block functions, does not prevent entering occupied block
Hi AndyW, is it possible to put a picture of your track here, so we can have a better idea what kind of situation u have ?
some additional info: there is no traditional lifthill but a linear motor katapult start. This "Lift" section is a separate block, as i can see on the control panel. After first train has left this "Lift" block, this block is free. For a normal lifthill it is no problem, because a train can be stopped on top of lifthill when train before has not reached next block brake, but for a linear motor train cannot be stopped at end of acceleration. So it must be possible to say that this "Lift" section is not a separate block but it belongs to the same block as the track before next block brake.
But how can i say it to NoLimit? With one train it works fine, also if waiting intervals in station are much longer, so train before has enough time to reach block brake. But this is no really safety, if train will stop unexpectedly, train in station will start after time is up...
Thanks for a tipp how to solve this problem!
Posting a picture of your ride in the editor should help us determine what to recommend for a solution.
-Ride_Op
Hello,
it is a very big coaster, what is needed in the picture? The complete coaster in top view? Then station, acceleration "Lifthill" (horizontal LIM), transfer track and brakes are very tiny, you cannot recognize something in a screenshot. So you need a lot of screenshots, what parts do you need to see? All in top view or some others?
So i try to make a description as accurate as possible: I begin with the first brake at the end of the ride, it is ca. 60m long (the train is fast). Then there is a second brake, 30m long, because i am running up to 3 trains. Then there is a station for exit only, 20 m long (a train is ca. 15m long). Then comes the transfer track, 20m long. After that, there comes the main station, 20m long for boarding. Then comes the LIM acceleration "Lifthill", ca. 100m long. All brakes, stations, transfer tracks and "Lifthill" have transport devices. Then begins the ride with a steep structure like kingda ka (200m high) following with big looping, boomerang, a long curve, then a brake about 80m high, braking down to 36km/h, this is also a block brake. Following a steep dropdown, a camelback, two corkscrews and two rollings around heardline, then arriving end of ride.
In the control panel there are several blocks: both brakes at end of ride, station for exit only,
transfer track, station for boarding, the "Lifthill", the brake in the middle of the ride (this is occupied from end of "Lifthill" to end of this brake). The problem is, that the "Lifthill" is a separate block, it should be a part of the block belonging to the brake in the middle of the ride. For a normal lifthill it is no problem, because a normal lifthill can stop before let train going on the ride, it is like an additional block brake. But this is not possible for a LIM accelerator. I see when train starting before other train reaches brake in middle of ride that the accelerator switches off before reaching end of accelerator, so train does not have enough speed to enter the "kingda ka" hill completely, it rolls back and get stuck at the end of accelerator. But then train cannot continue ride when track becomes free and i get an error message of two trains in one block because this train had entered the track after accelerator for a moment while train before is still in same block.
If i can make accelerator (the "Lifthill") and first part of ride including brake on middle of ride making one single block, it will working fine, but with accelerator being a separate block it will not work. With one train the coaster works fine. I have stopped time from accelerator to brake on middle of ride, it is a little less than 80 seconds, so i have configured minimum waiting time in boarding station to 80 seconds. With this workaround it works, because a train enters accelerator after train before has left block brake in middle of ride. But this is not realistic and i have unneccesary long wait time at the station.
Best regards
[AndyW]
I have stopped time from accelerator to brake on middle of ride, it is a little less than 80 seconds, so i have configured minimum waiting time in boarding station to 80 seconds. With this workaround it works, because a train enters accelerator after train before has left block brake in middle of ride. But this is not realistic and i have unneccesary long wait time at the station.
If I understood correctly, you have a problem because your block sections are too long and thus your waiting time at the station is longer than you would like. You have two choices:
- Keep the station wait time longer like you tried, because this is the only way to have your current layout allowed to operate.
- Change the layout of your coaster. In other words, move the MCBR (mid-course brake run) to earlier in the layout, to allow faster dispatch time.
Coasters use a block system that enables only one train on each block at a time to prevent collisions. A block is separated by a method to stop the train (brakes or transport devices). If the next block is occupied, the following train is stopped and released when the next block is free to advance. NoLimits follows this logic and if you get an error message, you have to adjust your block sections and/or dispatch timing.
