[TTDP/OTTD] Ameecher's Screenshots

[Ameecher]

A few more for your delectation.

Bonn Yard after yet another rebuild.

Ludwigshafenbahn, 18th Aug 2025.png (200.07 KiB) Viewed 1170 times

The junctions at Hamburg were relocated to make space for a small freight yard.

Ludwigshafenbahn, 19th Oct 2025.png (272.1 KiB) Viewed 1149 times

And now that the main route through the Herne pass has been closed (there will be some screenshots about this) and the now runs Ratisbon-Leverkusen-Herne (a bus completes the route to Zwickau these days), Leverkusen could get an increased commuter service as the demands on the line for freight and expresses were grealty reduced. As a result, Leverkusen had a bit of a growth spurt and is now the largest city in the region. For those who are interested, the mainline now follows a completely double track route through another pass further east (accessed by those bridges on the approach to Ratisbon HBf).

Ludwigshafenbahn, 19th Oct 2025#1.png

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[ivanfurlanis]

Fantastic! By the way, what is your method to keep all the network under your control? As you probably saw in my thread, I use a map and an excel sheet but I don't know what others do.

[Ameecher]

Erm, I don't have a system per se. I just remember which trains go where. Gets more complicated with bigger games but then again the bigger games tend to have more trains with the same orders. Here, aside from the wood trains I think identical orders are shared by no more than 2 or 3 trains which makes it easy to keep track of. Also as I only have 45 trains of which 38 are running around (the other 7 are in the depot) it's not difficult to remember them all.

[ivanfurlanis]

Also as I only have 45 trains of which 38 are running around (the other 7 are in the depot) it's not difficult to remember them all.

I have 43 trains running and really without the map and the roster sheet I couldn't remember what they are doing. Also I have the problem that sometimes I start to build a new line or a station but I don't wait to complete everything before to start a different project. For example on my last extension of the Grandunion Railroad to a farm (Lidia Branch) I built two passenger stations, but after two years there isn't a passenger train serving them, yet; this because now I'm converting the whole railroad network with PBS signal system and this job has taken priority. Without the map (where I indicated that those stations haven't any trains) I could forget forever to institute the passenger train on the Lidia Branch! By the way, how large is your map?

[The Irish]

only 38 trains for such a network? that's what i call efficient. The German Railways could learn A LOT from you.

[Badger]

Erm, I don't have a system per se. I just remember which trains go where. Gets more complicated with bigger games but then again the bigger games tend to have more trains with the same orders. Here, aside from the wood trains I think identical orders are shared by no more than 2 or 3 trains which makes it easy to keep track of. Also as I only have 45 trains of which 38 are running around (the other 7 are in the depot) it's not difficult to remember them all.

Heh, ditto! My current game has at least 120 trains (my most ever I think), with no more than 4 per route. Got over 60 road vehicles too.
Nice networks as always young man.

[beeb375]

The difference with me is all my lines don't overlap and merge into each other as much, if I ever have lines in a very big circle they're usually run as seperate services with a terminus in one 'corner', and otherwise the networks don't encounter each other much. Excellent shot with Ratisbon and Leverkusen.

[Ameecher]

only 38 trains for such a network? that's what i call efficient. The German Railways could learn A LOT from you.

Well I've focussed on a feeder system with lorries bringing wood into a central station then it transported away and now, the farms close to the Food Processing Plant have had their railway service ditched (as the network got more complex and the number of junctions was screwing things up and the slow trains were being a pain in the arse) and been replaced with road vehicles it helps a lot. Also there are few towns and none of them are very big. Hamm could do with more trains but I can't be bothered to spend millions on doubling the route(s) to it just to run a couple of extra services.

Anyway, thanks for the comments, as usual.

@Ivan, I did build a line from Dresden to Hamm which I put an express service on but only recently remembered to introduce a local service to serve the two villages en-route where I'd built stations (as passing places). That was a bit stupid but generally, I just remember what runs where.

