Mainline Troughput and my whole strategy!

[bear1]

Hello all.
My strategy for the last couple of years has been to run cargo as far as feasible, gradually plugging in more and more producers into my network. I generally find that this creates a couple mainlines. My main game over the last year is on a 1024x1024 map and has a mainline which runs from the middle of the map to the edge. This has four lines down and four lines up. It also has a 3+3 line joining it in the most complex junction I've ever built! The line probably has over 200 trains running along it.
Originally, as 2+2 it had several points where trains could switch lines, but I've trimmed these down to a minimum to help flow. Despite this, and adding in the extra lines, and building that complex junction (which I thought had serious over-capacity) the line is almost clogged up.

My question is this. Rather than sticking all my trains on to one network-and often one main line-should I build seperate networks for the main routes? Alternatively, do folk have tips for improving flow? I think I'm going to rebuild the junction with greater priority for the key routes.

[Al T.]

I like to keep passengers and cargo seperate. Especially since with some newGRF's cargo trains may end up limited to a low speed, but you also want to have high speed passenger trains. Even If they can go at the same speed, keeping two seperate avoids saturation till a bit later. I'd also consider seperating raw materials from goods, but only If the line was getting saturated.

[audigex]

That's a manic junction!

I like to build organically, so I'll build my first line, then slowly expand services off that and re-use as much track as possible in the early stages when I'm saving money. As that line gets busier I'll expand it as far as a 2x2 mainline if necessary, and then look to start taking load away from it - ie building direct lines on certain routes, consolidating passenger services (ie making one big express train on the mainline between hubs and then local services at each end), taking freight off the passenger network.

[YNM]

I can mix cargo types (ie. freight and passenger) - but I can't tolerate that slow trains makes expresses waits behind them.

So any mix with similarly speeded trains (and enough traction).

[V453000 :)]

My strategy:

1. keep everything always on one network, use all the space it needs (if there is no more space -> I cant expand -> cant even do bypasses or other "hacks" so it stays 1 network)

2. from the start, I leave space between mostly EVERYTHING - this means for example AVOIDING to build LR, I instead make L________________R (__ being space between the lines, it makes expanding SO much easier, better, and more organic)

3. everything needs space, and as long as you have space, you can build anything (5L_5R, anything)

To answer your question more directly, I would not split networks into multiple, I would keep just one and care for it, and from the start leave enough space for everything so that it will not come to eat your soul later on.

PS. the junction is cute but extremely space inefficient, many parts are probably going to be unused and overdimensed, while some parts will be very overcrowded. Building it organically (always building it rather small, and expanding in the problematic areas) makes sure that you build only what is necessary, and perhaps save space for something more important than the parts which would not be very helpful.

1024x1024 is not really very challenging to play as it is already possible to FLOOD 512x512 with trains, more density, more space management, more fun...

in case of doubt www.openttdcoop.org
Enjoy!
V

[Chrill]

My style of play in later games is to keep passengers away from the freight networks. With two separate networks, I need not worry about the passenger trains braking and accelerating and it also takes some trains away from that line. Other than that, I prefer the organic style described above where you simply update where necessary.

[audigex]

The organic style can work well with splitting freight and pax lines - as you simply "organically" separate the lines as you go along.

By the end of the game I have a fairly extensive network of "freight bypasses" - usually following a quieter/cheaper route - but the quieter side lines are still mixed traffic, and freight still passes onto the main lines for short sections sometimes when transiting between freight-worked lines.

It works well, I find - you don't waste money on expanding/duplicating lines until it's needed, and you don't end up building lines which never end up being used.

[planetmaker]

My style of play in later games is to keep passengers away from the freight networks. With two separate networks, I need not worry about the passenger trains braking and accelerating and it also takes some trains away from that line. Other than that, I prefer the organic style described above where you simply update where necessary.

You could simply assigne a cruise speed to the passenger trains on those lines used also by freight trains.

[audigex]

My style of play in later games is to keep passengers away from the freight networks. With two separate networks, I need not worry about the passenger trains braking and accelerating and it also takes some trains away from that line. Other than that, I prefer the organic style described above where you simply update where necessary.

You could simply assigne a cruise speed to the passenger trains on those lines used also by freight trains.

Woah woah woah, back up there a second.

Cruise speed? Have I completely missed a feature somewhere?

[Eddi]

in the timetable you can set a maximum speed for each order. this may prevent stop-and-go behaviour on mixed lines. (set a waypoint at the beginning and the end of the section, if necessary)

[audigex]

All over it. When did that appear in game? I've taken a bit of a break and didn't spot it when I got back

[planetmaker]

All over it. When did that appear in game? I've taken a bit of a break and didn't spot it when I got back

Code: Select all

changeset:   19079:303860ee7318
user:        michi_cc
date:        Tue Feb 14 17:04:06 2012 +0000
summary:     (svn r23947) -Feature: Timetabled maximum travel speeds for non-flying vehicles.

[Transportman]

This feature is included in r23947, which is from 2 years ago, and in stable versions since 1.2.0.

[Kevo00]

My style of play in later games is to keep passengers away from the freight networks. With two separate networks, I need not worry about the passenger trains braking and accelerating and it also takes some trains away from that line. Other than that, I prefer the organic style described above where you simply update where necessary.

You could simply assigne a cruise speed to the passenger trains on those lines used also by freight trains.

Agree, though given the faster deterioration curve of passenger rates it's ultimately better to have the passenger train travel as close to its top speed as possible.

[audigex]

This feature is included in r23947, which is from 2 years ago, and in stable versions since 1.2.0.

Thanks - that makes sense, then: I wasn't using nightlies at that point, and haven't played much since 1.2

Anyway, that's enough derailing (sorry) the thread from me...

[bear1]

Cheers for the thoughts. After sorting out a couple pinch points, it looks like I need to adjust the main junction to provide a smoother passage for the two main routes (south to north and south to east) and seperate the two main destinations (a town for delivery of goods and a sawmill).
The later will allow me to avoid a bit of track where trains are currently swapping tracks.
I've also been a bit lazy with those lane swapping areas, and need to do those properly-more like a junction.

Cheers all
Ben

[bear1]

Thought people might appreciate seeing the redesign of my junction. Apologies for the zoomed out-ness! I got rid of most of those ugly bridges which I'd used to improve direct flow, which in turn means I can appreciate the design of the junction. This has been allowed by adding in some uver-spec bypasses around the outside of the junction. It takes up much more room, but seems to provide much better throughput where it counts.