Originally shared on the public FactorioPrints / Factorio School archive (factorioprints.com · factorio.school). Authorship preserved from the public catalog.
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.
