Train won't pick up Textiles>! Bug?

[mdoolitt]

I have a problem moving Textiles to Dress factory

I'm playing the Eastern scenario and hav to move 100 Dresses to New York. When an auction for a Cotton farm came up, I bought it, and then built a line to nearby Charlotte, where I built a Weaver. Now I am transporting Cotton to Charlotte, where it is being turned into Fabric no problem.

Now the problem starts. I built a line to Baltimore whre there is a Dress factory. Ta-da! Dress problem solved! Only my trains won't take the g-d Fabric to Baltimore!

1) I set the train to prioritize Fabric. No dice. It takes a load of Beer instead.
2) I set the train to prioritize Fabric and forbid Beer. Now it carries nothing.

Charlotte with Textiles
https://steamcommunity.com/profiles/76561198028024417/screenshots/?appid=0&sort=newestfirst&browsefilter=myfiles&view=imagewall

Trains loading instructions
https://steamcommunity.com/profiles/76561198028024417/screenshots/?appid=0&sort=newestfirst&browsefilter=myfiles&view=imagewall

Train leaving Charlotte with nothing
https://steamcommunity.com/profiles/76561198028024417/screenshots/?appid=0&sort=newestfirst&browsefilter=myfiles&view=imagewall

[mdoolitt]

Charlotte goods

https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=1429697371

[mdoolitt]

Train loading instructions

https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=1429697968

[mdoolitt]

Train leaving Charlotte empty-handed

https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=1429698544

[gardlt]

The game makes a distinction between "stock in the city" as shown in your screenshot and "for export."

The amount for export is found on the main city page.
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=1429767222

An industry will satisfy local demand and stockpile a little of that before allocating any for export. In your case, probably the Weavers is producing enough locally, but not enough surplus to export. If you reached the limit of what the farm will supply, there's a tricky wait for upgrades on the Cotton Farm, then the Weavers. If you are focused enough on money-making you can buy both and steamroll the process.

Actually, if you have both the Weavers and the Tailors in the same city, the Tailor is considered local and will at least get a partial allocation of whatever is produced.

Time to mention a flaw in the city supply model. The larger the city, the higher the local demand = less available for export. If you operate a "normal" railroad and sensibly try to grow the city in a growth/expansion mindset, this may actually hinder your progress on some haulage tasks.

Perfect example here from my screenshot is the Tailors in Baltimore. At the start of the game Baltimore is just below 55k inhabitants. Guess what? demand for Clothing is 55k+, so it would be better for us if Baltimore doesn't grow at all early in the game! You can effect this by controls for example hauling Logs only to Washington, Milk Vegetables and Grain only to New York. What this will do is stop the wagon transport to Baltimore, since the goods will now wait for your train instead. Also don't bring in the needed Sugar, Beer, etc.. But if the AI connect there you lost control. . . . This feels really "gamey" but that's how it is.


Thinking about the announced "Transport" update some more gives me an idea that this is a potential issue that can be fixed. For example, at least that if you own a factory you can decide not to sell the product locally if you want. Default would be to sell locally. Of course this isn't the game for a thousand fine-tunings, but such a feature would be simple and can let the player take control where he needs to.

[Ellye]

I like that privately owned factories will sell locally first, but I agree that factories owned by the player should probably be configurable in this regard.

[kutschi_67]

Did you checked if there is (enough) demand for clothing in New York??

[mdoolitt]

I'm taking it to Baltimore where there is a Dressmaker.

[kutschi_67]

But didn't you wrote the task is to bring them to NY??