Train Signal

Train Signals are used to control the flow of Trains not driven by players.

Obtaining

Crafting

Name	Ingredients	Crafting Recipe
Train Signal	Train Casing + Electron Tube	4

Usage

Placement

Right-click a Train Track with a Train Signal while facing the direction Trains are intended to go, then place the signal within 15 blocks of the selected Track. An arrow will appear on the selected Track indicating which way Trains can pass it.

Two-way Tracks

Conductors will never cross a Train Signal from the opposite direction. Unlike other Railway Equipment, multiple Train Signals can select one track. A Train Signal can be made two-way by having two opposite facing Train Signals linked to the same place. Train Signals facing the same way on the same Track will be synchronized.

Track Segments

Train Signals divide the track network into segments. The segments can be viewed by holding a Signal while looking at the Track. Conductors will not enter a track segment occupied by another Train, regardless of how large the Train or the segment is.

In order to divide a Track into sections, each section must be separated either by a Train Signal or a lack of connected Tracks. A circular loop of Tracks requires two Train Signals to divide it, otherwise the Train Signals will have no effect. A straight track only needs one Train Signal to divide it into two. If a section was successfully defined, the line ahead of the Signal should become a different color. The color has no significance aside from serving to differentiate segments.

The space containing the track marker belongs to the preceding track segment. A train approaching a red signal will stop with the leading wagon’s leading bogey’s leading block on top of the track marker. A clear signal will turn red due to the train passing it as soon as the train moves even slightly past that point. In case of a pair of signals on two-way track, the space containing the track markers belongs to both track segments at once; if trains approach the signal pair from both sides, they may collide in the marker space.

Chain Signal

A typical use of chain signals is to protect junctions or crossings. If the section ahead of the crossing is occupied, a chain signal placed before entering a crossing will stop the train from entering the section, allowing other trains to pass through.

Use a Wrench on the signal to activate chain mode. In chain mode, the signal considers not only the segment the signal protects, but also the next signal beyond it (if any) along the approaching train’s route. The signal prevents a train from entering a section if it would not be able to leave it. A train can only pass a chain signal if the protected segment is clear, and the train is able to pass the next signal along the its route.

The following details apply:

• If there are multiple possible “next” signals that a chain signal could look ahead to, it will choose one based on the route the train has selected to its next timetabled location.
• The train’s route, for the purposes of calculating chain signal states, ends at its next timetabled stopping point. Thus, if the station is between a chain signal and a normal signal, the train will pass the chain signal as soon as the protected segment is clear, without caring about the state of the normal signal. This is true even if the train will subsequently continue to a point beyond the normal signal after making its station stop.

Display

Nixie Tubes can be attached to make the signal more visible, as well as convey additional information.

• If a signal's segment is clear, the tube will glow white.
• If a signal's segment is occupied, or all of the segments ahead of a chain signal are occupied, the tube will glow red.
• If a signal is in chain mode and only some of the segments ahead are occupied, the tube turns yellow. The train can pass if the target segment ahead is not occupied.

Redstone

Signals give a Redstone Comparator signal while red. Signals can also be forced red by being activated with Redstone.

History

• 0.5: Introduced.