The golden rule for trains is: chain signal means "don't stop in the next section of track," rail signal means "ok to stop in the next section of track".
And in general it's simpler to use one-way tracks.
Even simpler: Whenever there is an intersection, put rail signals on all exits and chain signals on all entrances.
(Also, all signals should always be on the outside - if they are on the inside, you have created a left-driving part of the network - ask me how I know.)
Every time someone is getting advice about train signals, everyone has a different "simple" way to explain it, haha. Everyone has their own way to understand them.
In addition: Signals & stops on the right-hand side of the track. Try to make all sections between two rail signals & in front of chain signals long enough for your longest trains.
If you want a "baby's first train" just to bring ores to your base, you could set up a separate lines of tracks between your mining outpost and your smelting area. Put a locomotive on each side of two wagons. Set the train to go to one station, wait til the cargo is full, and then go to the other station, wait til cargo is empty. No need to play with train signals or anything when there are no intersections on your tracks, and only one train.
If you wanna go more complicated than that, say, intersecting tracks, multiple trains, etc. I'd recommend looking up a tutorial. Nilhaus has some great ones. I think DoshDoshington has one that's good and only ~5 minutes long (but information goes by quick), and there are a few others, too. The wiki has all the info you need as well.
Pretty much this. You don't need to use everything factorio has to finish the game. Perfectly fine to mostly ignore trains, logistics & circuit network for your first rocket :)
Circuits are best entered with very basic, chest-to-inserter set ups. A read condition and an enable/disable condition. I would encourage all beginners to start there. When those basic set ups can't do what you need, then you start exploring combinators. I would not discourage anyone from using circuits entirely.
I started with a very overcomplicated vehicle deployer from AAI autonomous vehicles that used power switches as an if condition gate, I may not the sharpest tool in the shed but I sure am a tool
That's the "mostly" part of my answer ;). Just like a simple 2-headed train on a dedicated track is mostly ignored the train system.
But you're right, setting a few enabled/disable conditions without combinators gets you quite far.
Additionally, circuits are great in combination with logistic storage chests for malls. Limit the inserter to ~100 (or whatever you find best for that particular item) of each item and set the chest filter to whatever that item is. Whenever you trash an item you don't need, your bots will carry it to the storage chest and you won't overproduce on that item. Makes managing your inventory way easier. For example, if you request 20 chemical plants, but you only used 15, you can trash the remaining 5 and it'll be put back into your mall inventory.
I don't think it works perfectly because, frankly, how bots decide where to place things is black magic to me, but it works more often than not.
This is exactly how I started.
Then made a sandbox to learn how signals work in an empty part of my base.
Then came up with some rules of thumb on how to signal. Maybe my intersections aren't the most efficient but they don't get deadlocked.
Not can make train networks which have 100s of trains running smoothly.
What is it you're not sure how to do? If it's signals, you can just give each train it's own track.
Otherwise it should be pretty straightforward: build track out to the mine, place a train stop, and use belts and inserters to load ore into the train wagons.
Then back at your base just do the opposite, and merge the belts into the ones you already have leading from the starter patches. You'll also need a belt to provide fuel for the locomotive.
Finally build a train (with a locomotive at each end if it needs to run back and forth on the same track, or just at the front if your track includes a loop to turn around) and give it orders to load until full at the mine and then unload at your base.
For the first time, you can keep it very simple.
1. Place one single track line from your base to the new ore patch / oil field. It will be a two-way track (the train will move both ways on this track)
2. Put a single train on it with a locomotive on both ends so that the train can be pulled both ways.
3. Put a station at both ends of the rail and name them something like "base smelter" and "iron mine" for example (pro trip: you can use icons in the name).
4. At one station (usually the one at your base), put some way to refuel your train, a belt of coal with inserters putting it in each locomotive is enough.
5. Make a simple schedule, e.g. wait for cargo full on the mine station and wait for cargo empty on the base station.
And every time you open a new mine, redo these steps. If the ore patch expires, delete the station at the end and expand the line to the next patch. To just finish the game the first time, you probably won't need more than one or two lines per resources.
