Train deposits

[mackster]

I want to use supply a central storage with materials from multiple areas. So I don't need to make individual train stations for each resource, is there a technique that will allow me to send in trains from various locations and choose the correct freight station?

Hard to explain, but if I have a resource in the fifth terminal of one station and if I have two locations I want it fed from, currently I need to make a station from the source that has 4 blanks and one freight platform. Then add a train with 5 freight carriages and only the last one gets filled up.

Would make more sense if I could either choose the freight platform or at least have some non-freight carriages, so the train unloads at the right platform.

Or is there an easier way to go about this?

[TwinShadow]

I haven't messed with trains too much, but when editing the time table, you can add the stations you want a train (or specific train) to go to, then pick up specific items by editing that station itself for which wares you want. You can also customize whether or not the train will wait until it's full, or a specific amount of time.

Just make sure to build your stations out accordingly, so if you only want to load the last car, you may need empty platforms in between freight stations and stuff. That being said, if you have it only load a specific ware, it may ignore the others, but I'm not sure, haven't tested that or anything. I legit only just managed to get trains in my game and I really only plan to have a central storage near the Space Elevator for all of my wares. (minus a few I keep by the HUB)

Let's just say, doing something like that requires a lot of smart splitters and planning ahead of time lol.

[PlebNC (UK)]

There's 2 ways I can think of:
1. The One Train method - Have 1 train visit all your material locations (make sure the train has enough space in the carriages) and back to your storage facility's station. After outloading the train put smart splitters to filter the materials to wherever you want them. If Smart Splitters aren't unlocked, you'll need make sure each of the train's carriages has only one kind of material in them and have an outload station for each carriage.
Simple train setup, requires lots of smart splitter filtering.

2. The Many Trains method - Have 1 train for each location (i.e. if 20 locations, 20 trains). Set each to only go to 1 location and the storage facility station. You can have separate lines and stations if you want or if you're confident with train signals, have 1 train network and co-ordinate the trains so everything moves along without collisions.
Complex train setup, but no filtering at storage facility. Uses more power but looks cool.

[jameswolfe1973]

I have a system I use for the trains. I have a train station with two terminals, unloading and loading. Each terminal has four platforms, three cargo and one fluid. I link all the unloading platforms into a large central storage where it is fed thru a multi-level sorting system. I warehouse anything and everything. The design uses smart splitters. I can turn on or off a splitter to then send goods to the loading station or to a mini factory located on site.

Most of my factories are programmable. I build them with the intent on changing recipes. I use my ware house to store and sort products as I build based on current projects. By doing this, I keep my overall power demand low. I currently produce 17Kmw but only use 3k. The only factories I make that are structured for a specific output are those used in fuel production, like compacted coal and turbo fuel. I did however build a stand alone motor factory but again, I turn it on and off if I need a batch of motors. Usually this is off most of the time. I use primarily two assemblers and one manufacture at my train station to produce everything.

[cswiger]

Re: #3, why are you not running your factories all of the time and sending extra production to the AWESOME sink for tickets?

[mackster]

There are some good suggestions here, but its going to take some thought.

An example is sulfur - my main use case for sulfur is compacted coal (for better coal power or turbo fuel). Since this resource is rare and scattered around the map, it would be nice to get that resource to a central location, which means when its found, make a station and move it to a central storage. So would need to be able to scale up the transporting section easily.

Perhaps I am thinking it incorrectly. Perhaps I just need to move everything, regardless of what it is, haphazardly to a central storage station/s. Then, add logic between the central storage station and the storage units, with smart splitters (sinking any excess).