Templot Track Plan Tutorial Sequence ~ text-only page
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Track planning on-screen :
 Creating a complete
track plan on-screen requires close attention and is quite demanding. Be
prepared to work methodically and unhurriedly. Coffee?
You may find it more relaxing and enjoyable to create
a trackplan by trimming and fitting together paper templates directly on
the railway baseboard. Templot can quickly print all the templates you need
in infinite variety.
If your printer is an inkjet you can also do this
on tracing paper or OHP film transparencies, which can then be combined and
overlaid to produce the more complex formations. |
This tutorial sequence takes you step by step through the on-screen design
of this simple track plan in P4:
[•••]
(This symbol signifies that a screenshot image is
shown here on the main tutorial pages. If you have printed this page you
may wish to tick off the screenshot for each stage as you complete
it.)
This design is for a simple branch line terminus, with the buffer stops on
the left. This plan has many imperfections and is not intended for actual
construction, but working through the design process will help you to get
started with Templot's on-screen design methods.
The data file for this finished track plan is included with Templot (versions
0.65.c on). You will find it in your BOX-FILES folder, the file name
is _85a_tutorial_5.box .
This file is
not needed for the tutorial itself, but is a "here's one I made
earlier" example for you to compare with your own results after working
through the sequence.
I am assuming that you are already familiar with using the mouse actions
to adjust the current template - if not please click
mouse actions and follow the step-by-step
instructions. Likewise if you are unsure how to zoom and adjust the view
of the drawing pad area, please click drawing
pad and read the notes. If you have not yet printed a function key chart
to place behind your keyboard, now is the time to do it (
help > print F key chart menu item).
This sequence builds a track plan comprising a collection of background
templates. If you are not sure what is meant by this, please click
about templates and read through the notes.
If
you are familiar with other computer drawing software please at least read
utterly baffled before proceeding, because Templot
is significantly different.
This tutorial sequence leaves the timbering in the "raw" state, the process
of shoving timbers as necessary to avoid conflicts will be
covered in a future tutorial sequence. The plan in the data file has had
the timbers shoved for comparison.
| Handy Hints:
The full-screen shots on the following pages are at 1024x768 resolution,
so will need to be scrolled sideways on lower resolution systems. If you
can possibly change to 1024x768 you will find this sequence much easier to
follow.
I have used the "sky-blue" startup colour scheme for these screenshots, but
you can of course use any other colours you prefer. This is a good way to
avoid any confusion between your running version of Templot and the static
screenshots. ( pad > pad drawing colours
> menu items).
You can quickly minimize the whole of Templot to the taskbar by pressing
the
PAUSE key on the
keyboard, leaving your browser running full-screen behind it showing this
tutorial. |
In
preparing these screenshots I have frequently adjusted the
zoom and view settings to try to keep as much
visible as possible, and moved the various windows about for the same reason.
You will not need to do this to the same extent.
Likewise
I have frequently moved the template
name labels where they obstruct a clear view.
I have intentionally set a large font size for the
menus to help make things clear.
Off we go:
Unless you have just launched Templot, before beginning this sequence please
click the control > clear all
templates menu item (or press
CTRL-DEL) and then
the track > hand > B-6 left-hand
reset menu item.
This first screen is the Templot startup screen, and the first thing to do
is to set the required model scale and track gauge. I am clicking the
control > gauge and scale > 18.83 S4
/ P4 menu item.
You can follow this sequence in a different gauge if you wish, but I recommend
that you try it first in P4 or EM. If the scale you are using is other than
4mm/ft you will need to adjust all the given dimensions accordingly. For
example, for 7mm scale multiply all dimensions by 7 and then divide by 4.
In addition to the common gauges shown here in the menu, there is a full
list of gauge/scale combinations available by clicking the
other gauges... menu item, including
the options to enter your own custom settings, or use an
exact scale setting.
[•••]
In screen 2 you can see that the information panel is now showing S4/P4 as
the gauge instead of the T-55 fictional startup gauge. This is a B-6 turnout
on the startup radius in the main road of 10 chains (scale), which is 2640
mm or approximately 8ft 8ins radius in 4mm scale. The result is that
the radius in the turnout road is only 809 mm (approx 32ins) which is a little
tight for P4 and is therefore showing in the information panel in
red.