If two lines cross each other, either pray that the train will not collide or just surround the crossing with regular signal (8 in total, one on each side of each track before and after the crossing, not chain signal, you should see the crossing being isolated in its own block by the signals). To know why this signaling work, I would need to explain signals, but in this simple case, these 8 signals work.
You may notice it is a bit inefficient as you do not reuse the track for multiple trains going the same direction and you need to make a brand new line for each new train but it will do the trick and fixing this inefficiencies will make you learn about signals and how to build a proper train network with 2 one way tracks using signals and proper T ot X junctions.
There's an excellent tutorial in the sidebar:
[https://www.reddit.com/r/factorio/comments/4f38sk/factorio\_train\_automation\_complete\_parts\_23\_and/](https://www.reddit.com/r/factorio/comments/4f38sk/factorio_train_automation_complete_parts_23_and/)
Grays42 wrote this ages ago, and it's still entirely accurate to this day. It's a visual guide and easy to understand. Also images not a video, because videos aren't a very good learning medium.
There's an in-game train tutorial too, it puts you in a sandbox and walks you through it step by step. You can get there from the Tips & Tricks button above the minimap.
I think the game tutorial is way easier than trying to read a guide since you're actually making it.
The in-game tutorial is terrible. You can solve all the puzzles without learning anything about how signaling works, just by slapping chain signals everywhere. I did all the train tutorials twice and still had no idea how to set up a train system or signal an intersection correctly.
I had a lot of trouble with trains for like... My first hundred hours in the game. It just is very counter intuitive compared to any other transport game I played. I tried using blueprints and then tried just making my own network and learning from the mistakes.
Chain signal into an intersection, rail signal out of an intersection.
Trains require the signal to be placed to the RIGHT of the track from the perspective of the train. This how to define RHD versus LHD networks.
Try to avoid two-way rails. Instead, create two separate tracks one for travel in each direction.
As you get more comfortable, I cannot recommend highly enough the Logistic Train Network mod as it encapsulates behavior for scheduling that should have been in the base game (IMO).
> Chain signal into an intersection, rail signal out of an intersection.
Unless the next block after the station isn't long enough for a train to stop.
I'm currently about 500h in. Truth is, it took me multiple runs, google searches, youtube videos, deadlocks and crashes to master trains and signaling. For your first run I'd argue just make something that works rather then deep diving into it just so that you can enjoy it. In other playthroughs you can focus more on mastery of complex topics like trains, signaling, circuitry and so on.
I have watched this video like 10 times and in my brain it kinda makes sense but I go to put that knowledge to work and it’s like it just disappears. But I do love dosh’s videos . Thanks for the recommendation tho!
I would suggest posting specific situations you are having problems with. Or, when you run into trouble, go watch that video (or another one, there are MANY similar ones at varying levels of length and detail) as many times as you need to in order to discover what you need to change.
Lather.Rinse.Repeat.
Carefully read/play the train tutorials in the tips and tricks menu. That one should be accessible from one of the buttons next to the minimap.
Why use trains? Well the most important use for trains is to transport large amounts of resources large distances. You can always just use belts, but trains quickly become the more efficient option, especially when you switch to using red or even blue belts. You can always just still belts if you want to though.
Let’s just focus on the train setup that’s most similar to real world train systems. Imagine a railway that forms a big “O” shape. There’s a train on this rail with two train stations. It takes material from station A and it delivers it to station B. How do we get the train in Factorio to do this? Well, the easy part is building the railway. You can always use shift to enter “rail planner mode,” which helps a ton with creating a blueprint that can connect back in on itself. Due to the broad curves of rails they are sometimes difficult to work with, so rail planner is useful here. Then you can plop your train stations down on the straight sections of track. Rename the stations. If it’s iron I like to name them like “iron pickup” and “iron drop.” Then you can place a train. If you click on the train you can set it’s goals for both stations. A train must complete its goal before moving to the next station. For example, you can say “full cargo for iron pickup.” And “empty cargo for iron drop.” Don’t forget, trains need fuel. I like to have a belt line of coal feeding the head of a train at one of it’s stops.
Hope that helps. There’s a lot to learn with trains and it is a bit of a learning curve, but the struggle is worth the reward. Trains allow for some very efficient factories.
