I'm currently working on a train system to bring iron plates from an outpost back to my factory but I can't get it to work correctly. What I'm trying to achieve is five 1-4 trains on the same circular(ish) track that will deliver the plates, with a stacker at each station to allow them to queue for pick-up or drop-off when needed. However, the best I've been able to manage is this:
https://imgur.com/a/vbsXptH - Plate pick-up station
https://imgur.com/a/e8cGY8s - Plate drop-off station
Currently the five trains will queue into the stacker just fine, however they wait until the train at the station has not only left but has reached the next stacker/station before pulling up to the station that's empty. Ideally I would want them to leave as soon as they can, since having another train a bit in front of them doesn't matter all that much with enough room for all five trains at both stations. If anyone can assist me with this I'd really appreciate it.
train signaling
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franciscaid
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Re: train signaling
The railway works with the concept of blocks. One block is a rail track delimited by signals. Only one train can occupy one block. As long there is one train in a block, no other train will enter it.
From the screenshots, it appears the station is on a somewhat large block that is started by the front signals of your stackers and ended somewhere in infinity. As long as one train is occupying this block, no other train will start to reach the station. To improve, set a signal at the end of your station, so the actual station is one small block by itself. This way, as soon as a train has completely left the station, it also has left the station block, and the next train will start. If you also set a signal directly at the start of the station, the next train will come and wait directly in front of the station, leaving one more space in the stacker.
In general: don't let blocks get too big. If you divide one large block into 2 smaller blocks with signals, you double the train capacity on that track. Signals are not only for crossings, they are also there to just divide long tracks into smaller blocks for higher train capacity.
From the screenshots, it appears the station is on a somewhat large block that is started by the front signals of your stackers and ended somewhere in infinity. As long as one train is occupying this block, no other train will start to reach the station. To improve, set a signal at the end of your station, so the actual station is one small block by itself. This way, as soon as a train has completely left the station, it also has left the station block, and the next train will start. If you also set a signal directly at the start of the station, the next train will come and wait directly in front of the station, leaving one more space in the stacker.
In general: don't let blocks get too big. If you divide one large block into 2 smaller blocks with signals, you double the train capacity on that track. Signals are not only for crossings, they are also there to just divide long tracks into smaller blocks for higher train capacity.