Logistic Island Train

Smart setups of railway stations, intelligent routing, solutions to complex train-routing problems.
Please provide - only if it makes sense of course - a blueprint of your creation.
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camp_robber
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Logistic Island Train

Post by camp_robber »

As we know, Fulgora requires us to build on islands:
fulgora.jpg
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And on Gleba some of us prefer expanding only to perfect inter-biome locations:
gleba.jpg
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Islands are considerably less convenient than one big megabase, though, because trains typically need to be set up for each item that must be transported.

But Factorio now has all the tools required to make this work (almost) as if they were all part of one big logistic network!
lit_stations.jpg
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The system and blueprint book contain two stations: the hub and the island. Each island station has an associated train, which visits the hub.

The hub continuously transmits its own logistic network contents and requests, multiplexing with C=1 and R=1.

Each island compares its own requests to the hub contents. If requested items are available at the hub, it dispatches its train to the hub.

When the train arrives at the hub, it briefly interrupts the C/R cycle to broadcast T=TrainID and latches the response after a few ticks. It requests these items to its blue chests, but does not begin loading. Meanwhile the train is completely unloaded into purple chests. After the train is empty and sufficient logistic delivery time has elapsed, the blue chests are disabled and loading begins. When the loaders become inactive, the train is dispatched by signal back to its island; the blue chests are then re-enabled with zero requests and trash any items that didn't fit in the train.

When the train returns to its island, it is again completely unloaded into purple chests, hopefully satisfying whatever request it was dispatched for.

Each island also compares its own contents to the hub requests. Requested items are loaded aboard the train to be sent to the hub. Unfiltered storage chests in the island station return surplus inventory to the hub.

The island station has display panels showing (1) train status (2) one of the items it has, and the hub is requesting; (3) it requests, and the hub has; (4) it would buffer, but will not dispatch the train for.

This Gleba outpost is using the system for several purposes: requesting defense items from the hub, and supplying its legendary upcycler products back to the hub.

The train is parked; the displays show all requests in both directions are satisfied, but if it did visit the hub, it would pick up fusion cells to top-off the storage chest.

Island stations are a good parking spot for Spidertrons; their logistic requests will be delivered directly by train.
glebaoutpost.jpg
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For best results the hub station should be adjacent to the cargo landing pad, main storage area, and several roboports preloaded with logistic bots.
fulgorahub.jpg
fulgorahub.jpg (910.57 KiB) Viewed 306 times
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