Plan check
How Trackplanner checks your track plan — every rule explained: what’s checked, why it matters and how to fix it.
Work in progress: This section is still a work in progress — content is being added and revised continuously.
Basic check
Checks flex curves, usable siding lengths (soon) and grades.
Flex track minimum radius
What is checked? Flex track bends any way you like — including too tightly. The Trackplanner already colours pinch…
Usable siding length (Soon)
What is checked? For every stub track (storage, loading or platform track with one end at a turnout) the usable length…
Grade
What is checked? The grade of every route section (from the track heights) against the limit. If most of a ramp lies in…
Scenery off the board
What is checked? Whether placed scenery (houses, trees, figures …) lies wholly or partly off the baseboard — or over a…
Duplicate track
What is checked? Whether several pieces of track sit in the same place on top of one another — on the same layer and at…
Precision analysis
Measures what is hard to check by hand: S-curves (including across turnouts), minimum radii per train category (soon) and the distance to the board edge — millimetre-exact, on every change.
Minimum radius (Soon)
What is checked? Every curve in your plan is compared against the minimum radius of your train categories (train…
S-curve
What is checked? Where two curves of opposite direction follow each other directly, the plan check verifies that a…
Edge distance
What is checked? Whether tracks run too close to the baseboard edge or overhang it. Why does it matter? A train that…
Kink at joint
What is checked? Whether two connected track ends meet in a straight line when seen from above — or at an angle of more…
Operations analysis
Checks whether your plan actually works operationally: staging yard (soon), run-around, tail tracks (soon), reverse loops, connection to the outside world (soon).
Reversing loop
What is checked? Whether the plan contains a route over which a train returns onto the same track in the opposite…
Tail track (Soon)
What is checked? At switchback spurs (destination reachable only via a reversal): is the run-round segment long enough…
Missing staging yard (Soon)
What is checked? If you have set a station in the "Operations" tool and a train profile, but no staging yard, the plan…
Runaround track
What is checked? Stations with industry spurs but no runaround facility (no track pair connected at both ends). Why…
Connection to the outside world (Soon)
What is checked? Whether your plan has any connection "to the outside": a staging yard (confirmed or proposed) or a…
Turnout facing
What is checked? Do the industry turnouts of a station without a runaround face both ways (mixed facing/trailing…
Unnamed station (Soon)
What is checked? Whether a track group that the plan check recognises as a station already has a name — that is,…
Uncoupler track
What is checked? Whether a plan with a shunting area has an uncoupling track anywhere. A shunting area is a stub track…
Height profile
Checks ramps in detail: turnouts on the grade, curvature changes on a downgrade, helix grade, crests and dips.
Turnout on grade
What is checked? Does a turnout or crossing sit inside a ramp (element grade above the limit)? Why does it matter?…
Curvature change on grade
What is checked? Whether the curvature jumps within a ramp — straight→curve, radius change or reverse curve. Every ramp…
Helix grade
What is checked? For every detected helix: the effective grade — nominal grade plus the curve-resistance surcharge…
Vertical kink
What is checked? Does the grade change sign (uphill → downhill or vice versa) without a sufficient level section in…
Height step at joint
What is checked? Do two connected track ends sit at different heights (more than 1 mm apart)? Why does it matter? In…
Clearance
Wraps the clearance envelope around every track (soon wider in curves automatically) and finds overlaps (soon) and too-low clearances.