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Offline revmox  
#1 Posted : 02 October 2022 05:37:22(UTC)
revmox

Australia   
Joined: 26/05/2021(UTC)
Posts: 146
Location: Australia, East Maitland, NSW
To me it seems that closing gaps in C track designs using SCARM can be a bit of a chore. I do realise that there's a quite lot of give possible when assembling an actual track but quickly getting some ends to meet during design is helpful.

There's a very handy Excel style spreadsheet quoted elsewhere in this topic that gives the lengths of straight tracks that can be assembled with standard track pieces. However, using the SCARM measuring tool to find to get a precise size of the gap is a bit imprecise - well, for me at least. My work around is to select the K track library and then use the K flex piece to fill the gap - if the design looks like a winner then the correct length can be read off flex piece to the nearest millimetre and the Excel spreadsheet checked for the best mix of standard C track lengths.

I would have liked to create a flex piece in the C track library itself. Some old posts in other forums said the SCARM libraries are simple text files readable with Notepad but now they seem to be in another format?

Is there a better way? What is the story with the SCARM libraries?
thanks 1 user liked this useful post by revmox
Offline marklinist5999  
#2 Posted : 02 October 2022 15:50:25(UTC)
marklinist5999

United States   
Joined: 10/02/2021(UTC)
Posts: 3,074
Location: Michigan, Troy
It definmatley is! Especially if using any K track on a bridge that doean't have C track under channels to lower the track bed to look good. The C to K transiton tracks are not the same length as any C track. Also ramps and grades present a dillema at times. More so on curves.
thanks 1 user liked this useful post by marklinist5999
Offline PacoM  
#3 Posted : 02 October 2022 19:23:35(UTC)
PacoM

Spain   
Joined: 20/08/2020(UTC)
Posts: 60
Good idea to find the exact length of the gap! Thanks. I have found it delicate with SCARM even when zooming the image as much as possible.
As to the commercial tracks suitable, I use calc.exe, that is explained and may be downloaded here: https://cabin-layout.mix...k-length-calculator.html
thanks 1 user liked this useful post by PacoM
Offline revmox  
#4 Posted : 02 October 2022 22:35:55(UTC)
revmox

Australia   
Joined: 26/05/2021(UTC)
Posts: 146
Location: Australia, East Maitland, NSW
Thanks for that - looks handy
Offline dickinsonj  
#5 Posted : 03 October 2022 00:57:55(UTC)
dickinsonj

United States   
Joined: 05/12/2008(UTC)
Posts: 1,676
Location: Crozet, Virginia
That does look handy - thanks for the link!
Regards,
Jim

I have almost all Märklin and mostly HO, although I do have a small number of Z gauge trains!
So many trains and so little time.
Offline revmox  
#6 Posted : 03 October 2022 11:00:07(UTC)
revmox

Australia   
Joined: 26/05/2021(UTC)
Posts: 146
Location: Australia, East Maitland, NSW
It has been pointed out to me that a much more reliable result can be obtained by inserting the K flex track in the gap, highlighting it then right clicking on it and selecting "Length of Selected Section" which will give a pop up with very high accuracy. Just reading the length off the normal SCARM screen can be misleading.

Here's a simple example ... we live and learn.

C SCARM.jpg
thanks 2 users liked this useful post by revmox
Offline marklinist5999  
#7 Posted : 03 October 2022 16:25:59(UTC)
marklinist5999

United States   
Joined: 10/02/2021(UTC)
Posts: 3,074
Location: Michigan, Troy
That works too! I used K track sections, and olny had to trim one.
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