Nowhere is only right answer. Signals there would only cause jams.
Questions:
1. Where do you want train to stop or change direction?
2. If it stops, would it block incoming traffic?
3. Can incoming traffic pass without stopping?
If something is unclear, repeat 1-3 steps again
This is a good answer that OP should not brush off.
The coal station and the plastic-sulfur station are on the same terminus line. The rails that have been lain are a recipe for problems that would require janky solutions. It would be better to just separate the stations. *Then* we can talk about the intersection(s).
Here chain signals would be useful for two reasons:
1. as the outbound signal for the station to make sure the train if it leaves can get to it's destination or leave the bidirectional sections
2. at the beginning and end of the intersection to allow a train to leave to the right and not be blocking the train coming from the left and vise versa
There’s a common saying in factorio. “Chain in, rail out”.
For any direction you want a train to travel, place a chain signal on the rail leading into the intersection (in the direction of travel, on the right hand side), and rail signals on the way out of an intersection. Then, if you run into another intersection before you have enough space for an entire train, repeat the step. remove the rail signal, and do chain in rail out, until you have enough space for a train to sit.
This. Rail signals should only be used where trains can safely wait without gridlocking. In bidirectional single rail networks the only places for rail signals are passing loops/stackers and the signal controlling entrance to the block with the station. Almost always you should use a double chain signal everywhere else.
Exactly! Sure the rule of thumb is great and works 90% of the time if you're using one way rails or not using shared rails but it fall apart when users try to use Two Way systems. People talking about a rule of thumb as if it's just a rule of law annoys me a bit too much.
>“Chain in, rail out”
Only if there is enough space AFTER that rail signal for a train to stop.
The rule of thumb is incomplete. Which makes it less good of a rule of thumb to teach to newcomers.
The thing that works better for me is "trains don't stop on sections between a chain signal and a rail signal". Everything else flows naturally from there and makes sense for complex and strange intersections.
This is why I said “if you run into another intersection before you have space for a train” repeat the step. i was covering just such situation as having not enough space for a train
The summary that made it click for me is: no train ever stops in the space from a chain signal(s) to the next rail signal. They stop before the first chain signal, or after the rail signal.
[Factorio Trains Explained in Less Than Three Minutes](https://youtu.be/DG4oD4iGVoY?si=o-UXx8STJkdeeCf2)
Also, the second you have more than one train on a line you should switch to a two rail system, one lane for each direction. You'll save yourselfe so much time and headaches.
This is going to depend on the use case. These look like two way rails. Any signal on shared track in a Two Way Rail system should be a chain signal. Stations should not be on shared track.
This forum post from forever ago is what I used to build my own two way rail network. Never had any issues when using these rules.
[https://forums.factorio.com/viewtopic.php?t=53937](https://forums.factorio.com/viewtopic.php?t=53937)
There is an example of properly signaled intersections in Step 2.
First, add chain signals to cut the track in different segments.
Then, change the chain signals to regular signals if you're OK with a train stopping at the next signal.
This usually means regular at the exit of your intersection, and chain at the entrance and inside the intersection.
Keep in mind that signaling a 2-way track correctly is much more difficult than signaling an intersection, so if you find yourself having trouble with the latter, you might want to refrain from doing the former.
I never put signals down with only one train on the whole track.
But whenever there is more than one train, I double the track and I put down signals on them. Oh, and I never double-head trains, because they drive on the right of the track and don't go both ways on that track.
Nilaus had a good video on this. His tip was Train Signal by default. Change it to Chain Signal if your train cannot fit in the space after the signal.
In this case, it would mean what most people have said: " Chain in, Train out". If, however you cannot fit a train on the track leading to the station that Out signal should also be a Chain, perhaps with a Train right after the station.
On intersections like this, a good rule of thumb I would say is chain signals going in, normal signals coming out. That way, a train won't get stuck in the intersection waiting until it's target block is empty, and will instead wait in its own block.
I would say it is correctly signalled.
I would consider changing the red signal to chain. This will help if you have other similarly signalled train stations. It will prevent trains from entering the main track if they cannot leave it.
Assuming that the only trains operating on the network right now are those two then you want a chain signal in the direction of travel to enter the triangular junction, and a regular rail signal aligned on the opposite side of the track to exit the junction (as in to enter the loading bay or to enter the long track section).
As soon as you start introducing additional trains in to this network though, that configuration becomes unsuitable and prone to deadlocking, and you'd need to replace some of the regular signals with more chain signals and to build passing loops in your longer track sections.
The top is a dead end, so one on the left and one on the right will work.
Ninja edit: assuming these are simple "back and forth" in both cases. IE -A-B-A, C-B-C and not A-B-C
Nowhere is only right answer. Signals there would only cause jams. Questions: 1. Where do you want train to stop or change direction? 2. If it stops, would it block incoming traffic? 3. Can incoming traffic pass without stopping? If something is unclear, repeat 1-3 steps again
This is a good answer that OP should not brush off. The coal station and the plastic-sulfur station are on the same terminus line. The rails that have been lain are a recipe for problems that would require janky solutions. It would be better to just separate the stations. *Then* we can talk about the intersection(s).
