Track Priority

[Roadwolf]

Ok, so I have had trainz for a while now, and am working on a large route. It is going to be heavily traveled by AI trains. I know AI trains default to priority 2 unless you assign them manually. Track as well defaults to priority 2.

I would like to use priorities as a means to ensure that AI trains which are priority 2, do not route through yards.

I know there are assets on the DLS to help with this, but for some reason, although I have tried everything I could see to try to fix it, my CMP still is not downloading (although it logs in fine). So I would like to work out some way of doing this which uses the basic assets. And I do not want to have to program a 'Drive via Trackmark' marker... For the number of sidings and spurs this route will have, that will be very time consuming and annoying.

I am building a testing layout at the moment for this purpose. But will priority 1 or 3 resist priority 2 type trains at all? (be less likely to allow them to enter).

Thanks,
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[AussieNightcrawler]

Hi,

A train with a 'priority' of say 2 will try to travel along a track matching the same priority where it can, it will still use tracks with different priorities if none are available. So you can set a track and train to a priority of 2 that goes past the yard in question, like the main line through.

Though you may find that you will still may have to use trackmarks in certain places, I find that I have to every now and then, just to make sure that the AI drivers get to where they need to be.

Hope this helps...

 

[sterrett]

There is a script called "priorityz" (search for "smileyman") which allows you to change the train priority en-route (suppose you have a semi-fast service, non-stop to the first station taking the fast line (priority "1") , then calling on the slow line at all stations to the Terminus (priority "2") then proceeding to the yard for disposal (priority "3")

Of course, "priorityz" is also useful if you forgot to assign a priority in Surveyor and you're stuck with the default "2"!

Priorityz will let you change the priority at will.

Hope that helps!

Ian

 

[Ghostryder]

i have been building a 50km long length of line, what i have found is that i have had to place track markers due to the AI drivers desire to take the shortest route to the destination regardless of priority set. i suggest once you have all the track set and signals placed you tell the AI driver where you wish to send him and then watch what route he takes. if he short cuts it you will need a track mark placed there and a drive via or something command.

cheers

Ghosty

 

[Bill69]

Hi Roadwolf,

As you said in your post priority 2 is the default. Therefore if you want to stop trainz from going through a yard give the train and the main line track any other priority i.e. 1 or 3 If you think about it, priority 2 will still alow the train to go through the yard since that is the default.

Cheers,
Bill69

 

[Roadwolf]

Yea. What I was really wondering is if the priorities had different meanings to trains. i.e. would a track with priority 1 resist priority trains more then a track with priority 3? (assuming there is a priority 2 track that the train could run on). Or are both priority 1 and 3 the same in terms of how the AI looks at them, i.e. just different priorities, and nothing else special about them.

I think through my testing I have found them to be fairly equal. As far as the odd time trains do detour via yards, well, its unfortunate, but its likely a better thing for the AI to do, then to just sit on the mainline and tie it up, especally if it is routing that way because the main line is busy. Of course if your trying to shunt in the yard, it would likely further complicate things.

Is there anything on the DLS which prevents AI trains from entering sections unless the marker they are traveling to is within the blocked section? might be able to program something along those lines. i.e. use the same idea as priority markers, but assign a code to the markers. you assign one code to all the markers in a yard. then you can make a modified marker which also has the ability to have a code assigned to it. you give the markers in that yard the same code. therefore only trains traveling to markers with that code can enter that yard.

an idea maybe for anyone to toy with?

Would much rather take the time to 'code' all those markers and such in the build process, then have to worry about remembering to add 'Drive via" to all my AI trains when I am trying to play and enjoy the game. - I tend to enjoy acting as a dispatcher, sending trains off to industries and bringing them back to a main yard where I then manually sort the trains and send them out again. lol sorry for getting a bit off topic