How to make X tracks? (crossings)

[Daniel_USA]

I can't make X crossings, only S crossings.

Anytime I try to X cross I get red.

Do I have to hold a button down or something for it to allow me to X cross?

[chaney]

It can be picky for sure. Try making the first switch a little longer and see if the second will work. It may have something to do with minimum curvature limits.

[Daniel_USA]

im using parallel tracks

[Maxim]

I cant think of a way to make an "X" switch with a single track.. (seems impossible to me after 2,531 hours in game..) so we pretty much assume you are using parallel tracks - which means the x-switch is the word you're looking for.

So maybe you are now doing it correctly as chaney explained.

See this image? https://i.imgur.com/3oq6ZHY.jpeg
two tracks with a big 'ole X connecting the parallel tracks so trains can go onto either track, and maybe then into a station or warehouse platform using both possible entry/exits.

(if you have tooltips turned on in settings, the message appearing in the bottom left corner of the screen indicates the track is too sharp - tooltips are a good thing!)

The big secret was when chaney said make each "piece" of the (switch) longer...
Especially when involving any curves.. the build system turns red for many reasons, wrong angles, too sharp, too steep..

Definitions:
x-switch = allows you to cross between two parallel tracks.

crossover = allows you to pass over a different track, but not "enter into"or "leave from" the track you are crossing "over".

parallel = two tracks running side by side, even if curved..

(Even though the word "over" is being used.. it could be passing over using a bridge, or passing over a tunnel, or just passing over on the same level, as seen in my image. But the bridge and tunnel examples are a different kind of crossover because they dont force trains to stop at the intersection, so words can be misleading).

See 2nd image for "crossover"
https://i.imgur.com/h40xT75.jpeg
(not to be confused with x-switch which many people seem to get wrong on the terminology).

[Thineboot]

In addition to the above:

Start with the shorter leg (chaney, Maxim 1) if you want to use as little space/rail as necessary.

In case you meant Maxim 2, you must move the cone of the single rail at the intersection one last time before you build it.
It's not possible in RE to cross parallel tracks with parallel track. Iirc, this was added after release and never "finished" for coding reasons.

[Maxim]

Some people say the parallel tracks crossing the parallel tracks have never been perfect in this game.. but this example shows a nice working solution that doesn't waste a lot of space by spreading the one set of tracks just a bit at the crossing point.

https://i.imgur.com/DEDpO5e.jpeg

[Daniel_USA]

Maxim lähetti viestin:

Some people say the parallel tracks crossing the parallel tracks have never been perfect in this game.. but this example shows a nice working solution that doesn't waste a lot of space by spreading the one set of tracks just a bit at the crossing point.

https://i.imgur.com/DEDpO5e.jpeg

hold up you can make T intersects? i wish there was a terraforming too so I can just flat out a section to make these damn intersections.

[Thineboot]

Daniel_USA lähetti viestin:

[...] i wish there was a terraforming too so I can just flat out a section to make these damn intersections.

"Terraforming" is called earthwork, see cost, and it's done automatically. And they even take pictures before "terraforming", so if a track is bulldozed, they'll be able to fill it right back in and plant every blade of grass :D

[Maxim]

All "terraforming" is done in one of several ways.
1. When you stretch a track out across landscape, it will (at first) do it best to become as level as it can be, creating automatic tunnels or bridges (very expensive) and later edited. Some exceptions are when you are up against certain territory borders or rivers, or extreme cliffs.

2. Click anywhere on a track which is being built to add "edit points", and then use the control key-click on that point while rolling the mouse wheel. This causes that point to rise up, or lower down, and also terraforms the landscape while changing the incline or decline of the track (curved or not curved acts the same).

3. You might also notice when placing most stations or warehouses very close to steep landscape, that when finally connecting track at the stations connection points, that you are "forced" to make a steep connection - the station will appear "warped" or "bent" from the side view. The solution is to delete the station and move it to a more level spot. If you cant move it, your trains will struggle at the moment they enter or exit that particular steep connection point.

Daniel_USA lähetti viestin:

Maxim lähetti viestin:

Some people say the parallel tracks crossing the parallel tracks have never been perfect in this game.. but this example shows a nice working solution that doesn't waste a lot of space by spreading the one set of tracks just a bit at the crossing point.

https://i.imgur.com/DEDpO5e.jpeg

hold up you can make T intersects? i wish there was a terraforming too so I can just flat out a section to make these damn intersections.

The crossover image that I posted is an intersection where a train can only go straight when coming into the intersection - and then crossing over - from any of the four directions.

"T"here is no such "T"hing as a "T"rue "T" intersec"T"ion in "T"his game :)

- which implies that your train makes a hard right ninety degree turn, or a hard left ninety degree turn.. so terminology used in this case is a train wreck.

However you can make a split "Y" going into a perpendicular straight track.
https://i.imgur.com/f1d1joU.jpeg


Additionally, even more complex types of intersections can be made once you begin to understand how my example was made by slightly separating the tracks.

[Daniel_USA]

it's called a T intersect as in t intersect. I don't appreciate you berating me for my lack of train switch knowledge, you could help me without making me a fool you know.

[Maxim]

No one cares if you got it wrong. They mostly care that they wont get it wrong, now that it was explained. You can pat yourself on the back for providing that opportunity to others.

[chaney]

Eh, words mean different things to different people in different contexts. We've done a pretty good job of keeping things collegial here so hopefully we stay friendly even when we don't agree - the symantic discussion to clarify what you mean is helpful though, so we've achieved that and the method of constructing these intersections is known :)

[Maxim]

personally I find it helpful when something is not easily understood by me and I ask others to explain and I'm grateful for the learning experience because I'm always expanding my repertoire of words and collection of insights on any given topic.

don't take it the wrong way because I obviously put in a lot of work to give you both a well thought out description and images and if all I wanted to do was offend somebody I wouldn't have spent that much time creating a post that large.

[Thineboot]

You really should make a well-organised guide based on all your detailed posts on the various topics you've covered over the past few months, Maxim. While they tend to over-answer some questions, you're often aiming for the big picture, and that's what guides are for.

If you're looking for a broader base of opinion that's still based on facts, but where everyone has a different style of play and therefore won't automatically come to the same conclusions, you can discuss these topics either here, in the General Discussion and multiple threads, or in the Comments section of the guide. Some things will be new in Railway Empire 2, but many features will be similar to Railway Empire. Therefore, this can be a basis for new players to better understand RE over the course of the year, and serve as a starting point for an RE2 guide.

I'm pretty sure that several experienced players in particular will contribute. While I still think chaney's guide is a great source of answers to many recurring questions, he said he didn't want to expand it any further.

[Maxim]

I do over answer often. Better said and skimmed over, than not to see in complete context later .. when someone is coming much later for detailed research and testing and if I'm long gone - or moved on to the next Kerbal2..

Oops, did I let that slip? Feb 24th.

If I take the time to consider making a guide I would also have to take the time to collate information from all the other guides and find out what does not need to be repeated so it seems like a big job being the last man to make a guide before the new version comes out - RE2.

[Thineboot]

I'm excited too, but I've been testing a lot of games lately that aren't officially Early Access, but are Early Access nonetheless. At least KSP2 will be officially in Early Access.

You know what most people do, right? They skip lengthy posts, because... A guide has a better chance of reaching the intended audience. Searching for answers is much less appealing to players - as we all know from reading the same questions over and over again.