How do I assign tracks??

[gps_george]

Hello railway managers,
I have 4 adjacent tracks running between 2 cities, but all the trains, both freight and passenger are using only one set of tracks, getting in the way of each other. How do I assign tracks for express and for freight separately so they use their own assigned tracks.
Thank you

[harkonian]

Waypoints are what you use to ensure a train follows a specific route. Without waypoints, trains will always auto-select the shortest route to a destination.

[gps_george]

Thank you, but I"m new at this game and am not aware of how to assign waypoints to a certain train. Could you explain how to do this,?
Please and thank you.

[Al Capwned]

When you go to set up a line, select the stations you want to go to and then click on the tracks you want them to use. Make sure to move (click and drag) the waypoints before/after stations.

So if you're going between two cities, it should look like:
City A>Waypoint 1> City B> Waypoint 2.

[gps_george]

OK thank you. Will try that.

[Dray Prescot]

https://steamcommunity.com/profiles/76561198041532360/screenshot/2058758234867731617/

In this screenshot from Chapter 1, Boston has 6 Tracks being used at the Station, that connect to 3 double tracks via 2 track wide Gridirons, 2 double tracks are for Freight and 1 double track is for Express. Tracks 1 and 2 link to the Express Train double track. Tracks 3 and 4 link to a Freight double track, and Tracks 5 and 6 link to another Freight double track.

Then at Albany you will see the same thing, 6 Tracks divided into 3 Gridirons and 3 double Tracks. With the double tracks linking between Boston and Albany, etc. to other Cities.

https://steamcommunity.com/profiles/76561198041532360/screenshot/2058758605636246469/

Divide the tracks in the Stations up into separate Gridirons that link to separate double tracks between the Stations.
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You want the Freight and Express Trains to be completely separate from each other at every City and every double track, once they get busy enough. Otherwise the Freight Trains will start slowing down the Express Trains, which reduces how much you get paid for them.

Before that early in a new game, the Freight Trains and Express Trains will be using the same double track linking several small Cities, when you do not have the money to build a 2nd set of double tracks between the small Cities.


Once you assign a track at ONE Station for a Train Route it can only go to the Tracks and Gridirons that link to it, IF you keep them separate at all Stations in the Route. You do not not need to assign tracks at every Station.

When you are placing a Gridiron, the default width is the maximum possible where you are building it. BUT you can choose a smaller width like 2 Tracks.

The wider the Gridiron, the longer it will be as well. Keep the Gridirons not very wide, unless you need to get more trains into the Station.

Wider Gridirons will have lower through put rates for trains using them, because of trains having to wait on other trains using the same Gridiron and blocking their desired tracks.

At most, I would use a double track linking to 4 tracks in a City Station (such as a Maintenance Depot) via a Gridiron.
For more than that, I would have another double track linking to additional tracks at the same Station via a separate Gridiron, or even more double tracks linking to the Station.

Below is an example of a Maintenance Depot Station with only 2 double tracks (Freight and Express) outside the City, linking to 4 and 4 Tracks inside the Station.

https://steamcommunity.com/profiles/76561198041532360/screenshot/2058758234867818504/

[gps_george]

Thank you Dray for the informative in depth explanation of using 2 track sets rather than wide gridirons which I have been using.
I appreciate the help, and suggestions.

[elryck]

Les gares rurales perturbent souvent les lignes express : Les trains perdent du temps à les franchir et, parfois, leur fait changer de sens après.
Pour augmenter l’efficacité des lignes express, je ne leur met pas de grille sur leur double voie à l’entrée des gares rurales.
Ainsi, les trains passent dans la gare rurale en restant sur leur voie et j’évite les changement de sens
En revanche, je mets une grille pour la double voie de fret, ce qui me permettra d’augmenter les voies de frets si ralentissement ou embouteillage.

[Bunnios]

Originally posted by gps_george:

Hello railway managers,
I have 4 adjacent tracks running between 2 cities, but all the trains, both freight and passenger are using only one set of tracks, getting in the way of each other. How do I assign tracks for express and for freight separately so they use their own assigned tracks.
Thank you

If only there was something called a "Tutorial", perhaps called "Rail Line Optimization", included with the game, which might say, be number 4 in a series of 7 tutorials, which expressly shows and tells you how to use waypoints.

