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[Icefire2314]

I know you can't assign multiple carts to one route, but you can assign multiple carts to multiple routes on the same track...
My idea is that we try to set up a series of stops connecting to a single minerail, use multiple routes in conjunction with those stops leading to a single or multiple endpoints, and good 'ol dorfpower to control the carts so they don't all smash into each other and just kerplode.

so like
- and | is rail
+ is stop
X is gates of some kind, something preventing travel

             +             
             X             
         +X-X+           
             |             
      +-X-----X-+       
             |             
   +-X---------X-+     
             |             
 +-X-------------X-+   
             |             
+-X-----------------X-+ 
             |             
+-X---------------------X-+
             |             
             |             
             |             
             |             
             |             
             |             
             |             
             +     

apologies for crude diagram, I'll put a better one up later but I believe you get the gist

The idea would be that there would be a pressure plate or plates which would control a logic gate (likely animal powered, seems easiest in this case) which would close other rail gates when that cart is on the track, and open them once it returns.

What do you guys think? Has it been done before? Is it worth the time (does it have any useful applications)? Also, I may not be able to pick up the SCIENCE myself since I'm typically pretty busy with school during the week, so if anyone is interested just post here that you are trying it out and have fun. I may otherwise get around to it after a while but not immediately.

Opinions?         

[Larix]

With the proper switching method to separate the carts again after they reached the end of the shared track, this is definitely possible. You could use dwarfpower to throw the switches (bridges and rollers are convenient), you can automatise it by using weight-sensitive pressure plates, you can use a simple "pick the next open target bay" switch:

Code: [Select]

.....╔S#
....╔╚▼▼S#
...╔╚▼▼S#
..╔╚▼▼S#
.╔╚▼▼S#
═╚▼▼S#

All ramps are engraved with EW track, carts will settle into the first unoccupied "S"top. This just as a simple example for a very low-tech way to separate carts after sending them along a shared track.

Multi-cart routes have been done:
massive ore transport system:
http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=129676.msg4478096#msg4478096
highly esoteric automatic switch:
http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=145028.msg5756169#msg5756169

[Thisfox]

Christmas tree!

[Max™]

You can also do it the annoyingly micro-managed way like I did earlier to haul some magma up to a better location for the forges (due to a bit of weirdness wherein I embark next to a volcano with no magma in it... head downwards and find it is open to the caverns, the magma level was at the magma sea, and it gradually filled up until just a layer or two below the caverns*) where you set up a couple of stops near each other with a cart on each and a condition so it won't be hauled until you change something, for magma I just used "when full of desired items" and set none, then pumped in magma, let it drain into a bigger room/evaporate away, then changed the conditions on the front cart to "always", let a dorf grab it, changed the rear one to "always", did the same, then flipped them back to "when full" so they left the carts at the bottom after dumping, so I could redesignate the new tracks to the other forge spots. I know there is a nifty guide for doing this with automation, but the wifi was dead all night until I realized that the problem was the power block and scrounged around until I found a compatible one.

*I was expecting it to be amazing and start flooding the caverns:

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

Sadly it stopped a couple levels down, forcing the rigged up magma transport system as I didn't feel like setting up a pumpstack this early (and would have to cut around the caverns in a weird area) so meh.

Though I did have to smooth an entire layer of the tube near the top to keep trolls and ogres from climbing out... was baffled when I noticed 5 dorfs curbstomping something, saw the corpse was an o and thought "osprey?" *checks* "Blind Cave Ogre? what the?" *looks down the tube to see another climbing up*...

[TBeholder]

Won't dorfs start carrying carts if those are on a route and can't proceed in Ride mode?
In Guide mode they somehow avoid colliisions.
And if carts are automated, why do you need a route all over that track? Push (or even auto-bump) along, set track stop to dump into destination pile.

[Max™]

I tried to make them bump each other out of the way but I had to save scum because one of the dorfs ran down to grab the other one which got moved and ended up smushed between two magma-safe carts...