News:

Simutrans Wiki Manual
The official on-line manual for Simutrans. Read and contribute.

Tram track too slow

Started by Vladki, November 26, 2017, 09:34:36 PM

Previous topic - Next topic

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

Vladki

Hi,

I'mnot sure if this is intentional or bug. I continue to play the demo game. I'm in december 1946, and the fastest trams are capable of 67 km/h, but fastest track is only for 32 km/h. Was there some sort of tram speed regulation in UK at that time?
It gives big throughput disadvantage to trams in comparison with buses. Although they have slightly higher capacity, buses can run 50 km/h within city, and can use the road in both directions, while trams are limited to 32 km/h and need passing loops or run in circles, etc...

jamespetts

This is indeed intentional, as this was indeed the maximum speed of trams for street running. However, trams were able to travel at a higher speed on segregated lines. In Simutrans, one can use railway tracks as segregated lines, and trams with a top speed of higher than 32km/h can use them to full advantage.

The reality is that, by the time that there were good 'buses able to go faster than 32km/h (which, in reality, required pneumatic tyres on all wheels, so only in the late 1920s did this become feasible for double deckers), trams were fast being replaced by 'buses or trolleybuses in any event. Trams were generally not economical after the 1920s, and only lingered into the 1960s because of the investment in the infrastructure (with the exception of Blackpool, which retained trams in large part to attract tourists). Modern trams are not just 'bus alternatives - they tend to have significant segregated track sections, so that they run like 'buses in town centres, but like trains in the outer parts of metropolitan areas.

If you are in 1946, you would not want to be building a new tram network - you would be wanting to build a 'bus or trolleybus network, and possibly replacing any existing tram network that you have (unless you find it economical for your purposes at present). To give some perspective, London started replacing its trams with trolleybuses in 1930 and finished (using diesel 'buses instead by this time) in 1952 - and would have finished much earlier but for the intervention of the war. The golden age of the electric tram is really the first two decades of the 20th century.
Download Simutrans-Extended.

Want to help with development? See here for things to do for coding, and here for information on how to make graphics/objects.

Follow Simutrans-Extended on Facebook.