That pesky AI........

frosty90

New member
Ok picture this:

There is a single directional piece of main line. There is a siding which converges with it (so facing the correct direction down the main line, you would see a trailing points). The exit from the siding and the mainline are protected by signals. There are plentiful signals in advance of the junction, along the main line. Ok got the mental picture? So heres the problem:

I am driving a train in the siding. There are AI trains going up the main line. I want to take my train from the siding onto the main. The points are normally set for the main. There are no AI trains within 2 or 3 blocks (so the mainline signal is red, it says "no train approaching within this block") so I switch the points for the siding, the signal reading out of the siding clears, the mainline signal stays red (of course) and now says "line terminates or is closed". All good so far. I start to release my brakes to pull out of the siding. After all I have a green signal..... I begin to accelerate toward the signal leading out of the siding. Then. Out of nowhere. Like a bolt of lightning. An AI controlled train comes belting along the main, and changes the switch infront of my train! It zooms toward the junction at about infinity kilometers per hour, but by now, my train has just about reached the signal, its too late to stop. The AI train changes the junction infront of my moving train, to clear the main line signals and the siding signal goes red, for me it is too late, I cannot stop and derail (yet the AI train didnt ).

I set the junction way way ahead of the AI trains arrival. The mainline signal was red and said "no train approaching within this block" when I switched the switch, yet the AI train still changed (and locked) the junction ahead of me. I set up an experiment with a simple piece of track and a loop, and found that this always happens. You can be driving along with a green signal over a junction, which will simply go red right infront of you, because an AI train is approaching. You dont even need a signal infront of you: you can be approaching a junction, having already passed a green signal, and the AI will still flip the switch as you approach it!

So how do I stop this? Is there a rule that stops the AI buggering around with switches if another train already has a green light over it? I know about the autopilot rule, where they wont change junctions at all, but I like them to change junction, so I can tell them to drive whereever without manuallu setting the route, but just as long as they dont change it when another train has a green light over it!
 
Same problem here. Basically I would like a way to eliminate this weird effect of a trains throwing switches right behind them just after they pass over it. In some instances, it changes the points under the last car! And it derails. The rule made for this (check turnout alignment) does not always work...
 
That pesky

I find that that rule worked good but you have to change the switch yourself and be sure you change it back manualy or the AI train will stop and not move tell you switch it back.
Danny5
 
Will setting your train's priority higher than the AI trains' level be of any help? I would like to know if this works too,

Davis
 
hi strench707
the priorities are only for tracks and not actually for trains

if it were it would make it so easy
cheers
ron
 
So what exactly is the point of setting priorities? Does it tell say a Priority 2 train only to use Priority 2 track?

Davis

All trains are set to priority 2 by default and so is the track. So if you decide to set a section of track to say priority 1 by dropping a priority marker on it and setting it to 1, then all trains should avoid this section of track unless they are ordered to a location that is only accessible via this track. Of course if you set a train to priority 1 then this train will use the priority 1 track reguardless.

That is the theory but for me....it doesn't work because I get sick of my priority 2 trains using my priority 1 branch just because my mainline signal is only clear for two blocks and not green and I've even tried pointing the marker against the junction and using one at each end of the track. So...it seems that the trains will only avoid a priority driven track if the signal is green which I find pretty useless.

Mart.
 
Last edited:
Wow thats pretty stupid. I truly hope Auran reads these threads because that seems like maybe one of the more fixable issues.

Davis
 
The train priority does nothing. As others have mentioned, it only sets the 'prefered track' for a particular train. Which is a little redundant with the 'drive via trackmark' command.....

Heres an idea: Maybe there should be a rule that locks certain junctions from use by the AI, but allows the user to switch them and all others to be changed by the AI as normal. Then you could place an invisible junction just past each 'home signal' (Im using the term loosely to mean any signal that protects a junction etc.) before the actual junction, and lock this from use by the AI.

So heres how it would work. Under normal operation along the main, the invisible junction is set for the main, and the siding switch can be operated how ever the AI wants (so the AI can put trains into/out of the siding). When say the human driver wants to take a train out of the siding, you do this:

wait till the home signal on the main says 'no train approaching within block', so that you give the AI plenty of breaking distance. Then flip the invisible switch to 'de-rail' so that the main signal stays red, then you can operate the siding switch and move your train. Since the invisible switch is locked from use by the AI by some magical rule which I hope exists, it cannot go past that switch and mess with your siding while you are trying to exit it. When you are done shunting, flip the switch back to normal, and the AI can continue to run on the main line as it wants.

Thoughts?


edit:

Ok I think I found a solution. The 'set path rule' seems to work nicely. But, (theres always a but), for some reason which is clearly an insight beyond my ability to comprehend, the rule details and all its settings are in French. Im using trs 2006. Help????
 
Last edited:
As I understand it, a track with a priority other than that of the train seems longer to that train. The train will take what seems to it the shortest route. If your train is priority 2 (the default) then the train sees no diference between priority 1 and 3. No, adding more markers to a stretch track does not make it seem longer still.
 
AI derails my train and blocks junction switches.

This happened to me too when I was testing a steam engine on a different route,I don't get it, once I get my steam engine going with a train behind it,the AI throws the switch ahead of me and my train derails,and another thing I noticed is that the AI operated train blocks certain junctions is the reason why I can't throw the switch,any reason for that and how to clear that up,thanks!;)
 
Last edited:
hi up5521

i put trackmarks in just before the signals to as single section or station and make the ai drive via there first
normally they cant hog the points then, because they're stuill going to that tm
cheers
ron
 
hi up5521

i put trackmarks in just before the signals to as single section or station and make the ai drive via there first
normally they cant hog the points then, because they're stuill going to that tm
cheers
ron

I'll try that,thank you for the help!;)
 
What I have been doing is while in map mode look for an AI trains that might present a problem in my route by right clicking on the ai train you can instruct the train to stop. Or you can even tell it to abandon its schedule. But you have to be care full with that one as you can create a jam up on all the tracks as the ai train that usually runs right behind the first one will take a side out if there is one and then they booth come to a stop at the junction you are trying to use. I have discovered that you can have as many as 25 AI trains running at 1 time. Now I ask you what kind of stupid rule is that.There is a rule that will allow you to change this number to a more reasonable number like 3. But then you have to change the name of the session and it is not the same as before.
This is starting to drive me crazy. I am just about ready to say to H@** with this game and go back to flying.
:'(:confused::eek::(
 
Back
Top