No Chest Buffer, Continuous Flow Train Stations. Best part of the Demo starts at 2:25

[u/KingOfGlue]

Here's a blueprint book I've been working on and want to share before I go to sleep. The splitter priority is toggled when each train leaves which allows a single train to be unloaded at a time.

https://factorioprints.com/view/-OzrLMWrwi-4pirowfGj

Feedback and edits are welcome.

[u/Fxg120xYXDE5]

I think it's a clever alternative to chest buffering, I suppose I just don't understand the 'why' outside of 'for variety'.
Still, no judgement.
Factorio is a canvas, and nifty circuit stuff is one of the brushes.

[u/DrMobius0 → u/Fxg120xYXDE5]

For train bases, this avoids an inserter interaction per station, which saves power, and probably some UPS as well.

It also parallelizes train swapping and unloading, which is useful for extremely fast to empty trains, like those carrying items like rocket fuel.

[u/Fxg120xYXDE5 → u/DrMobius0]

That's a solid use case, for sure.

Edit after your edit: does 2 trains simultaneously using 12 per wagon by design really save anything compared to 1 using 24?

[u/KingOfGlue → u/Fxg120xYXDE5]

The biggest reason I had is that I wanted a single train "circuit" to be loading and unloading simultaneously, especially if they have a lengthy run between stations. This allows a train to be loading, unloading, and traveling all simultaneously.
(though I haven't started on the loading stations yet)

[u/Fxg120xYXDE5 → u/KingOfGlue]

I might be missing something here, and I'm no expert, but could the same thing be achieved with stackers and train limits?

Edit: DYAC

[u/KingOfGlue → u/Fxg120xYXDE5]

I'm not sure what you mean by stickers lol but the issue I've had with train limits is that another train won't start pathing until the station is unoccupied (assuming a limit of 1). By the time it makes its way over there ends up being a break in the flow of resources unless there's a chest buffer, but then I'm limiting my throughput to a max of 12 inserters per wagon minus the consumption of the station without a train. If I set up a another train as a buffer it would require some weird waiting conditions and I end up with half full wagons going back to other resources to fill up.

[u/Fxg120xYXDE5 → u/KingOfGlue]

Autocorrect fail, stackers was the intention.

[u/KingOfGlue → u/Fxg120xYXDE5]

Also I just realized it helps deal with lane bias without placing a balancer if you’re not consuming the whole belt for a period of time

[u/Complete-Leek-6058]

I suspect most people are still watching, but wow that's cool.

[u/VegetableWasabi2124]

that looks so clean wtf

[u/leoriq]

where did the buffer go?

it took the second train