Track Direction

Mick_Berg

New member
I've just read Chuck Brite's excellent tutorials again and I'm wondering - OMG, do I really need to re-lay all my track in the right direction? My route works quite well with the random directions it has at the moment (this is a result of my lack of knowledge when I started the route ages ago).
It does indeed have a few quirks - but re-laying all the track would be a royal pain. So some honest opinions would be appreciated.
BTW, if it is important for track to be correctly oriented, a tool to re-orient it without having to re-lay it would be really useful. And, surely, dual-track splines such as "2-track wood" (which I used for most of the route) should be made with one track in each direction, shouldn't they?
Thanks,
Mick Berg.
 
Track directions

Hi Mick,

This is just some of my own findings, others may differ.

Track laid in the usual direction of traffic does seem to cause the trains to run smoother and closer to the posted speed limit. However provided there are enough trackmarks to avoid having the driver lose his way, random track directions do work. As for double track splines, I always replace these with single track. There are two reasons for this, the main one being that you can't apply the straighten track tool to double track which makes it very difficult to lay a smooth radius turn. The second reason is the direction problem. Having said this there is some double track on the DLS which has the directions opposite to each other. I can't remember off hand who's track it is but someone else may be able to enlighten you.

Cheers,
Bill69
 
The AI will "Tend" to move in the direction the track was laid...since reading that info, I am careful to lay me track certain ways...Resolved alot of my AI Issues right out...
 
I can't say definitely 1 way or the other. I would think that Auran would have mentioned it with all the problems and abuse they suffered trying to get a working AI particularly if the results were significantly better.

Just inserting a spline point or a junction in a track section already on the ground will reverse the direction of 1 segment - Suveyor has no concept of maintaining the direction you originally set out. The only valid way to check it is to put a piece of rolling stock on the track and move it to each section along the whole route and note the direction of the arrows.

In addition to the double track (bridge type splines) you mentioned, buildables, industries and fixed track have their own predefined (and not indicated) directions. These latter all have attached spline track that you can't adjust. If you use curved fixed track there is no way to maintain unidirectional track - used as right hand curves the attached track is layed opposite to the direction when they are used as left hand curves.

Bob Pearson
 
If your track plan is clear enough that the AI doesn't have any problems, then I say leave it alone. There's no point in driving yourself crazy to fix something that's not a problem.

:cool: Claude
 
It's a common myth - I lay track in either direction. At least 90% of my track is single track-bidirection, which would mean that if the myth was true, I'd be in big trouble as I could supposedly only run AI trains successfully in one direction.

As Kermit the Frog says in the Muppet Movie..."It's a myth, myth!"
 
For those who do lay track in a certain direction for the benefit of the AI: Which direction do you lay stub track, such as the dead-ends of a yard or an industry spur? Does the direction of these matter? Thanks!
 
Personally, I ignore track "direction".

^ what george said. And natvander. :)

Even if you lay all your track in one direction every time you insert a junction or new spline point you 'reverse' the direction of that segment. Sorting it all out again in even a small yard would be a nightmare. Life is too short...

As to the AI 'preferring' one direction over another I have found that with signalling and junction layouts that the AI can interpret properly any problem that does crop up can be fixed without even considering the track direction.

Andy :)
 
Thanks for all the input. Consensus seems to be not to spend hours replacing all the track, maybe I will just do the areas where there seems to be problems. For instance, when my loco runs round a train, it backs up further than necessary, sometimes going through crossovers possibly into the path of oncoming trains, for no apparent reason. Maybe a few well-placed direction markers would fix that?
Thanks,
Mick Berg.
 
I'm thinking trying an experiment, which should result in a definite answer to all this. I will create a route with the same identical track layout twice, once made haphazardly, and once with careful attention to track direction, no dual track, etc. I'll run the same driver schedule on both, at the same time, using an identical consist on each one, and see how they behave.
The tracks will be laid out so that the progress of both trains can be seen at the same time.
Should be interesting, don't you think? Can anyone see any reason why this wouldn't work, before I spend a few hours on it?
Thanks,
Mick Berg.
 
It might prove something once and for all...

It might also be worth trying the difference between a well signalled route with plenty of trackmarks etc, and a route where it's a bit more vague. I've sometimes wondered whether track direction can make a slight difference if the signalling etc doesn't give the AI sufficient direction. That might account for the myth in the first place...

Paul
 
The only things that you have to worry about when laying track is that:

A) If you lay track in one direction, then turn around and lay track back towards it you may get a slight misalignment in the rails, pictures below show it:

http://members.westnet.com.au/nightcrawler/trainz/track-misalign-01.jpg

http://members.westnet.com.au/nightcrawler/trainz/track-misalign-02.jpg

Look at the spline point, the rails have a slight alignment, it is more visible on some tracks then others, this has been explained in other threads.

B) In the shots above you can also see the tracksmarks face each other, this is because by default when you place them they will face the direction that the track was layed. This is the case for signals, speed signs, directional markers and yes even locomotives/consists, they will by default face the direction is which the track was layed, you have to use the 'rotate' tool in Surveyor after placing to change this.


If you are creating a single line with passing loops then yeah, its a little harder, but if it was me then I would be laying the track all in one direction, towards the end. When placing signals, speed boards etc, these would have to be rotated so that trains can travel in both directions.

If you are creating a duel line then if it was me I would be laying the track in the direction of travel, once finished one track, start working along side of the first one, when finished and placing of signals, speed boards etc just becomes that little easier as they will face in the direction that I want them too by default, no rotating needed. Crossovers (if needed) are the only things that can cause the slight misalignment as mentioned above, but they do not 'stand out' as much, I hardly ever use them, can cause the AI drivers to take a "wrong turn" and be on the wrong track.

Hope this helps a little... :)
 
Well, I tried my experiment, and there was hardly any difference between the performance of a randomly laid route with a main line in dual track, and the same route carefully laid with separate up and down main lines. And, as was pointed out, every time you add a junction, the direction of the involved section of track is reversed. So keeping it all straight becomes impractical.
Mick Berg.
 
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I can't say definitely 1 way or the other. I would think that Auran would have mentioned it with all the problems and abuse they suffered trying to get a working AI particularly if the results were significantly better.

Just inserting a spline point or a junction in a track section already on the ground will reverse the direction of 1 segment - Suveyor has no concept of maintaining the direction you originally set out. The only valid way to check it is to put a piece of rolling stock on the track and move it to each section along the whole route and note the direction of the arrows.

In addition to the double track (bridge type splines) you mentioned, buildables, industries and fixed track have their own predefined (and not indicated) directions. These latter all have attached spline track that you can't adjust. If you use curved fixed track there is no way to maintain unidirectional track - used as right hand curves the attached track is layed opposite to the direction when they are used as left hand curves.

Bob Pearson

There have been many discussion on this subject, Auran say that its not important, but I also have found that in various situations of an AI driver getting lost or stuck its one of two issues, wrong signals or track the wrong way round, althou Auran state that its not a problem if you read the signals manual that comes with TC it does state that for the signals to work correct you have to pay attention to the direction the track is layed, it acualy states if you start to lay you S>N track do not jump ahead and lay a section N>S as this will give problems with your signals later, anyway just to cover yourself do it right the first time, with sidings and single line running things get a little more confused, but I have found when laying single line branch lines, if the AI gets confused it will most times be the ones running the line against the direction it was layed !!
 
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