Please help with my Freight Cargo Train Stations

[Ryan]

I have read the Freight Cargo Train Guide. The Guide was very helpful, but I have some questions that are not answered. I just started using the Freight Cargo Train Stations and built a big train circle while also keeping the External tracks separate from the Internal track per the guide. Problem was the Freight Stations could not keep up with the volume of cargo and the trains backed way up. I destroyed that whole setup and connected the Internal and External tracks together. The trains seem to be running better now. I'm not sure why the original design is recommended. Perhaps someone can explain it to me.

Here's my current setup, and I have a new set of problems. The Freight Stations cannot keep up with the volume of cargo. How do I fix this problem? To be honest, my city was actually running better without the trains. The trucks just used my vast freeway network instead. Now all the trucks are getting crammed onto the streets trying to get to the Freight Station, but it can't keep up. The trucks are getting really backed up.

Here are some screenshots:


In this one the Freight Station can't keep up with the loading and unloading, so the trains are getting backed up. It's not terrible now, but when I had the External and Internal lines separated with the little truck loop, their must have been 30 trains backed up.
http://images.akamai.steamusercontent.com/ugc/250337056368488015/6E18AE4623C2F7E83E40EB36EF6D388670944F1F/

In this one the Freight Station can't load/unload the trucks fast enough, so they are getting backed up on the streets.
http://images.akamai.steamusercontent.com/ugc/250337056368487851/B0BB7EDD81143FB4A7317A9BB05E4C3C85461E2C/

As time goes on the freight trucks are getting even more backed up:
http://images.akamai.steamusercontent.com/ugc/250337056368519109/9CAFEC0694A2EDA6716BE1FBF981B45571E241DC/

Comments and advice are appreciated for this city builder novice. Thanks!

[grapplehoeker]

Every outside connection you connect a cargo terminal (any type of mass transit in fact, trains, boats and planes) to will spawn trains and the load capacity of all the trains will be shared among them. This will cause inefficient loads on too many trains.
Therefore dedicate only one terminal per outside connection. Bridge over or tunnel under anywhere railtracks connected to another outside connection intersect. Keep them independent from each other.
You should have intercity terminals - only connected to one outside connection.
You should have innercity terminals only connected to each other and never by rail to the intercity terminal.
To do otherwise would mean that any innercity cargo terminal and all innercity passenger terminals will be all connecting to the outside and they will all spawn trains and it will be a nightmare of train jams and inefficient loads.
That's the theory. For example,
http://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=492699773
Now on to your train and road congestion.
Your track layout is poor. You have a junction too close to the terminal that is blocking trains in both directions. I don't even understand why there is a junction at all, but in any case it needs to be at least a whole train length away. I'd have to see the whole rail network to make any further suggestions.
Your industrial zoning isn't bad but there is no need to pack it all in so tightly. Space them out a little, try to create a nicer effect.
Try to avoid zoning directly opposite the terminal. That will cause congestion as trucks from those businesses will have to go all the way around again and trucks returning from the terminal will also have to all the way around to reach them.
If you do have long tailbacks trying to enter the terminal, then consider using a traffic sponge. You can make one yourself or there are a few on the workshop. These filter the terminal traffic nicely and keep them off the regular roads, alleviating any congestion there.
http://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=410836766
http://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=452992699

[LAG]

The reason you want to sepperate your inner cargo connections from your outer is because they'll keep importing 15% loaded trains.

it's like a highway, you have one intersection everything will go well but if you have 20 intersection everything backs up.

Your train system seems overly complicated, here's the layot of where trains go

1) Specialized industry will export and import raw materials(forestry, agriculture, oil, ore)
Specialized industry will send raw materials to your generic industry

2) generic industry will demand goods from your specialized industry
Generic industry will import raw materials when such materials are not available from specialized industry
Generic industry will send goods to your commercial buildings

3) Your commercial buildings will demand goods from your generic industry
When goods are not available, they will import it

[Moon 精神]

Originally posted by LAG:

The reason you want to sepperate your inner cargo connections from your outer is because they'll keep importing 15% loaded trains.

it's like a highway, you have one intersection everything will go well but if you have 20 intersection everything backs up.

