Found many topics/tuts about laying single track with passing sidings but can’t seem to find anything about double track operation… Remarkable because isn’t that the most common configuration ?…

I have connected 4 cities with double track. Can someone please explain how to get a train to switch from one track to the other by the end of the line ? I.e. use track 1 for one direction and track 2 for the return section ?

Thanks a lot for any hints/tips !

but instead of building a hugh loop where your train can circle to get on the other track (which would take some time). you can do a crossing right at the end of the station, when your train has already turned and is heading back to the other station.

maybe Im wrong, but so far this is keeping me from building this way.

Some examples in it.

Thats one of my terminus stations.

I moved the mouse over the signal to highlight it, you can see it under the line marking.

Just build this setup, for every line seperate on your terminus stations, build some signal blocks so several trains can drive in the same direction at the same time on your line and you’re good to go, for the basics.

I have tried the suggestions by twofl and Dozer first and it worked right away. After placing the signals the ‘Manage Lines’ animation also showed the correct direction for both tracks. Bought a second train and let it run once the first train reached the second station. It stopped in front of the crossing/signal ” waiting for free pass” (or something rather… ), placed a signal about half way the first two stations and off it went.

Am in a spot of trouble now… no more money (and i only have road transport running at one city sofar) No problem, start again. This was just to see what intricaties would turn up while creating double track and how to get trains running on it correctly.

Mission accomplished. Thanks very much again, gents !

Also thanks a lot for your comment, leew ! Very informative. Will try single track stations at each end next .  ( but what about extending the line later ?… Just replace the single track station by a double ?… )

@ Agarwel : the two trains running at my double track line are loading/unloading passengers just fine at each station and from each track. No problem at the end stations, where only one track is used, neither.

Thanks a wagonload again, guys !

Cheers,

jan

But if you create a second line with the two stops in opposite order, it’ll pick the other platform in both ends. Tell either train to go to the other line and after a period of adaptation (changing tracks, passenger amount recovering) you’ve got a two platform system.

I have no idea how well this works in practice with say 4 platforms.

1) In a station one track per line.
2) Only build so many switches as you need.

And before you connect a city to your network, look around it, if there are other cities, which you may want to connect later on and what the contourlines are showing, what the terrain is like.

Example: You want to connect City A to your network. There are also the neighboring cities B, C, D and E.
D and E are blocked off by mountain ranges so you decide, that you want to connect A to your network by extending your mainline and that you want to connect B and C to A, each by a seperate line.
So in the end you will have 3 lines in planned station on A, so it will need 3 tracks => 3-Track-Passenger station.

This way, you’ll save money, because otherwise you may have only build a single-track station and later on, when you want to connect B and C, you would’ve to tear down the station, maybe connecting tracks and rebuilding it, so investing unnecessary sums of money.