We can either ease the radius, or change to a longer turnout. The latter
seems preferable, and a quick way to make the change is to click the
track > quick set... menu item:
[•••]
This brings up the quick set window like this (screen 3). If
you have not previously done so, click the
what? button to read the help notes for
this function, or click quick-set
here. Because the original template was on its datum point (the green dot
at the bottom left), the new one will be also.
Using the dropdown lists and option buttons, click
REA B-7 to generate a new
left-hand mint template
of this size, having a
positive radius of
10 chains (scale) in the main road, and
then click OK.
[•••]
In screen 4 we now have a B-7 turnout on 2640 mm radius, and by clicking
the expand button on the information
panel we can see all the dimensional info for it. The minimum radius within
it is now 1016 mm or 40ins, which exceeds the set limit of 1000 mm. So the
"warning lamp" now shows green, and we decide to accept this for the present
(with reservations - it will need some gauge widening during construction).
The next job is to give this turnout a name. Click the
rename button on the panel and enter
a suitable name in the window which appears. This turnout will form half
of the engine release crossover for running-round in the platform, so I have
called it "engine release crossover - main".
[•••]
Now in screen 5 I have reduced the size of the information panel (dragging
the bottom-right corner) to see more of the turnout. Then press the
F3 function key
to adjust the approach track length for this turnout. Notice
that the peg indicator is
showing 0 (in red in the top left corner). This
is important. It means that this template's
fixing peg is in the reset
(CTRL-0) position,
fixing it to the drawing at the outer datum end of the template (on the left
here). Consequently, as the approach track length is increased by
mouse action, the toe of the turnout moves
to the right, and the space is filled with plain approach track.
If the fixing peg
had been in any other position, the turnout part of the template would have
been fixed to the drawing, and the approach track would have extended off-screen
to the left.
Set an approach length sufficient for a locomotive to clear the switch blade
tips when running up to the platform buffers on the left - I have set
approximately 65ft scale (260 mm). This dimension is showing in the mouse
action panel and also in the caption bar at the top of the pad.
| For this
tutorial sequence you are unlikely to be able to get the exact dimensions
shown in these screens when using the mouse actions on your computer. No
matter, simply get as close as you can. Templot will take care of keeping
everything adjusted accordingly.
It is not easy to add the actual mouse action pointers to these screenshots,
so I have used a double-ended red arrow
instead to signify that a mouse action is taking place. |
Because of the way the mouse works it is not usually possible to set an exact
figure directly. You can get a more precise setting by performing the adjustment
while zoomed in close. If it is important to have an exact dimension for
the approach length (it isn't in this case), click on the figure showing
in the lower line of text in the mouse action panel. The data-entry form
then appears and you can enter the exact dimension required.
Now that you have a turnout with some approach track, you can see the difference
between the
CTRL-0 (zero)
datum position for the fixing peg and the
CTRL-1
rail-joint position. Try each of these now. When there
is no approach track these two positions are co-incident, but the response
to the mouse actions may be very different for each.
When working with plain track lengths in Templot, you are in
effect working with the approach track to an invisible dummy turnout, so
the two ends of a length of plain track are also peg positions
CTRL-0 and
CTRL-1. Notice
that the rail-lengths and sleeper spacings originate from the
CTRL-1
joint end. When the time comes later to get the sleepering
tidied up this point is important. To read some further notes about this
topic click snap lengths
. For now though we shall leave all timbering in its "raw" state and concentrate
solely on the rail alignments.
[•••]
We can't now see all of the template, so click the
pad > pad view options > fit current template
only menu item to zoom the drawing pad sufficient to see all of
it (screen 6). It is usually much quicker to use the keyboard shortcut for
this
(SHIFT-F11), or
even quicker to simply press the single-key alternative, which in this case
is the
FULL-STOP
(PERIOD) key on
the main part of the keyboard. You will use this function often.
[•••]
Next we want to form the other half of the release crossover, but first we
need to consider the track spacing. The pre-set turnout-side adjacent
track centre-to-centre spacing for S4/P4 is dead-scale 11ft 2ins
(44.67 mm), giving an exact scale 6ft way between the inner rails. You can
see this dimension showing in the information panel. For a run-round loop
in a station area it is advisable to increase this dimension to allow room
for ground signals, point-rodding, etc. So click the
geometry > adjacent centres... menu
item (screen 7).
[•••]
The data-entry form appears (screen 8). Click the
help flag (or press
F2) to read the
notes about track spacing. This is the way to find a great deal of help
information within Templot. When in doubt click the relevant menu item which
has an ellipsis (3 dots ... ) to bring
up this data-entry form.
