General In Game Designing

[brickie]

This is a very good and useful thread, and I'll certainly be using some ideas from here.

Can I make one suggestion, though? If it's possible, can you set the catenary to "invisible" before taking your screenshots? Just helps to make complex track layouts clearer...

Presume that last bit was directed towards me, no worries, I'll try to remember in future, sorry

Only cos you've been the most prolific so far...

[Ameecher]

WTB a picture

Ah shut uppa yer face

http://www.tt-forums.net/download/file.php?id=136276

[Dante123]

bypass stations only work with all orders non-stop right ? the bypass itself are station tiles right ?

[ZxBiohazardZx]

i use the 3-tile station A LOT myself, looks very good and works nice as well

WTB a picture

Ah shut uppa yer face

http://www.tt-forums.net/download/file.php?id=136276

i use the 3-tile station A LOT myself, looks very good and works nice as well

bypass stations only work with all orders non-stop right ? the bypass itself are station tiles right ?

the bypass works if you set it to "go via" as well

[Nite Owl]

That three platform style of station (shown below) is a standard for me at all single line stations. I cannot be sure of its exact origins but I first learned about it from Two5Kid's screenshot thread.

001.png (35.35 KiB) Viewed 3209 times

For stations where multiple lines come together (shown below again) I add at least one additional platform per line depending on traffic density. It is a very versatile design that allows for expansion in several possible ways. You could have the additional platforms follow either a bidirectional path or a single directional path depending again on the traffic density. This is easily accomplished with the art of signal placement.

002.png (41.23 KiB) Viewed 3209 times

As for the station in the first post of this thread it may need a bit of further explanation with regards to my playing style to understand why it would work as it stands. I use mode separation. That is I build a local line for slow trains and an express line for faster trains. These split and merge at stations and generally only come together at the stations. My freight lines are built in a similar manner but freight is a bit more dependent on which train set I am using. For my default set (U.S. Transition) this involves slow freight (Iron Ore and Logs - 55 MPH maximum throughout a game) having one slow network to run on and all of my faster freight (everything else - speed varies by engine and/or wagon type but averages around 75 to 85 MPH) having another network to run on. This avoids the speed problems for the faster trains on the vast majority of the track for both the passenger and freight networks. The exception being when they come together at the stations where speed does not really matter all that much since everything slows down when entering or leaving a station anyway. I know to some that this mode separation method of play may be heresy. However, if you think about it, it can lead to a more complex decision making process in some ways as you are actually building several networks at the same time and bringing them together and apart at critical points like stations and crossovers. At least that is how I rationalize it to myself. As the saying goes - To Each His Own.

[clarklawson]

Can someone post some designs of a 4 line by-pass station?

I always have a bit of a jam at these busy stations where smaller local services (7 tiles in length) want to stop but a long-distance train (9 tiles in length) wants to go straight through.

I'm thinking of using tunnels for the long-distance ones but wondered what other people have used?

[clarklawson]

Can someone post some designs of a 4 line by-pass station?

I always have a bit of a jam at these busy stations where smaller local services (7 tiles in length) want to stop but a long-distance train (9 tiles in length) wants to go straight through.

I'm thinking of using tunnels for the long-distance ones but wondered what other people have used?

An example of what I mean is attached but its not pretty.

Plus what can I do with Pre-signals to give the express train priority?

[Nite Owl]

Look at the first few posts on page 1 of this thread. The stations shown there are more spread out then in your design but they will work better due to the fact that the bypassing trains are not using a tunnel which has no signals. The lack of signals in the tunnels will cause a backup unless you place multiple tunnels in each direction which will spread your station out even more then in the examples I mentioned.

[kamnet]

You don't see a lot of early games using switchbacks as a way to enter and exit steep terrain, then again it's hard to find a nice auto-generated terrain which provides room for it, that doesn't also present an easier answer. I just happened to stumble across an opportunity to build one just to see if I can make it work. Trains won't follow them without using PBS, because once they hit the end of the line normally they'll reverse where they came from. PBS allows them to reserve the next section of line to complete the process.

[clarklawson]

Look at the first few posts on page 1 of this thread. The stations shown there are more spread out then in your design but they will work better due to the fact that the bypassing trains are not using a tunnel which has no signals. The lack of signals in the tunnels will cause a backup unless you place multiple tunnels in each direction which will spread your station out even more then in the examples I mentioned.

I'll try Thor out - I always try for a small station but think that's where I go wrong.

[clarklawson]

Can some people post some nice examples of well designed stations such as for coal mines - as mine always look ugly

[ISA]

Can some people post some nice examples of well designed stations such as for coal mines - as mine always look ugly

Like this, This, and this and also this? You also can peek into my screen shot thread (there also coal stations)! Look under my sig!(There havent been much updates lately real life on my way)

[Nite Owl]

The image below is a typical Coal Mine station design for me. I have found that the key to really nice station design (once money is no longer a factor) is to not build an individual station in bulk. In other words do not just drag and drop a large area of station to meet the need. Instead play around with the tiles available to you in different combinations to see what you can achieve.

[DarkUk]

First post, so sorry if its not up to grade .
This is one of my mainline stations, i try and make all the through tracks this way and then add the bays later on, at the moment this station has 57 trains stopping there.


One of the main routes for freight and passengers, same number of trains just more often hence 9 Platforms.

[Bad Hair Day]

First post, so sorry if its not up to grade .

I like your style. Care to create a screenshot topic so we can see more? It looks like you may have an interesting game going on there.

[Nite Owl]

The rather large attached image is simply titled Parks. It is from my current game and shows what can be done with some creative use of the newly added New Objects feature. To the upper right is one of two large distribution centers where the raw materials come in and the goods go out. To the lower left, out of frame, is a city that will, eventually, grow towards this distribution center. I wanted to avoid this highly industrialized center also having to deal with passengers and mail once the city gets near. Hence the New Object parks extending out through the catchment area of the distribution center to act as a buffer between it and the encroaching city. My compliments to zero.eight for creating the VAST New Objects Grf that made this possible.

[brickie]

Love the look. But surely it would be easier to just use the option for having cargo only delivered to the station when a suitable vehicle calls.

If you never send a passenger train there, passengers will never show up...

Still and all, awesome looking station.

[romazoon]

i love the screenshot you posted Nite !

really awesome looking stations !

[Nite Owl]

@ brickie:
I had turned that option off so long ago that I had actually forgotten it existed. Thank you for reminding me of it. It may solve one or two other 'situations' that I have been having as well. I will work with it to confirm that it can be changed in an already running game.

@ romazoon:
Just so that you are clear. The Parks are not stations; they are New Objects. They do not have a catchment area. The other stuff in the upper right are stations in case that is what you were referring to.

Thank You Both for your appreciation.

[kamnet]

Did zero.eight re-release those as NewObjects? AFAIK they are still station tiles, granted non-rail tiles that have no cachement for passengers and cargo, but still part of a station.