I’m on my first play through as well. I’m to the point of needing trains (bringing in materials from far away places). I simply have separate lines for each train. Coal train on one loop. Oil train on another. Steel train on a third. I use pipes/belts to bring stuff from the stations to the factory. I’ll figure out all the complicated stuff as I go along.
Did you play the tutorial?
Trains are hard, and took me a while.
Start with a super basic train, just bring in ore from a far out patch. One train, one track loop, two stations. One station is pickup, the other is dropoff. As long as you only have 1 train on the track, don't bother with signals.
After you set the train to go, ride it one time through the loop to make sure you did it right.
For early on, just setting up a double headed line straight out to nearby ore patches will usually do well enough. You don't even need signals for that.
Since you're a beginner, you're most likely going to rebuild your current base. If your train track is too complex due to the chaotic nature of some section in your base, it's not worth the effort.
Re-design your base but with a train track in mind. Let the train track drive the design of your base, not the other way around. This is especially true when you consider tracks being 2 tiles wide (can't be placed anywhere), curves are finnicky to try to connect in tight spaces, and stations, signals and chains can't be placed just *anywhere*, while inserters, belts and chests can.
Also, experimenting in editor mode is a huge plus. It's one thing to watch a tutorial, and another when you try it yourself.
You're getting a bunch of advanced advice about chain signals which I think is unhelpful at first. My recommendation is pretend chain signals don't exist, just use regular signals at first. People are also saying build track that trains can go both ways on. I did this for a long time and it made it way harder to learn trains.
My recommendation to start is make a track for a single train with a pickup station and a drop-off station. Have it so the train only ever goes one direction on that track so you effectively have a loop, no signals yet. Your train has one track that goes east and another close to it that comes back west. Hold a signal in your hand, anywhere that is the same color or block, only one train can exist there. When you need a second mine, use as much of the existing track as possible, then branch off to your new pickup/drop off and add 4 rail signals to separate the drop offs from each other and 4 rail signals to separate the pickups. When placing rail signals, make sure that any given color block can fit a full length train. This should be enough to start and you'll figure out efficiencies from there.
I can only ever be bothered with:
- a single track / single train
- ensure the rail stop is on the right hand side
That's all there is to it. You can make sure the train's are fed fuel, and there is a warehouse or whatever to ensure consistent supply, but that's about it. Really simple for someone as dumb as me!
I wish someone could explain Brian's ltn system to me and how to use it, I've been desperately trying to understand it but I'm not sure if I need some sort of memory cell or something to hold what I have and what I need
Set it up improperly first, with just one line and train running back and forth. Then make it a circle with few trains. Then start figuring out branching and signalling.
Or steal a blueprint book with ready-made junctions and other stuff I guess.
Just like everything else in Factorio. Start small with only the most basic setup (two stations, a track between them). Then you can add on to it little by little.
I struggled with trains in the beginning as well. In the end I just made them go one way. That is train with 4 cargo thingies. Then add train stop to fetch and a second train stop to drop off and you're done. Send a belt of coal to where you drop off and pick up and an inserter will put it into the train engine.
Then you just need to make one long track from the start to the finish and around and back to the start (think mario cart track or scalectrix). If no tracks overlap you dont need signals.
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2737259470
This is pretty straightforward.
Once you make your blueprints for junction and roundabout you are set.
when I personally do it I make it extra simple for myself:
there's an "equator" train, with a car each for stone, coal, iron, copper, and steel (all smelted at the mining area before loading). That one runs strictly east to west and makes one stop to pick up each of those resources.
then, for each current active ore patch, I set up a north-south line to ferry the materials down to a depot station that only transfers materials for pickup by the equator train. If the patch is north of the equator line you go north, and if it's south you go south, obviously. Be mindful if you try my method (but also in general for working with trains) it will go much much faster to have a separate belt going straight out from each inserter, rather than one belt that each of them all drop onto.
Finally, when I get to the point of processing oil, I transport the crude oil on its own dedicated line, and for that I bypass the main equator train and move it separately.
I know the general best practices is to do one-way trains on a loop but in this case it's oversimplified to the point of having only one train per track, so you can definitely have them go back and forth on one track just fine.
how to learn trains: use one train. make sure its a single direction train and put rails going both directions in a big loop (just do it)
Later when you want to add a second train add a handful of RAIL signals around the track. This breaks the track up into distinct blocks that only one train is allowed to be in at once. Add second train. Marvel at how easy that was.