Add an extra 2ft scale (8 mm) to the turnout-side spacing,
increasing it from 44.67 mm to 52.67 mm, then click the
enter button or just press the
ENTER key. The
distance between the inner rails will now be 8ft scale (32 mm), and this
dimension can be checked during construction.
If you have not previously used Templot's data-entry form, click the
what? button and read the help notes
about it. If you wish to enter data in units other than millimetres, read
the notes about input conversion factors.
[•••]
Press
ENTER again to
leave the main-side spacing unchanged, as we shall not need
to use it. The OK button will then appear.
Click it or press
ENTER again (screen
9):
[•••]
We are now ready to make the engine release crossover. Click the
tools > make crossover menu item (screen
10):
[•••]
As requested, Templot created a crossover (screen 11). The original turnout
current template was copied to the background (showing here in green and
blue), and a new turnout current template was created to form a crossover
with it (showing here in brown and black). Note that this new turnout is
still left-hand. In forming a crossover between running lines
the two turnouts are always of the same hand. This is obvious
when the running lines are straight, but it is not so obvious when they are
curved.
If you look in your storage box ( control > storage
box menu item or alternatively
CTRL-O (letter
O, not zero) on the keyboard), you will see the first template is now stored
there. It is showing numbered in red to signify
that it is not only stored, but that it has also been copied to the drawing
pad as a background template and as such is part of your track
plan.
Don't get confused - the first turnout is now part of your track plan, but
the second one is still only the current template, and it isn't, yet, part
of the plan.
All the
tools menu items which have the word
make in their title behave similarly,
i.e. they first do a store & background operation on your
existing current template, which conveniently saves you having to remember
to do this. But if you have previously done so anyway, you will now have
duplicate background templates superimposed. Simply click anywhere on them
and then click the delete item on the
pop-up menu which appears, to remove the lowermost
one.
You will see that the background template also has a name
label, showing its name and also its storage box number: "1 engine
release crossover - main". Templot puts this label near the centre of
the template. Often this is a nuisance, obstructing a clear view of the design.
It is easy easy to move the labels,
and I have frequently done so in preparing these screenshots. Simply click
on the template (or hold down the
SHIFT key and click
on the label), and then click the move name
label item on the pop-up menu.
Then you can drag the label to a new position.
We would now like to look a little closer at the mid-point of this crossover.
So click either of the zoom rectangle
buttons (marked). They go yellow as shown. Then click down approximately
at the position shown arrowed in red, and then drag the mouse towards the
bottom right to create the zoom rectangle shown.
[•••]
When the mouse button is released the drawing pad zooms in to show the area
of the rectangle in closer detail (screen 12). You will find this method
of zooming-in very useful and use it often. Click either of the
minus buttons shown to zoom out again
or press the
MINUS
(SUBTRACT) key
on the keyboard
NUMBER-PAD.
If you simply click
without dragging a rectangle, the pad will zoom in to the maximum extent
centred on the clicked location. This can be useful occasionally, but may
catch you out the first time. Just zoom back out repeatedly.
We can see that the timbering at the mid-point of the crossover is still
in its "raw" state, with untidy conflicts and overlapping timbers. We shall
come back later to sort this out using the shove timber functions
(adjust > shove timbers menu item).
There is little sense in doing this yet, because there is a fair chance that
we shall be changing these templates before our plan is finalised. For the
present we are concerned only with the rail alignments.
[•••]
Screen 13: Instead of simply zooming back out, we can click the
pad > pad view options > fit background
templates menu item to zoom and adjust the pad view sufficiently
to see all of the track plan (including the current template). As before
for the current template only (screen 6), it is usually much quicker to use
the keyboard shortcut for this
(SHIFT-F12), or
even quicker to simply press the single-key alternative, which in this case
is
the `¬ key
(top-left, below
ESC) . You will
also use this function often.
[•••]
Here's the result in screen 14. We have our engine release crossover.
| One aspect of
Templot to understand is the concept of a negative curving
line radius.
In a conventional curved turnout, as in the first turnout in this crossover
(screen 14), the main-road side of the turnout curves in the
same direction as the hand of the turnout, or in other words
both the main-road and the turnout-road curve
the same way. This is a left-hand turnout. The main road along the platform
also curves to the left (viewed from the switch blade tips), so the
curving line radius in the main road is
positive (+2640 mm).
