[darwins]

Peter has recently done some excellent on the locomotive side to improve the simulation of water troughs.

It would be useful to improve the representation of the troughs themselves.

At present the only trough sections available are for default straight sections of track.
Many water troughs were located on gentle curves. One set of troughs in UK was located inside a tunnel.

It would be better if we could flag any level section of track as having a water trough. This could include default track and custom tracks such as UKFS.
Having marked a section as a trough then a dummy trough model or texture could be placed above the track. Any loco fitted with a scoop could then take water there.
This would allow troughs to be constructed on curves or in a tunnel. (Although sharper curves could be excluded).

As part of this water troughs could also perhaps be made to show up in the track monitor.

Troughs in Britain and France were placed on top of the sleepers with the water surface above rail level. Troughs in USA were set down into the sleepers - so a different type of model to show US track pans might be used.

In real life there was a slight gradient into and out of the troughs in UK (and presumably in France also) having a gradient of 1 in 350 for a distance of about 60 yards ( 55 m ) at either end.

Trello card