Managing Speed Records

[jeffryfisher]

Do any if you pay much attention to train speed records that create named trains? Since named trains supposedly gain a 10% pax revenue bonus, I've decided that I shouldn't ignore them, especially if I decide to play my next game with a -25% human disadvantage.

1) When I get a new record notice, I pay attention to the speed.

If the record speed is greater than the top speed of the locomotive (a game bug that I've mentioned in other threads), then I do not hesitate to reload from my last save and pause the offending train long enough to make it sane (or not a record at all).

2) When I name a train, I write down the train number, speed and my new name.

Train# tells me what trains to revisit later when tuning my fleet.

Speed tells me where my next record should be (and how much margin has just been eclipsed).

The names just help me when playing future games. It's a bother to think of new names, so I like having lists that I can recycle. F'rinstance, my first record holder in any given century is named "##th Century Ltd". My current game has a 19th and a 20th, and it's about to get a 21st.

3) I try to assign only pax to my named trains. When micro-managing, I might be driven to put mail on (or even fast freight in a pinch), but...

4) From time to time I review my list of named trains and put them back on pure pax duty, drafting other trains to take up dropped hauls as necessary.

5) I try to keep named trains full and moving. I won't use them to wait-compete for loads (I have them pull from slightly under-served stations where AI companies don't bother them). I send them on long hauls and often boost their priority.

6) The minimum differential needed to achieve a new record appears to be 5mph. If I feel like cheating (or if I am suffering the aforementioned bug), then I will backup and pause trains as necessary to shave new record margins. This leaves more room for more records, which eventually means more trains earning +10%.

7) I never delete a named train. (Actually, nowadays, I only delete trains in the extreme case of merging crap from an AI company).

In my current US History game, I have 29 named trains in 1998. The average speed separation between records is 8.7mph (The minimum for the first speed record seems to be 35mph, but I am not sure).

Comments?

[MaglevForever]

Very interesting. I really don't pay too much attention to speed record trains. I just now tried a little testing in 1830. I got my first speed record at 27mph. I then got a few more and some as close as 2mph apart. 35mph and then 37mph. Turning up the throttle gave me that one. From what I can see the 10% extra revenue holds true on passengers. I did not try mail.

 

I notice that trains that wait for loads seem to accelerate past their top speed and then somehow count that speed in their average. The Atlantic for instance can hit 92mph on the flat with the throttle turned up when it says 80mph top speed. After a longish run I got a speed record of 127mph. It seems that the speed record always reads a bit high so maybe this is okay.

 

From what I saw touching the throttle and using waiting trains is not a good idea. Did you use the throttle? Maybe the waiting trains just keep on accelerating without any speed restrictions? I wonder how this works because they seem to not accelerate empty but have a loaded weight acceleration. Very curious bug in the game.

 

I say good effort to get 29 trains less than 10 mph apart! Especially with an empire going on!

[jeffryfisher]

Well, a 10% pax revenue boost is nothing to sneeze at, especially if I get myself into a reduced revenue game.

I've never noticed records closer than 5mph, but my record-keeping is spotty in the early years. I'm guessing that the initial speed to beat is 25mph, and a lower margin is in place until some date or speed is reached.

I've noticed the full-speed insta-launch when a waiting train receives a load. It's as if it has already done its acceleration while waiting in the station.

Have you experienced the bug where you replace an engine just before reaching a destination, and the speed record seems to be the total haul divided by the time since replacement? That bug can produce erroneous speed records worthy of an SR-71 Blackbird.

I never play with the throttle, but I do sometimes stop trains (especially if I need to clear some track to rework a clogged intersection).

[MaglevForever]

I don't remember encountering that bug you mentioned. I often encounter a bug where upgrading a train in the station after you have changed its consist causes it to forget to change the consist. In the train window it will show the new consist, but will leave the station with the old one. In fact this happens so often that I always wait for the new consist to load before upgrading.

Yes, 10% passenger bonus is nice. I guess with a large map you could have a special route for them. Am I correct in thinking that a record train setting a new record will just spoil your chance of creating another record train? What about the AI setting records? I don't see as many record trains as I would like, maybe this thread will cause me to put a little effort into it. Unfortunately, at the start of most scenarios I care more about getting those bonds than making more record trains.

[akuenzi]

So let me get this straight:  Once a train sets a record, it's ALWAYS a record train, even when the speed record is eclisped?  Hmm....

 

I agree Jeffry -- that extra 10% is valuable!  Rather than bumping the throttle up, would it be worth it to send out the first train at, say, half throttle?  Of course, it will take a little longer to get to its destination, but it would establish a lower 'record' from which to build, unless there's some minimum threshold that needs to be met that is hardwired into the game.  Is that the 35 mph?  Once the record is in hand, you could put the throttle back up to normal and then set up the next train at just above half throttle... and continue from there.  That's probably a slower way to start off, and it wouldn't work in all situations, but could this strategy pay off over a longer game?

 

Thanks for bringing this up!

[outofmage]

Thank you for sharing jeff. I'm sure there are more to dig in. However, according to the the strategy guide the record train get 15% revenue bonus and only for passengers. Have anyone tested this percentage and other kinds of cargo?

[letsdance]

named trains are always priority trains in my games, ususally the only priority trains. and i set them on lucrative passenger missions (which are usually long distances). i don't bother with naming though, i just keep the suggested name. but i never analyzed all the stuff you did =)

[jeffryfisher]

So let me get this straight:  Once a train sets a record, it's ALWAYS a record train, even when the speed record is eclisped?  Hmm...

Yes indeed. It becomes famous forever.

 

...unless there's some minimum threshold

Apparently 25 mph must be beat no matter what.

[MaglevForever]

Apparently not, I just got a 21 mph speed record in 1847. I think it's 20mph.

Even in twentieth-century games (around 1970) I got 23 mph records by turning down the throttle.

I used to believe that if a named train exceeded it's original speed record, it would move the required speed for a new record higher. That didn't hold up in my testing.