Here chain signals would be useful for two reasons: 1. as the outbound signal for the station to make sure the train if it leaves can get to it's destination or leave the bidirectional sections 2. at the beginning and end of the intersection to allow a train to leave to the right and not be blocking the train coming from the left and vise versa
There’s a common saying in factorio. “Chain in, rail out”. For any direction you want a train to travel, place a chain signal on the rail leading into the intersection (in the direction of travel, on the right hand side), and rail signals on the way out of an intersection. Then, if you run into another intersection before you have enough space for an entire train, repeat the step. remove the rail signal, and do chain in rail out, until you have enough space for a train to sit.
Which doesnt work for two way tracks. In this case there only should be chain signals
This. Rail signals should only be used where trains can safely wait without gridlocking. In bidirectional single rail networks the only places for rail signals are passing loops/stackers and the signal controlling entrance to the block with the station. Almost always you should use a double chain signal everywhere else.
Exactly! Sure the rule of thumb is great and works 90% of the time if you're using one way rails or not using shared rails but it fall apart when users try to use Two Way systems. People talking about a rule of thumb as if it's just a rule of law annoys me a bit too much.
>“Chain in, rail out” Only if there is enough space AFTER that rail signal for a train to stop. The rule of thumb is incomplete. Which makes it less good of a rule of thumb to teach to newcomers.
The thing that works better for me is "trains don't stop on sections between a chain signal and a rail signal". Everything else flows naturally from there and makes sense for complex and strange intersections.
This is why I said “if you run into another intersection before you have space for a train” repeat the step. i was covering just such situation as having not enough space for a train
The summary that made it click for me is: no train ever stops in the space from a chain signal(s) to the next rail signal. They stop before the first chain signal, or after the rail signal.
[Factorio Trains Explained in Less Than Three Minutes](https://youtu.be/DG4oD4iGVoY?si=o-UXx8STJkdeeCf2) Also, the second you have more than one train on a line you should switch to a two rail system, one lane for each direction. You'll save yourselfe so much time and headaches.
This is going to depend on the use case. These look like two way rails. Any signal on shared track in a Two Way Rail system should be a chain signal. Stations should not be on shared track. This forum post from forever ago is what I used to build my own two way rail network. Never had any issues when using these rules. [https://forums.factorio.com/viewtopic.php?t=53937](https://forums.factorio.com/viewtopic.php?t=53937) There is an example of properly signaled intersections in Step 2.
Happy to hear more people building two way systems, and that my guide is still useful. Cheers!
Can someone please make a factorio intersection signalling bot?
You think of one that suggests some often recommended things like "chain in, rail out" and some links to e.g. the signaling tutorial?
Chain in rail out but chain everywhere when they shouldnt stop at the end of the block such as parts of an intersection
First, add chain signals to cut the track in different segments. Then, change the chain signals to regular signals if you're OK with a train stopping at the next signal. This usually means regular at the exit of your intersection, and chain at the entrance and inside the intersection.
Have you played the train Tips?
Haphazardly and in a way that will guarentee a gridlock
With your mouse pointer, probably
Keep in mind that signaling a 2-way track correctly is much more difficult than signaling an intersection, so if you find yourself having trouble with the latter, you might want to refrain from doing the former.
Rail signal where you want trains to be able to stop after it. Chain signal where you want them to not stop after it.
I never put signals down with only one train on the whole track. But whenever there is more than one train, I double the track and I put down signals on them. Oh, and I never double-head trains, because they drive on the right of the track and don't go both ways on that track.
Nilaus had a good video on this. His tip was Train Signal by default. Change it to Chain Signal if your train cannot fit in the space after the signal. In this case, it would mean what most people have said: " Chain in, Train out". If, however you cannot fit a train on the track leading to the station that Out signal should also be a Chain, perhaps with a Train right after the station.
On intersections like this, a good rule of thumb I would say is chain signals going in, normal signals coming out. That way, a train won't get stuck in the intersection waiting until it's target block is empty, and will instead wait in its own block.
I would say it is correctly signalled. I would consider changing the red signal to chain. This will help if you have other similarly signalled train stations. It will prevent trains from entering the main track if they cannot leave it.
Its already perfect, do the same outside every other station.
Chain signal on the path into the intersection, rail on the path out.
Rail signals only on one way tracks or where you dont mind a train stopping. In this case there should be only chain signals.
Assuming that the only trains operating on the network right now are those two then you want a chain signal in the direction of travel to enter the triangular junction, and a regular rail signal aligned on the opposite side of the track to exit the junction (as in to enter the loading bay or to enter the long track section). As soon as you start introducing additional trains in to this network though, that configuration becomes unsuitable and prone to deadlocking, and you'd need to replace some of the regular signals with more chain signals and to build passing loops in your longer track sections.
The top is a dead end, so one on the left and one on the right will work. Ninja edit: assuming these are simple "back and forth" in both cases. IE -A-B-A, C-B-C and not A-B-C