Just when I thought trains were Bad.....

[ssilk]

The first one, is because of the second. And the second is for some locomotives indeed the case. Especially steam locos have optimized steam flow into forward direction. Some need the wind to cool efficiently.

For diesel it doesn't make sense, yes...

But another important reason is, that a train, which automatically finds it's way, will find eventually a different way, depending, if the train is able to change direction or not. It is eventually not wanted, that a train changes the direction. This way can you can control it.

[aussiegaylord]

i actually prefer creating giant loops with out sections for trains. it allows me to add more pieces on whenever to get resources from far away and several trains to be going at once along this giant loop. eventually i run out of space because of all the trains, 1 engine and 4 carts - to get resources from far away and to transport around factory. then when i need more space i just add more on and it is easy than just having a single track for every different thin when everything can just share the one with some smarts

[ssilk]

Hm. From my experiments I would say 4 wagons are the best compromise between speed and capacity.

[Reygan]

OMG, yo're crazy train demons!

[ludsoe]

I was thinking about trains, and fighting biters while in one. Then i remembered quite possibly my favorite trains of all time.

TWAIN

We need rail mounted weapon systems now, that would be awesome. And it would solve some problems with defending our trains against biters on really long stretches of rails where its just too expensive to put towers on the entire thing.