData ( -693.063 1006 828.586 -12489 14772 )
SidingTrItemData ( ffff0000 427 )
SidingName ( "Shelby North 3" )
)

The siding name matches, and the location is close. This is siding item 685. The other end of the siding is 427, the second attribute of SidingTrItemData.

SidingItem (
TrItemId ( 427 )
TrItemSData ( 39.6448 00000002 )
TrItemRData ( 956.528 1006 -933.526 -12490 14773 )
SidingTrItemData ( 00000000 685 )
SidingName ( "Shelby North 3" )
)

The distance of these items along the track path is the first attribute of TrItemSDate. To calculate the siding length in meters, subtract, 530.013 - 39.6448 gives 490.3682. This gives the length of the siding item.

Another method is to create a path and measure its length.

[CSRX]

Almost makes me want to take the time and put in notes of how long passing sidings and yard sidings are to be, per the track charts. Though, sometimes I feel like that would be a wasted effort. Shrugs.

[kraus]

I have written a program in C# that reads the track database, .tit file, and output a CSV file with each siding, length and name.

For the Marias Pass route, USA2: marias.csv

If you want a copy of the program, send me a message. The program is a console program without a user interface.

[eric]

I'd use the odometer approach for documentation if the route builder didnt specify it was accurate to the chart distances. Siding markers may or may not reflect the clearances needed at the turnout or other factors like a grade crossing at either end which can't be blocked. That can sometimes be several carlengths deducted.

Granted for the ORTS dispatcher, those things aside maybe for clearance distance don't get factored into signalling logic or path clearing.