Realistic Station layouts

OpenTTD is a fully open-sourced reimplementation of TTD, written in C++, boasting improved gameplay and many new features.

Moderator: OpenTTD Developers

User avatar
Wotan
Traffic Manager
Traffic Manager
Posts: 143
Joined: 27 May 2008 22:35

Realistic Station layouts

Post by Wotan »

I would like to play a realistic game. I already know how to do my small and medium sized stations. However I don't know how to make a large terminus station in a realistic, yet functioning, manner. The idea is for it to be at the end of a four track mainline.

Do you have any ideas for how the tracks/signals should be laid out?
Coders wanted: Image DSB Litra E in 2cc - Image DSB Litra A in 2cc

ImageUnless stated otherwise all works published by me on these forums is covered by a Creative Commons Attribution Non-commercial share-alike License. Please PM me if you are interested in obtaining a different license.
User avatar
ostlandr
Chairman
Chairman
Posts: 882
Joined: 12 May 2007 01:09
Location: Northeastern USA

Re: Realistic Station layouts

Post by ostlandr »

Here's a typical terminal design I use. Not particularly efficient or high capacity, but semi-realistic. PBS signals handle X-overs very well.

The depots are accessed from separate tracks. Whether the train has orders to service before hitting this station or after, it will take a separate track which keeps it out of the main line traffic.

The X-overs on the main line entering and exiting help reduce queuing.
Attachments
Watkins & Co., 7th Sep 1985.png
Who is John Galt?
audigex
Tycoon
Tycoon
Posts: 1997
Joined: 09 Dec 2007 21:28
Contact:

Re: Realistic Station layouts

Post by audigex »

Use a station GRF with a variety of tiles, and maybe use a different station set for different lines.

There's a whole section on realistic track somewhere - either the wiki or screenshot section I think. That's always worth a look. Basically, though, just avoid too many tracks crossing (keep your switches seperate) and think about the junction, rather than just dragging track from each entry to each exit.

Makomg your station slightly longer than your trains is a good effect, and using a variety of bay+through platforms if appropriate.

Generally fewer tracks = more realistic. There aren't many through stations with more than 4/6 platforms, and very few with 8 or more: larger stations tend to be termini.
Jon
User avatar
Expresso
Tycoon
Tycoon
Posts: 1760
Joined: 09 Aug 2004 00:14
Location: Gouda, the Netherlands

Re: Realistic Station layouts

Post by Expresso »

Have a look at some satellite photos of Zürich Hbf, München Hbf, Waterloo station (London), Den Haag CS, Antwerpen CS and there are probably some others to give you a basic idea of what to do.

As for functional, realism goes right out of the window, as in real life trains have a designated platform to stop at. Openttd does not implement any functionality to help you with that (unless you want to go the path of workarounds).
Eddi
Tycoon
Tycoon
Posts: 8258
Joined: 17 Jan 2007 00:14

Re: Realistic Station layouts

Post by Eddi »

the main key point to make a large terminus station efficient is that trains should enter from different directions, not all through the same line. that way, exiting trains are less likely to interfere with entering trains. then you can likely get away with two platforms per line, slightly more if you schedule the trains to wait a while [e.g. to synchronize the connections, or to balance out delays]
User avatar
Dave
Moderator
Moderator
Posts: 17243
Joined: 26 Dec 2005 20:19
Location: North London

Re: Realistic Station layouts

Post by Dave »

Eddi wrote:the main key point to make a large terminus station efficient is that trains should enter from different directions, not all through the same line. that way, exiting trains are less likely to interfere with entering trains. then you can likely get away with two platforms per line, slightly more if you schedule the trains to wait a while [e.g. to synchronize the connections, or to balance out delays]
That's exactly NOT what he's asked for. He's asked for a realistic station that works. The discussion of Efficient vs Realistic has come up before.

I'm not saying a realistic approach cannot be efficient, but when searching for realism, one tends to abandon efficiency. Take a look at my screenshots, Wotan, for a selection of what I think are good representations of the British style.
Official TT-Dave Fan Club

Dave's Screenshot Thread! - Albion: A fictional Britain
Flickr


Why be a song when you can be a symphony? r is a...
Eddi
Tycoon
Tycoon
Posts: 8258
Joined: 17 Jan 2007 00:14

Re: Realistic Station layouts

Post by Eddi »

"realistic vs. efficient" is not worthy of a discussion, because they are not exclusive.

you can make an efficient design, and then start making it look realistic. real terminus stations aren't that horribly inefficent either (although they do have several drawbacks), so why should that not be transmissable into the game?
User avatar
Dave
Moderator
Moderator
Posts: 17243
Joined: 26 Dec 2005 20:19
Location: North London

Re: Realistic Station layouts

Post by Dave »

In OTTD they are because the efficiency of real stations depends on micromanagement such as to-the-minute timetabling (which OTTD makes a good fist of) and platform assignment, as well as multiple trains in a platform (am I right in thinking this is also now possible?)

I'm not saying a realistic layout on OTTD is totally inefficient - it isn't - but it would be hard to make it as effective a station built for maximum efficiency.

But that's just my opinion.
Official TT-Dave Fan Club

Dave's Screenshot Thread! - Albion: A fictional Britain
Flickr


Why be a song when you can be a symphony? r is a...
User avatar
Badger
Tycoon
Tycoon
Posts: 7040
Joined: 10 Sep 2006 19:12
Location: Adwick-Le-Street.

