Can someone explain double tracking to me?

[Stinkfinger]

First post here, hello all. On to business. I just can't seem to figure out double tracking.

The tutorial does a decent job explaining it so does the book, however I can't get it to work, the tutorial trains just sit facing each other, dormant on the tracks.

In my mind's eye I see it being something of a "Y" shape, but in practice it doesn't work. I think it's the connection of the double track back to the original track that's throwing me.

Here's what I do. We'll work from left to right in this instance. Let's say I lay the double track at the left most end of my track and run it a few lengths to the right. The game then builds the tressel for me, then I click to lay the track starting at the left of the tressel and drag it to the right of the tressel where I reconnect it to the original track forming that "Y" I was referring to. Is this right? It seems like it would work if I could just get one train to back up to let the other one in the hole, but I don't think they back up do they?

One last thing. Is there a good way to move the map around? I'm looking for a way that you can "grab" the map and drag it around in the main game screen. Can you do this?

Thanks all. Looking forward to the input.

[stormfather]

The trains wont back up, and as you've noticed, the routing could use a little improvement.

As for double tracking, take a look at the following 'diagram' showing a connection between two cities. Let's say train A starts at city A and train B starts at city B. Both trains will advance. Train A will hit the midrun double track and take one of them, but when he gets to the end of the double-track whereit rejoins the main track, he will stop and wait on the 'siding.' Meanwhile, train B is headed towards the midrun siding. When he gets there, he will enter the empty siding and continue on towards city A. Once the route to city B is clear, Train A will continue on.


CITY A MIDRUN CITY B
------------<===>-------------------------

Essentially, every time a train reaches one of those stop/go lights the game puts over intersections, it will check to see if the track ahead (up to the next light) is clear. If it is, it will advance. If it isn't, it will wait.

Obviously, you'll get better performance out of that midrun siding if it's in the middle of the track. It's possile to add more sidings and have more trains running on the same rail, Choobacca and Big Papa's Basin and Range offers an excellent example of a situation where you'll need multiple trains running on the same track (hauling container cars from the dock to the distribution center.) A good rule of thumb is one siding per additional train.

Try to keep your sidings as evenly spaced as possible, make sure that they're properly connected to the main track at both ends, and make sure that they're long enough to accomodate the trains.

I think the root of your problem is that you're building the double tracks after your trains get stuck on each other. Fire up a traintable map with hard routing and try to design your tracks to accomodate the load you're going to be putting on them ahead of time and hopefully things will work out better.

Check out these threads, as well, they might give you some ideas:

http://www.hookedforums.com/forwarder.h ... php?t=1390

http://www.hookedforums.com/forwarder.h ... m.php?f=29

Rmemeber to log in to see pictures, Universum's included some on that second thread.

[snoopy55]

stormfather - the second address goes to the main screen.......

[Stinkfinger]

I think the root of your problem is that you're building the double tracks after your trains get stuck on each other.

I thought that might have been the problem. The tutorial doesn't give me enough time to lay the track before the trains get stuck. So basically you just use double tracks to make a "pull off" for trains to pass one another on the tracks?

What about my map dragging, is there a way to do that?

Thanks for the help storm.

[stormfather]

I thought that might have been the problem. The tutorial doesn't give me enough time to lay the track before the trains get stuck. So basically you just use double tracks to make a "pull off" for trains to pass one another on the tracks?

Yes, but sometimes the trains will still get hung up. I've had situations where trains have repeatedly gone down an occupied track instead of an empty one for no apparant reason.

I don't know if there's a button to drag the map, I use up down left right. Middle click, possibly?

[Dr Frag]

I shift my keyboard to the left and use the cursor keys to move around and the middle mouse button for 'mouse look'. Also the period and comma are your friends. Have a look at the Wiki, especially the Interface section as there is an Excel spreadsheet posted that has the keyboard commands.

DF

[GS-Railroad]

Laying track can definantly be tricky at times. Especially if you want it to look realistic. I spend millions of dollars placing track just to get it right in places. Large development will take extra time and planning and you will have to lay track several times to get the grades you want in places. There are other little tricks like how to make one large section of track into two by adding a switch then deleting it. This comes in handy if you want to minimize the amount of money your going to spend by adding to existing track. Especially if its a large project in rough terrain. There are other little things you will pick up on as you get a feel for it. When to lay a double line and when to lay a single line beside another single etc etc. In the end no matter what you do will work. It's just you can get some amazing track if you put the time and money into it =)

In complex setups every change you make can break something. Especially if your on hard routing. Following trains can sometimes clue you in as to where the problem is. If you see little sections of unconnected track blocking a line delete it. Also sometimes the engine makes mistakes when laying tracks. It might make an improper signal that while might work won't be as efficient and could later cause problems. I usually have a quick glance over the section I place to make sure it's free of anomolies or errors.

[Dr Frag]

Unfortunately, SMR will sometimes move other tracks when you lay a new piece. Also it can look fine when you first lay a section and then later, after laying other track, when you look at it again you will see this:

[darthdroid]

Here's what I do. We'll work from left to right in this instance. Let's say I lay the double track at the left most end of my track and run it a few lengths to the right. The game then builds the tressel for me, then I click to lay the track starting at the left of the tressel and drag it to the right of the tressel where I reconnect it to the original track forming that "Y" I was referring to. Is this right? It seems like it would work if I could just get one train to back up to let the other one in the hole, but I don't think they back up do they?

Well as I always say: Ignore the tutorial lol. You can make some really pretty and realistic looking tracks like in the above shot. BUT.... it is not nearly as effective as what can be done in the game. You rarely ever want a Y shape (ie 2 tracks actually connected). So ultimately the POINT as I see it of double tracking is to add another train, cuz you only want one engine per track....generally. And at this point I wouldn't bring up the exceptions.

To give an example: I begin the game at City A, which wants corn, and nearby is a cornfield. The first track I build is from City A to City B, both of them demand passengers and I want this early revenue. Now I go back to City A, add a tiny double track to the first track. This "doubletrack" is a piece of parallel track that is just next to it, NOT connected to it. (This was at the station of course) Now I extend from that little double track to the corn field. Now I have 2 trains, one running passengers on track 1 and one running corn on track 2, and never shall the 2 meet on a track see? Of course soon I add food to the train on track one and then I look for my next move which of course will begin again with a double track.

This is how to play effective and to win, but the guy above could show you a lot more about how to make pretty and/or realistic looking tracks. But my methods will beat his quickly in an actual game....so it depends on which you are going for: To win or to be realistic/attractive

[snoopy55]

One example of a use of sidings is the Chicago to the Rockies map when you have to get loads of Gold from Denver to Chicago. I start out with a single track early in the game to make the run between the two. I make the required runs with early goods, and pull tracks off of that to get other requirements going. Then comes the Gold run. Starting a train to Chicago, then shortly after starting another and so on, meanwhile deleting the train when it has dumped its load at Chicago is one way, and some probably do it. What I do is add three or four sidings at places between the two and get several trains going, spacing them out, and trying to bring back something to Denver. The very vast majority of the trains stop before the switches and wait for the oncoming train to clear before preceeding. It's really neat to watch them now and then.

Now another way is to run two tracks parallel from Chicago to Denver and put a slight jog in each track connecting it to a different town. Now you put a crossover as close as possible at each end and set the trains to run Denver, town A, Chicago, town B and back to Denver. They basicly do a loop on parallel tracks and you can have several going to complete the VC.

[karsten]

Hey, that sounds like an excellent strategy to start my Australia scenario. Must try that.