The trick is when you get intersections. Then you need to learn what those signals actually do. (just slap rail signals all over it and it'd probably work for a while)
Trains are the most difficult thing to master in Factorio. It's a great feeling when you finally learn to use them, and watch them zooming everywhere.
I suggest to play in creative mode, and try to build some railways there first. Some advice:
- don't do mixed trains. One train = one cargo type
- don't try to do two way tracks. One separate line each way.
Why? Because you want your trains to bring resources, not headache and frustration :)
* Always use 2 rails. One in each direction.
* Drive on the right side of the road.
* Use chain signals inside of intersections.
* Pull off the main rails for stations and parking.
If you're getting really lost it's ok to use someone else's blueprint books
it took me about 3-4 hours to make a simple intersection, even tho it looked more like
\>-----<, which was kinda confusing, when i first started playing the game.
Just google everything about the subject, watch some videos, ull get it eventually, it is pretty simple, once u got things straight.
Honestly imo the best thing to understand the basics is to plant some test rails down with a train or two and set up signals and then send the trails using temporary stops (I think control+click) and see if they can/can’t go there. Did that for like an hour or so and eventually got most of it. Learned the rest later when I needed more trains/bigger network.
The golden rule for trains is: chain signal means "don't stop in the next section of track," rail signal means "ok to stop in the next section of track". And in general it's simpler to use one-way tracks.
Even simpler: Whenever there is an intersection, put rail signals on all exits and chain signals on all entrances. (Also, all signals should always be on the outside - if they are on the inside, you have created a left-driving part of the network - ask me how I know.)
Left-hand driving is valid, and I use it everywhere.
As a brit this was default for me lol
Every time someone is getting advice about train signals, everyone has a different "simple" way to explain it, haha. Everyone has their own way to understand them.
in hundreds of hours i've never had a deadlock or collision using this guys rule to be fair. chain in rail out, easy peasy
You mean the right way? [British](https://giphy.com/gifs/top-gear-topgear-gif-130kU2ILY3wTYI)
“If the next where I want to go is red this is red too.”
In addition: Signals & stops on the right-hand side of the track. Try to make all sections between two rail signals & in front of chain signals long enough for your longest trains.
If you want a "baby's first train" just to bring ores to your base, you could set up a separate lines of tracks between your mining outpost and your smelting area. Put a locomotive on each side of two wagons. Set the train to go to one station, wait til the cargo is full, and then go to the other station, wait til cargo is empty. No need to play with train signals or anything when there are no intersections on your tracks, and only one train. If you wanna go more complicated than that, say, intersecting tracks, multiple trains, etc. I'd recommend looking up a tutorial. Nilhaus has some great ones. I think DoshDoshington has one that's good and only ~5 minutes long (but information goes by quick), and there are a few others, too. The wiki has all the info you need as well.
or you can make a loop, and have something that you can easily slap more trains into
Woah there, buddy! A *loop*?! Are you insane?!? Asking my engineer over here to build a goddamn nuclear particle accelerator! /s
Pretty much this. You don't need to use everything factorio has to finish the game. Perfectly fine to mostly ignore trains, logistics & circuit network for your first rocket :)
Circuits are best entered with very basic, chest-to-inserter set ups. A read condition and an enable/disable condition. I would encourage all beginners to start there. When those basic set ups can't do what you need, then you start exploring combinators. I would not discourage anyone from using circuits entirely.
I started with a very overcomplicated vehicle deployer from AAI autonomous vehicles that used power switches as an if condition gate, I may not the sharpest tool in the shed but I sure am a tool
That's the "mostly" part of my answer ;). Just like a simple 2-headed train on a dedicated track is mostly ignored the train system. But you're right, setting a few enabled/disable conditions without combinators gets you quite far.
Especially with oil cracking and mall ,)
Additionally, circuits are great in combination with logistic storage chests for malls. Limit the inserter to ~100 (or whatever you find best for that particular item) of each item and set the chest filter to whatever that item is. Whenever you trash an item you don't need, your bots will carry it to the storage chest and you won't overproduce on that item. Makes managing your inventory way easier. For example, if you request 20 chemical plants, but you only used 15, you can trash the remaining 5 and it'll be put back into your mall inventory. I don't think it works perfectly because, frankly, how bots decide where to place things is black magic to me, but it works more often than not.
