Chaining Routes
If you use ThirdRails for tracking in combination with a Real Drive timetable, you will be able to ride incredible services crossing multiple routes even if those routes are not merged by the creator.
For starters, you can pickup a timetable via Real Drive for the service you want to drive. During the ride this timetable will be your task manager, so forget about the TS HUD. For more information on using timetables, please review the The Art of Timetabled Rides tutorial.
To route chain, use connected stations to jump from one route to another.
How to route chain?
Suppose we want to ride a service from Salzburg to Munich Hbf. There is not a single route to do this. Two routes are involved, namely RSSLO Salzburg-Rosenheim, and DTG Munich-Rosenheim.
- 1. Search for a Real Drive service to drive in realtime, or adhoc
- 2. Start a QuickDrive on the Salzburg-Rosenheim route from Salzburg to Rosenheim
- 3. Drive, using the ThirdRails EbuLA device, to Rosenheim (Activate the guard for more realism!)
- 4. When arrived in Rosenheim, stop de scenario
- 5. Keep ThirdRails on, as it is
- 6. Start a QuickDrive on the Munich-Rosenheim route from Rosenheim to Munich
- 7. Drive to Munich
- 8. Stop the broadcast, and log to Whistle Board, you drove a service over two routes
That's all!
Since routes mostly run from main station to main station, you will have a couple of minutes for the route switch when doing a Real Time Real Drive. When you do an adhoc Real Drive (which is a Real Drive, but not in Real Time) you can always take a break and continue later by adjusting the EbuLA clock.
ThirdRails will allow a gap of 5 miles between the end- and startpoint of this operation. This allows gaps for not-so-well GPS created routes, or even little jumps to other stations.
Other related tutorials:
Real Drives Explained
The Art of Timetabled Rides
You can do real cool services with route chaining:
Amazing Example: RJX862 service from Flughafen Wien to Bregenz
Jaroslow Klimentowski did this incredible 5,5 hour service covering an amazing number of seven routes and two countries.
The ride starts at Linz and goes via Wels, Salzburg, Rosenheim, Innsbruck, Bludenz to finally arrive in Bregenz.
With this kind of rides you can really immerse in the role of an engineer, in fact you will become a Rail Legend!