Why use X crossings?

[General Tso]

I hear people mentioning that they use X crossings. Why would you use them? I've never had a reason for two trains to switch between two parallel tracks. Not to mention X crossings seem to be terribly inefficient so on the occasions where I need to cross a track I always build a bridge.

If you are using X crossings to purposely produce traffic jams that's totally understandable (for viewing purposes). I've done the same thing using other methods. Are there other reasons for using them that I'm unaware of?

[Metacritical]

you use them outside stations

[Mrfool]

Originally posted by General Tso:

I hear people mentioning that they use X crossings. Why would you use them? I've never had a reason for two trains to switch between two parallel tracks. Not to mention X crossings seem to be terribly inefficient so on the occasions where I need to cross a track I always build a bridge.

If you are using X crossings to purposely produce traffic jams that's totally understandable (for viewing purposes). I've done the same thing using other methods. Are there other reasons for using them that I'm unaware of?

I use them in almost all the stations both directions. This is because I want each station to become a node of the network. Once I've built a network I want to use it as much as possible this means have a train running, with a reasonable number of signals (and equivalent blocks of network) so I can create new lines without building always new tracks. So I have station then x crossing on each track then the track might split in high speed track and low speed track (usually the latter dedicated to freight traffic or very low speed passenger traffic). It's quite boring to build always the same structure on each station and paying attention to the slope and all the things you need, but after that it makes the game really fun (at least to me!). Also usually you don't want to exceed the 4 track station because a complete X crossing layout on 5 or 6 or 8 tracks is really boooooring to build :)

[General Tso]

Why not just have each track connect to the station as is? If the tracks need to be crossed do it with a bridge before you get to the station. To me bridges seems to be much better - no traffic jams. Of course I guess one nice thing about doing X crossing near a station is that the station is already reducing the train's speed if they are stopping there.

[Mrfool]

Originally posted by General Tso:

Why not just have each track connect to the station as is? If the tracks need to be crossed do it with a bridge before you get to the station. To me bridges seems to be much better - no traffic jams. Of course I guess one nice thing about doing X crossing near a station is that the station is already reducing the train's speed if they are stopping there.

Maybe I'm not explaining myself well.
let's say that you have a track coming from city A to city B and than ending at city C.
You also have a track coming from city D to city B ending at city E.
You will also have two lines:
1) A-C-A via B
2) D-E-D via B

but if you have built X crossing on each track on station B you could also have

A-E-A via B
D-C-D via B

and other possible combinations, without building a single piece of track. You just need to use city B as node of your network.
You can do this only on selected station that you want to use as node, or if you prefer on each station so each station becomes a node with infinite possible line combinations.

[General Tso]

Ah. Thank you for the detailed explanation. For the most part I would still want to do it differently due to train traffic. I'd probably just add a passing lane for each line in station B. But I think I'll try your method at least once - maybe I'll end up liking it better once I see it implemented At the least it gives me some options when I can't afford to lay extra track or build bigger stations. Either way - to each their own. With a game like this people can do things differently and still succeed.

[Mrfool]

Originally posted by General Tso:

Ah. Thank you for the detailed explanation. For the most part I would still want to do it differently due to train traffic. I'd probably just add a passing lane for each line in station B. But I think I'll try your method at least once - maybe I'll end up liking it better once I see it implemented At the least it gives me some options when I can't afford to lay extra track or build bigger stations. Either way - to each their own. With a game like this people can do things differently and still succeed.

Anyway if you do the X crossing just outside the station the speed of the trains is not affected in anyway. Also I never had a traffic jam (with proper configuration of the signals). And it's much cheaper than a bridge :)
But as you said: anyone has his own way :)

[uzurpatorex]

Because it is fun when your network grows organically, like this:

http://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=845759949

[Hiigara]

Originally posted by General Tso:

I hear people mentioning that they use X crossings. Why would you use them? I've never had a reason for two trains to switch between two parallel tracks. Not to mention X crossings seem to be terribly inefficient so on the occasions where I need to cross a track I always build a bridge.

If you are using X crossings to purposely produce traffic jams that's totally understandable (for viewing purposes). I've done the same thing using other methods. Are there other reasons for using them that I'm unaware of?

You are correct. Its pure visual. If trains would choose a free platform than X crossing would come in handy but with fixed platforms no X crossing are needed

[canophone]

I use them for logistical efficiency, not visual!

[Vimpster]

Originally posted by Sheep:

You are correct. Its pure visual. If trains would choose a free platform than X crossing would come in handy but with fixed platforms no X crossing are needed

If you have more than one line sharing a dual track and they both go to the same station with 2 or more platforms, than the simplest and most convienent way to make it work is to have an x crossing right before the station. That has nothing to do with visual appeal. There are other uses for it also, but that scenario is perhaps the most common use of it.

[General Tso]

I still have difficulty seeing how they can be reliably efficient but I agree they certainly can be used. There is an example of their use in the new Wiki that was just released for Transport Fever and it seems sound. Though I'd still be concerned about traffic congestion at the X's. To me it seems to be hit or miss. If the timing between the various trains works out then there will be little or no congestion at the crossovers. If the timing doesn't work out then there will be congestion. I like to have more control.

[Vimpster]

Originally posted by General Tso:

I still have difficulty seeing how they can be reliably efficient but I agree they certainly can be used. There is an example of their use in the new Wiki that was just released for Transport Fever and it seems sound. Though I'd still be concerned about traffic congestion at the X's. To me it seems to be hit or miss. If the timing between the various trains works out then there will be little or no congestion at the crossovers. If the timing doesn't work out then there will be congestion. I like to have more control.

Could you show an example of an alternative? I am really curious to see how you do it. The only way I can see to avoid the x crossing would require much more space and having bridges and/or tunnels. Or simply never having multiple lines sharing the same track. But that too would require more space.

A small amount of congestion is hardly problematic. It is not as if the value of the cargo depreciates over time or anything. Only if the congestion starts to become quite significant would I bother looking for larger, more elaborate ways to deal with it.

[General Tso]

I don't like to leave things to random chance - even small things. LOL: I guess when it comes to trains I'm a control freak.

I've only made one map so far. Here's how I handled it in that map.

http://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=855684214

[Vimpster]

Originally posted by General Tso:

I don't like to leave things to random chance - even small things. LOL: I guess when it comes to trains I'm a control freak.

I've only made one map so far. Here's how I handled it in that map.

http://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=855684214

Interesting. So from the looks of it you just have seperate rails for every line. If you have the room and money for it then that certainly is a good way of doing it for the sake of effeciency.

[General Tso]

That's my second busiest city. I just checked and there are currently 77 trains that stop there. That kind of surprised me.