Please post a picture of your layout that shows the brakes, stations and launches (you can leave the "Kingda Ka hill" and rest of the gravity run parts out).
Hello,
I understand the funtion of blocks, it is the same as for railroads - also for model railroads. The problem is, that i have one block too much, the acceleration area and the ride up to first block brake is another, separate block. But i want both be the same block, then it will work. But NoLimits makes two separate blocks. Each block must be able to stop a train at its end until next block is free. But the LIM accelerator cannot stop a train on its end, a normal lifthill can, so it must not be a separate block. Perhaps this can be added for the next update.
Later i can load a picture (how do i include a picture into a posting here?), but i think, i must keep the station time as long as it is now. If i move the mid.course brake run to an earlier point, the problem is not solved really, only you can have shorter station times. In reality is remains unsafe, if a train stops somewhere on track, next train will start anyway. If the first train has not managed to go over the Kingda Ka hill, it will be on end of acceleration and the starting train will crash into it. So the correct solution is to combine the two blocks to one block as described. If NoLimits does not have a function to combine several consecutive blocks to one, i keep the long station time. It is not possible to move the brake to an earlier point, the layout is nearly finished. But also if the problem cannot be solved, the coaster now works fine.
Best regards
Have you tried making it a trim brake yet?
The system will not send a train into an occupied block, ever. What we must be encountering here is the device responsible for stopping an advancing train and preventing a block violation is not strong enough or long enough to provide enough force stop the train before the train leaves the segment.
To post a picture, first post your picture on any website anywhere. Then you can post the link to the picture here. We'll help identify the issue for you and recommend how to fix it while still achieving the ride you want.
-Ride_Op
Hello,
i will try to post pictures here. I found only a server whitch deletes the pictures after one month. Here the top view of station area.
The acceleration track is much longer than on picture, it is ca. 150m long. Also there is only one block brake at the end of ride, the second brake is replaced by the exit station. So there is no end brake 1 and 2 but these are together one big brake.
Here is a view to the acceleration track:
It does not help if accelerating train can be stopped completely in acceleration track because it is not possible to accelerate train if it is already standing in accelerating track and not in the station because power of acceleration is not enough to go over the Kingda Ka hill. But next train has entered station, so train cannot go back to station. Acceleration track must be so long, because max. speed is 180km/h, even if you enter higher speeds in the setting.
I think, there is no solution and my design will remain with longer station time, in simulation train will never unexpectevly stop on track before reaching block brake in middle of ride...
Best regards
You could add another block brake between the boarding station and launch. In case of a rollback, the train is stopped in this block brake and can be re-launched from a standstill. Of course, this requires you to do some changes to the track (add a bit of length) and remove acceleration from station: instead have it slowly roll out of the station into this new block brake before it starts the launch.
Hello,
ic have a coaster with 2 trains, nearly in the middle of the track a brake unit, at the end of the track a brake, following a transfer track for storage of trains, wich has also a brake. When i start play, first train starts, after leaving station the second train enters station and wait for passenger to enter. 1 Minute later the second train starts - before the first train passes the block brake in the middle of the track. The track is long, so second train is ready to start before first train passes block brake. Then i get an error message because of two trains in one block. To enlagre waiting time in the station is not a good workaround, so each train has extra waiting time even if it is not necessary.
But why does the second train start? All brakes are set as "block". There is a field "Extra Block length", but i do not know what does it mean. The documentation in "Help" ("Reference" is not very helpful, is lists only all menues and tabs with a very short explanation. No explanation of a lot of details, e.g. how does the Ride Control Panel work, how Does the block logic work and many more. I am searching for a bigger documentation, with an index where one can lokk where to find the needed information. But i think, there is no such documentation. There are some Tutorials on youtube, but it is nearly impossible to search for a special problem. And i prefer reading a documentation as asking in a forum for every problem. Some problems are solvable by try and error, e.g. i have made environment after some trying, part of my park looks good now.
Best regards