Thank you Adam,
It looks like what I am trying to do may remain problematic even if this selection bug is fixed, because then I probably won't even be able to do the selection that I was using.

However, I did now come up with a simple way of safeguarding the anchor track's location that might help others.

I used a piece of sectional track for the anchor track (whether built with flex or not in the layout) and added other track from that point.

Then I simply drew a rectangular box around that anchor track, gave the box a distinctive color and thick edges (properties), then moved the box to a layer that I could then freeze.  Since the box won't be connected to track, it will be hard to move by accident!

This way, if I end up disturbing the location of my anchor track, I can simply drag the track back to its original location marked by the box.

And, of course, best of all would be if I can stop using join and other commands the wrong way!

Back to my original problem - is anyone aware of any more direct way of nailing down a piece of track to fix its absolute location?

Thanks for the help,
Don

Not sure if non-admins can add them

Don,
it is supposed to be that objects on frozen layers can’t be selected (and therefore moved or rotated).

It seems to be that you have found a bug that allows these to be selected. Is that Select Connected (left-click with shift) or Select All, perhaps?  it may the code is not checking the layer membership properly.

Adam

I'm a new XtrackCAD user and I'm trying to find a way to anchor or lock tracks in place so they cannot accidentally be moved.
Running:  XtrackCAD 5.1.2a on a Mac with Mojave 10.14.6 and XQuartz 2.7.11.

I've searched the online documentation and the topics in this group and still don't have a really workable answer - but the question definitely has come up before on this list..
Let me describe what I've managed to figure out so far, and I'd appreciate any recommendations:

I've found a technique that partly solves the problem, but track is still subject to being moved with Move to Join.

Partial solution:
Create at least three connected tracks in a layer (say Layer 1).
Select the middle track (let's call that the Anchor track) and change it to a different layer (say Layer 2).
THEN (after putting the Anchor track in Layer 2) use Manage/Layers to set Layer 2 to "Frozen".

This prevents the Anchor track (or any tracks connected to the anchor track if selected together) from being moved with the Move command, and you can continue to build the layout out from the two connected tracks in Layer 1 without having to freeze/unfreeze Layer2.  So far, so good.

But - if the Anchor track is selected along with track in unfrozen layers, then that whole collection of track (even the whole layout) can still be moved if you accidentally use the Move to Join command backwards.

And I find I seem to use Move to Join backwards more often than the right way.  Fortunately, UNDO seems to work reliably as long as you do it before you've dreated a lot of other work that you don't want to lose.

Is there any way to absolutely lock track in place?  If this is possible, then one could precisely place a few tracks onto the layout and continue to build from there as though those tracks were actually nailed down.

Thanks for any help or comments,
Don

All sorts of things could be done in extremis - tenders could be detached emptied and turned separately, there could be other motive power employed (shunting engines, stationary engines with capstans, traction engines, tractors, ponies, horses and of course “Armstrong”).

Armstrong, for my U.K. friends, is a US term for shank’s pony or the RN 2-6-heave - as in the story of Henry the Green Engine in Thomas the Tank Engine book - the one in which Sir Topham Hat refused to help.

All sorts of things could be done in extremis - tenders could be detached emptied and turned separately, there could be other motive power employed (shunting engines, stationary engines with capstans, traction engines, tractors, ponies, horses and of course “Armstrong”).

Armstrong, for my U.K. friends, is a US term for shank’s pony or the RN 2-6-heave - as in the story of Henry the Green Engine in Thomas the Tank Engine book - the one in which Sir Topham Hat refused to help.