Train STOP schedules instead of train schedules

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mrvn
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Train STOP schedules instead of train schedules

Post by mrvn »

I've been playing with normal trains and LTN a lot. Vanilla trains aren't flexible enough to adjust to changed conditions. But I don't like the way LTN has trains always sitting at a depot and then make a 2 stop run.

I think LTN goes in the right direction. The train stops should provide and request goods and trains should be dynamically tasked to deliver goods. But LTN stations are both to free and to limited and designing a rail network with priorities becomes too complicated and often you need multiple stations or ugly workarounds to change limits or priorities.

So I'm thinking of better ways to set schedules on train stops instead of trains that allows for fixed or dynamic routes with fixed or dynamic trains. I think the first thing that has to go is programming stops through signals only. Signals are just to limited to create a complex schedule. Instead each stop should have a GUI to program the stop and signals would only be used as conditions in the schedule. I imagine the the following features:
  • Select station type and train size/composition: terminal, RoRo or bi-directional
    This limits the kind of trains that can be used. A train has to conform to all stops along a route.
  • Trains have a home station (always first or last in their schedule). Arriving there resets their internal schedule.
  • Request or provide goods with condition:
    Coal < 1000: request 500 Coal from networks 1+3+9, Coal > 10000: provide 1000 Coal to networks 2+7
  • Option to pre-load trains
    Stations will load the train and then wait for anyone to need it. This somewhat limits the provides one can use since they can't be matched against requests.
  • Fixed source or destination:
    Coal < 1000: request 500 Coal from Backup Coal Mine 1
    Iron Ore > 10000: provide 1000 Iron Ore to Steel Smelter 1
  • multiple items or stops
    Everything < 10000: request 1000 copper plates AND request 500 iron plates
    Oil Barrels < 100: provide 100 empty barrels to Oil pump and request 100 oil barrels from Oil pump
  • refuel options
    Fuel < 2MJ: goto Refuel 4
  • Request priorities
    For provides one can use the available amounts to prioritize. One can also use multiple networks to set priorities. But for requests at least it would often be simpler to specify a priority at the requester leaving all other stations simple. Highest requester gets the goods, then next highest and so on. E.g. the power plant has a high priority for fuel. Everyone else just shares.
  • Ratios
    E.g. 2/3 iron ore go to the iron smelter and 1/3 to the steel smelter. But not as multiple stops. Instead send trains out in a 2:1 ratio.
I know it's just a rough outline of my ideas but what do you think? Given the multitude of train mods is there one out there already working this way? Am I insane?

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