Personal train

[Mango]

As the name suggests, I'm trying to set up a train (locomotive) that will arrive on request to any station I want.

This is my prototype:


Stations are connected to circuit network on enable/disable mode.


Every station has different number to enable it so there is always only one station enabled.
The red signal is run thru all stations and every station has a constant combinator by itself.
When you want to call the train to a station you are currently at, you change the number in constant combinator to add up to the station number.

For example:

• I somehow happen to be at station 4 and want to go to station 1.
• I check what signal is currently sent (on nearest power pole). Lets say its 5 (That means train is at that station now).
• I want to reduce it by 1 to change it to 4.
• I check what number is sent by the combinator by my station. Lets say its -128.
• I set it to -129, witch changes the red signal sum to 4.
• Train arrives, I board it.
• I change the number in combinator to -132 so the sum changes to 1.
• Train Immediately goes to station 1.

So this is my current setup and as you can see the way I set numbers isn't very nice.
Does anybody have an idea how could I set the number directly?

[mrvn]

Use a different wire color for the constant combinator so they aren't put on the global wire.

And then you simply send a signal for the station you want, no math required.

Personally I have one station "Player parking" and a train with schedule "Player parking: 5s inactivity" and "Player: circuit condition". When I need a train I simply place a new station, rename it to "Player" and the train arrives.

[Mango]

Use a different wire color for the constant combinator so they aren't put on the global wire.

And then you simply send a signal for the station you want, no math required.

That doesn't solve anything.

When I write a number the train immediately goes out leaving the combinator with set number.
So when I'm at different station I have to set number to override the first one.

It would be nice to have some way to reset the combinator but i'm not aware of any.

[mrvn]

Use a different wire color for the constant combinator so they aren't put on the global wire.

And then you simply send a signal for the station you want, no math required.

That doesn't solve anything.

When I write a number the train immediately goes out leaving the combinator with set number.
So when I'm at different station I have to set number to override the first one.

It would be nice to have some way to reset the combinator but i'm not aware of any.

Why would you leave the combinator behind? You should add a latch to your stations so you send a signal pulse to activate a station and then it stays active until a train arrives. That way you can take the combinator even without waiting for the train.

[Engimage]

Take a look at simple PAX system I helped creating
viewtopic.php?f=18&t=49715
It calls train to whatever station you approach to. However those stations should have special design and train should contain all stations in the list.

[Mango]

Take a look at simple PAX system I helped creating
viewtopic.php?f=18&t=49715
It calls train to whatever station you approach to. However those stations should have special design and train should contain all stations in the list.

Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.

That's exactly what I was trying to achieve. Using gates as player detector is great idea.
As I have all walls doubled I used it to protect myself from arriving trains.

[HerpicusMcDerpington]

Using player detection to automate the system realy is the only thing that makes sense to me.
If you need to open a GUI, you could simply click on the station (instead of the combinator), which opens a GUI that lets you see all trains that have that station on schedule and call it manually

[zytukin]

Seems kinda over complicated to me. But factorio is all about that sorta thing

I have a 1-1 train that I use for personal transport.
There are 'maintenance' areas built all around my factory which are used to park supply trains when I am building or expanding a production area.
I just open my map, select the 1-1 train, add the nearby maintenance station, and tell the train to go. Then I get in, tell it the station I want to go, and tell the train to go again.

[Iccor56]

using a circuit network seems like the hard way to fix a simple problem. all my main places have a "player stop" that i can go to and not interupt normal flow (your system would stop trains from using that spot) my train has all the stuff i want and i just open the trains and send it where it needs to be or have it come pick me up. i also have a weapons train with the heavy artillery and ammo.

you can add any stop to this including ones that working trains use. my set up does not support working train stop usage well since they share names and get disabled when needed so i can't just send it to "RCV-Copper_Plate" and know it will come to the one i am at but i can send it to "Smelting-Copper 1" and it shows right up.