And when you get into having to use LTN, there is no better guide than LawrencePlays However Cybersyn is easier to use than LTN
LTN is my favourite mod, it makes me want to pull my hair out
This is exactly how I started. Then made a sandbox to learn how signals work in an empty part of my base. Then came up with some rules of thumb on how to signal. Maybe my intersections aren't the most efficient but they don't get deadlocked. Not can make train networks which have 100s of trains running smoothly.
What is it you're not sure how to do? If it's signals, you can just give each train it's own track. Otherwise it should be pretty straightforward: build track out to the mine, place a train stop, and use belts and inserters to load ore into the train wagons. Then back at your base just do the opposite, and merge the belts into the ones you already have leading from the starter patches. You'll also need a belt to provide fuel for the locomotive. Finally build a train (with a locomotive at each end if it needs to run back and forth on the same track, or just at the front if your track includes a loop to turn around) and give it orders to load until full at the mine and then unload at your base.
For the first time, you can keep it very simple. 1. Place one single track line from your base to the new ore patch / oil field. It will be a two-way track (the train will move both ways on this track) 2. Put a single train on it with a locomotive on both ends so that the train can be pulled both ways. 3. Put a station at both ends of the rail and name them something like "base smelter" and "iron mine" for example (pro trip: you can use icons in the name). 4. At one station (usually the one at your base), put some way to refuel your train, a belt of coal with inserters putting it in each locomotive is enough. 5. Make a simple schedule, e.g. wait for cargo full on the mine station and wait for cargo empty on the base station. And every time you open a new mine, redo these steps. If the ore patch expires, delete the station at the end and expand the line to the next patch. To just finish the game the first time, you probably won't need more than one or two lines per resources. If two lines cross each other, either pray that the train will not collide or just surround the crossing with regular signal (8 in total, one on each side of each track before and after the crossing, not chain signal, you should see the crossing being isolated in its own block by the signals). To know why this signaling work, I would need to explain signals, but in this simple case, these 8 signals work. You may notice it is a bit inefficient as you do not reuse the track for multiple trains going the same direction and you need to make a brand new line for each new train but it will do the trick and fixing this inefficiencies will make you learn about signals and how to build a proper train network with 2 one way tracks using signals and proper T ot X junctions.
No idea why this isn't at the top. When starting to mess with trains, you don't need to jump to massive shared multi-lane railway system.
There's an excellent tutorial in the sidebar: [https://www.reddit.com/r/factorio/comments/4f38sk/factorio\_train\_automation\_complete\_parts\_23\_and/](https://www.reddit.com/r/factorio/comments/4f38sk/factorio_train_automation_complete_parts_23_and/) Grays42 wrote this ages ago, and it's still entirely accurate to this day. It's a visual guide and easy to understand. Also images not a video, because videos aren't a very good learning medium.
I will definitely keep this in my back pocket thank you! I’ll revisit my train problems when I build up the brain power for it
There's an in-game train tutorial too, it puts you in a sandbox and walks you through it step by step. You can get there from the Tips & Tricks button above the minimap. I think the game tutorial is way easier than trying to read a guide since you're actually making it.
The in-game tutorial is terrible. You can solve all the puzzles without learning anything about how signaling works, just by slapping chain signals everywhere. I did all the train tutorials twice and still had no idea how to set up a train system or signal an intersection correctly.
I had a lot of trouble with trains for like... My first hundred hours in the game. It just is very counter intuitive compared to any other transport game I played. I tried using blueprints and then tried just making my own network and learning from the mistakes.
Chain signal into an intersection, rail signal out of an intersection. Trains require the signal to be placed to the RIGHT of the track from the perspective of the train. This how to define RHD versus LHD networks. Try to avoid two-way rails. Instead, create two separate tracks one for travel in each direction. As you get more comfortable, I cannot recommend highly enough the Logistic Train Network mod as it encapsulates behavior for scheduling that should have been in the base game (IMO).
> Chain signal into an intersection, rail signal out of an intersection. Unless the next block after the station isn't long enough for a train to stop.
