Nullius by-product trains

[Amarula]

Having tried a couple of overhaul mods, I decided to give Nullius a try. Because I love trains, especially tiny (1-1) trains, I decided to do train based production including dealing with fluids/gases and by-products. My approach is to have a main production block for example distilling air into nitrogen and CO2. That block is set up with a by-product train to collect CO2 from all the other places that produce it, and to prioritize by-product use over new production. As well, as the demand for CO2 is relatively low, I have a single CO2 delivery train, that delivers CO2 to all the customers that need it.

As I get further into the tech tree (not quite half way, just started researching green circuits), I am questioning my choice, my stubborn refusal to change now, and my sanity. So many by-products! That is my excuse for another questionable design choice that I want to show you - caution children do NOT try this at home!

Nullius multi liquid loading lane.png (255.83 KiB) Viewed 3558 times

As you can see, rather than having a single load/unloading lane that is empty 99% of the time, I have combined several stops in the same lane. I do occasionally get a little backed up when two trains happen to get summoned at the same time, but it resolves very quickly thank you rapid unloading times. One of the problems with this approach is how to ensure that the trains only load/unload what and where they are intended, and do not contaminate other piping. This turns out to be easy to manage, by only enabling the pump when the correct train is present.

Nullius pump loading control.png (366.29 KiB) Viewed 3558 times

For all the purists: yes I know you can use train limits to safely summon trains only when needed, but it is also possible to safely use station enabling and disabling under certain conditions. First of all, the station has a train limit of one, so there is never more than one train dispatched, so when the station is disabled, there is no other train left hanging. Secondly, the only circumstances that disable the station once it is enabled result from the summoned train loading or unloading. Finally, when the station is disabled, the train can always return as the home station is always open.

So how to tell the desired pump, and only the desired pump that it is allowed to connect to the train: the circuit reads the stopped train and rather than using the default signal T, the signal is set to a unique identifier for this loading lane - C for Chlorine, O for Oxygen, P for Propene and so on.

Nullius station loading control.png (44.95 KiB) Viewed 3558 times

By placing the tanks on either side of the rails, I have been able to use one lane for up to six infrequent trains.

[Silari]

As you can see, rather than having a single load/unloading lane that is empty 99% of the time, I have combined several stops in the same lane. I do occasionally get a little backed up when two trains happen to get summoned at the same time, but it resolves very quickly thank you rapid unloading times. One of the problems with this approach is how to ensure that the trains only load/unload what and where they are intended, and do not contaminate other piping. This turns out to be easy to manage, by only enabling the pump when the correct train is present.

I actually ended up doing the same in my Space Exploration game - chemical gel, cold coolant, and returning used coolant all share a lane, though I spaced the stops just enough that none of the pumps overlap a fluid wagon, just the locomotive, so no need to wire pumps up. Since it takes almost no time to empty/fill fluid wagons even if all 3 are active at once by chance it's really not a problem. There's a setup for each of the four space sciences, since they're all their own separate blocks.

[Amarula]

I spaced the stops just enough that none of the pumps overlap a fluid wagon

Nice! I ended up with the overlaps because I had started with a standard block design intended to support two and only two tiny trains. And because you can't unload fluid wagons on a curve, I couldn't add more stations at the end of the lane. Of course I could have redone everything but I chose not to...

[Amarula]

Just hit a milestone in this save - 1000 hours!
A couple of notes: I gave up on wind power, and went to constant daylight so my solar panels can carry the load; I am building small just enough to get by; and I am continuing to use my beloved tiny trains.
My mall in the bottom left is set up to make all the usual mall stuff except boxes - so far I am only boxing eutectic salt to make thermal tank 2.

Nullius base at 1000 hours.png (514.42 KiB) Viewed 3029 times

As this is my first nullius run, I don't know what research I need, what I want, and what I can skip, so I am doing everything, in order... I am thinking it is going to be another 1000 hours to get done

Nullius research at 1000 hours.png (495.13 KiB) Viewed 3029 times

[nosports]

I spaced the stops just enough that none of the pumps overlap a fluid wagon

Nice! I ended up with the overlaps because I had started with a standard block design intended to support two and only two tiny trains. And because you can't unload fluid wagons on a curve, I couldn't add more stations at the end of the lane. Of course I could have redone everything but I chose not to...

I had a solutiuon which calls the trains to one stop and only this pump which carries the same fluid as the stopped train will come into action, when you read the train contend. The trains will be called when a tank falls below a certain threshold, so you can save some train-stops and keep it compacter

[Amarula]

I had a solutiuon which calls the trains to one stop and only this pump which carries the same fluid as the stopped train will come into action, when you read the train contend. The trains will be called when a tank falls below a certain threshold, so you can save some train-stops and keep it compacter

Oh that is a cool way to do it! So theoretically you could have six pumps, each one unloading a different fluid. Would you end up with all six supply trains coming whenever the stop was eneabled/station limit increased from zero, or did you have a control system that only summoned the exact train that was needed?

[nosports]

I had a solutiuon which calls the trains to one stop and only this pump which carries the same fluid as the stopped train will come into action, when you read the train contend. The trains will be called when a tank falls below a certain threshold, so you can save some train-stops and keep it compacter

Oh that is a cool way to do it! So theoretically you could have six pumps, each one unloading a different fluid. Would you end up with all six supply trains coming whenever the stop was eneabled/station limit increased from zero, or did you have a control system that only summoned the exact train that was needed?

yes that could be even up to twelve
yes and all were called, but i decided why not toping up the other tanks as well, so i have not made further distinction to call only the needed fluid. (and i even don't know if its doable, but alas - lets fill all )

[Rysz]

I was toying with the same problem.
Eventually I decided to use LTN (Which so far in 5500 hours of play I never really wanted or needed, my own train circuitry-design worked ok)
Best part of using LTN is that the train knows what it wants to load. So I can set up a station to load and unload several different products.

Also, the way I handle the tech? I began by automating 6spm for all sciences. Then improved to 20spm, designing it with the best technologies I have available at that moment. While working on that, I just let the sciences run as far as I can (that is: until blocked by checkpoints). Meanwhile I see if I have ways to handle or process by-products. Also I beelined (and did checkpoints) to get to the requester chests (Distribution 1), and currently building not for science but for automated robot production, and also automated mall-stuff (like buildings and logistics).

Currently my science is not doing anything (as I have 2 checkpoints waiting), but building infrastructure and production of many halfproducts needed for the malls. Once that is finished, I do the checkpoints, and plan/design for 60spm with the then-current best technologies. Interesting thing in Nullius is that there is different (improved) production for earlier sciences. That is they way I plan to go through the tree. Because if I want to use everything once something is enabled, I'll go crazy.