Your train system seems overly complicated, here's the layot of where trains go

1) Specialized industry will export and import raw materials(forestry, agriculture, oil, ore)
Specialized industry will send raw materials to your generic industry

2) generic industry will demand goods from your specialized industry
Generic industry will import raw materials when such materials are not available from specialized industry
Generic industry will send goods to your commercial buildings

3) Your commercial buildings will demand goods from your generic industry
When goods are not available, they will import it

I tried to create an inner cargo connection but no trains are going and coming? Am i doing something wrong? And they are all close to industries or commercial zones.

[grapplehoeker]

Originally posted by Lilith Moonshine:

I tried to create an inner cargo connection but no trains are going and coming? Am i doing something wrong? And they are all close to industries or commercial zones.

Here's a little method to force them to work ;)
First save the game.
Then... sever all road connections between your generic industry and your commercial districts. Rail will then be the only method your generic industry can use to reach the commercial and back again.
Once trains are running as they should, you may reconnect the roads again.

[LAG]

Originally posted by Lilith Moonshine:

Originally posted by LAG:

The reason you want to sepperate your inner cargo connections from your outer is because they'll keep importing 15% loaded trains.

it's like a highway, you have one intersection everything will go well but if you have 20 intersection everything backs up.

Your train system seems overly complicated, here's the layot of where trains go

1) Specialized industry will export and import raw materials(forestry, agriculture, oil, ore)
Specialized industry will send raw materials to your generic industry

2) generic industry will demand goods from your specialized industry
Generic industry will import raw materials when such materials are not available from specialized industry
Generic industry will send goods to your commercial buildings

3) Your commercial buildings will demand goods from your generic industry
When goods are not available, they will import it

I tried to create an inner cargo connection but no trains are going and coming? Am i doing something wrong? And they are all close to industries or commercial zones.

flowchart:

1) you did not accidently place train terminals

2) it's faster to send the cargo by train than by truck

3) Trucks can enter the cargo terminal, there are no one way roads or similiar that would obstruct the terminal

4) You have checked the railway that it's going perfectly, taken extra caution to ensure you haven't made any of the turns to tight(aka no rails appearing).

5) You know trains are not cars and cannot take sharp 90 degree turns. You have made on and off ramps(like how you do with a highway) styled turns.

If you still have problems provide a picture.

[Moon 精神]

Originally posted by LAG:

Originally posted by Lilith Moonshine:

I tried to create an inner cargo connection but no trains are going and coming? Am i doing something wrong? And they are all close to industries or commercial zones.

flowchart:

1) you did not accidently place train terminals

2) it's faster to send the cargo by train than by truck

3) Trucks can enter the cargo terminal, there are no one way roads or similiar that would obstruct the terminal

4) You have checked the railway that it's going perfectly, taken extra caution to ensure you haven't made any of the turns to tight(aka no rails appearing).

5) You know trains are not cars and cannot take sharp 90 degree turns. You have made on and off ramps(like how you do with a highway) styled turns.

If you still have problems provide a picture.

My train tracks are beautifuly bent :3 I'm going to try what grapplehoeker said and try that method and then run through the tracks or something in case i have done something wrong ^^

[Ryan]

Thanks for the replies. That Traffic Sponge is a good idea. There definitely seems to be a limit to how much volume of cargo a freight station can handle. There is no way that truck loop connecting the external and internal lines can process the volume of goods. Maybe you need to build 3 or 4 of those things.


I noticed that my farm industry, which is kind of in the middle of the city were driving over to the Miner's Town Freight Station. I setup another Freight Station closer to the farm industry, and they are going to that one instead which has reduced the volume at Miner's Station.

Also, I added a station bypass track, so now trains can travel past the station without having to stop if that is not their destination. This seems to have improved the situation a bit.

I guess I've developed the bad habit of cramming everything into as tight a space as possible because of the terrible 32-bit SimCity games with their tiny maps.


