Bulldog Stations: High throughput with 1-2 trains

Bulldog Stations is a book of load/unload stations for trains with 1 locomotive and 2 wagons on a 2 lane single direction train system, designed to maximize throughput at the unload station.

The screenshot shows the grid, because if you place these blueprints in a chunk-aligned fashion they will seamlessly integrate with other Bulldog blueprints (like rails) making it easier to plan and layout your base.

This book currently only contains two blueprints. I plan to update it with additional stations as well as release other Bulldog blueprint books that you can use as a set.

BLUEPRINTS:

1. Ore Load at Outpost

• Has a Load stop and a Load Queue stop. Allows for one train to be loading and one queued up right behind it waiting for load. When your base is using up ores faster than your outposts can supply one empty train waits in the Load Queue.
• Use the same name for all outpost load stations of the same ore. For example Copper Load Queue and Copper Load.
• If the chests don't have enough ore to supply a train, the station closes allowing trains to go to other outposts. Does not (yet) check to see if there is enough ore to fill each wagon, so it is possible that in a nearly depleted outpost the train might wait to complete a load (this is a very minor issue).
• If both stops (Load and Load Queue) are occupied, the station closes allowing trains to go to other outposts.
• You MUST set the correct ore in the combinator by the chests.
• The bypass segment exists primarily to support the passenger stop, although it is available to the pathfinding when it needs a path to reverse direction in the main line and you didn't provide a convenient one. I recommend using a consistent pattern for naming the passenger stops, like Copper 1 Pax, Copper 2 Pax, etc as it allows you to go to any station quickly should they get attacked by biters.
• I recommend the following layout for your outposts: --- T-junction off your main line. --- Load station blueprint. --- Loopback. --- This way your trains exit the same way they entered and are able to return in the opposite direction.
• Keep in mind that you can add additional ore outposts when needed.
• This is not intended as a generic train loader. Since it is limited by ore patch productivity I used a solid but simple loader instead of trying to maximize load performance. I will eventually create and add a different blueprint for that.

2. 8x Ore Unload

• Able to keep 8 blue belts (4 per wagon) nearly saturated.
• Can support up to 14 1-2 trains, from 7 outposts or from transboard stations (transboard stations might be necessary bring in ore from somewhere in large trains - as you might do if you are tapping outposts far away).
• Has an Unload stop, an Unload Queue segment (with no stop, just signals) and an Unload Stacker. Train flow is handled without circuit logic, through careful use of signals.
• When demand matches supply you will typically see one train unloading for a few seconds and a second one at the Queue Segment ready to jump in. The flow of trains can be frantic, wear heavy shields if you can and don't get run over.
• When demand is lower than supply, one train will sit at the Unload stop waiting to finish unloading, one behind, and most of the rest will be waiting at the stacker.
• When demand is higher than supply, the station might be empty or have 1 train at the Unload stop, with the rest either at the Load stations or en route.
• Keep in mind that you can add additional stacker lanes if needed until you reach the maximum ore volume that can be carried by 8 saturated belts. I have not yet made a 16 blue-belt station, but I will add the blueprint to this book when I do.

3. x8 Belt Balancer

• Place this somewhere after the x8 Ore Unloader and before the first splitter to draw ore. It will help balance the content of the unload buffer chests and thus shorten the time that trains spend at the stop.

ORE TRAIN ROUTE example:

• Copper Load Queue stop, wait for 1 second. Don't worry, the signal will stop it until ready to go to the Load stop after leaving the stop and the circuits will detect that the train is still there.
• Copper Load stop, wait until full.
• Copper Unload stop, wait until empty. Again, the signals will take care of making sure it waits in the Unload Stacker or Unload Queue segment as needed.

Credits:

• Credit for the current 4 nearly saturated belt per wagon unloader mechanism I use in the unload station goes to DaveMcW.
• Credit for the idea of chunk-aligning rails (which worked so well I now use for virtually everything, not just rails) goes to Odhrean. To display the chunks, simply hit F4, check View Grid, then F4 again.

Update history:

• 2018-05-20 Initial post and subsequent update to include a x8 belt balancer.