TransDEM Forum

Found this reference over on Elvas Tower Forum:

http://www.rita.dot.gov/bts/sites/rita. ... 4/polyline

Download Railway Network, the file has all the routes in the US in a .shp file.

In TransDEM load the DEM of your desired railroad area and the under Routes load the .shp file.



All the railroading in Southwest VA, Kentucky, Tennessee corner, zoom in to find the chunk desired.



Make a Trainz route from the desire area, that is the Interstate Railroad in Southwest Virginia.





Appalachia, Virgina

Harold

Nice! Not super detailed, but still has some New Jersey lines abandoned 30 years ago.

Andrew

I converted the .shp to a .kmz and am looking on Google Earth at the Millville, NJ area where I grew up and there are routes long abandoned showing up.

Same with Delaware where I am living now.

Neat!
Harold

G'day hminsky,

...you do realise, Harold, that you could save yourself some further work, depending upon the accuracy of those poly-lines, by 'setting' the export up in such a way so as to export the desired track asset of your choice, in lieu of those poly-lines (or along with it, if that is your wish), which would leave you only with the task of making fine adjustments to the track, instead of needing the time to 'lay' them, as well..

Jerker {:)}

You mean like this:



Harold

G'day hminsky,

..yep, that's the general idea, Harold, although there might be a bit more work involved than I thought to align that lot according to how I see the alignment should be but at least you're aware of the process...

Jerker {:)}

G'day hminsky,

...something I have just noticed, Harold, after seeing the image you have posted above (in the thread paralleling this one in the regular Trainz Forum), prompts me to enquire which of the DEM resolutions you are using there? From the image, I get the impression you are only using the SRTM 1 arcsec (30 meter) dataset, rather then the much higher resolution NED 1/3 arcsec (10 meter) dataset?...

Jerker {:)}

It is 1/3 data.

The map looks like real life.

Harold

G'day hminsky,

...fair enough, Harold, it just doesn't look as 'detailed' as I would expect for the 1/3 arcsec resolution...

Jerker {:)}

Which .shp file do I put into Trans-Dem. There or two files, Rail_lines >shp and Rail_nodes .shp or do I import both. Thanks in advance. New at all of this.