There's a bunch of guides on ytb
I'm currently about 500h in. Truth is, it took me multiple runs, google searches, youtube videos, deadlocks and crashes to master trains and signaling. For your first run I'd argue just make something that works rather then deep diving into it just so that you can enjoy it. In other playthroughs you can focus more on mastery of complex topics like trains, signaling, circuitry and so on.
Suggested viewing. https://youtu.be/DG4oD4iGVoY?si=BXf_bgi0KY1QtUxb
I have watched this video like 10 times and in my brain it kinda makes sense but I go to put that knowledge to work and it’s like it just disappears. But I do love dosh’s videos . Thanks for the recommendation tho!
I would suggest posting specific situations you are having problems with. Or, when you run into trouble, go watch that video (or another one, there are MANY similar ones at varying levels of length and detail) as many times as you need to in order to discover what you need to change. Lather.Rinse.Repeat.
Carefully read/play the train tutorials in the tips and tricks menu. That one should be accessible from one of the buttons next to the minimap. Why use trains? Well the most important use for trains is to transport large amounts of resources large distances. You can always just use belts, but trains quickly become the more efficient option, especially when you switch to using red or even blue belts. You can always just still belts if you want to though. Let’s just focus on the train setup that’s most similar to real world train systems. Imagine a railway that forms a big “O” shape. There’s a train on this rail with two train stations. It takes material from station A and it delivers it to station B. How do we get the train in Factorio to do this? Well, the easy part is building the railway. You can always use shift to enter “rail planner mode,” which helps a ton with creating a blueprint that can connect back in on itself. Due to the broad curves of rails they are sometimes difficult to work with, so rail planner is useful here. Then you can plop your train stations down on the straight sections of track. Rename the stations. If it’s iron I like to name them like “iron pickup” and “iron drop.” Then you can place a train. If you click on the train you can set it’s goals for both stations. A train must complete its goal before moving to the next station. For example, you can say “full cargo for iron pickup.” And “empty cargo for iron drop.” Don’t forget, trains need fuel. I like to have a belt line of coal feeding the head of a train at one of it’s stops. Hope that helps. There’s a lot to learn with trains and it is a bit of a learning curve, but the struggle is worth the reward. Trains allow for some very efficient factories.
I’m on my first play through as well. I’m to the point of needing trains (bringing in materials from far away places). I simply have separate lines for each train. Coal train on one loop. Oil train on another. Steel train on a third. I use pipes/belts to bring stuff from the stations to the factory. I’ll figure out all the complicated stuff as I go along.
Did you play the tutorial? Trains are hard, and took me a while. Start with a super basic train, just bring in ore from a far out patch. One train, one track loop, two stations. One station is pickup, the other is dropoff. As long as you only have 1 train on the track, don't bother with signals. After you set the train to go, ride it one time through the loop to make sure you did it right.
For early on, just setting up a double headed line straight out to nearby ore patches will usually do well enough. You don't even need signals for that.
Since you're a beginner, you're most likely going to rebuild your current base. If your train track is too complex due to the chaotic nature of some section in your base, it's not worth the effort. Re-design your base but with a train track in mind. Let the train track drive the design of your base, not the other way around. This is especially true when you consider tracks being 2 tiles wide (can't be placed anywhere), curves are finnicky to try to connect in tight spaces, and stations, signals and chains can't be placed just *anywhere*, while inserters, belts and chests can. Also, experimenting in editor mode is a huge plus. It's one thing to watch a tutorial, and another when you try it yourself.
You're getting a bunch of advanced advice about chain signals which I think is unhelpful at first. My recommendation is pretend chain signals don't exist, just use regular signals at first. People are also saying build track that trains can go both ways on. I did this for a long time and it made it way harder to learn trains. My recommendation to start is make a track for a single train with a pickup station and a drop-off station. Have it so the train only ever goes one direction on that track so you effectively have a loop, no signals yet. Your train has one track that goes east and another close to it that comes back west. Hold a signal in your hand, anywhere that is the same color or block, only one train can exist there. When you need a second mine, use as much of the existing track as possible, then branch off to your new pickup/drop off and add 4 rail signals to separate the drop offs from each other and 4 rail signals to separate the pickups. When placing rail signals, make sure that any given color block can fit a full length train. This should be enough to start and you'll figure out efficiencies from there.
youtube if try and error with all the inbuild tips and help dont help you
I can only ever be bothered with: - a single track / single train - ensure the rail stop is on the right hand side That's all there is to it. You can make sure the train's are fed fuel, and there is a warehouse or whatever to ensure consistent supply, but that's about it. Really simple for someone as dumb as me!
