Train Deadlock

[IronValley]

I previously thought I understood how the Rail signals function, but I've ran into an issue with a section of track.


This situation now occurs every time the trains attempt to return to the station on the left. Even if I manually let the train on the left trough, the train on the right has issues with received a green signal.

What am I doing wrong here?

[Boogieman14]

Hover your mouse over the signals to see which paths they cover (the yellow arrows). I suspect the middle signal in the bottom left block of three might be the culprit. Also, you're most often better off with one-directional track.

[glutamate]

Are any of your trains longer than the middle piece of track?

I found this helpful to fix my rail network: http://en.reddit.com/r/factorio/comment ... s_revised/

[ssilk]

Without seeing the whole track it is not possible, to see, where the problem is. Cause it must be outside this picture. Some forgotten signal or so.

[keyboardhack]

Without the whole setup we won't be able to fix your system completely.
I am guessing the bottom right railway leads to your train station and if so, then i see the problem.



Adding a signal in the red spot should allow the left trains to drive through the bottom right railway

EDIT: switched right and left and corrected typos : P

[SkySo1dier]

Hey, I am running a pretty successful rail network with about 10 trains -- see attachment at the very end. There are never deadlocks.

The deadlocks are both signal AND design driven.

Looking at your crossing I submit to you that you need to redesign this portion of track following these rules:

1) All segments have to be longer than the longest train. Right in the screenshot you have a tiny little segment. This alone will clog up your network.

2) The design of the network has to be circular. I.e. the stations can be sidetracks entering the main network via signals, but the overall network has to be a loop. You make that loop via signals. For example in the next screenshot all signals for any given track point in the same direction:

Railroad 5.jpg (885.11 KiB) Viewed 4310 times

The trains are running happily and the network accommodates six trains for six segments. You can look at the steam from the locomotives to get an idea of them moving non-stop.



If you change just one signal the deadlock takes place right away. This is because a single track should never have signals to proceed along both ways. It renders one of the sidetracks unusable eliminating a number of safe segments for the trains to park at.

Railroad 4.jpg (889.93 KiB) Viewed 4310 times

And finally, a ground-up network design:

Railroad 3.jpg (496.49 KiB) Viewed 4310 times

[ssilk]

Adding a sinal in the red spot should allow the right trains to drive through the bottom left railway

No, this will make things worse.

@skysoldier: with segments you mean blocks? Because a segment is something different, I would guess. Hover over the rails to see there are segment and block numbers!

@ironVally: this isn't finished, but eventually useable: https://forums.factorio.com/wiki/inde ... /Tutorials

[ccik]

Hover your mouse over the signals to see which paths they cover (the yellow arrows). I suspect the middle signal in the bottom left block of three might be the culprit. Also, you're most often better off with one-directional track.

I suspect the same. I don't see why the signal should be at this position, whithout seeing the rest of your network. If you want to protect the lower right track, then just put it after the junction. With your setup, you created a very small block, which could be the issue here.

Also from my OTTD experience: Never put a single signal right after a junction. This will deadlock the junction. Make a "holding track" after the junction with two signals, spaced to accomodate your longest train. If you might run in a situation where two trains may be waiting after a junction, build two holding tracks.

[keyboardhack]

Adding a sinal in the red spot should allow the right trains to drive through the bottom left railway

No, this will make things worse.

Derp yes i fixed my answer. should make it better now