How to start a freight network.

[dol422]

So basically, I tend to avoid freight because passengers seem to be the easier targets when it comes to real-life networking. But I'm now interested in building out a realistic freight network, or at least one that works. Tips and suggestions welcome.

Worth noting I have recently taken the liking to build in hilly terrain.

[leifbk]

Great, I have a passion for freight, and actively avoid mail and pax transport as it makes the game far too easy. Cargo has is own challenges, though. You may want to browse my epic 1700-2050 thread cited in my sig below and see if you find anything of relevance. Even if you may prefer trains over ships and RVs

[The Growl]

At the first freight station, of which I have two not counting the tranferal service, I have a layout like this where movement is easy and joining the mainline is with ease.

[romazoon]

i personnally like to set up some yard near by freight station, in those yard i make go via waypoints all the trains that will pick up something, the train delivering are going straight to delivery stations. I also use some restriction signal to reserve specific platforms for picking and for delivering, this way i avoid a traffic jam that would cause all the loading trains occupying all the platforms (restriction signal available in JGR patchpack, but it s doable also with waypoint).

here are some exemples, note that none of those setup are made to be very efficient, neither are based on real stuff, but they are really pleasant to watch when they get busy with trains, some trains waiting, some moving to deliver, others moving to wait a bit. Also if those setup are enough efficient for me, it s only because i use some slow daylenght, allowing those slower operation while still achieving good ratings at freight stations.

[Pyoro]

Biggest decision you'll make is probably whether you use dedicated freight lines or run everything on the same tracks. There's rl examples of both, and some examples that aren't quite do-able in OpenTTD (like running freight only at night ^^), but otherwise I don't see what's the huge difference between building a pax network and a freight network.

€: and since you mentioned hills and everyone is positing screenshots, here's on of mine:
download/file.php?id=187122
The advise is clearly: build loops

[Alberth]

Depending on the industry density setting, you can have that there are only a few destinations for cargo. As a general pattern in such a case, the destination becomes the busiest point. Output tends to become large due to all incoming cargo, so getting the output transported to the next destination is also a challenge.

The simplest is to make tracks for a single destination. Two sources, and a single destination:

m2005.png (226.29 KiB) Viewed 339 times

15 years later (I build while paused), 3 separate networks

m2020.png

(69.56 KiB) Not downloaded yet

Since I want to re-use the networks for other cargos too, I started to connect them:

m2023.png (62.91 KiB) Viewed 339 times

[Alberth]

Detail of the sawmill receive, unloading should keep the platform occupied as little as possible. (Unlike pax networks, you don't load here.)

sawmill_receive.png (276.03 KiB) Viewed 339 times

[Dave]

i personnally like to set up some yard near by freight station, in those yard i make go via waypoints all the trains that will pick up something, the train delivering are going straight to delivery stations. I also use some restriction signal to reserve specific platforms for picking and for delivering, this way i avoid a traffic jam that would cause all the loading trains occupying all the platforms (restriction signal available in JGR patchpack, but it s doable also with waypoint).

here are some exemples, note that none of those setup are made to be very efficient, neither are based on real stuff, but they are really pleasant to watch when they get busy with trains, some trains waiting, some moving to deliver, others moving to wait a bit. Also if those setup are enough efficient for me, it s only because i use some slow daylenght, allowing those slower operation while still achieving good ratings at freight stations.

There's something incredibly realistic about these layouts. I like them a lot.

They remind me of an era of wagonload freight, long gone in Britain, when yards and facilities would have 10, 20, 30 sidings and roads for shunting, holding and transfer.

It's all containers now

[leifbk]

Romazoon has a way with design and objects that, in my opinion, approaches genuine work of art. Just look at the beautiful rendering of LeHavre Harbor in his screenshot thread. Use the F11 key and gape at it in awe and wonder.

[Espee]

So basically, I tend to avoid freight because passengers seem to be the easier targets when it comes to real-life networking. But I'm now interested in building out a realistic freight network, or at least one that works. Tips and suggestions welcome.

Worth noting I have recently taken the liking to build in hilly terrain.

Here's an example of how I plan freight/caro networks on one of my North American themed games: viewtopic.php?f=47&t=69191