Fueling trains with different lengths

[bonob]

I'd like to get my different trains to a common station. The issue is that if different trains have different lengths, I don't see a way to fuel both locomotives without the risk to load the fuel in a wagon. The trains have one locomotive in each direction.

I see a few possibilities, but none that is both working and clean:

• Let inserter not insert fuel in a wagon. Unfortunately it seems that it's not possible as of now.
• Have all the trains have the same length. Well, yes, but that's precisely what I'm trying to avoid.
• Have different parallel stations, tailored to the train size. It would work, but then you have to give up on load balancing.
• Have both locomotives on the same side of the train. That would be the simplest workaround, but when I tried that, my train got stuck at the first railroad switch, the wagon that was heading the train went on the wrong path. Did I do something wrong or is there a way to make it work?
• Fuel the back facing locomotive in the remote station.
• Use only one locomotive, and turn-arounds at both sides of the railway. I'd like to avoid this solution though.
• Use extra stations just for refueling, these stations being tailored to the train size. On one hand it's quite nice, it would be service stations only, on the other hand it's clumsy, space consuming, and a bit less time efficient. Unless we could let the train go to the servicing station only once in a few trips, but I don't think it's possible.

Did you choose any of these solutions? Did you find a better approach?

[MF-]

There is a bug with locomotives driving backwards.
Their AI doesn't agree with the junction logic on the meaning of "left-straight-right" controls.
(Search for "evil train pathfinding")

You can also add large turn-around loops after the station and make the train drive in one direction only.

[empty111]

<===============>
^ .................... ^
fuel A ............ fuel B


why not do it this way....in every "end" station fuel the to the end facing locomotive?

[bonob]

<===============>
^ .................... ^
fuel A ............ fuel B


why not do it this way....in every "end" station fuel the to the end facing locomotive?

Yes, I thought about this option (and I just added it to my list,) the problem though is that you have to make fuel available in every end station.
Now, if there is only one train (or one train length) going to the remote station, which is a reasonable assumption, you could unload the back facing locomotive to load the front facing locomotive, it could be a fun solution

I guess this, as well as the hairpin loop at each end as mentionned by MF-, are the most practical solutions.
I'm just thinking that I could also have only one hairpin loop, say in the remote station, a locomotive at each end, and a single fueling station at the end of the central station. That way one locomotive gets fueled on even trips, and the other locomotive on odd trips.

[empty111]

extra train just for fuel
well, when you are done i would be happy to see some screenshots how you solved it
(to be honest i did not really get what you were saying with the hairpin loop.... maybe im too tired....or its just because english is not my native )
good luck anyways )

[sillyfly]

I always thought those "double-headed" trains are a bit cheating

But how about this - have another "fake" station _after_ the real one, then have a station facing the "wrong" way at the same place the real one is, for fueling the rear locomotive?
That is -

Code: Select all

A             B
o             o
=================...
              o
              C

Train runs into the real station (B), loads/unloads and refuels "front" locomotive, then runs to the station at the end (A), waits there for 0 seconds, then returns to the lower right C station, so the "rear" locomotive can refuel.

I hope this is clear enough, as I can't run the game right now to make a screenshot of what I have in mind

[Tami]

i use a really big train network and iam using fuel stations, with the right logistic, you can fill up a train in less than 10 seconds.

[MF-]

I always thought those "double-headed" trains are a bit cheating

same here

But how about this - have another "fake" station _after_ the real one, then have a station facing the "wrong" way at the same place the real one is, for fueling the rear locomotive?
That is -

Code: Select all

A             B
o             o
=================...
              o
              C

Train runs into the real station (B), loads/unloads and refuels "front" locomotive, then runs to the station at the end (A), waits there for 0 seconds, then returns to the lower right C station, so the "rear" locomotive can refuel.

I hope this is clear enough, as I can't run the game right now to make a screenshot of what I have in mind

At first I thought you'll be getting into trouble with the "station B's" inserters inserting items into wrong places when the trains briefly stops at A or C
But then I realized it'll actually work nicely, since the inserters are located to the right from stB,
which does not intersect with the place the train stops for stA or stC

Let's try some more asciiart..

Regular station, cargo and the front locomotive gets loaded

Code: Select all

A        B
o        o
=========<----->====...
         o
         C

Auxiliary turnaround station, no operation

Code: Select all

A        B
o        o
<----->=============...
         o
         C

Backward station, rear locomotive gets loaded using the same inserters as the regular station

Code: Select all

A        B
o        o
===<----->==========...
         o
         C

Well, that worked for the font firefox uses... Sorry if it falls apart for you.

[MF-]

(to be honest i did not really get what you were saying with the hairpin loop.... maybe im too tired....or its just because english is not my native )

I perceive the term as a local slang thing.
It's simply an O-loop attached to the end of a two-way railway, allowing the train to literary turn around

Code: Select all

∩
Y  <- tight "hairpin" loop
|
|  <- long track segment
|
ʎ  <- tight "hairpin" loop
U

[Zordah]

I always thought those "double-headed" trains are a bit cheating

I'm sure I have seen trains in real life with an engine at each end...

(looking forward to when I progress far enough to start playing with trains in Factorio)

[empty111]

but these u-turns take sooo much space.... (i mean normaly you have enough space....but meh xD)
i like the other ideas kinda more :D