JonMyrlennBailey
Well-known member
As most know by now, AI doesn't mimic human train control well or even the computerized autonomous railroad operations as on some modern inner city rail transit systems.
1. braking/acceleration is often too sudden given the size/weight/speed of the mimicked railroad vehicular equipment that Trainz is generating images for
2. the unnatural reduction in throttle/train speed when passing a track mark (waypoint) while executing "Drive Via": an autonomous car would not slow down while passing a waypoint while it tries to calculate the next command in its drive schedule, neither would a jetliner in autopilot mode
3. the fact that this system sees RR signals too far in advance, ideally the AI component should be reengineered to only see an upcoming signal within the range of vision of a human train operator, perhaps 500 to 1,000 feet and react to it in the manner a human train controller would react to it; a one one-mile-long freight train should not slow from 50 mph to 25 mph in 5 seconds or less when it's human at the control stand of the lead engine observes a yellow condition: a human controller will have perception time, reaction time and the train, following physics laws, will require a certain braking distance given its mass, grade, track conditions and speed
4. diesel locomotives under AI control unnaturally rev high continuously once cruising speed is reached, a human operator, on the other hand, will adjust throttle position to keep the train at set speed and you will continually hear fluxuations in engine pitch: when the real-world diesel engine hits a target speed of 50 mph on a level section, the engineer may close the throttle all the way and only increase it as the train slows down to bring it back to target or control speed again: having been a passenger on d/e trains and seated close to the engine, one can hear the variation of engine pitch as the train travels down the track: it will rev high during acceleration and then die down once cruising speed is reached: it will rev up again when a grade is approached: when you set your car on cruise control, you will still hear fluctuations in engine speed and notice tach readings change if you have a tach, the automobile will need more power and gas when load conditions increase as a grade and the cruise feature compensates by varying throttle position accordingly to keep set speed steady, you'll hear the engine die down again once the car is over the summit
5. unrealistic control of switch levers: control of a switch should be on a first-come-first-serve basis: AI should not snatch the switch lever that I had control of first out of my hands as a manual driver: the only way I can take back control of a switch is tell the AI train waiting at it to STOP TRAIN. Upon issuing STOP TRAIN command, the AI train holding at the junction releases the lever back to me.
What many here may desire is an AI feature with built-in real-world physics calculations. The genius of software lies in talented human software engineers and developers.
1. braking/acceleration is often too sudden given the size/weight/speed of the mimicked railroad vehicular equipment that Trainz is generating images for
2. the unnatural reduction in throttle/train speed when passing a track mark (waypoint) while executing "Drive Via": an autonomous car would not slow down while passing a waypoint while it tries to calculate the next command in its drive schedule, neither would a jetliner in autopilot mode
3. the fact that this system sees RR signals too far in advance, ideally the AI component should be reengineered to only see an upcoming signal within the range of vision of a human train operator, perhaps 500 to 1,000 feet and react to it in the manner a human train controller would react to it; a one one-mile-long freight train should not slow from 50 mph to 25 mph in 5 seconds or less when it's human at the control stand of the lead engine observes a yellow condition: a human controller will have perception time, reaction time and the train, following physics laws, will require a certain braking distance given its mass, grade, track conditions and speed
4. diesel locomotives under AI control unnaturally rev high continuously once cruising speed is reached, a human operator, on the other hand, will adjust throttle position to keep the train at set speed and you will continually hear fluxuations in engine pitch: when the real-world diesel engine hits a target speed of 50 mph on a level section, the engineer may close the throttle all the way and only increase it as the train slows down to bring it back to target or control speed again: having been a passenger on d/e trains and seated close to the engine, one can hear the variation of engine pitch as the train travels down the track: it will rev high during acceleration and then die down once cruising speed is reached: it will rev up again when a grade is approached: when you set your car on cruise control, you will still hear fluctuations in engine speed and notice tach readings change if you have a tach, the automobile will need more power and gas when load conditions increase as a grade and the cruise feature compensates by varying throttle position accordingly to keep set speed steady, you'll hear the engine die down again once the car is over the summit
5. unrealistic control of switch levers: control of a switch should be on a first-come-first-serve basis: AI should not snatch the switch lever that I had control of first out of my hands as a manual driver: the only way I can take back control of a switch is tell the AI train waiting at it to STOP TRAIN. Upon issuing STOP TRAIN command, the AI train holding at the junction releases the lever back to me.
What many here may desire is an AI feature with built-in real-world physics calculations. The genius of software lies in talented human software engineers and developers.
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