Tram goes undercover with NAM...thoughts from an old fart.

[ratata 0]

Hello guysn'gals!

 

This thread will in no possible way improve your life with SC4. It's not an important issue I'm bringing up for discussion. Threads like this will come alive when people are foolish enough to provide and offer old farts like me with more time they have use for. You've been warned.

 

- The other day I had to make a tram line go underground for a short distance. I used one of those two NAM gadgets available to solve the problem. The FLUP (flexible under passes) would have been the best solution because the underground parts used are designed solely with the tram in mind. Unfortunately, in this very scenario I couldn't use that solution since SC4 identifies the road, aveneu and all other selectable pieces with underground tram as 'reserved' tiles since they are dual network pieces.

 

That's why I had to go with the other approach, SFBT, "Subway to Tram "Transition" where you join the transitions together with a subway tunnel. At a glance, it seem to work as intended. Trams went underground, travels the underground distance, emerges again into the daylight continiuing its predestinated journey.

 

But then I got curious and started to think what was really going on under the hood using this approach?

 

 

First the simple scenario, the seamless scenario: - The transition leads the tram to the underground. Down there, the tram finds a subway. The subway rails seems suitable for a tram and the tram continues the journey in the subway until it hits the second transition. The tram seamlessy leaves the subway tunnel for the transition and suddenly hits daylight again. A seamless tram passage underground with no obstacles what so ever.

 

 

The second scenario, the implex scenario: - The transition leads the tram to the underground. Down there, the tram finds a subway tunnel with rail dimensions different from what trams are using. Since the tram can go no farther, all passengers are transferred to a subway train. The empty tram returns the same way it came from. The subway train-set, now carrying the former tram passenger, continous the journey until it hits the second transition. At the transition all passengers must now leave the subway train-set to embark a second tram waiting for them. When this is done, the tram starts and eventually hits daylight again, back on a proper tram network.

 

(And last time I heard from that subway train in that short, short subway tunnel, he was still bouncing back and forth between those end stations. A 19 second journey. Day in, day out...not even knowing there's a sun up there...)

 

 

What scenario is plausible? I'm sure there are several more possible scenarios. But still, what goes on under the hood?

 

Best regards
ratata
Sweden

[rsc204 21,855]

Subway and EL-Train share the same tracks, since GLR was just a non-elevated version of the EL-Train in theory the trains would just continue through without problems as the track gauge should be the same.

 

However, there are lots using the same technique for roads, rail and other transport networks, in the case of roads cars will enter the tunnel, "change" to a subway train for the distance of the tunnel and then find a new car again on the other side to drive out with, now that's a park 'n' ride.

[A Nonny Moose 8,262]

Well, I don't usually, if ever, want my cars to become trams, subway trains or anything else for any reason.  These little 'ego trips' by some players are what I call 'just for the heck of it'.  A lot of stuff in the NAM falls into this category, and while they produce nice, often working, eye candy, the idea of a pileup of concrete spaghetti in a small (4 Km x 4 Km) area bothers me because of the real estate taken up.

 

The OP has found the correct solution.  Elevated rail is tram is subway.  It is a single system using the same tracks.  (If you look at my sig GIF closely, you'll see it is an early experiment with tram a.k.a. GLR).

 

However, imaginary flights of fancy are to be encouraged and if this game helps that, one can only applaud.  Helps to keep everyone young despite the creakiness of advancing physical age.  Speaking of old eructations, I am 77, so I think I have a right to this approbation.