How to make AI Trains stop at stations on a loop?

[MonkeManTrainz420]

Hello, I’m currently making a PRR-Era Northeast Corridor style route, in a loop. I would like to have commuter trains run between the stations on the loop, stopping at them to pick up and drop off passengers. I have tried using commands to do this, but the trains don’t stop for long enough to let the station do it’s thing or when they do stop, it’s in the wrong area of the station, like at the ends of it. How should I go about making the AI trains run a commuter service? Any help is greatly appreciated!

 

[KotangaGirl]

You may need to place a trackmark where you want your trains to stop and use the 'stop' command to make sure they do. I found that interactive stations that worked fine in TANE and TS2019 were often unreliable in TRS22 so using trackmarks was the only way to get them to work as they should.

 

[MonkeManTrainz420]

I forgot to mention this, since they removed the timelines, I’m using Trainz 12 SP1 build 61388. I know, I’m a bit behind, but it’s all I can run. I’ve put my active Trainz game in my signature now, so people know which build I use. Sorry for the confusion!

 

[JCitron]

A loop will work but you need to signal and use track marks. If the route is single direction, use plenty of direction markers pointing in the direction of travel. I use this setup on a trolley route with a dog bone loop-setup for the line. By placing a track mark far into the loop, with direction markers at the beginning and middle this prevents the AI from cheating by backing up after hitting the first track mark, going back through the switch then pulling forward into the other leg of the loop to get to another track mark.

The signals set up around the loop prevents the AI from seeing itself. If the AI sees its own consist, the AI will forever run at caution (yellow).

 

[KotangaGirl]

I forgot to mention this, since they removed the timelines, I’m using Trainz 12 SP1 build 61388. I know, I’m a bit behind, but it’s all I can run. I’ve put my active Trainz game in my signature now, so people know which build I use. Sorry for the confusion!

No need to apologise for running TS12, - up until a couple years ago I was still using TS12 on a regular basis and it's only this year that I finally flagged it away.
I hope N3V will reinstate the timelines since it saved a lot of confusion over which version of Trainz forum members might be using.

 

[p-dehnert]

For passenger enabled station the sequence of commands is:
- Navigate To (with stationname and trackname)
- Load
The first command drives the train to the beginning of the station. The second command transfers the control to the station, which drives the train to the correct loading position, unloads a certain number of passengers, and loads new passengers.
An alternative to Navigate To is Drive To. Using Unload instead of Load only unloads passengers, without loading new passengers.

Peter

 

[MonkeManTrainz420]

A loop will work but you need to signal and use track marks. If the route is single direction, use plenty of direction markers pointing in the direction of travel. I use this setup on a trolley route with a dog bone loop-setup for the line. By placing a track mark far into the loop, with direction markers at the beginning and middle this prevents the AI from cheating by backing up after hitting the first track mark, going back through the switch then pulling forward into the other leg of the loop to get to another track mark.

The signals set up around the loop prevents the AI from seeing itself. If the AI sees its own consist, the AI will forever run at caution (yellow).

Thank you, Mr. JCitron for the suggestion, but the crucial part is that I sadly don’t know how to signal my routes. I’ve simply never really figured it out. Do you perhaps know a basic signaling method for beginners?

 

[JCitron]

Thank you, Mr. JCitron for the suggestion, but the crucial part is that I sadly don’t know how to signal my routes. I’ve simply never really figured it out. Do you perhaps know a basic signaling method for beginners?

You're welcome.

Signaling isn't difficult. There are basically three kinds of signals.

Absolute = Stop signals.
Permissive = these allow trains to follow each other and can also indicate signal indications farther up the line. In real life, an engineer would stop and ask if it's okay to proceed after reading off the name on the signal.
Diverging signals. These are used to show which line is set.

Using Jointed Rail's naming convention for their signals:

Type 04 = Absolute
Type 05 = Permissive. These have a small black bar to type in the signal name.
Type 06 = Diverging signals
Type 08 = Interlocking. Used for wyes and crossovers.

You use Type04 signals where lines join together, or where you want one line to have a stop unless the switch is set for the line or if the line ahead is clear. You see these where branch lines join or if a siding joins a line.

Where tracks split to form two lines, you'll place a Type 06 with the targets (the lights) aimed at the train that's traveling down the line. The signal that's green indicates which track the line is set for.

For a stretch of track where you want trains to travel along, you'll place the Type 05 signals spread out so that the longest train fits in the block.

This is pretty much it. The rules are simple for us and for the AI most of the time. Once you get the hang of it, it'll go pretty simply.

 

[Christopher824]

Hello, I’m currently making a PRR-Era Northeast Corridor style route, in a loop. I would like to have commuter trains run between the stations on the loop, stopping at them to pick up and drop off passengers. I have tried using commands to do this, but the trains don’t stop for long enough to let the station do it’s thing or when they do stop, it’s in the wrong area of the station, like at the ends of it. How should I go about making the AI trains run a commuter service? Any help is greatly appreciated!

The replies above work and are good advice.

