Four-way train interchange

[Aenarion]

Does anyone have a good design for a four-way train interchange? I just mean a simple situation where two single lines cross each other. The interchange I'm rebuilding is busy, so I need a high capacity solution, equivalent to a four level stack on a highway.

Unfortunately, although I have a good grasp of highway design, and have built loads of very complex interchanges that work beautifully, I have no idea what I'm doing with train interchanges, as the principles are very different (e.g. trains will turn across the opposing direction for an exit even if you don't want them to, so there's no point in a highway-style stack or turbine design).

[shadowwolftjc]

Perhaps a simple diamond interchange would suffice? Normally, I'd suggest a full diamond interchange instead (such as this: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Interchange_%28road%29#/media/File:Knooppunt_gotisch.png), but unfortunately, there's currently no such thing as one-way railroads in this game.

Oh, and just a reminder, you should space out your merges appropriately, like, say, at least a little more than a full train's length, so that you'd have a reduced chance of a train traffic jam.

[Burlokk]

Ive found that a larger roundabout with 4 Y exits/entries works the best.

i made similiar Rail 4 way chance (so misspelled) that tcgames65 just posted..and it works if you got not much trains, later game it clogs up like an old toilet that never been cleaned..


Problems with train intersection is that trains tend to block both entry and exit for 1 other train, and that train blocks entry and exit for other trains and its an evil circle makes a good design useless, so i try to avoid train intersections.

[Phoenix C64]

Originally posted by Ghost B.C Papa Emeritus II:

Ive found that a larger roundabout with 4 Y exits/entries works the best.

i made similiar Rail 4 way chance (so misspelled) that tcgames65 just posted..and it works if you got not much trains, later game it clogs up like an old toilet that never been cleaned..


Problems with train intersection is that trains tend to block both entry and exit for 1 other train, and that train blocks entry and exit for other trains and its an evil circle makes a good design useless, so i try to avoid train intersections.

that's why reading the train guides is important.

one of the most important things anyone will learn in those guides, is to NEVER make train intersections with sections shorter than a full lenght train, to avoid waiting trains from blocking other trains.

[grapplehoeker]

Originally posted by rymeintrinseca:

Does anyone have a good design for a four-way train interchange? I just mean a simple situation where two single lines cross each other. The interchange I'm rebuilding is busy, so I need a high capacity solution, equivalent to a four level stack on a highway

If they must cross each other, the simplest design is bridging/tunnelling over/under each other. Ideally they shouldn't intersect at all, especially if they're carrying 2 different types of train. You really do not want to mix passenger with cargo trains or allow them to share track at any point.

[Burlokk]

Originally posted by tcgames65:

Originally posted by Ghost B.C Papa Emeritus II:

Ive found that a larger roundabout with 4 Y exits/entries works the best.

i made similiar Rail 4 way chance (so misspelled) that tcgames65 just posted..and it works if you got not much trains, later game it clogs up like an old toilet that never been cleaned..


Problems with train intersection is that trains tend to block both entry and exit for 1 other train, and that train blocks entry and exit for other trains and its an evil circle makes a good design useless, so i try to avoid train intersections.

Sorry What did I misspell? Dang I am half blind and Dyslexic.

No, the workshop item you just linked "Rail 4 Way Chance"..what is Chance correct in an intersection word :)?
I think he mean "Change"

[Burlokk]

Originally posted by Phoenix C64:

Originally posted by Ghost B.C Papa Emeritus II:

Ive found that a larger roundabout with 4 Y exits/entries works the best.

i made similiar Rail 4 way chance (so misspelled) that tcgames65 just posted..and it works if you got not much trains, later game it clogs up like an old toilet that never been cleaned..


Problems with train intersection is that trains tend to block both entry and exit for 1 other train, and that train blocks entry and exit for other trains and its an evil circle makes a good design useless, so i try to avoid train intersections.

that's why reading the train guides is important.

one of the most important things anyone will learn in those guides, is to NEVER make train intersections with sections shorter than a full lenght train, to avoid waiting trains from blocking other trains.

Don´t quote me, i have full control over my trains :)

[Aenarion]

Originally posted by shadowwolftjc:

Perhaps a simple diamond interchange would suffice?

The post you're replying to is two months old. This is what the interchange ended up looking like:

http://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=457050748

I found that highway design principles are actually quite useful with trains. As with highway interchanges, the main focus is to remove conflicts between movements through grade separation. There are also a few train specific-things, like buffering space.

The junction is rather more complex than what I asked for originally as cargo and passenger are fully separated, and I also included buffering for adjacent stations.

Of course, this was all done before tunnels were introduced. If I was building this now there would be no elevated rail, and grade separation would be achieved with a crazy mess of tunnels, like this highway C/D interchange.

http://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=457060802

Tunnels don't look nice like elevated ramps but you don't hit the infamous 'object limit' as quickly with tunnels, so my hands are tied :(