Paths

[landnrailroader]

Collegues,

While creatinig a new version of the Kingsport Sub., there comes a point where at least a exploring activity has to be created and part of that is creating a path. I have had some success using Track Viewer to create paths but I have a situation that blows my mind. At St. Paul, VA, there once was a slip switch where the Clinchfield crossed the N&W and 50 years or so ago, this was replaced with point to point turnouts. So I have placed two point to point turnouts with a 5M straight piece between them. On the Clinchfield going on south, about a 1/4 mile there is a turnout leading to a spur. What I have found is if I start a path north (geographically east) of the back to back turnouts and select the alternate route at the facing point turnout leading to the Clinchfield, it comes to a dead stop at the turnout to the spur ST_PAUL_ERROR1.jpg Note this in the above image. However, if I start the path after the facing point turnout, it generates on through the turnout to the spur and goes to the end of the track, at this point about 30 miles south of St. Paul. Is there a way around this issue. On examination in TSRE there is no visible break in the database lines, no blue pole, so?
ST_PAUL_ERROR2.jpg So here by the light blue line, the path extends past the turnout to the spur? Is there a better way to create paths?

Jerry

[amtrak115]

Jerry, while I'm not positive as I'm still working through the code for Trackviewer, but I believe TrackViewer sometimes will stop at some tracknodes and that using the "page-up" or "page-down" key will "force" it forward. Paths are kind-of unique as you would think they would use the "vectors" from the TrackDB, but it appears from the code, that is not necessarily the case. there are functions within the code that sees if a "path is close to a 'tracknode'" just close and it assumes it's ok to proceed. As I said, I'm still working through the code.

[commec61]

Jerry,
Use shift page up and that normally takes the path mostly to the end.
Steve

[eric]

Shift-Up works. I think it has to do with whether or not your path is on the default route for the turnout.

[Pecho Lata]

On the Clinchfield going on south, about a 1/4 mile there is a turnout leading to a spur. What I have found is if I start a path north (geographically east) of the back to back turnouts and select the alternate route at the facing point turnout leading to the Clinchfield, it comes to a dead stop at the turnout to the spur

Whenever you select the alternative route at a detour, the itinerary will always stop at the next node.

[landnrailroader]

Thanks folks, that answers my question. It just seems to me that TrackViewer is a nice way to create paths. And I would not want to release, even a "incomplete" route without testing most of the available paths first. In the case of the KP and BR subs, I plan to release them as essentially complete, although I may put them in the "incomplete" category so that if someone improves on them, there should not be any conflicts.

Jerry

[amtrak115]

Well, Jerry, Not to "hijack" this thread. but one your "incomplete" routes yesterday, through me for a loop. It was the Nashville terminal route. I had built a piece of code to Parse the Track database File and then the Road database file. The Track database file went fine. However the road database file cause my code to go into an infinite loop. Couldn't figure out why, till I looked at the raw road Database file....it had no Road Items as part of it. Didn't know that could happen. I had to add another check to the code to account for that. Afterwards I chuckled and said....Need to thank Jerry for "throwing me that loop" so thanks!

later Barry

[landnrailroader]

Barry,

I may have copied that route from the original which is part of my Mainline sub. that is in progress. If so, and I then did not go through and touch each road piece, they would just be static objects in the world files. That route is as complete as can reasonably be done and it will appear in several routes. Currently, Mainline Sub., Chattanooga Sub., Henderson Sub. and eventuall the S&NA sub. While in this thread, I want to thank those who told me about the "shift pageup" for TrackViewer. It worked and I was then able to see a complete route from Elkhorn City to near Kingsport. The Kingsport sub. will include several snippets of NS where the lines are parallel or interchange. Most notably is the stretch near Copper Creek. From the spring of 1967 to August 1978 I tested that NS (Then SR) line monthly and me and my crew always marveled at the sight of that Copper Creek viaduct right next to us, with the track over 100 feet above. The Clinchfield is an example of the epitome of the locating engineer's art. 50+ tunnels, many viaducts. It went over, under, and through the mountains. The only railroad I know of that compares with it is the MRS Logistica line in Brazil that was built new in the 1980s and has that same combination of many tunnels and big viaducts.

Both of my sons went frrom Tennessee to Baylor U. and never came back. My oldest & his family live near Gainesville, and my younger lives near Houston.

Jerry