In the newly-created second turnout however, although this is still a
left-hand turnout (as shown in the information panel and by
looking at the track centre-line marks), the main road now curves in the
opposite direction, to the right when viewed
from the blade tips, producing a Y-effect turnout. So in this case the curving
line radius is negative, and is showing as such in the mouse
action panel
(-2587.33 mm).
To make negative figures more noticeable, Templot always shows them in square
brackets like this [ -2587.33 ].
Generally it is easy to spot when turnouts have negative curving,
because they are always Y-turnouts with varying degrees of "Y-ness". But
plain track is also handed and can have a negative curving
radius similarly by being curved in the opposite direction to the hand. See
screen 23 later for more about this.
tech-chat: Ignoring the plus and minus symbols,
we notice that the absolute difference between these two radii is
2640-2587.33=52.67 mm, which is the turnout-side adjacent track spacing dimension
which we specified earlier. In creating this crossover, Templot has automatically
ensured that the running lines remain concentric or "parallel". |
But as you can see the the loop line is heading off towards 2 o'clock. We
are not happy about this, and decide to pull the turnout down. So having
checked that the red fixing peg is in position to maintain the alignment
with the first turnout, press the
F6 function key
on the keyboard for the curving mouse action.
It will soon become
second nature to check the position of the fixing peg before performing a
mouse action. If it is not positioned to lock the current template to the
existing track, you will lose that alignment.
(CTRL-U undo
changes to let you move the peg and try again).
[•••]
Screen 15: Using the
F6
curving mouse action we now pull the curving radius down to
something nearer to that which we had in mind, while keeping an eye on the
minimum radius figure in the information panel. We settle on a curving line
(main road) radius of 6765 mm (approx) (22ft approx) which for this REA B-7
turnout produces a minimum turnout radius of 1327 mm (52"), which is acceptable.
Note that the curving line radius is now positive - in other
words the main road of the turnout now curves in the same direction as the
hand.
[•••]
Now in screen 16 click the tools > make double-track
TS menu item to put this turnout on the background and generate
an adjacent turnout-side plain track current template to form
the main platform line. This will be concentric with our 22ft curving line
radius in the turnout, and hence line up perfectly with the first template.
[•••]
Screen 17 shows the result. We now have 2 background templates forming a
complete crossover and a short length of plain track as the current template
which is an embryo platform line. But we have forgotten to give the second
turnout a name - it is showing as "no-name". It is easy to end up
with a storage box full of templates all called no-name, leading to
great confusion. So before going any further we will name it.
[•••]
Click anywhere on the no-name template (screen 18). It becomes highlighted
and a pop-up menu appears on the left of the screen offering us several options
for this single selected background template. Click
background pop-up to read about these options,
and other ways of accessing this menu.
Click the rename... menu item, and call
this template "engine release crossover - loop".
[•••]
As our track plan becomes larger, the printed page outlines become more obtrusive
(showing here as mauve dotted lines). We are not yet ready to do any template
printing, so their presence is unnecessary at this stage. Click the
pad > pad grid options > page outlines
off menu item to remove them (screen 19).
[•••]
Likewise the grid lines are becoming too prominent at 50 mm spacing. Click
the pad > pad grid options > grid
spacings... menu item to set wider spacings, say 250 mm. The
data-entry form appears (screens 20 and 21).
[•••]
[•••]
Screen 22 shows where we have got to. We have a short length of platform
line which we want to extend to the right. First we must swap the fixing
peg to the opposite end so that the template remains locked to the existing
track. The quick way to do this is to click the
peg indicator as shown. In this
case this is the
(CTRL-1
joint) end. The result is that the red peg has moved and the
indicator now shows 1 (compare this with
the previous screen 20).
To help show which end is which for plain track, Templot draws a mark across
the
CTRL-1
joint end, showing here in a light colour under the red peg,
and also on screen 20.
[•••]
Screen 23: This time I remembered to name this template straightaway, so
I have clicked the rename button and
called it "platform line". Note that the letter
n on the
rename button is underlined. This means
that we can "click" this button simply by pressing the
N key on the keyboard,
and we can do this even if the information panel is shrunk so that the
rename button is not visible. So we don't
really have any excuse for forgetting to give each template a name at the
earliest opportunity.
