Why are my automated trains not moving?

[Buon Tia]

I set a simple single track with two loops at each ends so the trains won't have to reverse once they hit one of the two stops.
This particular stop seems to be invalid but I can't understand why, it's pointed left to right, so why is it not working?
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=1748488998

This is the other end:
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=1748490153

[James]

you need to use chain signals before and after every intersection. I only recommend using the normal signals when entering the station and chain signals everywhere else, as it is a single two-way track. As it goes in two directions you need to place two signals beside each other on the main track. In the station itself you only place one normal signal on the right side of the track as the station is a one way roundabout.

[Buon Tia]

Originally posted by James:

you need to use chain signals before and after every intersection. I only recommend using the normal signals when entering the station and chain signals everywhere else, as it is a single two-way track. As it goes in two directions you need to place two signals beside each other on the main track. In the station itself you only place one normal signal on the right side of the track as the station is a one way roundabout.

I am not understanding how these chain signals work... what do they do exactly? Do they work automatically?
Edit:
it says "no path"... very unclear how these should work, the in-game tutorial is bugged and won't progress also, so not helping there.
Every youtube tutorial is a super complex pile of huge projects, I just want to know the basics, I'll figure the most efficient ways to play myself.

[James]

https://i.stack.imgur.com/Ny0X0.png

This is the basic idea, you can experiment with signals once you know how this works

[Fel]

This is probably going to sound stupid but did you try manually driving the train through the whole loop once to make sure there are no rails missing somewhere?

[Buon Tia]

Originally posted by Fel:

This is probably going to sound stupid but did you try manually driving the train through the whole loop once to make sure there are no rails missing somewhere?

that is how I was using this very track before I found out they can be used automatically. So yes, the track itself is ok if used in manual mode.

[astrosha]

This is going to sound stupid, but ...

One way, looped track is far easier to get going than two-way track. It also, for future-proofing, allows for more trains on it at once.

Chain and Rail signals break the track up into 'blocks'. You can get a colored indication of the different blocks when holding a signal near the rail. Only *one* train can be in a block at any one time.

Rail signals tell trains "The block just after me is clear/not clear". Green, its clear; red, its not clear and all trains coming need to stop at it until the block is clear.

Chain signals are similar. However, they also look ahead to the following signal(s). They look ahead on all possible paths until they reach Rail signals on all of them. And, if the train's desired path has a Green Rail signal, the train can go through. If the train's desired path has a Red Rail signal, then the train must wait all the way at the Chain signal it encountered, even if other paths are Green.

Here, for the two-way track, the use of chain signals is to prevent another train from entering the two way portion. Honestly though, if you're only running one train, you only need 4 Rail Signals : one right after each of the two Train Stops, and one right behind the train when it is parked at that Train Stop. This turns the train stops into their own blocks, and has everything else one giant block. If, however, you are trying to run multiple trains, refer to my "this may sound stupid" comment.

[Buon Tia]

Someone needs to simply describe to me clearly what these traffic light do exactly and what chain lights do, I simply can't understand how to fix my problem if there is no description anywhere about what these do.

[Fel]

https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=875859174

For your problem, as long as there is only a single train you should be able to fix it with only a few signals on the intersections, and this guide has it all explained really well (what you specifically need will be the very top of it, the later parts are for more complex rail systems when many trains need to go to various places).

The debug mode atthe end is also really helpful to have a visual representation of the "blocks", it makes it significantly easier to understand.

[piccolo255]

There are in-game tutorials as well, accessible from one of the buttons in the top-right, though I don't recall how useful they are.

Also:
https://wiki.factorio.com/Railway
https://wiki.factorio.com/Tutorial:Train_signals
https://duckduckgo.com/?q=factorio+signals+tutorial
https://steamcommunity.com/app/427520/discussions/search/?q=train+signals+help

Originally posted by Fel:

The debug mode atthe end is also really helpful to have a visual representation of the "blocks", it makes it significantly easier to understand.