[xerxesdaphat]

In terms of keeping things organised, the OpenTTD advanced train list is quite useful for that -- add groupings for trains on different routes, carrying different things etc. You can name the trains too, to signify express, all-stops, etc.

Are we not OTTD people around here?

[ivanfurlanis]

In terms of keeping things organised, the OpenTTD advanced train list is quite useful for that -- add groupings for trains on different routes, carrying different things etc. You can name the trains too, to signify express, all-stops, etc.

Are we not OTTD people around here?

Yes, I'm using OTTD but until now I never saw this advanced train list. I must discover it !

[Ameecher]

In terms of keeping things organised, the OpenTTD advanced train list is quite useful for that -- add groupings for trains on different routes, carrying different things etc. You can name the trains too, to signify express, all-stops, etc.

Are we not OTTD people around here?

That is ok but generally I remember stuff but also because I'm strapped for cash in this game (because I'm using pb_build) my trains get moved around a lot onto different lines which'd mean regrouping them which is a lot of hassle. The thing I use most is the "list all trains that are ordered to go to this station" button in the station info window.

[xerxesdaphat]

That is ok but generally I remember stuff but also because I'm strapped for cash in this game (because I'm using pb_build) my trains get moved around a lot onto different lines which'd mean regrouping them which is a lot of hassle. The thing I use most is the "list all trains that are ordered to go to this station" button in the station info window.

Yes, pb_build is great, is it not! Just finished playing an Alpine climate game with big rough mountains -- end up with very old locos which get moved `down the line' as one can't afford new ones what with the cost of building everything else. After viewing these screenshot threads I've been practising the `never sell any stock' rule as well and shuffling things around can be a PITA, but it's just drag and drop at the end of the day.

But yes, the `contexts' which OTTD allows (by station, waypoint, shared orders etc.) are a godsend.

[Ameecher]

A road has been built between Osnabruecke and Hagen spelling the end of some freight services on the railway as road transport will take over some of the uneconomical agricultural flows, this will also free up paths for passenger services. Here a grain train that is likely to see the chop passes south through the coastal town, passing a classmate on a loaded wood.

Ludwigshafenbahn, 4th Jul 2036.png (94.83 KiB) Viewed 2028 times

Ludwigshafen as the capital of the region is naturally large. The passenger station whilst fairly modest in size sees a number of services and the freight yard is heavily used by goods trains. In the future with a decline in rail freight traffic a 5th platform may be added to the HBf.

Ludwigshafenbahn, 11th Feb 2046#1.png (246.37 KiB) Viewed 1069 times

And here is what you never saw. I promised some photos of the closure of the Herne Pass and it's replacement well here is the first in the series. The old Zwickau station once stood next to the station at the bottom left of this image and was a two track terminus. As traffic grew the station was relocated to it's current location but remained with two platforms but the line to Hamm approached from the opposite end effectively making the station a through station although no services continued through. With the closure of the Herne Pass the station received a new platform and was instated as a proper through station. Now trains from Ludwigshafen to Ratisbon could stop without the need to reverse. Then they could climb the spiral up to the Munster pass.
Intially the Hamm line continued on it's original alignment (straight out of the station at the north end and under the brick viaduct before spiralling sharply. However as heavier and more frequent trains were introduced it was decided to add another layer to the spiral to ease the gradient down into the valley. It was at this point that the loop line was added to allow freight to continue without reversing (they have to descend the spiral, run round the town and climb the spiral again!)

Ludwigshafenbahn, 24th Dec 2049.png (284.94 KiB) Viewed 1058 times

[Ameecher]

A before and after shot of Wilhelmshaven/Herne/Zwickau.
Before:
The line was largely single, twisty and steep. In order for freight to avoid reversing an ugly girder bridge was installed in the 70s. Delays were common and the single track line to Zwickau that was shared by both arriving and departing trains was far from ideal.