[Aeternus]

Another option, no circuit connection required:
Have all personal stations be the same name, with a constant combinator sending them a red signal, and tell the station to disable itself on that red signal. So with all those stations disabled, the train can't find a path.
Then when you need it at a station, simply click on the station and uncheck the "enable/disable station" box. The station goes active and the train arrives. Then once it's at the station, check the "enable/disable" station box, enter the train, then open the map and find the station you want to go to. From the big map, click on it and uncheck the "enable/disable station" for the remote station. And poof, you're on your way.

No circuit signals required, so no issues if biters chew up a power pole. Only thing that is required is radar coverage of the destination so it's visible from the minimap.

[Edit] Heh, using player detection to activate the station would eliminate the need for manually enabling/disabling the station, at least for calling a train. This idea would integrate nicely with the PAX system. Think I'll implement it at my megabase because getting around is starting to become a problem.

[Iccor56]

Another option, no circuit connection required:
Have all personal stations be the same name, with a constant combinator sending them a red signal, and tell the station to disable itself on that red signal. So with all those stations disabled, the train can't find a path.

can i point out that red signal means circuit connection???

[HerpicusMcDerpington]

[Edit] Heh, using player detection to activate the station would eliminate the need for manually enabling/disabling the station, at least for calling a train. This idea would integrate nicely with the PAX system. Think I'll implement it at my megabase because getting around is starting to become a problem.

when i last checked that thread, i thought about it, tested it and ran into a problem i never fixed. We all know that, there are so many problems to be fixed .... I sometimes run to some place to pick something up, 30 sec later i forgot what i wanted because i saw 3 other things that needed attention ....


The problem i had:
You can have all PAX stations disabled and enabling it with a gate that detects you. That will give the train an open station it can go to, Perfect, done.
BUT!, that the station i then want to go to is disabled too, so i cant even select it manually from the schedule, it cant go there. Automating a destination seems impossible, cos you cant know in advance where you need to go in 50 hours.

As i said a few months back, with all the opening of GUIs, it might be easier to just open a station and call or send a train it manually. But if you have a fix for this problem, i´d realy like to hear your solution.

[Aeternus]

Another option, no circuit connection required:
Have all personal stations be the same name, with a constant combinator sending them a red signal, and tell the station to disable itself on that red signal. So with all those stations disabled, the train can't find a path.

can i point out that red signal means circuit connection???

Well, I meant - no need to connect all stations to a single huge circuit network. Only a local connection. But using player detection instead would work really nice.

[Edit] And yea, the station you want to go to is disabled. Open it from the big map, uncheck "enable/disable". And you're off. Station properties are selectable and modifyable from the big map, as long as you have radar.

[csduff]

I just laid out a set up today and I think it works well as a starting point.

I have a station (Call it "0") which has a train waiting (Call it "X").
Another station (Call it "1") which is wired to a gate. When the gate is up (e.g., no player near) the station is disabled.

The train is set up with the schedule Station 0 (Inactivity > 5), Station 1 (G = 0)

When the player approaches Station 1 the gate opens (G = 1), which activates the station. Train X rolls over to Station 1. When the player boards the train, the gate goes up (G = 0), the station deactivates and the train leaves, heading back to Station 0.

Back at Station 0 is an adjacent station (Call it "0a") which you can quickly exit from Train X and board another train with any destinations already placed in.

[themadgunman]

You could always just use my Shuttle Train mod which basically does this and a lot more besides

[Antyradek]

I made a better thing.
All stations are connected together with wire.
Each station has "call button", that is, a gate, which emits signal when player approaches.
Gate signal emits signal X to the network.
Simple combinator setup at each station disables train stop if there is X signal on the wire, and NO signal at the gate.
It also sets Y signal on disabled train stops. Train is always waiting on each station for Y signal. There is one train only, going through all stations.

Therefore, as you approach station, gate opens and causes all other train stops to turn off and release train.
The only non-disabled train stop would be the one, you are at.
After a while train will come and stop. You can board it and select in train menu, where you would like to go next. As you board the train, gate closes and enables all train stations again.
Simple.

[csduff]

Seems like a pain to have all of your stations wired together. If you're on the current experimental [0.17.XX] you can just control the train with a control-click and send it where you want. You don't need to have any active stations, except the one you are waiting to be picked up at (which disables when you board the train or leave the station) and the one that the train parks at. Also, it's a much simpler schedule on the train.