Chain rail signals are still confusing and the tutorial made it worse.

[B0BSAN]

I have no ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ clue where too put the ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ rail chain signal in that ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ tutorial

[BitterSwede]

As has been mentioned, Factorio rails work on a "block" system. Any rail between two signals is a block.
Regular signals will block incoming trains if there's another train in the block directly after that signal, so if there's any train between the signal and the next signal. It will display a red light to indicate this.
Chain signals "listen" to the next signal in line and will block incoming trains if there's any train in the block directly after OR if the next signal in line is showing red.

What makes it a bit more advanced is that blocks could have branching paths, and if a train wants to take a turn and it's only the straight rail that is blocked, chain signals will allow them to do so.
So in other words, if there are two "exit" signals from the block directly after the chain signal and only one is showing red, the chain signal will let any train that wishes to go past the other signal through.

This is about as simple as I can explain it without using pictures or video. I hope it helps. With the new changes to rail displays in 0.16, I think it will be a lot easier to understand, as you'll be able to see each block quite clearly whenever you hold a signal in your hand. It's really just about understanding what a block is, and the rest becomes much easier.

[Ryan]

You don't need to use Combinators or Arithmetic objects for circuits. Just do this simple step: connect a wire from a pump to a storage tank. Or connect a wire from an inserter to a chest. Now click on the pump/inserter. You will see that you can control what triggers it to turn on.

Say you want to pump excess Heavy Oil. Set your pump to pump Heavy Oil when > 20k Heavy Oil. Simple! Same with the inserter. Set it to transfer items to or from the chest when that item is > or < than the number of items. You do have to find the item from the picklist when you click the gray box.

Once you can do these you know how to work with circuits.

[Mattheas]

Okay, I'm going to do my best to explain it even though you've already said you don't care anymore :P

The most important thing that needs to be understood is how signals operate in the first place. Each signal creates a "block", this is a section of track. When you have a piece of track and you put signals down, you subdivide that track into blocks. Only one train can be in a block at a time.

When there is a train inside of a block, the signal on the incoming end will turn red. This means that no trains can enter the block. Trains will only enter a block if the signal is green.

Chain signals only let trains in if the next signal is green. Trains will only ever enter a chain signal block if they can clear it and enter a block created by the next normal signal.

The most common use for chain signals is junctions. If you put a normal signal at the entrance and exit of a junction, only one train will be able to go through it. Even if two trains are just passing through in opposite directions one will have to stop for the other, even though their paths don't technically interfear with each other.

The way to solve this is to put chain signals on each path that a train could take, as well as at the entrances. This allows a train to follow through a path as long as there aren't any trains in that path, and the block after the chain signals is clear. The train will stop at the chain signal before the junction unless it can make it all the way through.

Hopefully that's helpful. I'm a reasonably new player (~100 hrs, one map, no rocket) and I've found that understanding the concept of blocks and how normal and chain signals manipulate them to be the most important concept to understand. The cheats that are meantioned above do work, but the concept of blocks just made more sense to me, and I think that teaching that outright would be more effective. I learned how they work from Quill18's Let's Play (long before I actually started playing the game), but it would be difficult to link the exact place where he explained them.

[Mike]

Easiest way - See the chain signals as extensions of the regular signals IE if a section that have train passing by in say a crossover at a double track you dont want the second track to be stopped by the train waiting for its green light... the chain signal "extrends" that red light making the train stop earlier before blocking the track.

That is the short version for the basics...

[Ryan]

Escrito originalmente por Nailfoot:

As Alex stated, there is one SIMPLE rule for chain signals. Repeat this is your head over and over and over and over:

"Chain signals BEFORE and THROUGHOUT every intersection! Regular signals at the EXIT to every intersection!"

You will use many more chain signals than regular signals unless you purposely build to avoid intersections. And, before rail veterans reply, I know there are plenty of exceptions to this rule. I am a rail verteran myself, but this rule is a noobie's mantra.

REPEAT THE RULE!

"Chain signals BEFORE and THROUGHOUT every intersection! Regular signals at the EXIT to every intersection!"


If you have two intersections close together, it may be better to treat both of them as one large intersection, following the RULE.

Thank you this was helpful for me. I didn't know this rule and avoided intersections because of the intermittent issues it caused my trains.

[Nailfoot]

Escrito originalmente por Ryan:

Escrito originalmente por Nailfoot:

As Alex stated, there is one SIMPLE rule for chain signals. Repeat this is your head over and over and over and over:

"Chain signals BEFORE and THROUGHOUT every intersection! Regular signals at the EXIT to every intersection!"

You will use many more chain signals than regular signals unless you purposely build to avoid intersections. And, before rail veterans reply, I know there are plenty of exceptions to this rule. I am a rail verteran myself, but this rule is a noobie's mantra.

REPEAT THE RULE!

"Chain signals BEFORE and THROUGHOUT every intersection! Regular signals at the EXIT to every intersection!"


If you have two intersections close together, it may be better to treat both of them as one large intersection, following the RULE.

Thank you this was helpful for me. I didn't know this rule and avoided intersections because of the intermittent issues it caused my trains.

You are most welcome. I have had a few people, including my kids, say the rule is foolproof. It really can’t go wrong.

[Kitchen Gun (TM)]

Escrito originalmente por Nailfoot:

Escrito originalmente por Ryan:

Thank you this was helpful for me. I didn't know this rule and avoided intersections because of the intermittent issues it caused my trains.

You are most welcome. I have had a few people, including my kids, say the rule is foolproof. It really can’t go wrong.

Another useful tip is use chain signals to stop multiple trains from using a bi-directional strech of track (single rail). Treat them like one massive intersection.

[Nailfoot]

Escrito originalmente por Kang of Canada:

Escrito originalmente por Nailfoot:

You are most welcome. I have had a few people, including my kids, say the rule is foolproof. It really can’t go wrong.

Another useful tip is use chain signals to stop multiple trains from using a bi-directional strech of track (single rail). Treat them like one massive intersection.

If you have a spot with limited space (between lakes or cliffs) sure. Otherwise, I would never run a single rail anywhere.

Of course, there are exceptions! I may run a single rail with a double-headed train to a small spur. It would use the main double-line tracks like a normal train when its traveling though.

[Kitchen Gun (TM)]

Escrito originalmente por Nailfoot:

Escrito originalmente por Kang of Canada:

Another useful tip is use chain signals to stop multiple trains from using a bi-directional strech of track (single rail). Treat them like one massive intersection.

If you have a spot with limited space (between lakes or cliffs) sure. Otherwise, I would never run a single rail anywhere.

Of course, there are exceptions! I may run a single rail with a double-headed train to a small spur. It would use the main double-line tracks like a normal train when its traveling though.

I like using single rails to go to my mining outposts in rail-world map preset. It also makes the rail system look more interesting IMO. I do make extra stops in connecting outposts to help the further train routes along. I don't like my trains stopping in ungaurded territory because they're vulnerable to biters.

[Nailfoot]

Escrito originalmente por Kang of Canada:

...I don't like my trains stopping in ungaurded territory because they're vulnerable to biters.

I don't have "unguarded" territory :)

Except for in the beginning stages of the game, I wall off everything and everywhere that my trains go. Essentially, I have one HUGE factory with no operations in unclaimed territoy. It is typical for me to have 5000 or more laser turrets in a pretty-much-finished playthrough.