Step by Step Guide to Route Building for MSTS
illustrations

Preparing the physical space for a new route

Laying tracks for a first route

The beginner receives step-by-step instructions for building a first route, illustrated next with its route map.


This project starts with easy steps, and gradually introduces more complicated steps. The first task is to lay tracks forming a 2-track station (see "Central London" at bottom left of the route map).

This includes laying a switch: as the next illustration from the Guide shows, a switch (like any track section) is attached to existing track; a switch must then be oriented properly to provide the correct connections to future tracks.


Then the project adds a single-track line that curves over a little hill, on which a "First Spur" is laid (see the route map above). After the hill, a "River Siding" is constructed. These steps require learning how to use "dynamic tracks": these are very flexible track sections, as illustrated next in their most general and complex form:


The siding is followed by a high-speed dual-track line: how to make the transition from single to dual tracks (or vice versa) is illustrated as follows (including specific track section names):


The dual-track line terminates at an "Underground Tunnel" under a bigger hill, over which a "Second Spur" curves to cross overhead the tunnel (later a reversing loop will be added to that spur - see the route map above).

After the Underground Tunnel, the mainline dips under a river in an "Underwater Tunnel", which is followed by a second station ("North London"), together with a small "Yard" and a reversing "Wye".

Loops and wyes are dangerous in Train Simulator: if placed incorrectly, they can make Train Simulator freeze up. Therefore, some advice is given in the Guide about the placement of loops and wyes, including this diagram:


Loops and wyes require using dynamic tracks to join two existing tracks, filling in the gap between them. This process involves quite a few steps, one of which is illustrated as follows:

Shaping terrain

After the track is laid, the terrain should be shaped. For example, the terrain shaping near the Underwater Tunnel under a river is illustrated in the following "aerial" view; it shows many of the steps involved (the wire-frame mode of the Route Editor is used to better see the terrain shapes):


The shaping of hills, mountains, etc, is discussed in detail in the Guide. Some techniques are illustrated in the following view of the hill near the Underground Tunnel:

Adding objects and textures

After tracks and terrain have been finished, it is time to add all sorts of objects and textures on and near the route.

One type of object is the tunnel entrance. This important part of building a route is illustrated with detailed steps, some of which are shown in the next figure: it involves making a "hole" in the terrain, adding "patches" to cover up parts of the hole, and importing and placing a tunnel entrance.


Signals, mileposts and speed limits also are objects: these are directly connected with the tracks, since they interact with passing trains. The next screenshot from the beginner's route includes all of these, as seen in the Route Editor (the funny colored "handles" of course do not show up when driving a train!).


Another object is a bridge. The next screenshot illustrates a completed 4-section bridge across a river in the beginner's route. (The red boxes and green "handles" define "forests" in the Route Editor.)


Roads add a lot of life to Train Simulator, especially with traffic running on them and particularly at level crossings. Such level crossings can get pretty complicated, as shown next. Included are:

• level crossing road pieces (so vehicles can pass over the rails)
• level crossing gates and signals (to stop vehicles in both directions)
• traffic sounds (to hear the cars waiting at the gates)
• level crossing sounds (to change the train wheel sounds near the crossing)
• default wheel sounds away from the level crossing

Textures change and vary the colors of the terrain (without these, the terrain is uniformly green, as shown in earlier screenshots).

An example from the beginner's route is shown next. Here the terrain away from the tracks has a "field and hedge" appearance typical of British landscapes. The terrain near the tracks has no hedges, while the hill is covered with brown scrub. (The snaking blue/white lines represent traffic on a road, while the red boxes again define forests.)

Changing the environment: weather, water and more

The MSTS "environment" can be varied in many ways: this includes fog, sky (clouds, sun, moon), water, precipitation (rain or snow), and wind.

The beginner's route now includes 12 different environments which the end user of the route simply selects by choosing any combination of season (spring, summer, autumn or winter) and weather (clear, rain or snow). The environment (especially the water) depends on the geographic location of the route. The following illustration from the Guide comes from a Swiss mountain route (Albula Line 2) and is most suitable for routes with mountain rivers and heavy winter snow: it shows the same spot in three different weather conditions. Compare this with the default MSTS water shown a few pictures above!


Next is shown a view from the beginner's route with summer rain (giving a full muddy river), a rainbow and an airplane high overhead.


Clearer water and lightning are shown in the next view with autumn rain.


And a frozen river reflects the reddish dusk on a clear winter day in the next view.