Convert design to Scaletrax

I Know its a lot of work, but have you thought about redoing it in SCARM?

You may get more help if you posted a jpg or bmp image. My copy of the program that generates rrt files isn't compatible with Windows 10. I think more forum members use SCARM.

You can mix Atlas switches (or Ross too) in with Scaletrax easily as both have various curved switches. With ballasting and weathering, you can hardly see them blended in. You'll like the ease of use with Scalatrax, especially their 30" flex which is similar to HO flex in use.

Here's the best I could do. I didn't know how it will fit with your space because the aisle looks small to me, etc. I also left it to you to deal with the heights, etc. The ScaleTrax is on a layer called "scaletrax" and the other track layers are just grayed.

I could have done it in SCARM, like someone mentioned, but I didn't know if you used SCARM, so I stuck with RRT. Using SCARM doesn't get you much, the track libraries are the same. And like someone said, you can use Atlas switches with ScaleTrax, you just have to shim the ScaleTrax so the railheads are the same height. I will say that when I was thinking about using curved switches, several folks suggested I avoid them.

Hi: Thank-you all for your suggestions and thanks Dave for the file. I will get scarm and attempt to do the layout on it.Dave this does fit my space perfectly I may though try change it if I can so it doesn't need the curve switches.

Thanks again

Mike

That looks almost like the layout I had planned for our old basement before we moved a few years ago. I had the lower loop as the longer one and the upper as the shorter one, but it's really close. I think it would make a nice layout, at least that was my thinking beck then and it still looks interesting to me. My planning hasn't been the same since, maybe I need to rethink all my planning (that is going nowhere fast) and go back to something like this? Thanks for the RRT file (and already using Atlas track too). RR-Track files stolen copied for possible changes here. Dave, I copied yours too, just in case, thanks. 

On the curved switches, I don't have any curved switches (Atlas or otherwise), but from what I have read about them it's the longer distance between the powered rails that causes problems with engines with closely spaced pickup rollers. It is just the way the curved switches have to be made, not necessarily a particular manufacturer's switch. 

The thing I don't know is if the problem can be resolved or how to resolve it? I tend to think it is more of a problem with shorter engines and less of a problem with larger engines. Larger engines like steamers having a long distance between pickup rollers or having additional pickup rollers on the tender may do better and be just fine. So it may depend on what you run. Again, no personal experience, just my observations. 

Dave:My apologies I see you got the curved switches out must be my progressive lenses missed that!

Mike

Mike, there are no curved switches on what I posted, only O54, O72 and #4. I didn't take a lot of time to try different sizes in various places to see if any worked better, I figured you could do that. If you convert this to SCARM, it will help if you hide all layers except the scaletrax layer and turn on track labels (options/label track). Are you familiar with SCARM?

Mike, looks like I posted without refreshing to see if there were other posts and didn't see you noticed I took the curved switches out.

Mike,

I picked up where Dave left off.  I worked on getting the track envelop near to what you had originally.  There were a few places where the tracks got a little close.  I closed the gaps at the joints to where RRT would make the connection without complaining.  I don't know how well ScaleTrax can be cut an joined.

There is awkwardness in the big curves due to the minimum choice in available radii.  It points out the need for MTH to complete their library.

Jan

Jan posted:

I picked up where Dave left off.  I worked on getting the track envelop near to what you had originally.  There were a few places where the tracks got a little close.  I closed the gaps at the joints to where RRT would make the connection without complaining.  I don't know how well ScaleTrax can be cut an joined.

There is awkwardness in the big curves due to the minimum choice in available radii.  It points out the need for MTH to complete their library.

There is one stray short piece of track in the top-center of the aisle and there is a point contour in the Terrain view that needs to be deleted, it's what's causing that white bubble in the 3D view. I'm still trying to figure out what the "window" stuff is.

Just for the heck of it, and because I have some time today, I'm going to convert this to SCARM so I can see a better 3D view and run a simulation.

I've been holding my breath () for 4 years waiting for the ScaleTrax sectional curve/turnout selection to be increased and I've come to the conclusion it's never going to happen. I bought some FlexTrack and while it can be bent fairly easily using templates like MikeCT uses to bend his GarGraves, there is a lot of tension and the ends are difficult. Admittedly, I only "tacked" it down on some rigid foam and I'm sure fastening it to plywood would work better. I also didn't try staggering the rails between pieces, but I can't see Homasote holding it in place, so I'm not sure if I'm ever going to use it for curves between O31/O54 or even something like O63. I wanted it in place of Atlas O45 and I haven't given up, but it's on the back burner for now.

Haven't found that stray terrain point but did do some updates to the plan.

Jan, it's in the Terrain view. It's just a small dot for the underlined "point contour".

Dave,

I saw it after I cleaned my screen, but I don't know how to get rid of it,

Jan

Jan, just tight-click the "point contour" entry and select "delete item".

Oh!

Thanks!  Got it.  I've never done much with terrain definitions in RRT.

Jan

I haven't either Jan. I played around with them once, but was never able to get them to come out right. In the end it didn't really matter, so I gave up. I only found this one by deleting everything except for the terrain, that's when I saw the small dot and knew it had to be on the terrain somehow.

Hi:Just wanted to say a big thank-you to you folks.It looks great to me! I'm going to start on this once Christmas is done with will be posting pics of the build.

Thanks Again!

Mike