fuel per unit for trains

[mirailleur]

hello, I couldn't find a subject that deals with my problem. I wanted to know if we could put fuel in the trains individually when there are more (with the schedule). when I ask at a train stop to send me the contents of it, it does not send the contents of the fuels.

[SoShootMe]

I wanted to know if we could put fuel in the trains individually when there are more (with the schedule). when I ask at a train stop to send me the contents of it, it does not send the contents of the fuels.

There's only one signal output from the Train stop that could provide fuel contents. If that included fuel you'd have no way to differentiate between fuel in a locomotive from that in a cargo wagon. Multiple locomotives would also be a problem.

Generally, it's best to just provide fuel where you need it so that locomotives are filled with fuel as they load or unload (either is normally sufficient - eg fuel trains carrying ore where they unload, rather than mining outposts).

To ensure locomotives are full before they leave, provided there is sufficient fuel available, you can use an "Inactivity" condition in the schedule. One second is enough if loading fuel from a chest with a fast or stack inserter.

[Amarula]

Vanilla does not give you access to locomotive fuel states, but there are mods that do, such as this one from klonan:
https://mods.factorio.com/mod/Train_Control_Signals

[Tertius]

As long as there is no means of skipping a station in a schedule, it is somewhat pointless to read the fuel state of a locomotive.
If there was a possibility to skip a station, one can insert a refueling station to the schedule that is skipped as long as the locomotive has enough fuel.
Since there is no such skipping feature, we have to refuel at some other station, regardless of the fuel state. Standard for refuel stations are depot stations or unloading stations where trains will always go and always stop anyway. These are usually somewhat close to the main base, so it isn't too difficult to deliver the fuel items to the station.

As long as I don't have logistic robots, I add one central refuel station to my base every train will visit after unloading with condition "inactivity 2 s". Since this is somewhat early in the game and not many trains present, this is working quite well.
As soon a I have logistic robots, I also extend my train infrastructure, and the refuel station is replaced with train depots, i. e. a waiting area for full trains. There are multiple depots that are all supplied via bots.

[adam_bise]

I put a chest with 3 slots open at each position, and put in a condition that requires the signal from the fuel chests are full and there is no activity.

Then I either filter the wagons so they don't get fuel, or read the train to signal T and enable the non-fuel inserter with T > 0 on non refueling stops.

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[gGeorg]

Loco has only 3 slots for fuel. Amount of units produced even by small base is so huge that measuring amount of fuel has no meaning. Rule of thumb >>> fill it to the roof

Usually trains have simple route, so you need refill only at one station of the route.
However, if you developed some fancy service/garbage collector train, then route might be long and unpredictable, therefore a smart solution is needed. Here is an option, make several reservation slots for fuel in the first carriage, then at any station reload fuel from carriage to loco, just to make sure loco is full. As result, your train operation range is very increased, and you can send train for refill on demand when you carriage fuel count = zero.

[astroshak]

I use garbage trains when I use the Concreep mod, to pick up the stone, coal, and wood that automatically get picked up to place the concrete.

That train is basically a reverse builder train, where anything in a pickup station sets the limit to 1. The train then automatically returns to its offload station. There are few enough calls from various stations that this one train is more than sufficient.

[Tertius]

Garbage collector train - sounds interesting. Have to think about this.

Currently, I have 2 fundamental different station designs: one concept is an loading/unloading station for bulk moving resources, the other concept is a supply station that requests/provides certain items. However, fuel is not provided via supply system, it's provided hardcoded at bulk item unloading stations or at a depot. There is so much fuel available, it's not necessary to count. Just fill until full. Corresponds perfectly with the "inactivity" train schedule condition.

n.b. My unloading station for supply overlays the loading station for bulk movement (inserters are on the other side of the tracks), so every outpost can have one without special track layout. As far as I see it, I even have garbage collection implicitly implemented: all items not requested by the supply unloading station and surplus is loaded back into the train. I simply have to enhance the supply loading station to unload separately what is not meant to be loaded into the train in the first place. That seems the start of some universal train system. Just load arbitrary items into arbitrary trains, and the stuff eventally gets to somewhere where it will be unloaded and used. Terribly conveninent, but terribly inefficient.

[gGeorg]

Garbage collector train - sounds interesting. Have to think about this.I simply have to enhance the supply loading station to unload separately what is not meant to be loaded into the train in the first place.

Precise loading/unloading is only first headache. Then you include funny situations when you start to need something when you put it to garbage carriage just before a second. Second is, robot logistic system sends sort of unpredictable data which creates false calls. Looking forward your solution.