New Train concept, images included.

Question

As an addition to the current trains, or maybe a replacement of them, I'd like to propose adding suspended trains to the game.
This system would allow a stackable design, both vertically and horizontally for regular pieces of track to keep trains neatly organized.

belts will attach to the belt in/output on the platform of the station, with storage underneath the station as opposed to on top of it.
trains would not have any actual cars for freight, but instead would have several of the current 'grip parts' that currently get the cargo off/in the freight cars, connected to the locomotive.
At a station, the door in the ground of the station would open up, hydraulic arms would lift up a platform to the freight grippers, until in reach where they snap onto the freight box.

Images:

https://imgur.com/a/eFaBpO5

Comments

I like the idea, I made a pretty shoddy mock-up of an idea as well in #screenshots on Discord. https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/553550313533997057/624668473900924928/3_minute_mock_up_2.jpg


To elaborate, my mockup uses only the train station for a demonstration. Ideally, the Freight Platform could easily be used for standard and suspension trains. Height does not need to be changed really, if the asset is modified in a way that brings the freight cars inline in both cases then it's a win/win.

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In your images, you stack trains above each other but the storage area is there just for the train on the ground level - it doesn't look like it could be available for the other two to three trains, unless you expect them to load/unload through the train below them.

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Only the one at the bottom in this setup is a station, the rows on top are comparable to stackable conveyorpoles for belts, but now for trains
This allows for neatly organized vertical railstacking

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You can already draw train tracks around, above or below stations. So I guess the only improvement would be that the station could be made slimmer because the storage box is already aligned with the carriage? And I'm not entirely sure the animation of adding some more stuff into already half full carriage could be made in any believable manner.

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this would allow for much easier vertical elevation though than conventional ways, similar to how stackable conveyorpoles allow regular belts to have vertical elevation. imagine scrapping the station part and just have the poles with the beam above the train and snapping regular railtrack to those poles.

Here's a real life example of what I mean:

https://i0.wp.com/shanghaiist.com/attachments/alexlinder/suspended_monorail56.jpg?resize=640%2C426

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@Kasusha I did not stack any trains, it is a single train, I only moved the rail and wheels from the bottom to the top - you missed my point, which was that the same station could be used to implement this feature as it would still fit as a suspension train. See Tomtommerr's link.

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Stackable rail track supports would be great, I'd love to have them in the game. But it's not necessary to flip the train upside down for them.

The advantage of the current design is that you can lay the track straight on the ground without need to build any supports for it. Supports are opional and possible, they're just not pretty.

What I mean, I see no real difference between this:

https://imgur.com/ABf4cO8

and this:

https://imgur.com/FUlECYT

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The poles could be built automatically along with building new track, similar to how building a conveyorbelt which gets extended on the ground comes with a new conveyorpole at the end

Answer 1

We can already do what you showed in your image in-game. Just build up walls up above the station, place floors above and build another station and more tracks above it.

Comments

this would be a suspended monorail setup, and is much more easily stackable with my concept than manually placing stuff :) so yes, while technically achievable right now, it's quite a hassle.