I decided to ride along in an AI train to just go along Sand Patch, and I found that, to my surprise, AI trains obey the passenger speed limits set on Sand Patch. This is odd because it involves getting trains up to speeds they can't actually make any power at; like a GP40-2 at 79 mph, and because when the player is in control, they are told about the freight speed limits. So it's not a case of the game treating freight trains like passenger trains. The AI probably just does not know how speed limits work. Which can be dangerous if there is something like a 120 passenger limit but 60 on freight. The AI would not only disobey the freight limit, it would probably break any sense of the laws of physics and get the freight train up to 120 mph. AI should at least be coded not go above the rated max speed for any locomotive... This cheeky guy thinks he can go 75 mph here!
This AI trains are out of physics. Just look closely at photo on your post. Auto Brake is set at Initial reduction (cca. 84psi - pipe), Independent is set at Full (63psi - cylinders) And it go 75mph???
As far as I know the physics and settings that apply to our trains are not fully applied to the AI trains to save on performance. If every AI train on the map was subject to full physics and so on then the number of calculations the game would be undertaking would undoubtedly be massive. However, I don't think it's right that it can go over its max speed or over the appropriate line speed.
Yeah I totally don’t expect AI to have proper physics. But I do expect them to obey the proper speed limit in accordance with the rules and the physical limit of the locomotives involved.