Re: Realistic Station layouts

Post by Badger »

Dave Worley wrote:... as well as multiple trains in a platform (am I right in thinking this is also now possible?)
Can it? Have I missed something?
|||| My OTTD/TTDP pics ||||Currently slighty obsessed with getting Platinum Trophies||||Retired moderator||||
arjanjnl
Engineer
Engineer
Posts: 2
Joined: 01 May 2010 19:47

Re: Realistic Station layouts

Post by arjanjnl »

If you want to have a look at real rail plans for European stations you can go to these sites:
- Mainly about border stations in Europe
http://www.bueker.net/trainspotting/

- Detailed rail plans for European stations
http://www.sporenplan.nl/ (this one is in Dutch, you have to click "sporenplan on the left of the site)
Eddi
Tycoon
Tycoon
Posts: 8258
Joined: 17 Jan 2007 00:14

Re: Realistic Station layouts

Post by Eddi »

Badger wrote:
Dave Worley wrote:... as well as multiple trains in a platform (am I right in thinking this is also now possible?)
Can it? Have I missed something?
no, it can't.
User avatar
Dave
Moderator
Moderator
Posts: 17243
Joined: 26 Dec 2005 20:19
Location: North London

Re: Realistic Station layouts

Post by Dave »

Is it planned? The fact you can now define if the train goes to the near or far end of a platform makes me wonder if this will eventually come to pass.
Official TT-Dave Fan Club

Dave's Screenshot Thread! - Albion: A fictional Britain
Flickr


Why be a song when you can be a symphony? r is a...
City Builder
Engineer
Engineer
Posts: 107
Joined: 12 Apr 2010 11:58

Re: Realistic Station layouts

Post by City Builder »

ostlandr wrote:Here's a typical terminal design I use. Not particularly efficient or high capacity, but semi-realistic. PBS signals handle X-overs very well.

The depots are accessed from separate tracks. Whether the train has orders to service before hitting this station or after, it will take a separate track which keeps it out of the main line traffic.

The X-overs on the main line entering and exiting help reduce queuing.
Hi Ostlandr,

What newgrf produces that station in your screenshot?
Eddi
Tycoon
Tycoon
Posts: 8258
Joined: 17 Jan 2007 00:14

Re: Realistic Station layouts

Post by Eddi »

Dave Worley wrote:Is it planned? The fact you can now define if the train goes to the near or far end of a platform makes me wonder if this will eventually come to pass.
it's not "planned" in the sense that anybody is actually working on it, but if someone were to suddenly appear and provide a patch for it, it likely would not be rejected because of "unwanted feature".

it's probably difficult to design properly, because basically this means asking to ignore basic signalling rules ("only one train per block/path"), which comes with all kinds of dangerous caveats. realistically, that is closer to shunting than "normal" train operation
User avatar
kamnet
Moderator
Moderator
Posts: 8548
Joined: 28 Sep 2009 17:15
Location: Eastern KY
Contact:

Re: Realistic Station layouts

Post by kamnet »

City Builder wrote:Hi Ostlandr, What newgrf produces that station in your screenshot?
Industrial Stations Renewal 0.8.0 - Classification Yard.
drewb99
Engineer
Engineer
Posts: 12
Joined: 22 Jun 2008 20:35

Re: Realistic Station layouts

Post by drewb99 »

Diagram of the PRR Suburban Station & the Upper Level of 30th Street Station

Prototypical terminals are pretty much just really big interlockings so that a train entering on a track has exactly one path to any platform track / exit track. They also tend to be laid out so that they're easier to get out from than to enter.
User avatar
Dave
Moderator
Moderator
Posts: 17243
Joined: 26 Dec 2005 20:19
Location: North London

Re: Realistic Station layouts

Post by Dave »

Bear in mind that you have to look at OTTD as scaled down.
Official TT-Dave Fan Club

Dave's Screenshot Thread! - Albion: A fictional Britain
Flickr


Why be a song when you can be a symphony? r is a...
User avatar
lawton27
Tycoon
Tycoon
Posts: 1418
Joined: 03 Aug 2009 14:29
Location: Manchester

Re: Realistic Station layouts

Post by lawton27 »

drewb99 wrote:Diagram of the PRR Suburban Station & the Upper Level of 30th Street Station

Prototypical terminals are pretty much just really big interlockings so that a train entering on a track has exactly one path to any platform track / exit track. They also tend to be laid out so that they're easier to get out from than to enter.
Attachments
Little Aberbridge Transport, 29th Jul 1953.png
User avatar
Dave
Moderator
Moderator
Posts: 17243
Joined: 26 Dec 2005 20:19
Location: North London

Re: Realistic Station layouts

Post by Dave »

Does it work.
Official TT-Dave Fan Club

Dave's Screenshot Thread! - Albion: A fictional Britain
Flickr


Why be a song when you can be a symphony? r is a...
User avatar
lawton27
Tycoon
Tycoon
Posts: 1418
Joined: 03 Aug 2009 14:29
Location: Manchester

Re: Realistic Station layouts

Post by lawton27 »

Dave Worley wrote:Does it work.
It's not particularly efficient in terms of TTD but yes.
Post Reply

Return to “General OpenTTD”

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 9 guests