Portals

[artimrj]

Normally you put them at the ends of spurs. But if the route is long you may want some in the middle to get rid of AI trains instead of having them running even when out of view. Use them for exit points for AI.

[OldProf]

Normally you put them at the ends of spurs. But if the route is long you may want some in the middle to get rid of AI trains instead of having them running even when out of view. Use them for exit points for AI.

Well said! Despite opinions to the contrary, portals can also be used to conceal AI "in the wings" before they come into action. One of my scenario pet peeves involves visible but not yet moving AI trains when I check the 2D map. Placing AI in portals for eventual "spawning" (a misnomer if there ever was one) can be tricky, but also rewarding and effective.

In this scenario writer's opinion, a route cannot have too many portals, provided that they are correctly placed. For example, using a single portal to span several tracks is a waste of time and energy. Any track that leads to nowhere should have a portal near its end and it's worth repeating that placing one at the end of a spur is also good.

[reef75]

Quick question that's relevant here so i'll pop it in. When putting a portal on a spur, is it recommended to make it longer with signal blocks to help the AI dispatcher ?

Stephen.

[artimrj]

Quick question that's relevant here so i'll pop it in. When putting a portal on a spur, is it recommended to make it longer with signal blocks to help the AI dispatcher ?

Stephen.

No I don't think so. I believe when the AI hits the portal it just disappears.