Page 1 of 1

Trains runs seemingly unregulated to depots?

Posted: 06 May 2019 16:44
by Janssoni
I cant really be the only one that experiences as follows, can I?

The trains run wildly and seemingly unregulated to depots. Perhaps the worst situation is when they 1) surpass the depot I have placed immediately in front of the loading station and continue (empty, ofc) 2) thru the loading station they are heading for to the depot AFTER the loading station. As they may not return to the loading station (this must be prevented with signals, otherwise the train going backwards block all incoming trains while loading) 3) they run empty to the other end of the line and 4) come back (still empty) to the loading station. - A u-turn after the loading stations helps, I know.

Can't this be prevented? Other times they run into a wrong line (which is not intended for them) and cannot return or go anywhere eventueally thereby blocking the whole system.

Anybody suggested solution like signals "only for trains with business to the loading station" (trains with the immeidately following station in their orders - would help for the second problem mentioned) and/or and perhaps an inbuilt order "never run even if need for service thru your next [loading] station. Or anything, whatever. Also that a station would be treated as a signal like a depot is afaik.

I think that would be really needed. Or anything, whatever, please.

Thanks.

--=janssoni=--

Re: Trains runs seemingly unregulated to depots?

Posted: 06 May 2019 21:22
by Eddi
there's a few things you can do here.

first, is check your signalling. if you use path signals, a train cannot undo a path reservation when it decides to go to a depot. so you should have a signal as close before the depot as possible

second is the use of "service at depot" orders, they come in two variants "service at a specific depot" or "service at the nearest depot". the second one is useful if you want to balance two depots, so it'll choose the unoccupied one. if you use "service at depot" orders, it will only go to depot at exactly this order, never at any other point on its trip.

third is to combine this "service at depot" order with a waypoint short before the depot comes up (but keep point 1 in mind, so there has to be a signal between the waypoint and the depot)

Re: Trains runs seemingly unregulated to depots?

Posted: 07 May 2019 00:26
by Janssoni
Eddi wrote: second is the use of "service at depot" orders
I dont think I have used those orders. How do I use "service at depot"? Are they part of orders to go to depots, that i haven't used, i find them hard to use since one does not seem to be able to predict when a train needs to go to the depot. Any suggestions are taken, please.

I took however some screenshots. Here is what inspired me to mention the situation where a train gets caught in a "trap" - the longer one in the middle runs to the "wrong" depot and gets trapped.
[+] Spoiler
The longer train will be stuck when it reaches the depot. It must go to the short station to the left (the signals allows only that direction). There it admittedly can turn but to no avail since it is too long - the only way leads back to the depot where it came from. And so forth in eternity.

The short trains that the depot is intended for have room enough to turn back from what is, from the longer trains view, a trap. It is caught there for ever or until the player does something - I simply connected the depot with the line out with two small pieces of track when i detected the thingie. But the problem remains - trains do not consider at all where they are going.
[+] Spoiler
Please, have a look yourself:
Kenthill Transport, 12-12-1999.png
(435.07 KiB) Not downloaded yet
Hope you can read the text at least in enlarged view. This "trap" could have been avoided with an order "only for trains with my station called "Suputen" in their orders". The situation blocked the small trains delivering supplies (a FIRS thingie) to the other of the line end and made lots of damage to the network.

Could any of your suggestions have helped, Eddie?

Greetings,
--=Janssoni=--

Re: Trains runs seemingly unregulated to depots?

Posted: 07 May 2019 00:33
by Janssoni
Arrghh, "not downloaded yet". How do i download to this darned computer, anybody?

--=janssoni=--

Re: Trains runs seemingly unregulated to depots?

Posted: 07 May 2019 01:06
by _dp_
Having trains running amok is pretty normal when you have breakdowns enabled. You can somewhat remedy it by building depot on every spot where train can possibly have a choice(including a choice to skip a station) and hope you didn't miss any (extra fun with 90 turns). But many players prefer to disable breakdowns instead of dealing with this random bulls***.

Re: Trains runs seemingly unregulated to depots?

Posted: 07 May 2019 08:49
by Eddi
Janssoni wrote:How do I use "service at depot"?
you can add "go to depot" orders the same way you add "go to station" orders, just clicking "go to" in the timetable window, and then on a depot. if you hold CTRL while clicking on the depot, it instead turns into "service at depot", meaning it will just skip the order if service interval has not expired yet. alternatively, you can turn an existing "go to" order into "service at" in one of the dropdowns in the timetable window.

Re: Trains runs seemingly unregulated to depots?

Posted: 07 May 2019 11:35
by Pyoro
I personally find it useful to design networks in such a way that trains can't get stuck anyway.

If you build depots and use path-signals for their block, you can make sure that trains can leave onto both tracks on two-way lines, so they can leave in either direction. And you can build junctions so all directions are possible even if they aren't needed (or add an escape or something to allow trains to turn around).

That way if something goes wrong (and something always goes wrong at some point) it shouldn't cause too many issues, even if a train might take a detour here or there.

Re: Trains runs seemingly unregulated to depots?

Posted: 10 May 2019 11:07
by leifbk
I always include at least one unconditional "Go to depot" order when I set up a route. Usually, it's the last order on a round-trip. If the roundtrip exceeds the regular service interval by more than 50 percent, I'll usually insert another go to depot order at the other end of the route. I'm playing with reduced breakdowns.