Minecart track "splitter"

[NoTruePunk]

After minecarts drop off their load have them run to the end of a track and derail into a vacuum hopper. Set those to deploy from two different minecart deployers onto two different tracks. Turntables divide the carts up. After they pick up at the seperate load stations they can merge again at a junction.

Use a gate between the unload station and the derail to ensure they don't derail with ore inside, clogging the system.

This way a central station can source materials from several different mines, without having to create a new smelter for each. If the mines are closer together than the distance to the smelter the two can share a single rail for the majority of the distance, then derail at brances using a half-loop from the derail point to the mine, merging again at the end of the half-loop

Alternatively, the main two-way rail can break at T-junctions with short half-loops of one-way rails . This way any number of pickup locations can be set with only minimal extra rail laid down

https://steamuserimages-a.akamaihd.net/ugc/158030290422864359/8ED43292A2A425429C23DC0995A1136CE52981CB/

[steveman0]

That's pretty clever!

[Neemys]

I thought of using derail and vacuum hoper, but some minecart get stuck midair when derailing then disappear at reload... You don't have this problem?

[NoTruePunk]

Originally posted by Neemys:

I thought of using derail and vacuum hoper, but some minecart get stuck midair when derailing then disappear at reload... You don't have this problem?

I... Haven't been counting them.

[NoTruePunk]

aLSO bulk minecarts suck, speed doesn't matter without collisions, 2 large minecarts have the same load/unload time and higher combined speed and are cheaper to craft

[steveman0]

Originally posted by NoTruePunk:

aLSO bulk minecarts suck, speed doesn't matter without collisions, 2 large minecarts have the same load/unload time and higher combined speed and are cheaper to craft

They're not that much worse. Someone did the math recently and they are about the same. Maybe 10% lower throughput so it's still good if you're trying to keep CPU/GPU load down.

[Streupfeffer]

When derailing on purpose, dont be surprised when you get a huge log. The game writes to the log everytime a derailment happens. On a server its much more critical as the server runs 24/7 without someone monitoring it

[Dodgeball]

I considered but never built a system with purposeful derailments. It'd be nice if there were more in game functionality to support track splitting. I'm trying out a new world with a freight car mod that's supposed to do this, but haven't yet built up to the point of putting it in place.

Some other thoughts:

1. You could leverage any other logistics system to return the minecarts: matter movers, falcors, traditional belts/tubes.

2. Part of the problem is there's no brakes on how many minecarts can go onto a track. If your nickle line backs up, for example, and you're using gates to wait until a cart is full before it rolls out, you could easily end up with all your carts queued up waiting on nickle that's never coming.

[pHredric]

Originally posted by Dodgeball:

2. Part of the problem is there's no brakes on how many minecarts can go onto a track. If your nickle line backs up, for example, and you're using gates to wait until a cart is full before it rolls out, you could easily end up with all your carts queued up waiting on nickle that's never coming.

This is partly why my minecart systems never uses full gates in a system that grabs several items. That is unless all items are collected at the same location (which is usually my setup) and only then at the beginning of the track entering the loading zone.

[NoTruePunk]

Originally posted by Dodgeball:

2. Part of the problem is there's no brakes on how many minecarts can go onto a track. If your nickle line backs up, for example, and you're using gates to wait until a cart is full before it rolls out, you could easily end up with all your carts queued up waiting on nickle that's never coming.

seperate item types shouln't share minecarts ever. pulling from multiple sources means puling from multiple nickel mines in this situation. Using the same derail line for multiple different material types would require multiple parallel return lines, which wouldn't save any track anyway

[MoronWMachinegun]

Has the turntable problem with skipping sides been fixed? The turntable pauses a few seconds per side and then goes to the next side, so unless you overload the track the carts you can easily end up with carts returning on only one line.

OTP, would it be OK to use your explanation in my advanced mine cart guide?

[NoTruePunk]

Originally posted by MoronWMachinegun:

Has the turntable problem with skipping sides been fixed? The turntable pauses a few seconds per side and then goes to the next side, so unless you overload the track the carts you can easily end up with carts returning on only one line.

OTP, would it be OK to use your explanation in my advanced mine cart guide?

yeah, I might make up some screenshots later. Bugs aside, this should function as a splitter until we get a Y type track

Oh, and I think you used "OTP" wrong. Been reading a little too much fanfic? ;)

[MoronWMachinegun]

Sorry NTP, too much techie work with One Time Programmable devices. :)

[NoTruePunk]

https://steamuserimages-a.akamaihd.net/ugc/158030290422864359/8ED43292A2A425429C23DC0995A1136CE52981CB/

Multiple minecart depots to handle heavy load. The half loop shown is very small, mostly loading stations really. It all fits in a BFL tunnel. Rotate the straight tracks that are being used to merge or deploy onto, they're directional. The turntables aren't exacting, but they divide up the carts nicely. One of the faces on the first one are leading to the next turntable, all else gets passed forward. Two of the faces on the second turntable lead to the loading station, the third gets passed forward. I have 3 mines on this line, two being split before the end of the line. It's a nickle tunnel. About 2.5m ore between the three veins, with more deposits nearby.