Factorio Forums

I have had so much trouble with trains and am slowly getting the hang of it. I have watched videos and read tutorials. I have two separate train loops. One, the one on the left, works fine. My longer and train loop on the right has some trouble. It may be because I made a loop at the bottom instead of making one giant loop so the train will currently finish a length of track, go in a circle, and get right back on the track. When I tell it to go to the lower station nothing. I have added locomotives on both ends, driven it manually, and just can't get it.
I will include an attachment. If a solution is found please elaborate on why it didn't work and how I could fix it.
Thanks

Mind the spaghetti

fiddled around, found a few errors that still shouldn't affect the train path so I'm still looking for a solution.

PLEASE HELP

P.S.
Sorry, my first playthrough...

Ive spotted several issues, but lets start with the basics. A section of railway between two signals is called a block and only one train can be in a block and as long as a section is occupied no other train is allowed to enter.

Another function of signals is determining the drive direction of the trains, if a signal is placed at one side of the track, that block is considered single way track and the automated trains will not go against a signal, when signals are placed at both sides of the track it is marked as dual way track. I spotted several incorrectly placed signals, which causes trains to not have a path to the next stop. Further its really recommended to make intersections as small as possible blocks, for example this intersection, ive added a green line to make the block visible. When a train goes to the station below it blocks the intersection also because its massive block and the train from station on the left is forced to wait at the signal until the block is cleared. Ive added signals to the intersection, now the train from the left station can continue his route while a train is at the station below. Additionally ive made a block dual way (red box) all the way to turn-around at the other station. Lastly note ive used chain signals before the intersection and normal signals after the intersection to keep intersection free from blocking trains, a train will only enter a chain signal block if the exit is free. The block behind signal 1 is occupied and the signal is red, the chain signal 2 has only one exit which is red so it also shows red. A train that wants to go to the station below will wait before the intersection until the block behind signal 1 is free.

Okay, that makes sense. I'll work with some sandbox to figure this out more.
Thanks for the help.

twepy wrote:Ive spotted several issues, but lets start with the basics. A section of railway between two signals is called a block and only one train can be in a block and as long as a section is occupied no other train is allowed to enter.

Another function of signals is determining the drive direction of the trains, if a signal is placed at one side of the track, that block is considered single way track and the automated trains will not go against a signal, when signals are placed at both sides of the track it is marked as dual way track. I spotted several incorrectly placed signals, which causes trains to not have a path to the next stop.

The attachment RailwayBasics.png is no longer available

Further its really recommended to make intersections as small as possible blocks, for example this intersection, ive added a green line to make the block visible. When a train goes to the station below it blocks the intersection also because its massive block and the train from station on the left is forced to wait at the signal until the block is cleared.

The attachment railway1.png is no longer available

Ive added signals to the intersection, now the train from the left station can continue his route while a train is at the station below. Additionally ive made a block dual way (red box) all the way to turn-around at the other station. Lastly note ive used chain signals before the intersection and normal signals after the intersection to keep intersection free from blocking trains, a train will only enter a chain signal block if the exit is free. The block behind signal 1 is occupied and the signal is red, the chain signal 2 has only one exit which is red so it also shows red. A train that wants to go to the station below will wait before the intersection until the block behind signal 1 is free.

The attachment railway2.png is no longer available

I did what you said and I ended up with this. Any way you could get me a save file?

Im looking at your save now to give you some tips but you want to add signals here. They should probably be Chain signals.

As you have it...The whole intersection is only one block and it appears that a train from another direction is locking the bath...potentially through a chain signal. By adding signals inside the junction you create more blocks. And since you have more blocks, trains have more choices. And oops i photoshopped a signal on the wrong side....but the idea is the same. Just make sure your signals are only on the right side of your travel lane. i.e. don't put them on both sides of a one way rail segment.

Actually...I made my own suggestion in your save and everything is actually running fine. I made one other Chain to Signal change at a cross over North of there.


The only other thing you really need is to space your signals out on your main train at intervals about the length of your longest train. Use a chain signal anywhere you want a train to stop AFTER the next regular signal(i.e. before a junction with the next regular signal after the junction).

GreenLED wrote:I did what you said and I ended up with this. Any way you could get me a save file?

The answer is that another train is occupying the block behind the signal or a train is on the parallel block, the latter is caused by this part of track. When track is placed this close, the game will occupy both tracks to prevent collisions. Things like this should be avoided as much as possible at any cost, as it will create havoc sooner or later.

Shokubai wrote:Actually...I made my own suggestion in your save and everything is actually running fine. I made one other Chain to Signal change at a cross over North of there.

Not everything is running fine, you forgot about the train that runs from Oil load to Oil unload that still has a no path error. Because the section i marked as dual way wasnt dual way the entire section.

Usually im not in the habit of fixing someones game as it can be quite time consuming, but for this time ive made crude pass on the railway network to have all trains running without errors. As a general suggestion i would recommend to redesign your railway network with single way tracks and roundabouts. They arent perfect, but in general easier to maintain and expand then your current networkdesign. The purple lines are stations. This is an example of another forum user i gave some tips where i would place signals (Green = normal signals, Yellow = chain signals).

twepy wrote: Not everything is running fine, you forgot about the train that runs from Oil load to Oil unload that still has a no path error. Because the section i marked as dual way wasnt dual way the entire section.

Shokubai wrote:The only other thing you really need is to space your signals out on your main train at intervals about the length of your longest train. Use a chain signal anywhere you want a train to stop AFTER the next regular signal(i.e. before a junction with the next regular signal after the junction).

I didn't say i fixed everything outside that junction .