What a revolutionary concept that would be! Perhaps the authors of this game might consider such a tutorial feature for the next game!

After that, perhaps the authors could also offer a feature called "LMGTFY" ("Let Me Google That For You") which would automatically search the internet and show text and pictures for people asking the exact same question.

If only we had all the technology for that, but alas, it is only 2023.

[EMAPhil]

Originally posted by Bunnios:

Originally posted by gps_george:

Hello railway managers,
I have 4 adjacent tracks running between 2 cities, but all the trains, both freight and passenger are using only one set of tracks, getting in the way of each other. How do I assign tracks for express and for freight separately so they use their own assigned tracks.
Thank you

If only there was something called a "Tutorial", perhaps called "Rail Line Optimization", included with the game, which might say, be number 4 in a series of 7 tutorials, which expressly shows and tells you how to use waypoints.

What a revolutionary concept that would be! Perhaps the authors of this game might consider such a tutorial feature for the next game!

After that, perhaps the authors could also offer a feature called "LMGTFY" ("Let Me Google That For You") which would automatically search the internet and show text and pictures for people asking the exact same question.

If only we had all the technology for that, but alas, it is only 2023.

A bit unnecessary! Even having done all the tutorials sometimes the best of us have trouble figuring out how to do stuff and fortunately we encounter friendly people on here to help.

[Adekyn]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sUDzlVgn968

[Dray Prescot]

I just tried (in Chapter 3) 4 Tracks each in 3 City Stations (Wichita, Topeka, and Kansas City) linking to a single double track via a 4 track wide Gridiron, and after awhile, I started getting a lot of Freight trains backed up in the Stations, waiting to leave the Stations. They could not get through the 4 track wide Gridiron to the double track quickly enough. They were also limited by the capacity of a single double track.

I had a separate set of 2nd Express Stations linked by a double track to handle the big Express Trains.

So I am going back to my old 2 Tracks in the Station linked to a double track between Stations, multiple times, i,e. for 4 or 6 or 8 tracks in the Station linking to 2 or 3 or 4 double tracks that link to the next City(s).

I will just divide my Train Routes up between the various double tracks as evenly as possible, and add more double tracks/2 tracks in the Station as needed.

With a separate set of Express 2nd Stations in my big, i.e. >90k population Cities, with their own Express double track.

[jhughes]

Originally posted by Dray Prescot:

I just tried (in Chapter 3) 4 Tracks each in 3 City Stations (Wichita, Topeka, and Kansas City) linking to a single double track via a 4 track wide Gridiron, and after awhile, I started getting a lot of Freight trains backed up in the Stations, waiting to leave the Stations. They could not get through the 4 track wide Gridiron to the double track quickly enough. They were also limited by the capacity of a single double track.

I had a separate set of 2nd Express Stations linked by a double track to handle the big Express Trains.

So I am going back to my old 2 Tracks in the Station linked to a double track between Stations, multiple times, i,e. for 4 or 6 or 8 tracks in the Station linking to 2 or 3 or 4 double tracks that link to the next City(s).

I will just divide my Train Routes up between the various double tracks as evenly as possible, and add more double tracks/2 tracks in the Station as needed.

With a separate set of Express 2nd Stations in my big, i.e. >90k population Cities, with their own Express double track.

It basically depends on how much traffic you send, etc. The lines can become overloaded, but generally I don't have that happen often. But I almosr always have at least 2 stations per city.. Once Passengers and Mail.. At least one freight. Most of the time I have 2 freight stations per city.

[gps_george]

@Adekyn Super helpful video on pathing,
Thank you

[Dray Prescot]

I can get more done (trains through the station) with 2 double tracks linking via two 2 track wide Gridirons, than I can with 1 double track linked to 4 Tracks in a Station via a 4 track wide Gridiron.

It was more of an experiment on my part, that did not work, i.e. the 4 tracks in the Station linking to a single double track outside the Station. It basicly confirmed confirmed what I already strongly suspected was the better way to do things:

keep each double track outside the Stations linked to just 2 tracks inside the Stations, i.e. only use 2 wide Gridirons.

The only exception might be Maintenance Depots, where I might add 1 more track inside the Station.