If you are not familiar with using these accelerator keys in Windows you
will find them very useful elsewhere. For example, when we come to use the
shove timbers and spacing ring windows in later
tutorials, they might need to be re-sized much smaller to avoid obscuring
the drawing. But we can still click all their buttons via the keyboard.
Having fixed this current template at the left, we can now use the
F3
length mouse action to extend it to the right along the (imaginary)
platform. Set a length of approximately 2 metres (2000 mm) as shown.
Notice that in the information panel our plain track here is shown as
right-handed. In Templot a plain track length is handed just
like a turnout. To determine the hand of a length of plain track, look along
it from the
CTRL-0
datum end, which in this case is on the right of the screen.
The hand is then the same way as the direction of positive
curving. In this case we have a negative radius of -6712.33
mm to the left, so the direction of positive
curving is to the right, and this plain track length is therefore
right-handed.
[•••]
Now we will put a turnout within this length for access to the run-round
loop. Click the track > insert turnout in plain
track menu item (screen 24).
[•••]
In screen 25 this whole current template has now become a
turnout template, the previous plain track template having
been replaced with a turnout located at the
CTRL-0
datum point, and the fixing peg is also moved to that point.
This turnout template has a length of exit track making up
the original template length (and no approach track).
Our plain track was right-handed, so the inserted turnout is also right handed,
which is conveniently what we wanted. But because it is currently a B-7 turnout
on a negative curving line radius, the minimum radius within
it is unnecessarily large (showing as 2189 mm - 86"). To save space we can
afford to reduce this somewhat. So click the track
> crossing... menu item.
[•••]
The crossing window appears (screen 26). To shorten the turnout
we need a smaller crossing angle. So click the
1:6 item in the list. The turnout road
is going to curve back towards the loop, so leave the crossing type showing
regular crossing (normal). More about
this later in screen 36a. Click the green OK panel to set this new crossing
angle.
[•••]
In screen 27 we have a reminder of what we are aiming for. I have changed
the screen grid spacings to feet for this shot.
[•••]
Now in screen 28 we have the B-6 turnout, and the minimum radius within it
has reduced to 1413 mm - 55", which is acceptable. But the platform is much
longer than we need. So press
CTRL-F9 for the
maintain length mouse action. Now with the mouse slide
the turnout along the track until the approach length shown in the mouse
action panel is about 360 mm.
The maintain length mouse action shortens the exit
track length and simultaneously increases the approach
track length by the same amount (or vice versa), thus maintaining
the overall length of the template constant.
Because this mouse action doesn't change the alignment or length of the template,
it is not locked to the drawing at the fixing peg and there is no need to
consider the position of the peg. (The peg would be free to move with
the turnout if it wasn't at the datum end of the template.)
[•••]
Screen 29. We now want to curve the turnout road round into the loop, so
click the tools > make return curve
menu item.
[•••]
In screen 30 Templot put the platform line on the background for us, and
then created a short return curve plain track template for
the entry to the loop. It's just what we wanted, so name it "loop entry
curve", and then click the control > store
& background menu item to put that on the background also
(or
CTRL-V).
[•••]
Now we want a turnout for the yard siding from the loop. This will have negative
curving so we can use a shorter crossing angle. Click the
track > quick set... menu item and
then on the form select a right-hand REA
B-5.5 turnout, as shown. There is no need to set the radius, because
we are about to change it (screen 31).
The last time we used this quick-set form the previous current
template was on its green dot datum point, so the new mint
template went there too. This is no longer the case, so the new mint turnout
current template will appear instead in the middle of the pad, awaiting our
attention.
[•••]
Screen 32. We want to align this new turnout with the loop, so click anywhere
on a background template which has the loop alignment. There is only one
of these so far, the loop turnout in the engine release crossover. Click
on it to bring up the pop-up menu.
Now select the peg / align current > align current
over background > facing-facing menu item.
[•••]
The result is this (screen 33): The current template has been
aligned over the background template. And selecting the
facing-facing option has meant that both the templates are
facing the same way along the track.
Now is the time to click the rename button
before we forget. This turnout will form the entry into the goods yard, so
I have named it "loop to yard turnout".
[•••]
Now press
CTRL-F6 for the
snake mouse action. With this mouse action we can slide the
turnout along an imaginary alignment line, until it is in the position we
want. Your figures in the mouse action panel may be significantly different
(screen 34).
