Description
This rail book contains:
- Provider and Requester Stations to make train logistics much easier.
- Simple set of rails (T, straight, corner, U).
- Refuel & Depot Stations.
- Mobile Mall that assembles requested items (configurable) and loads mall train.
Overview
- Provider/Requester stations broadcast how many train loads of items/fluid are available/needed and the depots dispatch trains.
- Provider/Requester stations are dedicated to a single item/fluid type.
- Trains automatically refuel at the Refuel Station.
- Made for 1-2 trains (locomotive, cargo, cargo).
- Right hand drive.
Why use this rail system?
- Setup is easy.
- Depot blueprints include a train with its schedule preconfigured.
- Provider/Requester stations will prompt you to select an item/fluid when placing the blueprint (no other configuration needed).
- Snaps to absolute grid so all parts of the rail network will align.
- Diagnostics.
- Hovering over any big electric pole in the rail system shows how many train loads are available (green) and needed (red). This makes it easy to find the bottleneck (do I need more copper ore? or more smelters? etc.).
- Mobile Mall.
- Assembles the input items (directly or indirectly) into the requested items and un/loads the mall train to match requests.
- By default, it is configured to produce the items needed to build any one station but can be easily reconfigured to include more/other items.
- Easy to add more wagons, assemblers, and input item types.
- Early game.
- Requires red, green, and 50 blue science (for advanced combinators).
Additional features:
- How many train loads a station should buffer is configurable at each station. Hint: Look for the constant combinator with a low temperature symbol.
- Priority of provider/requester stations is the number of train loads available/needed (so the most needy stations get service first).
- Requester stations double as a dispatcher so trains don't necessarily need to go back to the depot before being reassigned (which reduces traffic).
- Each provider/requester station train limit is set to 3 (1 station + 2 parking spots) so you'll never have a waiting train blocking the main track.
- Train dispatching is smart enough to prioritize the most in demand item/fluid first and only consider items/fluids where a full train load is both provided and requested.
- One click to add a new train (paste depot blueprint over itself again).
- Trains can be added/removed/destroyed without confusing the system.
- Provider/Requester station's boxes are balanced (roughly) using circuit logic (since normal balancer would be too bulky).
- Item/fluid provider/requester stations are only 8 tiles wide and all fit in the same form factor.
- A single Stations Base can have several provider/requester stations.
- Refueling station can be supplied with wood, coal, solid fuel, rocket fuel, or nuclear fuel. Supplied fuel can be changed later by simply belting in a different fuel and the existing trains will be automatically switched over to the new fuel when they next refuel.
- Mall will produce breadth first (some of everything) instead of depth first (all of one thing then start on the next).
- Mall train can be easily summoned (immediately or once loaded) and doubles as personal transport.
- Mall will produce a spare copy of requests and keep it on hand so the mall train can be quickly reloaded.
- Mall will automatically unload trash you put in the mall train (such as wood and excess stone).
- Mall has an optional logistics hookup to allow it to request items from the logistics network.
- Mall will alert you if it lacks a necessary input item to produce a request.
Changes:
10/31/2025
- Fixed bug where, without space age, item trains were dispatched when fluid trains should have been.
- Fixed bug where, without space age, the mall didn't produce anything.
11/04/2025
- Fixed issue where, when adding station to stations base, there were two places that looked right.
06/08/2026
- Added provider/requester station snap to absolute grid.
06/30/2026
- Added provider/requester stations with roboport loading/unloading.
07/05/2026
- Fixed issue where mall assembler unloading could be blocked by foliage.
07/23/2026
- Fixed issue where messing with a depot's wiring could leave it broken even after undoing the miswiring.
Legacy version available here.