Ludwigshafenbahn, 5th Mar 1991#1.png

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Once the line to Herne had closed (leaving the stump from Ratisbon via Leverkusen as a commuter service) and the trackbed cleared the task of doubling Wilhelmshaven to Zwickau was set upon. The resulting snaking spirals provided a nice steady gradient for trains and despite being longer cut journey times. The logging company that managed a forest near Wilhelmshaven went bust shortly after leaving a forlorn siding and the site was cleared for residental areas.

Ludwigshafenbahn, 25th Dec 2049.png

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Note the station at Herne which has been reduced to a single track and the onward service to Zwickau has been replaced by buses.

[beeb375]

Good stuffs again, but did that twisty pass really cut journey times? The passenger trains in my games never seem to slow down much when tackling hills, only the freights when I set them to x3 weight. And I'm guessing you don't use any initial city size multiplier options? I always find it odd that my biggest cities end up with 30,000 people after about 60 years, but I guess setting the multiplier to x2 must have quite a large effect (all OTTD).

[XeryusTC]

It seems that there is a piece of road missing under one of the rail bridges in the first picture, or is that intentional?

[ivanfurlanis]

Note the station at Herne which has been reduced to a single track and the onward service to Zwickau has been replaced by buses.

Noooo, I don't want to see rail-to-bus replacement also in TT ! Great game, AmEEcher. By the way, I see that your platform lenght has no standard, they can be from two up to five-tile, is it true? In my Grandunion RR game I use standard lenghts (four tiles for narrow gauge, six for standard with some exception), but in your scenario (Dresden Eisenbahn AG) I don't, this has caused some problems with trains too long for some stations.

[Ameecher]

Good stuffs again, but did that twisty pass really cut journey times? The passenger trains in my games never seem to slow down much when tackling hills, only the freights when I set them to x3 weight. And I'm guessing you don't use any initial city size multiplier options? I always find it odd that my biggest cities end up with 30,000 people after about 60 years, but I guess setting the multiplier to x2 must have quite a large effect (all OTTD).

Firstly it does because there were so many sharp bends after hills that passenger trains were reduced to about ~55mph climbing the hills and the slow lumbering freights (freight multiplier = x10 in this game) the passenger trains were forever stopping and starting. Now the steel trains can climb up the hill at about 65mph rather than the <30mph they were managing before.
Secondly, I have set the number of towns that become cities to 1 in 30 for this game (hence why only Ludwigshafen and Leverkusen have exploded and yes the initial city multiplier is set to 2.

It seems that there is a piece of road missing under one of the rail bridges in the first picture, or is that intentional?

Hmmmm, that is indeed a mistake.

I see that your platform lenght has no standard, they can be from two up to five-tile, is it true?

Yep that is indeed true although saying that there will usually be a standard length for a line. Most are 3 tiles long but more important stations will be 4 tiles and major stations will be 5 or 6 tiles long. More modern stations are usually shorter because I don't have to fit a steam loco into the platform!
Having varied lengths adds another dimension to the game, trying to squeeze in a longer platform if you want longer trains to call.

Thanks for the comments again folks.

[Nagyzee]

To be honest I didn't really like the first version of the Zwickau area. It just seemed too much with all those little loops. My first though was that I would have simply avoided bringing the line down to Zwickau and would have directly connected Herne to Wilhelmswald. (Zwickau could have gotten a bus service instead.) But this new bigger loop is quite nice, I must say.

The rest of the network has always looked great to me.


Btw I still can't get myself to use the freight multiplier. It just seems so artificial to me. Instead I try to create some quite heavy and long trains. Though they still pose no problem at all for the stronger electrics. (In TTDP at least.) What's the case in OTTD? My experience is that with the realistic acceleration patch locos barely have to slow down any time. Any ideas how to simulate behavior similar to TTDPs realistic curves and mountain handling there?

(And sorry for going a bit offtopic.)

[Badger]

Top stuff boy.