Although the peg
is now well outside the extent of the template track area, the red peg shown
is still part of this current template. Every template has
its own peg. The pegs belonging to the background templates
are showing in yellow on these screens.
Note that the peg indicator is showing
M for mouse. This reflects the fact that
the peg dimensions within this template are changing as the peg remains static
and the template's distance from it is adjusted with the mouse.
[•••]
Having settled on a position for the turnout, we have a choice. We can fill
in the gaps with approach and exit tracks which
then belong to this template, or we can insert lengths of plain track in
the gaps as separate templates.
The former method is quick and easy, putting everything in one template.
The latter method is more suitable if you are planning to insert additional
turnouts in these lengths. The quickest way to create these plain track lengths,
however, is to use the tools > make split
> functions, so in either case we can proceed in the same way:
Press the
F3 function key
for the approach track length mouse action. Note that the peg
is not in the
CTRL-0
datum position (still showing
M). This is important. It means
that as we extend the approach track to fill the gap (screen 35), the turnout
stays put. Compare this with what happened way back in
screen 5, when the peg was in the
CTRL-0 position.
Adjust the approach length until the track just fills the gap. It is not
necessary to be ultra-fussy about this, a slight gap or overlap will have
no effect on the final accuracy of the track plan. If you look carefully
at screen 35, you will see that I have overlapped by about 1mm at the join.
Don't be concerned if the sleeper spacing is untidy at the join, we shall
be coming back to adjust the timbering when we are happy that the rail alignments
for the whole track plan are finalised.
[•••]
Press the
F4 function key
and repeat the process with the overall length mouse action
(screen 36) to add the exit track. In this case it is important
that the fixing peg is not in the
CTRL-9 peg
on length position, otherwise the turnout would be displaced to the
right while the peg is locking the end of the exit track.
Again a slight gap or overlap at the join is of no consequence.
[•••]
Screen 36a. This turnout, like the previous ones on our plan, has a
regular crossing. This refers to the geometry of the turnout
road at the crossing (the length indicated by the blue arrows in screen 36a).
This length extends from the turnout radius end mark (marked
in yellow across between the rails) to the end of the turnout.
In a
regular crossing, this part of the turnout road
is curved in the same direction and to the same
radius as the main road at the crossing. Please read
that again, it is an important concept.
This means that when the turnout is a straight turnout
(geometry > straight menu item), with
the main road dead straight, then this part of the turnout road is also dead
straight.
When the turnout has negative curving, as it does here (Y-effect
turnout), then this part of the turnout road also has negative
curving. If you look carefully at screen 36a you can see this - the turnout
road is beginning to curve down, producing a slight reverse curve at the
turnout radius end mark.
This effect is desirable when the turnout is part of a
crossover between curved running lines, producing an easy reverse
curve between the crossings, and in such cases a regular crossing
always gives the best result. Likewise when there is a return curve - zoom
in to have a close look at the crossing for the turnout at the right-hand
end of the platform line (screen 30).
In other cases however, we may not be forming a crossover. Often, as here,
we are accessing a siding, and in such cases we usually want the roads to
diverge as rapidly as possible. So for this turnout we want a
curved crossing.
Click the track > crossing... menu
item to bring up the crossing window, as shown.
For more detailed notes about these different types of crossing click the
? help info button or press
F1.
Select curved crossing on the list as
shown. Then click OK.
[•••]
This is the result (screen 37). Our turnout now has a
curved crossing. There is no end mark for the turnout radius
because it continues unchanged through the crossing, and the roads are diverging
rapidly.
Also on this screen I expanded the zoom / pan window by clicking
the ••> button to access
the panning speed adjusters. Click the green
[?] button on the panning window for
more information about using the panning controls.
Now we want to attach a length of plain track to this turnout to form the
siding. So click the adjust > set peg options
> peg on TVJP menu item, or press
CTRL-6. I have
already done this and you can see that the fixing peg is now at the
TVJP (turnout-side vee-joint
position).
[•••]
Screen 38: Now we bring the pegging notch into play. This is
used as a "memory" device for peg positions and angles, so that templates
can be joined together in perfect alignment. To read all about using the
peg and notch functions please click peg &
notch.
Click the adjust > notch options > notch under
peg menu item, or just press the
DIVIDE key (slash
key on the
NUMBER-PAD).
[•••]
The notch appears as a white square under the red peg in screen 39. Now we
can put this template on the background, control
> store & background menu item
(CTRL-V).
