Steel Mill needs a rework

[SEnergy]

I just came from Food Factory to Steel Mill with some empty cars, I need to park them in the A3S track - it's one of those tracks that you have to back into

the problem is that I came from NE - I can not back into the spot, and there's no way for me to turn around - there's no loop like in the Goods Factory, and there's no additional lane for me to turn at...

normally, at stations that don't have a loop, I'd just drop the cars in the middle lane and use loading/some empty lane to turn around and attach the cars from the other side, however Steel Mill has no such thing (loading lane), all lanes are occupied, and there's literally no way for me to magically teleport my locomotives to the other side

the Steel Mill is so badly designed it's insane

[Mardraced]

2 things you could do

Option 1:
Park in the steel mill loading dock and grab a DE-2 to take over shunting into the correct lane. There should be one stored at the turntable (and if there isn't, well, can try option 2)

Option 2:
Ensure the brakes are fully charged, close the hoses, accelerate until 10kph into the siding area with the rails aligned to the maintenance shed

Unhook from the cargo while moving and accelerate past a switch,
Use the radio to change the switch once passed, brake and then jump on the load to open the air hoses once load is past the switch. then you can connect your current train back up on the other end.

[Knsgf]

There is a wye west of steel mill which can be used to turn entire train around (beware of grades).

[SEnergy]

Originally posted by Knsgf:

There is a wye west of steel mill which can be used to turn entire train around (beware of grades).

omg I'm stupid, I even had to back up on there like an hour before I posted, because I missed my turn

[K***boo]

S tracks are one thing, but even A6I(and A7L) are also only available from NE side. So enjoy reversing your 25+ car train on the intersection with two gradients up.

It is honestly the worst station in the game, only Farm comes close.

[Knsgf]

What's wrong with Farm?

[K***boo]

Now way to reverse train AND no turntable.

[SEnergy]

Originally posted by Kokiboo:

Now way to reverse train AND no turntable.

I wasn't on farm yet, but from the map it seems like reversing should be easy using any of the three loading lanes, no?

you put your cars in the middle lane on cargo station, uncouple, and then just go to the other side via 3/2/1L lanes

they are L lanes (loading), so they should be empty - at least one of them

[Fry.PhilipJ]

Originally posted by SEnergy:

Originally posted by Kokiboo:

Now way to reverse train AND no turntable.

I wasn't on farm yet, but from the map it seems like reversing should be easy using any of the three loading lanes, no?

you put your cars in the middle lane on cargo station, uncouple, and then just go to the other side via 3/2/1L lanes

they are L lanes (loading), so they should be empty - at least one of them

Yup and a turntable at Oil Well Central which is only a couple of minutes away

[SEnergy]

Originally posted by Fry.PhilipJ:

Originally posted by SEnergy:

I wasn't on farm yet, but from the map it seems like reversing should be easy using any of the three loading lanes, no?

you put your cars in the middle lane on cargo station, uncouple, and then just go to the other side via 3/2/1L lanes

they are L lanes (loading), so they should be empty - at least one of them

Yup and a turntable at Oil Well Central which is only a couple of minutes away

you can also use the same wye as for Steel Mill, as it's not that far off... if you uncouple cars and just turn around there, then use loading lane to get to the other side... it's tedious, but not that bad

[Rick]

Park train on the middle B-track. Grab another loco from storage, hook it up to the rear of the train and use that to park the train on one of the neccesary A-track.

Or even better, tow a shunter at the end of your train. For big concurrent jobs with multiple drops and different stations I use a DE6 (or 2x DE6) and tow a DE2 or DH4 at the end of the train for shunting stuff.

But yes I agree. The Y-junction south of Steel Mill is an option, but if you have long train and are already tight on horsepower that huge gradient is a problem. You'd have to drive to Farm almost to get enough speed to get up it.

[Schlappspaten]

Empty cars sound like an LH job. So how to get in the A- tracks from NE?

1. Go through steel mill, use the wye

2. Pull right into the target track with engine up front. (If all cars need to go there, just lock a handbrake and turn the job in, it'll be fine, you can free the engine later to avoid hitting the bonus time, if not all cars need to go there: grab another engine)

3. You can pass the yard, back up the train into a track with only few cars, run around, push those cars and your train out onto the main, pull the cars back into the track, run back to your train and hook up your train at the "right" side

4. You can simply stop in the through track and get another engine (if available)

5. You can go to the farm and run around the consist there

6. If you're adventurous close the air brake valves, accelerate the train, open the coupler chain, speed away and throw the switch so the consist passes the switch. Depending on speed, weight and tactics you either watch them rolling into the target track, or back up the engine and push them further in.

7. From NE you pass the wyes at oilfield and goods factory. You can turn your train there and push it (use remote control!) to steel mill

So in short: you've more options than fingers at one hand. Depending on your personal preferences about how realistic things should be there are few options (2,3 & 4) that will pass as realistic acting. #1 is also ok if you have the remote control and can be at the front of the movement. The other solutions are kind of gamey, but will work. Why exactly does the steel mill a rework then? Just to make things more easy? Life ain't easy, especially railroad life.

[K***boo]

Originally posted by SEnergy:

Originally posted by Kokiboo:

Now way to reverse train AND no turntable.

I wasn't on farm yet, but from the map it seems like reversing should be easy using any of the three loading lanes, no?

you put your cars in the middle lane on cargo station, uncouple, and then just go to the other side via 3/2/1L lanes

And then drive the loco backwards? That's why you need a turntable, so you can turn the loco around and approach the consist from the other side.

Going to OWC resets order at Farm. Going to SM resets orders at Farm. Even going to the SM triangle resets orders at Farm.

(You can tell who here actually plays the game a lot on Realistic and who is an armchair train driver coming up with impractical/unrealistic solutions just to be a contrarian)

[Knsgf]

Originally posted by Kokiboo:

Originally posted by SEnergy:

I wasn't on farm yet, but from the map it seems like reversing should be easy using any of the three loading lanes, no?

you put your cars in the middle lane on cargo station, uncouple, and then just go to the other side via 3/2/1L lanes

And then drive the loco backwards? That's why you need a turntable, so you can turn the loco around and approach the consist from the other side.

There is nothing wrong with driving backwards unless you don't know the route or are in a steamer.

Originally posted by Kokiboo:

Going to OWC resets order at Farm. Going to SM resets orders at Farm. Even going to the SM triangle resets orders at Farm.

One can validate the job before going to OWC or SM wye to turn engine around. So it won't get reset. Since you're playing on "Realistic" taking a little extra time to do this isn't a problem.

[SEnergy]

Originally posted by Kokiboo:

Originally posted by SEnergy:

I wasn't on farm yet, but from the map it seems like reversing should be easy using any of the three loading lanes, no?

you put your cars in the middle lane on cargo station, uncouple, and then just go to the other side via 3/2/1L lanes

And then drive the loco backwards? That's why you need a turntable, so you can turn the loco around and approach the consist from the other side.

Going to OWC resets order at Farm. Going to SM resets orders at Farm. Even going to the SM triangle resets orders at Farm.

(You can tell who here actually plays the game a lot on Realistic and who is an armchair train driver coming up with impractical/unrealistic solutions just to be a contrarian)

you can take orders and then leave and come back without a problem...
also, make your own thread and stop whining if you have a problem, mr. realistic driver