The mysterious stuck train.[SOLVED]

[Didz]

I've posted a short video below of a mysterious stuck train in my current campaign game.
https://youtu.be/iDuqMAi_BcI
I've checked everything I can think of and so far I can't see what the problem is. The line itself was the first I created and has been running perfectly since the start of the game. It was extended to Redding more recently, but has been running to there without a problem for ages.

The most recent change I've made (apart from upgrading the locomotive) in the area was the Sacremento Sugar line which uses a completely different platform and crosses over the main line using a bridge without actually touching the passenger tracks.

Can't see any error reports and the signal appears to be in the clear position. The train itself claims to be moving, but it clearly isn't.
++++
I've just went back and reloaded the game and managed to solve the problem.

I started by deleting the signals right along the route and repositioning them as I noticed that some were too close together. It didn't solve the problem although the other trains on the same route reacted as expected to the new signals by moving up to the newly placed ones and stopping. So, the only train on the line not moving was the one in the video.

In the end I deleted the Supply Towers, which was the only thing left on the track that could be holding the train back, even though it didn't claim to be using them. As soon as I did the train literally shot forward almost to the station platform, and everything started moving normally again.

So, the conclusion must be that there is a glitch associated with the Supply Towers. Either the train was trying to use them but the process wasn't completing properly, or the supply towers were stopping the train even though it didn't need attention.

[gardlt]

Supply towers have built in signals. They essentially have two of the regular type signals, so they will work automatically as a signal no matter which direction the track is. A possibility is that you didn't have enough signals, and that the train was waiting at the signal in the Supply tower?

You can auto-populate long stretches of line with auto-spaced signals using the Ctrl+ key while adding signals. For best results each stretch of up-down track between cross-overs should have a directional signal. I get caught out sometimes when I spur something in and forget to add the two extra directional signals - trains waiting where they shouldn't.

[Didz]

Originally posted by gardlt:

Supply towers have built in signals. They essentially have two of the regular type signals, so they will work automatically as a signal no matter which direction the track is. A possibility is that you didn't have enough signals, and that the train was waiting at the signal in the Supply tower?

You can auto-populate long stretches of line with auto-spaced signals using the Ctrl+ key while adding signals. For best results each stretch of up-down track between cross-overs should have a directional signal. I get caught out sometimes when I spur something in and forget to add the two extra directional signals - trains waiting where they shouldn't.

I'm sure it wasn't that, I always use the Auto Populate tool, the only issue in this instance was that the supply tower was closer to the nearest signal than i would have liked i had place it after the initial signal placement than I would have liked hence the decision to delete and redo the auto population. There were only two train on that line and so overpopulation wasn't an issue either.

I pretty sure it was a bug in the operation of the supply tower, but what triggerred it remains a mystery.

[Doc Savage]

You have to be careful when placing signals too close together. The game does sometimes get stuck in these situations and not just with towers.

I've had a couple of occasions where a train will stop and not move because there is no physical way for it to fit between the signal it's at and the next one.

I don't know why it doesn't always happen, but it happens often enough that I don't put signals less than a train length apart for any reason.

Cheers..!

[introaether]

Never place a signal within a full train length of switch. That's from the RED part of the switch - when using Google track laying tool - if a train encroaches into the switch, you'll get a blockage.

The exception being rural trains where you know they will be empty. Here you can stack signals within 2miles of switch.

10 miles out track equals 5 stack on inbound.

They could solve the issue with AI.

In the 'can I move to next signal script?'. Only proceed if distance between signal and switch is greater than current train length.

Easy!

[Didz]

Originally posted by Doc Savage:

You have to be careful when placing signals too close together. The game does sometimes get stuck in these situations and not just with towers.

I've had a couple of occasions where a train will stop and not move because there is no physical way for it to fit between the signal it's at and the next one.

I don't know why it doesn't always happen, but it happens often enough that I don't put signals less than a train length apart for any reason.

Cheers..!

Well I would class that as a bug too, though I've not personally noticed it in my games.

I normally use the CTRL+Left Click on track to auto-place space signals, but in this case I notice there is a signal halfway down the length of the stuck train which shows the line ahead as clear even though the train seems to be stalled at the Supply Tower.

Having said that I did bulldoze that signal, and it never freed the train. So, i concluded that it wasn't the cause of the problem.

[Didz]

Originally posted by introaether:

Never place a signal within a full train length of switch. That's from the RED part of the switch - when using Google track laying tool - if a train encroaches into the switch, you'll get a blockage.

Yeah! thats just bad track management and not really a bug.

If you place a stop signal within a full trains length down the line from a switch then any train stopped at the signal will by implication block the switch amd prevent other trains using it. It's not a bug, that would actually happen in real life.

[Didz]

Just heard from the Devs.

Hi,

thanks again. We were able to locate the issue and it should be fixed in the next release 

Regards
Christian