Passenger/freight rail question

[dazza262 133]

Hi all,

I've just been laying out some rail in the city that I'm currently working on, and it occured to me to have separate passenger and freight lines (ie one line only having passenger stations, and likeswise freight), so as to keep the volume down on both.

Is this worth doing, and does it make any real difference ?

Hope someone can put me on the right track, no pun intended, (actually, yes it was intended)

Cheers all

[A Nonny Moose 8,261]

Hi all,

I've just been laying out some rail in the city that I'm currently working on, and it occured to me to have separate passenger and freight lines (ie one line only having passenger stations, and likeswise freight), so as to keep the volume down on both.

Is this worth doing, and does it make any real difference ?

Hope someone can put me on the right track, no pun intended, (actually, yes it was intended)

Cheers all

Works like a charm. It also gives you opportunities to build rail over rail overpasses, etc. Lately, I've been trying to avoid level crossings as much as possible, and this is a real challenge if you get yourself into close quarters.

Just remember that when you run your freight lines off the tile that it all goes in the great bit bucket in the sky. Passengers, on the other hand, will continue across cities. Sometimes you can terminate a freight line at a seaport. This produces a more interesting result.

[dazza262 133]

Thanks ANM,

I take it that means I won't get freight trains using the passenger line, and vice versa.

I also avoid level crossings at all costs now to keep everything flowing as easily as poss. I know sometimes you can paint yourself into a bit of a corner with this, but can usually get round it with a bit of forward planning or a strategically placed FLUP.

Also, are you saying that freight does not pass from one city to another ? Is this also true of road freight ?

Dazza

[Jedimarine 119]

I didn't think this was possible...my industries always dump freight traffic onto any rail line they can...there is a way to avoid this?

[SimCoug 5,972]

Once freight traffic - rail or truck - hits the edge of the map it is gone forever.

[CaptCity 4,684]

I didn't think this was possible...my industries always dump freight traffic onto any rail line they can...there is a way to avoid this?

If your freight lines and passenger lines never merge, the two will remain separate. Of course, if your passenger line runs next to industry, there will be the potential for freight to exist on that line along with passenger.

As for 90 degree level crossings, train traffic does not make the sharp turn, so freight lines and passenger lines can cross without mixing. This is only true for perpendicular crossings. A diagonally crossing will permit the turn on the wide-angled turn.

[A Nonny Moose 8,261]

I didn't think this was possible...my industries always dump freight traffic onto any rail line they can...there is a way to avoid this?

If your freight lines and passenger lines never merge, the two will remain separate. Of course, if your passenger line runs next to industry, there will be the potential for freight to exist on that line along with passenger.

As for 90 degree level crossings, train traffic does not make the sharp turn, so freight lines and passenger lines can cross without mixing. This is only true for perpendicular crossings. A diagonally crossing will permit the turn on the wide-angled turn.

Captain, I've never noticed, but will freight cross a street or road to a rail line if the road is adjacent to an industrial pod? I always thought that the spur or tracks had to be within the industrial pod even if on the edge.

[CaptCity 4,684]

Captain, I've never noticed, but will freight cross a street or road to a rail line if the road is adjacent to an industrial pod? I always thought that the spur or tracks had to be within the industrial pod even if on the edge.

If you mean, as in this example...

...will freight cross the street to get to the rail line? I have never noticed freight crossing any type of transit route to get to a rail line. The industrial zone does need to touch the tracks and have development on it.

[A Nonny Moose 8,261]

Captain, I've never noticed, but will freight cross a street or road to a rail line if the road is adjacent to an industrial pod? I always thought that the spur or tracks had to be within the industrial pod even if on the edge.

If you mean, as in this example...

...will freight cross the street to get to the rail line? I have never noticed freight crossing any type of transit route to get to a rail line. The industrial zone does need to touch the tracks and have development on it.

Exactly. I often run rail spurs into the middle of industrial pods to pick up freight.

[dazza262 133]

Captain, I've never noticed, but will freight cross a street or road to a rail line if the road is adjacent to an industrial pod? I always thought that the spur or tracks had to be within the industrial pod even if on the edge.

If you mean, as in this example...

...will freight cross the street to get to the rail line? I have never noticed freight crossing any type of transit route to get to a rail line. The industrial zone does need to touch the tracks and have development on it.

Exactly. I often run rail spurs into the middle of industrial pods to pick up freight.

So will freight still be picked up along these rail spurs even if there isn't a freight station on that industrial zone ?

[Jedimarine 119]

I've been playing this game for nearly 8 years, and I've never known some of this.

If this is the case...what purpose does a freight station serve? I stopped using freight stations years ago, they never seemed to be used much...so this is perhaps why?

I'm assuming a freight station serves as a transition from freight on road to become freight on rail...it just never seems to be utilized.

[A Nonny Moose 8,261]

Dazza, the answer is yes. Any plant within four grid spaces to a naked spur within the industrial pod will load freight on it.

The rail freight station is used to collect freight trucks from plants that can't reach the rail spurs.

[CaptCity 4,684]

So will freight still be picked up along these rail spurs even if there isn't a freight station on that industrial zone?

I actually make use of this function more than using a freight station - it's more what I saw when and where I grew up. Spurs were used to load cars at a mill or factory and every once in while they would be "picked up". Actual freight stations were few and far between.

One thing to keep in mind is that there must be a developed section next to the tracks to provide a "path" to the track. Freight will not be "transferred" across empty zones, as in this example...

In this case, no freight would move to the rail.

[dazza262 133]

Thanks for all the help guys, I'm looking at my rail network in a whole different way now.

I love Simtropolis

[A Nonny Moose 8,261]

Thanks for all the help guys, I'm looking at my rail network in a whole different way now.

I love Simtropolis

Another point about rail and the animation. If I have a complex rail layout, sometimes I just zoom in on it and watch it for a while. It is as much fun as model railroading and not nearly as difficult to set up. Free, too.

[dazza262 133]

Another point about rail and the animation. If I have a complex rail layout, sometimes I just zoom in on it and watch it for a while. It is as much fun as model railroading and not nearly as difficult to set up. Free, too.

Yeah I know exactly what you mean Nonny. For me, building a nice rail network, and watching that rolling stock rumble around my city can be one of the most rewarding parts of the game. And in many ways even better than the model railways I had as a kid, to have built something as comprehensive as you can in SC4 I would have needed a room the size of football pitch.

And also while we're here, can you, or anyone else recommend any good train automata modds ?

[A Nonny Moose 8,261]

And also while we're here, can you, or anyone else recommend any good train automata modds ?

Not on my part. You pays your money and takes your choice. I don't use any because I am rather indifferent to the general appearance of my cities and currently much more interested in a happy population, lots of green space, and sparse, themed towns and seacoast set ups.

[CaptCity 4,684]

...And also while we're here, can you, or anyone else recommend any good train automata modds ?

I use these. They provide a pretty good variety.

[Zeck180 18]

...And also while we're here, can you, or anyone else recommend any good train automata modds ?

I use these. They provide a pretty good variety.

If you haven't already replace the maxis passenger train with something else.