brunzenstein wrote: Tue Dec 28, 2021 9:10 am
What is the ideal distance considering using tankwaggons instead of pipelines?
There isn't an exact distance at which tankwaggons become better - the correct answer is "it's complicated".
It really depends on what stage of the game you are at, what you are transporting, and how much of it there is.
A pipe can run a very long distance without a pump, but it will run very slowly if it does so - the wiki has a nice explanation of the relative flow rates:
https://wiki.factorio.com/Fluid_system
Whereas a train system can be expanded basically forever, without needing loads of pumps or many pipelines - the same tracks will do it all. Also, the track can do other things (so you can run a branch to, for example, an iron mine, or use it to resupply the base with other materials - particularly if you are using 2 1-way tracks). The track is also less obstructive, as you can drive over it, is much easier to place, and doesn't get killed by biters as often (if at all).
The train network also allows you to connect other suppliers or consumers of the fluid, by simply connecting them to the train network and building a train.
Also note that fluid wagon stations with the pumps feeding directly into tanks can empty the train almost immediately, so a 3 carriage train will serve oil for a very long time, and a second train can always be added.
Personally, I usually take the following approach (assuming you are talking about oil):
Until either the patch seems a really long way away, or I have trains for other things (like iron or copper), I use pipelines.
As soon as I need a major train network, I stop building pipelines and use trains from then onwards, as the trains have much better flexibility, can use existing infrastructure, are easier to build, and are much more future-proof.
To illustrate the difference in flow rate, a 1 pump per 1000 tile pipeline carries the same as a 3 carriage train every 5min 30sec. This is a very long time considering how fast a train system can run (particularly including multiple trains).
Even running with a pump every 10 tiles, it would take 55 seconds to move a 3 carriage train of fluid. That is either a lot of pumps, or not many trains. Also, track isn't very expensive, and you'll need it for other things as well.
To be fair, these are late game concerns - the 1 pump every 1000 tiles would supply 10 refineries with oil, so for the early-mid game, this would be easily enough. The point is that if you need enough oil to need to look a long way, then using trains isn't unreasonable.
For water, I usually find that there is enough water around to not be a problem. It is worth building power infrastructure near a lake though, as otherwise it can get difficult - big nuclear reactors tend to need loads of pumps to get enough water in.
I mean, that'd be 10 screens, right? I'll have to look later (can't now).