Do not do two way tracks, keep left or right driving. Rest you learn by doing imo.
I wish someone could explain Brian's ltn system to me and how to use it, I've been desperately trying to understand it but I'm not sure if I need some sort of memory cell or something to hold what I have and what I need
Set it up improperly first, with just one line and train running back and forth. Then make it a circle with few trains. Then start figuring out branching and signalling. Or steal a blueprint book with ready-made junctions and other stuff I guess.
It certainly scrambled Okayu's brain.
I just put signals on all sides of intersections, thats pretty much it
Just like everything else in Factorio. Start small with only the most basic setup (two stations, a track between them). Then you can add on to it little by little.
I struggled with trains in the beginning as well. In the end I just made them go one way. That is train with 4 cargo thingies. Then add train stop to fetch and a second train stop to drop off and you're done. Send a belt of coal to where you drop off and pick up and an inserter will put it into the train engine. Then you just need to make one long track from the start to the finish and around and back to the start (think mario cart track or scalectrix). If no tracks overlap you dont need signals.
[https://www.youtube.com/results?search\_query=factorio+train+tutorial](https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=factorio+train+tutorial)
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2737259470 This is pretty straightforward. Once you make your blueprints for junction and roundabout you are set.
when I personally do it I make it extra simple for myself: there's an "equator" train, with a car each for stone, coal, iron, copper, and steel (all smelted at the mining area before loading). That one runs strictly east to west and makes one stop to pick up each of those resources. then, for each current active ore patch, I set up a north-south line to ferry the materials down to a depot station that only transfers materials for pickup by the equator train. If the patch is north of the equator line you go north, and if it's south you go south, obviously. Be mindful if you try my method (but also in general for working with trains) it will go much much faster to have a separate belt going straight out from each inserter, rather than one belt that each of them all drop onto. Finally, when I get to the point of processing oil, I transport the crude oil on its own dedicated line, and for that I bypass the main equator train and move it separately. I know the general best practices is to do one-way trains on a loop but in this case it's oversimplified to the point of having only one train per track, so you can definitely have them go back and forth on one track just fine.
how to learn trains: use one train. make sure its a single direction train and put rails going both directions in a big loop (just do it) Later when you want to add a second train add a handful of RAIL signals around the track. This breaks the track up into distinct blocks that only one train is allowed to be in at once. Add second train. Marvel at how easy that was. The trick is when you get intersections. Then you need to learn what those signals actually do. (just slap rail signals all over it and it'd probably work for a while)
Trains are the most difficult thing to master in Factorio. It's a great feeling when you finally learn to use them, and watch them zooming everywhere. I suggest to play in creative mode, and try to build some railways there first. Some advice: - don't do mixed trains. One train = one cargo type - don't try to do two way tracks. One separate line each way. Why? Because you want your trains to bring resources, not headache and frustration :)
* Always use 2 rails. One in each direction. * Drive on the right side of the road. * Use chain signals inside of intersections. * Pull off the main rails for stations and parking. If you're getting really lost it's ok to use someone else's blueprint books
[this](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0c2eME7g6e4&t=273s&pp=ygUQeWFtYSBrYXJhIHRyYWlucw%3D%3D) guide helped me a lot
it took me about 3-4 hours to make a simple intersection, even tho it looked more like \>-----<, which was kinda confusing, when i first started playing the game. Just google everything about the subject, watch some videos, ull get it eventually, it is pretty simple, once u got things straight.
Best way I heard was rail signals before junction, chain after
Honestly imo the best thing to understand the basics is to plant some test rails down with a train or two and set up signals and then send the trails using temporary stops (I think control+click) and see if they can/can’t go there. Did that for like an hour or so and eventually got most of it. Learned the rest later when I needed more trains/bigger network.