[•••]
We now want some plain track for the siding, screen 40. Click the
track > quick set... menu item again
(CTRL-Q) to get
some. The curving radius is immaterial because we are about to change it.
[•••]
Our plain track appears in the middle of screen 41. Name it "siding #1"
and then click the adjust > notch options >
shift onto notch menu item, or press the
MULTIPLY key (asterisk
key on the
NUMBER-PAD).
[•••]
Templot shifted the plain track template onto the notch, thus aligning its
fixing peg with the one on the turnout below. Unfortunately Templot had to
guess which way we wanted it to be aligned, and got it wrong. This is simply
corrected, just press
MULTIPLY again.
[•••]
Now we can adjust its length as required.
F3 mouse action
as before (screen 43).
[•••]
In screen 44 it is time to play with transition curves. Click the
geometry > curved (transition) > easement
to straight menu item. The template gains a transition
zone indicated by special marks in which the radius is progressively
increased to dead straight at the end.
[•••]
First try moving the transition zone back, so that there is more straight
length at the end (screen 45).
SHIFT+CTRL-F3
move transition start mouse action. Experiment with the other
mouse actions to change the zone length, and to adjust the radius at each
end of it.
Click transition curves to read
the notes about transition curves and how to use the mouse actions to adjust
them.
When you have the siding how you want it, put it on the background
(control > store & background
again).
[•••]
We are still concerned about the rather sharp radius in the first engine
release turnout, and looking at the plan as it has now developed this turnout
doesn't look right (screen 46). We need to to something about it, so we must
copy it back to the current template. We decide that we won't
want it again, so we can delete the stored background template
at the same time.
Click anywhere on the template to highlight it as shown. Then on the
pop-up menu which appears click delete to
current.
[•••]
The easy solution is to make it a simple straight turnout.
So having checked that its peg is in a position to lock it to the existing
track, click the geometry > straight
menu item (screen 47).
[•••]
That seems satisfactory, so it's now very easy to make the end track for
the loop and put this straight turnout on the background at the same time
(screen 48).
Click the tools > make double-track TS
menu item.
[•••]
Then tidy the join if necessary using the
F3 mouse action
again (screen 49).
As you can see, I have not yet named this template. Call it "loop end
spur" and then put it on the background.
[•••]
Screen 50. Now we notice that the platform buffer-stops are overlapping the
drawing datum, which will be untidy when printed, and the whole plan needs
re-positioning.
Click the control > group select > group select
all menu item to create a group of background
templates which in this case comprises all of them.
[•••]
They are all re-drawn in the group colour. Press
SHIFT+CTRL-F7 for
the shift group mouse action, or click this on the menus as
shown in screen 51.
[•••]
Move them about as required. There is a great deal of re-calculation required,
so on slower systems you will need to move the mouse slowly and wait for
Templot to catch up. Notice that the current template appears while you are
doing this, but does not move (showing bottom left in screen 52). The
current template is never part of a group, which
can be comprised of stored templates only. To hide it again
if it is in the way click the pad > hide current
template menu item
(CTRL-W). Templot
temporarily hides the current template for you when you do
store & background, but always shows
it again during mouse actions. To show it when hidden, just press
F12.
If it seems annoying
to have the current template visible, remember that it is not part
of your track plan, and can be safely ignored when not relevant to the current
mouse action. There are often occasions when its presence is useful.
Then also try
SHIFT+CTRL-F8 for
the rotate group mouse action (screen 52).
The current position of the pegging notch is used as the rotation
centre, so this can be positioned first if it is important
(adjust > mouse action: pad > move
notch menu item or adjust > notch
options > set notch position... menu item). Usually it isn't
important, because the shift and rotate group
functions are simply used repeatedly by eye on the screen to get the desired
result. Zoom in on a small area if exact positioning is important.
Smaller groups of templates can be moved in exactly the same way. Use the
group select (toggle) menu item on the
pop-up menu for each to add them to the group or remove them
from the group.
[•••]
Having settled on a position for our track plan, we can take stock (screen
53). I have changed the font setting for the template name labels to
full-size for this screen (pad >
pad background options > background name labels > full-size
menu option). The alternative
scaled option causes them to be
scaled down as the pad is zoomed out.
I also moved them about for a tidier screen (click on each template in turn
and then select move name label on the
pop-up menu for each).
