train length

[anuyahong]

Hello!

Do you always take trains with a special length or do you let it just depend on the situation/goods/whatever?
Usually my trains are 5 tiles long, especially the trains for goods and highspeed passenger trains.
I think, 5 fields long is a good mixture between a realistic look and speed.

So please let me know, how you handle this, maybe I can get some good ideas for future maps. :-)
Thanks,
Frank

[Severous]

Most my games are late 1800's.  Weak locomotives..so 3 tiles long is the normal length.  On quiet branch line to tourist location a two tile station is enough.  Really just depends on volume.  

A one length would be enough if a modern EMU or DMU offerred enough capacity.

[Maragil]

Freight

I variate between chronology and non, but generally when powerful diesels which can be placed at the back or steam engines which can be placed at the back, my trains are 6 tiles long, and use 5 tile platforms - the engine is either just at the back, meaning it doesn't need a platform for the Locomotive , thus saving money, or 1 at the front, 1 at the back if more power is required.

Also, if you look at the image 2 I've made below using lines, you see that the engine is in the middle piece of track between the platforms round the corner. I shall post a screenshot when I get around to it perhaps

C=Carriage
E=Engine
-,]=Platforms
As you can see the Engine is out of platform - this can also be used when having 2 platforms round corners, as shown below.
--------
CCCCCCE
--------

---------
ECCCCCCCE]
---------]C]
           ]C]
           ]C]
           ]E]

Passengers

For Passengers, I prefer to use Passenger trains (sometimes 2/3 Locos with Carriages for Really Big lines), for Intercity 5+ Platforms, branch lines are 2-3, REALLY BIG TRAIN LINES - 8+ Platforms.

Anyway, play it as space allows, and as you like!

[jamespetts]

The sensible thing, I think, is to vary it with the situation. If your trains are too short, you will not haul enough cargo/passengers, and your stations will be crowded. If your trains are too long, there will be wasted spare capacity, which means that you will have to pay for vehicles that you do not use, and your trains will be slower as a result of hauling unnecessary weight.

[wing044]

My trains' length depend on whether I can maintain a sufficient frequency on the service. Once I've reached a target frequency like 20 trains/month, I'll turn to lengthening trains to increase capacity. My stations are standardised as 3, 6 or 9 tiles long.

Freight trains are always as long as possible. A 12-tile, double headed train takes up less track space than 2 6-tile trains and therefore reduces congestion.

[anuyahong]

Thank you, everyone!  :-)

[Erniii]

My trains are 10 tiles long. If a train is too slow with one locomotive I add an additional one so the minimum speed of the train in at least 80km/h

[dannystaple]

I keep my trains to around 3-5 tiles, or shorter for low capacity routes. Longer trains mean extra hassle in terms of station length, signalling complexity, junction complexity and junction size. When trying to be efficient by sharing sections of rail, have trains that are too long jam up junction is a good way to loose money quickly...
Although if train length is causing junction problems, there are interesting "features" with tunnels that "shirnk" trains in some kind of way...

[werl]

It's a combination of distance, profitability, supply and demand, current funds and rail speed.

hope this helped