5thHorseman wrote: ↑Thu Jul 23, 2020 3:05 am
to get your train station there to work, all you need
is 4 regular signals plus as many regular signals as you can fit around that loop, to let trains queue up behind the train at the station. Also you need more room behind the station for trains to queue up. You can do this by reversing the place the station is so trains enter on the top, not the bottom.
I think you meant 4 chain signals, (in green) plus as many regular signals (in red).
I also think this is the proper way to signal this piece of track, if you place this at then end of a 2-way track.
Garebear wrote: ↑Thu Jul 23, 2020 2:07 am
this is what I was attempting before I realized the game just isn't designed with this in mind.
Garebear wrote: ↑Wed Jul 22, 2020 8:45 pm
I'm trying to have two areas trains go to on a two way track, the stops/areas are one way loops, the trains would then all come up to a depot currently six deep to load and leave on one track which peels off six ways.
I tried to understand from the pictures and the explanation but i need more details, my guess is you had in mind a depo where trains waits, and sometimes they are dispatched as mobile turrets, then come-back to the depo.
The signaling is one part of the puzzle that does 2 different things : preventing trains from crashing into other trains AND giving orientation to the tracks.
Using one-way tracks, you use signals to give orientation to tracks, the signal is always on the right side.
Using two-way tracks, you need a signal at the exact same spot each side of the track.
Signals cut the rail network into small blocks. ( the different colored line that appear when you hold a signal ).
Train can't enter a block if it's a one-way of the opposite way. ( obviously ).
Signals guard the next block and allow trains only if the next block is empty.
Chain signals guard the next block and allow trains only if the next block is an open regular signal or contain the destination-station.
If the next block is also a chain signal, it looks one block further.
You need to avoid situation where trains could face each other on the same two-way track. ( obviously )
For this you utilize the difference between "chain-signal" and "regular signal".
This way you can "predict"/"order" where trains are supposed to wait before the path is clear for them to reach destination.( this is made necessay and a more difficult using one way tracks because it can create "dead-lock" easily.)
This 5thHorseman showed well which kind of signaling would function for the piece of track.
The other thing you need to consider is the schedule for the trains.
When you automate a train, it leaves for the first train station on schedule.
Upon reaching the destination, it leaves for the next one, unless it has a waiting condition.
Trains will try to reach the closest train stop with the same station name based on the perceived distance.
The way trains calculate the "closest path" implies many complicated rules that can be found on the wiki.
https://wiki.factorio.com/Railway/Train_path_finding but usually it's the closest, unless some other trains block the way, then it can make a detour "smartly", usually it goes unnoticed .
Apart from that trains ignore other trains ( and players ), they only care about signals. ( no signals = crashes ).
Depending on what you had in mind, it might be impossible, some behaviors are either difficult, very hard or even impossible to make happen in the game, because it would require a different logic for how trains find their path, read signals, follow schedules and so on.
In this case maybe tweak your original idea so that it can fit with the game logic.
Some more advanced mechanism that allow advanced control on the automation are the interaction between the circuit network, the station, and the signals, disabling stations, or signals, can lead to new behaviors, sometimes it is necessary when one had a very precise idea on how train should behave, and sometimes even those new tools are not enough.
easiest path is to use blueprints i guess but you feel good when you finally have the trains doing something according to your own plan and also when you understand why they didn't previously
hopefully this helps