Have an overloaded 2 platform station?

[Mudfog]

If you have an overloaded 2 platform station you can simply add a third platform and then use a 3 track gridiron to enable a train coming in on the double track to get access to any of the 3 platforms.

[Dray Prescot]

But ONLY if you edit the Route Manifests of some of the Trains to use the newly available Track 3 at that Station. Otherwise they will just keep using the same Tracks 1 and 2, as they were with their Old Route Manifests.

A big problem with RE 2 is that we can NOT tell a train to use whichever of 2 or more tracks in a Station is free. The Train will ALWAYS use the same Track every time it visits that Station, either the one that is the shortest path, or the track you specified in the Route Manifest.

At least in RE 1 with the Signal Controlled Stations, the Trains would always try to use the lowest numbered track that was free. Which lead to a lot of trains trying to cross each other paths on the way in and out of those Stations.

[Sigismund]

Originally posted by Dray Prescot:

But ONLY if you edit the Route Manifests of some of the Trains to use the newly available Track 3 at that Station. Otherwise they will just keep using the same Tracks 1 and 2, as they were with their Old Route Manifests.

A big problem with RE 2 is that we can NOT tell a train to use whichever of 2 or more tracks in a Station is free. The Train will ALWAYS use the same Track every time it visits that Station, either the one that is the shortest path, or the track you specified in the Route Manifest.

At least in RE 1 with the Signal Controlled Stations, the Trains would always try to use the lowest numbered track that was free. Which lead to a lot of trains trying to cross each other paths on the way in and out of those Stations.

Humm...I thought that's what the gridirons did, acted like the SC stations.

[coenvijge]

Originally posted by Dray Prescot:

A big problem with RE 2 is that we can NOT tell a train to use whichever of 2 or more tracks in a Station is free. The Train will ALWAYS use the same Track every time it visits that Station, either the one that is the shortest path, or the track you specified in the Route Manifest.

Seems that my trains behave different. (Or I use a somewhat different setup for the trains). Adding a third station track and gridirons without changing to setup of the train does help for me. I'll take a look at the situation in the sandbox.

Apart from that it's imo better to attack your main tracks at station tracks 1 and 3. So you can use (in a 'normal' situation '1' and '3' in one direction and '2' as an extra track for traffic in both directions without blocking traffic in the opposite direction.

[Dray Prescot]

Strange, I have not noticed my Trains, usually with only 2 wide Gridirons connecting 2 Tracks inside the Station, with a double track outside the Station between the Stations, choosing either track, they always seemed to use one track in particular, i.e. the one with the shortest route to the next Station on the Manifest>

So normally I always try to specify which track a Train uses in the Station, otherwise I would could get more than one Train waiting to use Track 1 while Track 2 was not very busy for Trains coming in the opposite direction.

For instance in Chapter 2 for the London Euston (the main starting Station for the London and North Western, I would have my Express Trains use Track 1 and my Freight Trains use Track 2.

Unless Gridirons work differently in Chapter 1 and Chapter 2.

[Mudfog]

I was playing a custom game where I was just trying things out. Had a two platform station which I deliberately overloaded. Trains were using both platforms and trains were waiting to enter the station.

I then just added the third platform and the extended the track from the new platform so I could change the gridiron from 2 track to 3 track. A few trains reset. Changed nothing else.

Let in run for a few minutes. The congestion cleared. All platforms were being used, sometimes all at the same time. And no trains were having to wait anymore.

[coenvijge]

I made a small network with two terminals connected with two tracks and a small station in the middle (2 tracks; gridirons at both ends).

I ran two IC's (30mph), four all station trains (21mph), eight freight trains (17mph)(stopping at my small 2 tracked station, and 2 freight trains changing direction at that station.

With or without specific platform tracks for one or more lines assigned all my trains where using in a quit situation the correct track (the right one). With more traffic all the trains picked the first free platform available, sometimes overtaking or using both platform in the same direction, sometimes switching to complete left traffic in the station.

With a third track a simular behaviour. In a normal situation all the traffic concentrated on the two main tracks. With more trains at the same time 'all trains using all platforms in all directions.

Important is imo to have your tracks from 'the beginning' of the first gridiron to the 'end' at the other side of the station in one straight line. I think the order of the decission for the path finding in a station with gridirons is:
- preferred platform (if free);
- shortest route (if free);
- available free path to a platform or through the station.

I'm not sure, but probably a train uses also the 'shortest (free) route' to find its way to a preferred platform. Another reason to avoid curved gridirons.

[jhughes]

Originally posted by Dray Prescot:

Strange, I have not noticed my Trains, usually with only 2 wide Gridirons connecting 2 Tracks inside the Station, with a double track outside the Station between the Stations, choosing either track, they always seemed to use one track in particular, i.e. the one with the shortest route to the next Station on the Manifest>

So normally I always try to specify which track a Train uses in the Station, otherwise I would could get more than one Train waiting to use Track 1 while Track 2 was not very busy for Trains coming in the opposite direction.

For instance in Chapter 2 for the London Euston (the main starting Station for the London and North Western, I would have my Express Trains use Track 1 and my Freight Trains use Track 2.

Unless Gridirons work differently in Chapter 1 and Chapter 2.

Gridirons will select an open track if you have not specified a specific track. So if you switch from a 2 track gridiron to a 4 track gridiron,and if you did not specify a track then the trains will use all 4 tracks. If you manually specify a track then you will also have to manually change it.

[Dray Prescot]

OK, I will have to change how I do my Route Manifests and stop specifying the Track in Stations.

[coenvijge]

Originally posted by Dray Prescot:

...........and stop specifying the Track in Stations.

I use that option, but not for all cases. (I.e. I use it to lead a train that's turning at a station to a 'dead-end track' so it's not blocking a through track, or to lead a train to a specific side of the station and to lead pax trains to track 1 or the highest one because it looks better.

Note that the gridiron overrules the prefered track that you assigned to a train, if necessairy.