I would like to add that speed limit markers mey help solve your problem. If a train comes in too hot, it may overshoot the station. I place 5 MPH invisible speed markers just before my stations, then the desired speed for the loop just after the station. It would require 4 markers. The ones I use are directional and available on the DLS of CM;

<kuid:334896:26163> Invisible Speed Limit Sign 5

Looks like this

 

[davesnow]

I use <kuid:82348:2017001> LM3D Unload - Load passengers at Station all the time. It's not really a solution to your problem, but it saves time using this one command instead of having to use several to do what you want to do.

 

[JCitron]

I use <kuid:82348:2017001> LM3D Unload - Load passengers at Station all the time. It's not really a solution to your problem, but it saves time using this one command instead of having to use several to do what you want to do.

I must take a look at that command to make my driver queues shorter.

 

[KotangaGirl]

I should have a look at that command too as it looks like it could be useful.

 

[MonkeManTrainz420]

You're welcome.

Signaling isn't difficult. There are basically three kinds of signals.

Absolute = Stop signals.
Permissive = these allow trains to follow each other and can also indicate signal indications farther up the line. In real life, an engineer would stop and ask if it's okay to proceed after reading off the name on the signal.
Diverging signals. These are used to show which line is set.

Using Jointed Rail's naming convention for their signals:

Type 04 = Absolute
Type 05 = Permissive. These have a small black bar to type in the signal name.
Type 06 = Diverging signals
Type 08 = Interlocking. Used for wyes and crossovers.

You use Type04 signals where lines join together, or where you want one line to have a stop unless the switch is set for the line or if the line ahead is clear. You see these where branch lines join or if a siding joins a line.

Where tracks split to form two lines, you'll place a Type 06 with the targets (the lights) aimed at the train that's traveling down the line. The signal that's green indicates which track the line is set for.

For a stretch of track where you want trains to travel along, you'll place the Type 05 signals spread out so that the longest train fits in the block.

This is pretty much it. The rules are simple for us and for the AI most of the time. Once you get the hang of it, it'll go pretty simply.

Thank you very much for the help! I’ve tried it but with RRSignal’s (RRS’s) PRR Signals. I forget what the one I’m using is called, but I’m fairly certain they are called SuperSignals. They’re very accurate to the areas I’m basing my route off of and I’m quite happy with them, and now with your help I can use them to their fullest extent.

As for the driver command that Mr. davesnow provided, I’ll check that out. Should be very beneficial to the commuter operations. Thank you all for the help!

 

[JCitron]

While the RRS signals may look okay, they have issues that may prevent them from working as intended. I highly recommend trying the Jointed Rail signals first using the information I gave you so you understand how they work. After that, you can try others including the complicated RRS signals that require modifying their configuration through the interface in the operation session. Due to updates to the program code in recent Trainz versions, these settings my not stick and prevent your signals from setting up properly.

 

[davesnow]

Heck, I don't know anything about signals. I just plop them down before and after spurs and whatnot, or place them on a line about a half mile apart so that the trains keep running. That still doesn't work all the time. Many times, even at a GREEN signal, the train won't go because it's "Waiting for access to track." Seems to me the game engine should be written so that the train goes with the signal INSTEAD of "waiting for access to track." That track the loco is waiting for access to might be 20 miles down the line, with half a dozen green signals in between. Causes a lot of bottlenecks and seems to me unnecessary waiting.

 

[JCitron]

Heck, I don't know anything about signals. I just plop them down before and after spurs and whatnot, or place them on a line about a half mile apart so that the trains keep running. That still doesn't work all the time. Many times, even at a GREEN signal, the train won't go because it's "Waiting for access to track." Seems to me the game engine should be written so that the train goes with the signal INSTEAD of "waiting for access to track." That track the loco is waiting for access to might be 20 miles down the line, with half a dozen green signals in between. Causes a lot of bottlenecks and seems to me unnecessary waiting.

Wait for access to track usually means that something's blocking the route ahead such as a switch thrown the wrong way. With a permissive signal or two in between, that can usually solve that issue because the AI will look to that signal first instead of all the way to the end.

 

[clarkeirons]

Thank you very much for the help! I’ve tried it but with RRSignal’s (RRS’s) PRR Signals. I forget what the one I’m using is called, but I’m fairly certain they are called SuperSignals. They’re very accurate to the areas I’m basing my route off of and I’m quite happy with them, and now with your help I can use them to their fullest extent.

As for the driver command that Mr. davesnow provided, I’ll check that out. Should be very beneficial to the commuter operations. Thank you all for the help!

Hello, I’m currently making a PRR-Era Northeast Corridor style route, in a loop. I would like to have commuter trains run between the stations on the loop, stopping at them to pick up and drop off passengers. I have tried using commands to do this, but the trains don’t stop for long enough to let the station do it’s thing or when they do stop, it’s in the wrong area of the station, like at the ends of it. How should I go about making the AI trains run a commuter service? Any help is greatly appreciated!

Sorry, but I have just picked up on this question and hope you have found an answer by now. If not I suggest the following:-
Most stations need the command "Drive to" followed by "Load" before they will operate the sequence set by "edit2ing the "station properties". E.G. if set as a "Trough" station the train will stop with the centre of the train at the centre of the platform length you have set. However: if set as a "Terminal" station the train will stop at the furthest end of the set platform length. The stop time must also be set within the "Station properties".