Not sure if there is a better way to display the rail network, but here's the layout:
http://images.akamai.steamusercontent.com/ugc/250337475717185693/99D04B5503C3D69ACD80BA40AB3CEF981A08B5D4/

There are 5 freight stations all connected in a circle. I was attempting to follow the guide thinking the trains would travel in a circle around the city. They don't do that at all, but just seem to travel back and forth between certain ones. The NW station can't process the volume of goods fast enough creating a truck traffic jam. I created the SW station, so the farm trucks in the middle now travel there via freeway. The NE station was have train traffic jams, so I created the bypass line which is helping. The line from the SW to SE station does not get used at all. The trains just go back and forth from the other stations and out to the external lines via the connects. I put track intersections, so trains can travel either way down the lines. Maybe that's not needed.



I have read that you collect no taxes from industry imports/exports, and to maximize industry revenue you want your city to be self sustaining. Is there a way to tell what type of industry or commerce I need more of to optimize? How do I know if I am producing too much food goods? How do I know if I need more generic industry to process raw resources?

Thanks again.

[NoirMoutton]

Apply some common sense. Think practically- it's simpler and easier to load cargo onto a truck at source, transport it to the final destination and unload compared to complicating and doubling up by adding rail transport into the equation. This is certainly the case where fairly short local journeys are concerned. Review your network- plan for short journeys by road and long journeys by rail.

[LAG]

Originally posted by Ryan:

Thanks for the replies. That Traffic Sponge is a good idea. There definitely seems to be a limit to how much volume of cargo a freight station can handle. There is no way that truck loop connecting the external and internal lines can process the volume of goods. Maybe you need to build 3 or 4 of those things.


I noticed that my farm industry, which is kind of in the middle of the city were driving over to the Miner's Town Freight Station. I setup another Freight Station closer to the farm industry, and they are going to that one instead which has reduced the volume at Miner's Station.

Also, I added a station bypass track, so now trains can travel past the station without having to stop if that is not their destination. This seems to have improved the situation a bit.

I guess I've developed the bad habit of cramming everything into as tight a space as possible because of the terrible 32-bit SimCity games with their tiny maps.


Not sure if there is a better way to display the rail network, but here's the layout:
http://images.akamai.steamusercontent.com/ugc/250337475717185693/99D04B5503C3D69ACD80BA40AB3CEF981A08B5D4/

There are 5 freight stations all connected in a circle. I was attempting to follow the guide thinking the trains would travel in a circle around the city. They don't do that at all, but just seem to travel back and forth between certain ones. The NW station can't process the volume of goods fast enough creating a truck traffic jam. I created the SW station, so the farm trucks in the middle now travel there via freeway. The NE station was have train traffic jams, so I created the bypass line which is helping. The line from the SW to SE station does not get used at all. The trains just go back and forth from the other stations and out to the external lines via the connects. I put track intersections, so trains can travel either way down the lines. Maybe that's not needed.

while i don't know about you, i always put direction in trains, they are not cars.

simply have tracks to and from. Best option is to just remove all the roades to your industry and thus force them to use cargo trains as no other option are available.

But Ask yourself, why are they not using the SW or SE station? is there a reason for them to use it?

if there are no commercial areas near the SW station generic industry won't transport goods there. Specialized industry only need one rail to the generic industry.

I have read that you collect no taxes from industry imports/exports, and to maximize industry revenue you want your city to be self sustaining. Is there a way to tell what type of industry or commerce I need more of to optimize? How do I know if I am producing too much food goods? How do I know if I need more generic industry to process raw resources?

Thanks again.

You should get a bit extra $$$ from eksports but honestly the money is worth little.

You can't see how much you need, but you can see when you don't have enough.

when industry(generic or specalized) run out of raw materaials they'll complain about "not enough raw materials!" this is your clue to either increase import or start zoning agriculture and forestry.

If your commercial areas complain about "not enough goods to sell!" that means there's not enough generic industry producing goods and they can't import enough. So build more industry.

If industries are complaining about "not enough buyers for products!" that means that Specialized industry can't sell enough goods to generic industry/export

For generic industry it means there's not enough commerce.

if there's not enough workers that usually means you should zone more residental areas.

If you don't get any messages you can assume everything is going within acceptable peramiters and you are free to expand.

being self sustaining is best as it let's you cut down on import.