How may one limit the range that AI can 'see' the next speed limit ahead?

[JonMyrlennBailey]

Exactly, there is no automated 'control tower' for Trainz, YET.

AI will do just fine as long as just one scenery plane continues to move non-stop around my closed dog bone, lap after lap. The Drive command is all that's needed in this case. Two other planes will be parked on the apron solely for show.

I would rather use my dedicated flight sim to fly planes by hand anyway. I want to dedicate my Trainz drive time to controlling a "real" train on solid ground.

I will have AI-driven ground rail vehicles working in the background too like a speeder, a MOW truck, a couple M (manifest, mixed) freights and couple passenger trains as scenery too. Turntables at opposite ends of the line near the portals will turn around the AI speeder and MOW truck for continuous back-and-fourth operation. The optional InputTable rule and Move Table command make this possible for AI turntable handling. Trains will have locomotives on either end for back-and-fourth driving, from terminal track mark to terminal track mark, to make it simple for the game's AI control mechanism. It is actually fun to be in the cab of a driving MOW truck or speeder as it gives great visibility all around.

Marshaling trains in yards, cutting and coupling will be done solely by hand.

 

[JCitron]

I do all shunting and local service manually while I let the AI drive mainline trains. It's a lot simpler that way and actually makes for some interesting driving sessions.

On one of my older routes, I have a busy junction where two major lines converge. There's a small yard there to interchange cars with the passing trains. In the mix of the through freights are some commuter trains which come through and stop at the nearby station. My scenario works out where I need to get the freight ready and out of the way between the two commuter trains that pass by, and before an incoming freight comes in for me to marshal around and switch in my freight cars. It can get pretty hectic and actually makes my hands sweat as I'm trying to get the timing right.

To mix things up I have a small branch that serves a quarry. In between the through trains, I will go off and service the sand and gravel company along with some mills located farther up the branchs. This short freight has to cut across the main, run down the grade into the valley, service the quarry, pick up some boxcars, and come back to the yard all without fouling the main line.

John

 

[JonMyrlennBailey]

I have resolved to keep AI-control plane flights simple just as flying scenery. I have it set up now where I just give the "pilot" the Drive command and he is on his own without my babysitting him. I will concentrate more sophisticated Trainz operations on the ground on visible "steel" rails. AI-automated train scenery on the ground also runs on a simplistic repeated schedule. My "fancy" train driving, cutting and yard work will be in my own hands. I will still have to contend with AI trains and negotiate their presence on the line. No more running red signals because I am the only train on the map like I used to do.

Just for fun, I am going to try a track-side cattle ranch with a feed lot and there's an automated loading cattle car I want to try to load the cows up for Porterhouse and prime rib market.

There might be some neat drivable train-vehicle road vehicles too besides MOW trucks. I have not looked yet. I'll have to see if there is a train-vehicle semi truck that could run on invisible track embedded in the asphalt that could pick up and drop a trailer at a warehouse.

I have not anything in the way of modern intermodal cars and animated container stacking in the name of Trainz. It would be cool to have animated piggy-back trailer loading action whereby drivable trucks, the tractor units, haul in trailers at rail terminals to be loaded onto freight trains and vice-versa.

 

[nicky9499]

It would be cool to have animated piggy-back trailer loading action whereby drivable trucks, the tractor units, haul in trailers at rail terminals to be loaded onto freight trains and vice-versa.

What you want is here.

 

[JonMyrlennBailey]

I just have not discovered it yet. Give it some time.