HowTo - build parallel railroad track when it's diagonal

[Atari]

Hi everyone,
I'm coming from OpenTTD but I'm experiencing some difficulties when it comes to build two parallel railroad track.
The GUI allows me to draw two parallel tracks when they are "right", but when one has a diagonal path I am not able to draw the second one near the first because the GUI joins it with the first track.
Any solution?

Thanks in advance, with regards
- Atari

[Zeno]

Try holding control while dragging, that will let you to "preview" where is the track going to be placed. Once you release the mouse, then the track will be placed as shown.

Edit: Holding control you tell the game not to use existing tracks for the new route but force to build new ones.

[Atari]

yeah thanks, another question
what's the difference between standard and long-blocking signals?

[Combuijs]

Use the search function on the forum. There is a lot of information available here.

See for example http://forum.simutrans.com/index.php?topic=1091.0.

The Simutrans Wiki is another useful place, as are both Simutrans manuals (beginner's guide, reference guide).

[dannyman]

Hello,

I have read many many explanations as to the difference between standard, pre, and long-block signals.  As far as I understand, long-block reserves a path to the next station, but the pre-signals I just don't get.

Has anyone as similarly dense as I am found a resource which explains this well?  Preferably a screenshot or three demonstrating "see this situation?  Now if we put a pre signal here instead of a standard signal, everything works better!"

Thanks!

-danny

[VS]

Normal signals break track into parts; train enters the next block only if it's free. (Same thing like this signal happens on boundaries of stations and crossings.)

Presignals (aka 2-block) do the same (break track into blocks), and trains look at the block after presignal, if that's free (like normal signals), and then at the next block, and if the first ends in presignal, again... until they hit normal end of block and look behind that. So you use them if you want a block that is never occupied by waiting train. Or more of them.

Long block signals negate stations' ability to break track into blocks.

German wiki has a lot of pictures but is in German
http://simutrans-germany.com/wiki/wiki/tiki-index.php?page_ref_id=45

[jamespetts]

Hi everyone,
I'm coming from OpenTTD but I'm experiencing some difficulties when it comes to build two parallel railroad track.
The GUI allows me to draw two parallel tracks when they are "right", but when one has a diagonal path I am not able to draw the second one near the first because the GUI joins it with the first track.
Any solution?

Thanks in advance, with regards
- Atari

It is easier to build diagonal track if you use the new clicking and dragging feature. Also, holding down CTRL can help to prevent them from merging.