TL;DR
Implement support for back_patch and front_patch property from underground-belt entity in loader entity.What ?
The underground belt in 0.17 has a front_patch and back_patch property that helps with the layering around items and other structures.
I'd like to request this property be applied to the loader as well, so that I can make 0.17-vanilla-style sprites as well. Currently it's not possible. :[