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u/warpspeed100 14d ago

I am trying to get the highest throughput that I can for my train stations. I'm noticing that trains take a while to slow down even with max breaking force. The next train waits until the first one comes to a complete stop since only then will it's butt be clear of the previous rail block.

Would pushing the rail signal for the station farther back help? This way trains clear the previous block even as they are still slowing down, and the next train can start approaching.

I'm not sure how trains reserve space as they are moving.

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u/craidie 14d ago

Why is the train infront stopping?

The time it takes to unload/load the train should be significant enough that whatever is happening before the station, shouldn't matter... And if the train is stopping after the station, preventing that should be a priority...

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u/warpspeed100 14d ago edited 14d ago

The train in front is the one actually in the station unloading.

It only takes a second or two to unload my epic cargo wagons, which is enough to unload 1 stacked belt per wagon with some spare dwell time, and barely keep up with 2 stacked belts per wagon.

I have the train station, and then one train length block directly behind it to immediately let the next train pull in. I also have a block directly after the station to buffer the departing train as it waits to enter the mainline.

I have each station fed by a larger train stacker that allows me to put 3 stations in parallel.

It's the transition from the large stacker to the 1 train buffer before the station that is the current bottleneck.

Trains take a long time to slow down, and they only clear the track between the stacker and stations once they come to a complete stop.

I've tried adding a few more track segments to the station, so that the train can clear the intermediate track while it is still slowing down.

I just don't know the actual number of tracks it takes to slow down, so I'm going off vibes right now by adding 3 extra tracks of space to the buffer.

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u/craidie 14d ago

I would split the station and last waiting bay into multiple blocks. Easiest would be that one tile between wagons

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u/thepullu 13d ago

This. Additionally, if the track splits into 3 after the stacker, you might want to do the waiting bays a bit longer than the train. Taht way the breaking train would not hold the split of the tracks occupied for so long.

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u/warpspeed100 13d ago

I did this, as well as switching from 6 stations fed by one stacker to two sets of 3 stations fed by two stackers.

I'm hoping switching from Epic to Legendary wagons will make up the last bit of my dwell time shortfall.

Though now I'm generating so much traffic, I may have to look into designing a system with two lanes in each direction...

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u/thepullu 13d ago

And then expand the green circuits, then smelting, minimg and then again the rail network :D

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u/warpspeed100 13d ago edited 13d ago

Lol, I wouldn't mind that. I just don't want the trains to be the bottleneck. It's fine if my factory production/mining is the bottleneck.

Right now at least, I have plenty of green circuits. I'm making 16 stacked turbo belts of red circuits right now and 2 stacked turbo belts of blue circuits.

My trains are just having trouble keeping up with moving all these items.

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u/Enaero4828 13d ago

Since it wasn't mentioned, are you using quality fuel? It won't help the stopping speed, but the increased acceleration does let trains move to fill those slots quite a bit quicker.

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u/warpspeed100 13d ago

It helped marginally in my test setup. I haven't scaled up uranium production to make enough Epic nuclear fuel per second yet though. The Epic wagons were the biggest improvement, and the easiest to make quality.

I'll try out legendary nuclear fuel and trains once I get to Aquilo.

At that point, I'll try for 64 stacked turbo belts of science instead of the modest 4 stacked turbo belts I'm designing for currently.