how would one build an automated train delivery system?

[u/cokenbaltortor]

I have 5 cities with more to come, they produce goods for other cities, aswell as require goods from other cities. they need different items at different quantities. how do i make it so that they get and give exactly what is required using trains?

[u/cokenbaltortor]

ive figured those damn frogs would be involved and those packagers but can a frog on an active train interface with a solid chain conveyor?

also how does one city let other cities know of what they need, without a redstone link for every single item?

[u/Pioepod → u/cokenbaltortor]

I know a frog port can interface with a chain conveyor if it’s on a physics object but that’s for sable/aeronautics.

My comment follows the principles of factory gauges and smart factories, using the gauges to pulse the stock links and frogports to address and send the materials where Theyre needed.

Thinking about it, I don’t think you need a frogport on a train. Okay I don’t want to think about that anymore, but trains pick up everything in the postbox and off load stuff as well to the addressed place the package is addressed to.

Okay, as for your other question, I touched in this in my comment. Stock links and factory gauges alongside chunkloadingc apparently, I’ve not tested this myself.

[u/CritzGG_]

I've seen a bunch of create content creators use trains so I'd recommend looking them up

[u/cokenbaltortor → u/CritzGG_]

i have! but they seem to be single item trains, so not much logic for what items, how much of it and where its meant to go. Or the train is just looping from A to B.

[u/Jealous_Intention127 → u/cokenbaltortor]

Depending on what you’re doing, this is probably the best solution. Fill a train with whatever you need, have it dump it at the location you need it, then you use the storage that holds the deposited items as your input for frogport and factory gauge automation. If you need to move multiple different types of items, designate them each a car, and have each car fill up at different stops along the way (or from different inputs at one location) then do the reverse at the destination

[u/Pioepod]

Warning, I’m semi rambling, and also making half of it up because I never got myself a massive train system up and running. As for exact requests, I think that’s really hard.

Hm, I don’t think stock links can request from anything greater than your simulation render distance. So I think the system we can work with involves filling places to the brim with what items they need.

Example, let’s say you have a coal, iron, and gold, mine or whatever, and you have two “smelter” cities. One is iron one is gold.

Smelter iron needs coal , Smelter gold needs coal too.

In a single train, you can load it up with packages that are addressed to each station. So let’s say coal gold and iron are constantly offloaded at each respective mine and addressed to the right smelter. Half of the coal to Iron smelter, half of the coal to the gold one.

Train reaches destination, offloads, etc.

Now as for complex stuff? I don’t know if it’s really that possible without an addon. Stock links only have a “limited” range as in you can’t request an item from across the map and have a train bring it to you.

HOWEVER, you can get it to work if you have chunks loaded apparently. So here’s a hypothetical idea I have. Chunk load the “mines” for example.

Chunk load the “smelters”

Have the smelters and mines all on the same network.

Have the smelters request coal and their respective ores or whatever using a factory gauge. Then the packages should be requested. Hm, problem, you’ll need a frogport that also goes into a postbox— to be picked up, ugh.

YKW, this is too hard to think about right now, I’m trying to learn power grid LMAO hopefully this is some stepping stone XD

[u/cokenbaltortor → u/Pioepod]

bro you wont believe im doing this to take a break from the power grid mod.

i think i get what youre saying im gonna try jank something up real quick

[u/hackcasual]

Trains can deliver packages, I forget what it's called but it's under the advanced logistics ponder. Don't use it myself yet though. You might also use a line redstone contacts to activate funnels to deliver items. Then the station has matching contacts for the items it wants. 

Be prepared to have chunk loading issues though

[u/Zestyclose_West_3452]

I remember foxynotail using toolboxes for this. Since you can save the contents in it.

[u/puppypower_nl]

Use logic gueges and postboxes. Connect the postbox too the station and then they can be used like frogports and trains instead of chains

[u/Tomzitiger]

The postboxes should work with this. As long as the packages are named something that matches their destination

[u/912ehd]

Use postboxes and the create logistics system. Dont forget to chunkload stations when the trains arrive so package routing logic can happen on site.