How to build mountain routes?

[LineOfDeparture]

Hi all,

playing on a hilly map for the first time and i am absolutely not able to build routes along even soft ridges.

The game just builds railroads on the same elevation level, and once i start to connect upper and lower rail roads i can't do it, because the upper rail road is way to high up, already starting to build bridges, and the lower one doesn't connect with the upper one.

Anyone with an idea how I can make that possible?

[mmmcheesywaffles]

Enable the contour layer then try to drop or raise only one or two contours in steps. Zig-zagging down a mountain takes some work but can be done. Making enormous bridges to drop a long way is easier but ugly and expensive.

[CashonWheels]

You may need to go out of the way some to get over a mountain. Build along the side and keep you build arrow all the way up, even if not needed at the current location. Look for east cuts, fills, and short bridges.

You can do 270 degree loops if you really need to gain altitude.

[General Tso]

When going from point A to point B with one of the points being higher than the other. The goal is to have a steady rate of incline over the whole section of track. For example if the terrain over the path you are taking goes down then up then down again. Your track should have a steady downward incline through the whole area if possible.

Use the height layer to monitor things while laying the track. And use the arrows at the end of the track laying tool to make the track do what you want. Holding the shift key while clicking on the arrows causes the height to change in smaller increments.

[luftfisch]

Mountain maps are on top of my wishlist. This would include all kind of mountain transport systems like narrow gauge, rack railways, cable cars, funiculars or helicopters and also new map themes for higher mountains, curved and sloped stations etc.

There are already mods for narrow gauge tracks and sloped stations but there are no vehicles yet modded or converted for TF2. In TF1 there was a mod for a cablecar implemented as bus line and with the flexible station mod I did many great mountain games...

I hope, these things will come in a DLC...

[Kame-kichi]

This is what I did on my first mountainous map, or rather cliff riddled terrain. At first I laid the tracks contouring the cliff, and once I had enough money I straightened out using tunnels.
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2034611716

[LineOfDeparture]

Thank you all for your insights!

[HoloByteus]

Using short track segments at max incline you can get the best incline possible. I had a steel factory at the bottom of a mountain I needed to join to the main line above that was only 600m away and unreachable trying to do it with one length of track. It took some work but I managed to link them up with a combo of short segments max incline and extending the merger till it was able to link. It gave me a reason to use the "Big Boy" on that line and makes for a fun ride.

[General Tso]

Originally posted by WarCrime:

Using short track segments at max incline you can get the best incline possible. I had a steel factory at the bottom of a mountain I needed to join to the main line above that was only 600m away and unreachable trying to do it with one length of track. It took some work but I managed to link them up with a combo of short segments max incline and extending the merger till it was able to link. It gave me a reason to use the "Big Boy" on that line and makes for a fun ride.

You need a reason to use a Big Boy?

As long as I'm rolling in cash. (And I usually am by the time the Big Boy comes around.) I usually haul all of my freight using Big Boys. I like variety so I wish I could resist the temptation to use the same locomotive on all of my lines. Unfortunately I really like power so I can't help myself. :)

[tomasantony]

Funiculars? Cog Railways?

Well, it is possible to build tracks up to a 100% grade, if you use the "realistic Railway Slopes" mod (https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2161175689) and fiddle with the config settings (VacuumTube, the mod creator, explains this in the comments)>

- you basically change the "ParamBuilder.range(0.005, 0.1, 0.005)" line so the 0.1 (10% grade) is whatever you want. You can still set it to something more appropriate using the slider in the mod loading screen if you don't to build rollercoasters all the time.

however - if anyone knows any good locos/carriages, I need some funicular cars! let me know if you think of any?