Railroad Stations

[Thorin]

I'm talking about pistons pushing blocks sideways, not a piston pushing down.  Not at all the same.  The piston pushes the rail and a block on either side so that it's no longer lined up with the rest of the rail.  That then stops any possibility of a cart taking off (no connecting rail _plus_ solid blocks on either side).

[Lazybones]

The biggest problem with pistons I find is running the redstone wire without it looking crazy.


Of course you have now committed me to hours of creative mode tinkering to make my current stations level... and hid the pistons if possible..

Also have to maybe think of a way to auto un jam my dispensers with a piston or something.

[Thorin]

The biggest problem with pistons I find is running the redstone wire without it looking crazy.

Put it in the ground and cover it

[Tom]

The biggest problem with pistons I find is running the redstone wire without it looking crazy.

Put it in the ground and cover it

I've also seen people use open trapdoors to hide the sides of ugly blocks. It can look pretty nice if your theme is wood based.

[Lazybones]

My new stations include an incline pressure plate/fence empty cart detector that loads carts back into the dispenser if there is no rider.

There are other methods but most take up a lots of space, although some could fit a flat rail yard theme.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ae29zWoY-uo&feature=related

[Mr. Analog]

Now this is gonna sound crazy but I wonder if it would be possible to use the motion of a trap door to set a minecart in motion, it's fairly low profile and would look like a gate anyway?

AUGH I'm gonna have to fire up minecraft now

[Tom]

Now this is gonna sound crazy but I wonder if it would be possible to use the motion of a trap door to set a minecart in motion, it's fairly low profile and would look like a gate anyway?

AUGH I'm gonna have to fire up minecraft now

If it can give a cart enough momentum to hit a powered rail, then it should be good enough.

[Mr. Analog]

Now this is gonna sound crazy but I wonder if it would be possible to use the motion of a trap door to set a minecart in motion, it's fairly low profile and would look like a gate anyway?

AUGH I'm gonna have to fire up minecraft now

If it can give a cart enough momentum to hit a powered rail, then it should be good enough.

Exactly!

Heck two gates, one to start, one to stop

Arrgh, boot damn you computer BOOT

[Lazybones]

OK launching and stopping a level minecart is possible with sticky pistons however as I suspected the sticky piston must move the actual track block not one below it or not one beside it, it must scrape the track it self..

The last two blocks illustrate covering it up with some slabs to avoid thick ness..

This is just a mock up of how the pistons could do bi direction launch with the track level..

- Doesn't solve wiring
- Doesn't solve dealing with empty carts on platform when another rider arrives.

My current design takes much fewer resources and is much easier to build using drops and climbs.

Note: not visible is a redstone torch one block below the center block that provides power as SOON as the power rail slides under the cart.

[Mr. Analog]

So tried the gate idea, it no worky, its like unless something bumps into the cart to get it going it will stay put.

the only other thing I could think of is having another minecart crash into you from behind to get momentum rolling (reloading the system at the same time)

[Mr. Analog]

BEHOLD!

(note: just after writing the below I realize the only differences between this and the existing automated stations is the cart magazine would be above the platform and it uses the inertia of the reload cart to initiate momentum)

You have a magazine of minecarts sitting at the top, when the button is pressed you send a vertical signal up and loose the inclined cart in the ceiling, which gives the rider the forward launch momentum and reloads the track with another cart. Then you have the magazine drop another cart onto the incline. Tack on a cart return system (like you already have) to sort empty carts back into the magazine and you're golden!

EDIT: Incidentally, I tried this a few times, works pretty well.

[Lazybones]

My Current stations deal with the following:

- empty cart already in station and new user arrives
- User presses the "new cart" button more than once, and the cart in station is cleared unless the user clicks really fast.

[Mr. Analog]

My Current stations deal with the following:

- empty cart already in station and new user arrives
- User presses the "new cart" button more than once, and the cart in station is cleared unless the user clicks really fast.

Agreed, this is just a proof of concept because I didn't know if it would work (and everything is exposed), you could add a cart return system here too using detector rails like you designed.

[Thorin]

This might take more than one post.  This technique _requires_ three delaying redstone repeaters at their full delay.  I tried with less delay and the second piston wouldn't fire.

[Thorin]

Yup, need one more post.