So useful, in fact, that the visualization was moved from the debug menu to "normal" interface options :)

[Buon Tia]

THANKS!

[AlexMBrennan]

you need to use chain signals before and after every intersection

That's a red herring - with no signals the trains would run just fine (they might crash occasionally, but they would not standing around doing nothing).

What actually causes train to stand around doing nothing:

If no error messages are flashing then you have the wait conditions flipped - a common mistake. Wait conditions, as the name suggests, tell the train to wait at the named station until a particular condition is met. They are not "go to this stop when" conditions.

If error messages ("no path") are flashing then you are missing a piece of track somewhere (driving in manual mode will allow you to locate this) or you have accidentally designated a crucial segment of railroad one-way by incorrectly using signals.

as long as there is only a single train you should be able to fix it with only a few signals on the intersections

As long as there is only a single train you don't need any signals at all.

[[WV] SotS]

This usually means one or all of the following problems are present:

Option A:
There is a break in the rail line somewhere that you missed, maybe it got biter attacked? Are you able to reach the station by driving manually?

Option B:
One of your stations is rotated the wrong way. This shouldnt be the case here though.

Option C:
Your signals are improperly placed. This is the most likely cause for the issue as it appears that you have made a train track that can be traversed in 2 directions(As it is a singular looped track).
Signals indicate the drive direction of a train but only unidirectional! This means if you place a track horizontally and a single signal benath it, the trains on that track will ONLY EVER be able to go from left to right. In order to allow travel in both directions, both sides of your track need to be signaled so the train can read the signals from either direction.

The simplest solution is to make a full loop with double tracks. this means that every part of the track will only ever be traversed in a single direction. Basicly the same as a toy train going round a loop on a table.

As for signals there are 3 simple rules:
#1: Whenever you merge multiple lines of track into one line, you MUST place a chain signal on all incoming lines before the merge and a normal signal on the resulting single line after the merge.

#2: Whenever a train line tangents (crosses over) another line, you must put a chain signal before the crossing on both lines on the side a train will approach the crossing from. As well as a normal signal on both lines after the crossing in the direction the trains go to.

3#: Whenever you split a single line into two multiple, you must place a chain signal before the split and a normal signal after the split on both resulting lines after the split.

[Ancient]

Originally posted by Buon Tia:

Someone needs to simply describe to me clearly what these traffic light do exactly and what chain lights do, I simply can't understand how to fix my problem if there is no description anywhere about what these do.

It may take you a bit of time to go through it all and understand, but this is a great google slides presentation that explains the basics/fundamentals of trains and how to use signals: https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1pDj-ccWjUrwG_9_fDzLUosFZx_luGUet5XZwt7uUyzM/edit#slide=id.p

Just load it up in a browser and click "Start Presentation" at the top right to begin.

[Buon Tia]

Originally posted by Ancient:

Originally posted by Buon Tia:

Someone needs to simply describe to me clearly what these traffic light do exactly and what chain lights do, I simply can't understand how to fix my problem if there is no description anywhere about what these do.

It may take you a bit of time to go through it all and understand, but this is a great google slides presentation that explains the basics/fundamentals of trains and how to use signals: https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1pDj-ccWjUrwG_9_fDzLUosFZx_luGUet5XZwt7uUyzM/edit#slide=id.p

Just load it up in a browser and click "Start Presentation" at the top right to begin.

AHAHAHAHA are you kidding me?? Someone did a presentation on Factorio trains, this world is really a wonderful place.
Thanks guys, some of you actually linked some useful documentation. I'll give this a try with the info I gathered right now.

[Buon Tia]

I finally understand how traffic lights work:
"A regular rail signal protects the rail block behind it, up to the next signal or the end of the track. Signals ensure that only one train can be in any block."
Block here stands for "section between two traffic lights".
So i made some changes to my traffic lights and I think everything finally makes sense...
BUT NO FREAKING PATH, why is it saying this?? I can move around in manual mode no problem, and the train can go to the north stop to the south one no problem, but it won't go the other way around.