[•••]
Now we decide to add a private siding via a turnout in the loop entry curve
(template 3). So select quick set...
again
(CTRL-Q) to create
the turnout (screen 54). This turnout will have significant negative curving,
so we can use a short stubby one, REA
A-4.5. The radius is immaterial because we are about to change
it.
[•••]
There it is looking lonely in screen 55. We want to align it over the loop
entry curve, so click on this template for its pop-up menu.
Click peg / align current > align current over
background > facing-trailing. We selected the
facing-trailing option because we noticed that the
CTRL-0
datum end of the highlighted template is on the right, so it
is facing to the left. We want our new turnout to face to the right, so this
combination is facing-trailing. It's not always easy to see
this with plain track - if we get it wrong we can just press
CTRL-U (or
adjust > undo changes menu item) and
have another go.
[•••]
The facing-trailing alignment option always causes a change
of hand, which in this case is not what we wanted (screen 56).
So click the track > hand > invert
handing menu item
(CTRL-X).
Invert handing means that the turnout road is swapped to the
other side of the main road without disturbing the alignment.
The swap hand alternative function
(CTRL-H) simply
mirrors the template, so that the radii and other dimensions remain unchanged,
but it destroys the alignment in the process. Try experimenting to understand
the difference between these two functions.
[•••]
Having aligned the turnout we no longer need the underlying background template.
Click on it and select delete (screen
57). Notice that clicking on it is unaffected by the presence of the current
template above it. The pop-up menu applies to background
templates only.
[•••]
Screen 58. Although the turnout is now aligned (i.e. the
curving line in the main road is established),
it is still not in the desired position.
Press
CTRL-F6 for the
snake mouse action. Then slide the turnout back through its
peg until it just joins the loop track (i.e. we have decided that no approach
track is wanted).
[•••]
Screen 59. Then we fill the remaining gap with a short length of exit track
(F4 overall
length mouse action).
[•••]
We can now proceed exactly as we did for the turnout into the yard siding
(screens 36 to 43). This turnout also has significant negative curving, and
a curved crossing is therefore needed for proper access to
the siding. Likewise I have pressed
CTRL-6 to position
the peg and then the
DIVIDE key to put
the notch under it in readiness for attaching the siding (screen 59a).
Don't forget its name : "loop to works siding".
[•••]
Screen 60. Having attached a length of plain track as we did for the previous
siding (screens 38 to 43), we can adjust it's length
(F3) and radius
(F6) to taste.
I have called it "works siding".
[•••]
We have reached our destination (screen 61):
[•••]
Click control > storage box to see
the list of the templates which we have created. Click the
edit > box title... menu item on the
storage box to give this track plan a name. Then click the
save all... button on the storage box,
or the control > save all templates
menu item on the pad to save a data file for it.
You will probably want to print it - click ink
on paper to read the notes about printing track plans and construction
templates.
| There are several further additions and changes which could be made to
improve this plan. Try these:
1. Another yard siding off the first : (hint:
insert turnout in plain track).
2. A bay platform : (hints: in the "platform line" try
tools > make split > make separate exit
track, then insert turnout in plain
track).
3. Swap the hand of the "engine release crossover-loop" turnout, so that
the "loop end spur" becomes a siding in the yard or can be used for an
engine shed : (hints: delete the turnout. wipe the other crossover
turnout to current and temporarily re-align it with the platform line. make
a return curve from it. insert a new turnout in plain track on the return
curve, as for the works siding. delete the unwanted first turnout and restore
the original one to the background using the storage box copy functions). |
As it stands now, the timbering on this track plan is still in the "raw"
state, with likely conflicts, incorrect spacings and overlaps at the template
joins. When the track plan design has been finalised (and not before, or
you will have to do it again!), the mis-placed timbers can be
shoved to new positions, or omitted from the templates.
Click the adjust > shove timbers menu
item
(SHIFT-F10) to
bring up the shove timbers window, and click the
what? button on it to read the notes
about how to adjust the size and position of individual timbers.
The templates in the data file _85a_tutorial_5.box have had their
timbers shoved as an example.
Timbers can be shoved only on the current template, so it is necessary to
work your way across the plan, clicking wipe to
current for each template in turn, shoving timbers as necessary,
and then storing them on the background again afterwards. Delete the unwanted
unused templates from the storage box when you
have finished.
That completes this tutorial sequence. Thanks for reading this far.
Martin.
To print this page click File >
Print in this window.
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© revised 30-12-00