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[BadLeo]

I've set up some minecart routes in my current fort. They're all working fine, except for one. "Metal Goodies" route is set to bring the metalsmith productionfrom the stockpile near the magma forges to the furniture stockpile in the upper parts of the fort. It'll make easier on the haulers, since gold furniture is damn heavy, and even the weaponry will be dumped on arrival, to be carried on a short trip to the weapon/armour stocks a few levels upwards.

The directions of departure are set right in both stops, the departure stop is linked to the correct stockpile and it is set to take any items and depart when at 25% full. The arrival stop has no other setting rather than "guide immediately when empty of any items" and it's set to dump on arrival.

The minecart is correct placed at the origin stop, with a green V, and is never loaded. I went to the wiki's troubleshoot and everything is seemingly fine, except it doesn't work at all. HALP! 

Here's a pic showing the settings:

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

Here's the fort save, uploaded at DFFD in zip format, if you're willing to take a look (Obsidian graphics, I forgot to convert, lemme know if you wish an ASCII version, I'll convert and re-upload):

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

http://dffd.bay12games.com/file.php?id=11098

[Larix]

Erm, you didn't enable any goods.

[BadLeo]

Erm, you didn't enable any goods.

It NEEDS to be specified? I thought if the cart is set to be loaded with any items, the dwarves would load it with anything the linked stockpile has and haul when it reaches the minimum amount...

[PatrikLundell]

Nope. It has to be specified. On the positive side, this means a single stockpile can support multiple routes with goods and the stuff will be loaded onto the correct cart. It's also possible to link a mine cart to several stockpiles, if desired. Note that you normally screen what goes into the cart through the (single) linked stockpile, so if the stockpile takes only Nether-Cap and Blood-Thorn, you can set your mine cart to just take wood, since the only kinds of wood available to it are the two kinds accepted by the stockpile.

[BadLeo]

Hum, ok. I'll reset it up and see if it gets working. Thanks. 

Edit: YAY! Now there's a minecart on my minecart! They're loading it! Thanks! I feel a bit less noob, now.

Edit 2: Question that rises: Can the same route have more than one guided minecart assigned to it? Is it effective to help haul a lot of rocks/ores from somewhere very fast?

[Bumber]

2: Question that rises: Can the same route have more than one guided minecart assigned to it? Is it effective to help haul a lot of rocks/ores from somewhere very fast?

No, but multiple routes can share the same tracks.

[BadLeo]

Hum. Minecarts deserves an overhaul _{(pun intended)}. Such a powerful tool to minimize micromanagement, improve haulers quality of life and keep overseers general sanity at high levels, it feels a waste not to be able to manage it deeply. I long for the day I can put my dwarves to play Rail Road Tycoon. *dreaming with the construction of a rail system between fortress and mountain-homes*

Anyway, thanks to all the good fellows that answered for the help.

[PatrikLundell]

Well, you can do a fair bit of railroad tycoon as it is. Impulse ramps let you have them move under "their own" power, and doors, drawbridges, and pressure plates allow you both to avoid road kill and to switch the routes. The wiki contains a lot of incredible mine cart route usages. My main usages of mine cart routes, though are:
1. Quantum stockpiles, including a split level one for sentient refuse.
2. Impulse ramp driven repeaters for menacing spike arrays. Great for removal of FBs!
3. A chute path down to the magma sea workshops with an impulse ramp driven spiral track around it back up.

[Bearskie]

Create a massive winding roller coaster spanning various z-levels. Power it using impulse ramps or rollers. Send your dwarves on for a looping, neverending ride until they starve to death on the coaster.

Oh I'm sorry, I thought we were talking about Rollercoaster Tycoon.

[BadLeo]

Create a massive winding roller coaster spanning various z-levels. Power it using impulse ramps or rollers. Send your dwarves on for a looping, neverending ride until they starve to death on the coaster.

Oh I'm sorry, I thought we were talking about Rollercoaster Tycoon.

Oh, don't forget to let a cart or two fly out of the track and/or run over some passer-bys. I did't realise I already was a DF player long before playing it, when I did those horrible fun things on RCT.

Well, you can do a fair bit of railroad tycoon as it is. Impulse ramps let you have them move under "their own" power, and doors, drawbridges, and pressure plates allow you both to avoid road kill and to switch the routes. The wiki contains a lot of incredible mine cart route usages. My main usages of mine cart routes, though are:
1. Quantum stockpiles, including a split level one for sentient refuse.
2. Impulse ramp driven repeaters for menacing spike arrays. Great for removal of FBs!
3. A chute path down to the magma sea workshops with an impulse ramp driven spiral track around it back up.

I would use automated carts if I could figure out how set up a line that dwarves can't use as a short cut when trying to haul their socks back to their rooms. Will check that section on the wiki's page, the Minecart article is really, REALLY huge, a masterwork article, indeed.

Question that rises, though. Do bodies in minecarts generate miasma? 

[PatrikLundell]

The method I use to keep dorfs out of the railway system is pressure plates reacting to mine carts of any weight hooked up to doors that open when the cart hits the plate. The door will then close again behind the cart, so dorfs, cats, and diplomats have a hard time to become road kills.

A chute downward isn't used by any sane dorfs (and only once by the insane ones), and a spiral up path is generally longer than the "normal" straight staircase, but diplomats and depressed dorfs looking for a yell at the duke/mayor have been found to try to use the tracks anyway, so automatic doors are recommended.