[Trains] is this a bad setup?

[DerHerrWolken]

So I wanted to get into Trains. The idea for my first setup was this. I wanted to have a huge one way roundabout just behind the outer walls of my base so trains just can go counter clockwise around the track.



Stations are also one way roundabouts connected to the big one. Yes, the stations need a little more work too.... but that is not my problem.


My problem are the signs. i want to avoid the trains traveling along the big roundabout to crash into the ones that leave the stations. but the signs do not create a block. the are just flashing.


all the tutorials i found about trains have other setups so they don't really help me. is the whole idea of a huge roundabout just bad? do railways don't work that way?

edit: playing factorio 0.13

[Kelderek]

This design should work ok if you get the signals right. Take a look:



C= Chain rail signal
R= Rail signal

I don't know how long your trains are (how many engines and cars), so only place the purple rail signal if there is room for an entire train between there and the chain signal to the left (where the arrow is pointing). If that space is too short to fit an entire train then just leave out the purple rail signal, a train moving along the main line will go through the two chain signals only if the path is clear to the rail signal on the upper left.

By adding the rail signal at the bottom of the loop you now have room for a second train to wait behind one parked at the station without cluttering the main line.

Using a big loop the way you have will work fine for a handful of trains, but it probably isn't very ideal with a larger network.

[The Eriksonn]

The problem is that your signals cant form a block since the block goes around the entire roundabout and hits itself, causing the signals to blink. If you add more signals on other places it should work better. Also you should do the same signalling on the entrance to your stations too, and probably some lonely signals if it too far from one station to the next one.

Red belt = signal, Blue belt = station.

2016-07-05.png (2.2 MiB) Viewed 3235 times

[DerHerrWolken]

Okay, thanks to both of you. thanks a lot. that helped. but now i have to understand how they really work.

1. flashing: checking the next sign and just finding itself
2. regular signs: is a train between me and the next any-sign, than i am red. else: i am green.
3. chain signs: is a train between me and the next any-sign, than i am red. is there none, i'm am green. is there a train incoming, i'm yellow.

is that right? when do the chain signs become blue?

what is the different between chain and regular sign?

[Kelderek]

A train will not pass a chain rail signal unless there is a clear path to the next regular rail signal along the path the train is trying to go and only if that rail signal is green. This video provides the best explanation of all things related to trains and signals:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3ZiL7_vfJtQ

The chain signal will be blue if there is at least 1 available path forward.

[Neotix]

This design should work ok if you get the signals right. Take a look:

http://i.imgur.com/XzzxRk1.jpg

C= Chain rail signal
R= Rail signal

This setup don't need chain signals at all because trains don't have alternative ways. Only when you want to set higher priority to the main line, you can place chain signal on the exit.


You have alternative way if you build another entransce (rail buffer) and in that way chain signal is needed because train have a choice to go to the first or second entrance.