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I have trains that insist there is no path, even though I can manually ride them to both stations without having to go backwards. I've tried removing all signals in case I had made a mistake there, but it doesn't help. Have also split the rails, except for a shared section where they have to turn around at my base. What am I doing wrong? Some screens below of the main station and shared loop, and example of loop at ore station.

drive it manually along your intented path and see at which point it can find a path, at that point something changed that blocked your train (most likely a stray signal)

Hi,
do you know that it is the signals that indicate which path the train can take. On a two way line, the signals needs to be at each side of the line, for each way it can take it! they also divide the line into blocks that are used bye the AI in the way that no more than one train is allowed per block! In this case, maybe your train is blocking itself because you didnt put the signals correctly!

I've removed all the signals to eliminate the possibility of having made a mistake with them. I know that means the 2 trains could crash into each other in the circle, but this is just testing.

I can drive the train from station to station manually - there is no blockage then.
Also, adding an extra locomotive to the rear of the train results in it working (by simply avoiding the main loop section). So I'm guessing there is something about this main loop that it really does not like. And oddly enough it is only the right hand train that doesn't work. The left hand one goes through the main loop without a problem.

Food4Monkeys wrote:I can drive the train from station to station manually - there is no blockage then.

Drive halfway and then put it in automatic.

Drive 3/4 of the way and then put it in automatic.

Eventually you will find the bad track.

You didn't post a picture of your signals.

I think the problem is that a train doesn't like crossing itself even going the other way. Let me guess, the left hand train drives down the right hand side after the loop? Or plans to drive there and when it later stops at a red signal it sees that now the left hand side is free and repath picks that way? Keep the mouse over the train and check what path it plans to take while it drives.

mrvn wrote: Keep the mouse over the train and check what path it plans to take while it drives.

This. You can see where the arrows are green then it turns into red. You will know which track segment to fix.

Food4Monkeys wrote:I've removed all the signals to eliminate the possibility of having made a mistake with them.

If you have no signals at all then you can only have a single train, if you had more than one train on the track, as your top picture shows, then both of those trains are in the same block and will not be able to automate even though you can move them manually. You need to add signals to split up your rail network into blocks if you want to use more than one train.

If all you're trying to do is test and you want to remove signals, then be sure to remove all your extra trains too since track without signals can only support a single train.

Try this (not tested)
Red for Chain Blue for normal. I THINK this should work depending on whats going on out of view.

Its an interesting idea to reuse the same loop for multiple trains, i wouldnt recommend it on busy sections its quite prone for deadlocks.

Shokubai solution works, personally i would put the regular signal on top of the loop, but thats more preference to keep the intersection unblocked.

Click for large

and the bottom where the two lines converge into one and the destination train stop? Given that one train worked I would guess the error is where the two tracks meet.

I've managed to sort it, by taking things away one by one. Turns out there was a lone rail signal tucked away right by the train stop so I couldn't see it on the screen because it was hidden by the train stop pole. I've tried to suggested chain & rail signals works great now. I agree - quite likely not too scaleable, but so far just running 2 trains on a pretty early base. Always time for improvement later