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[Fault]

and that bridge should be displayed while in the "up" position

it's been a while since I've used a retracting bridge, but don't they completely dissapear when 'raised'?

[NW_Kohaku]

it's been a while since I've used a retracting bridge, but don't they completely dissapear when 'raised'?

No, they have the same "╬" sign as fortifications or cross-junctions in walls when they are one tile wide, or else they have a shape that looks like "╞══╡" when they are multiple tiles wide.

[dree12]

it's been a while since I've used a retracting bridge, but don't they completely dissapear when 'raised'?

No, they have the same "╬" sign as fortifications or cross-junctions in walls when they are one tile wide, or else they have a shape that looks like "╞══╡" when they are multiple tiles wide.

I think they still completely disappear when raised. Obviously, they are visible when lowered.

[Urist McDepravity]

I think they still completely disappear when raised. Obviously, they are visible when lowered.

No, detractable bridges disappear, while raised bridges leave one edge as wall.

[NW_Kohaku]

Ahhhh, sorry, I was confused by the "raised", and overlooked the "retractable".  Any bridge that can be raised isn't a retractable bridge.   

I basically never use retractable bridges, since the wall that forms is often more useful for me, so I just think of all bridges as drawbridges. 

[Rose]

It's less retracting and more leaving and entering existence.

[orius]

Thats hilarious, the whole fort would be imprisoned. I think he would be handing out more DWS's, drinking while sober.

"I see you've been driving, at the speed limit... when was your last drink? You havent enjoyed a drink in a long long time? Deputy ... get my hammer"

"BENDER! You're blind, stinkin' SOBER!"

"Urist McTeetotaler (bet none of you thought THIS name would ever come up!)!  I can't smell booze on your breath!  Are you secretly a vampire?!"

[PTTG??]

So apparently someone dedicated their thesis in a rather unique way...

[Cruxador]

Can you have interconnected track lines, that is to say, a system where a track could have "tributaries" that lead into it and join into the main line? Such that you could have, for example, three starting branches in a line converging into a single ending segment?

Yeah, you can set that up -- if a track deadends into a corner without actually forming a T, it'll allow the cart to pass into the corner without disruption, and you can set up tributaries that way.  T's themselves don't have a defined preference for direction, so are useless for a cart that isn't passing along the straight part.  4-way tracks just allow carts to continue on straight.  So as it stands, a T is just an unfinished 4-way intersection.

I don't think I properly understand the situation in which this would work, but in the case of a T, wouldn't it be fairly trivial to circumvent this by putting a mechanized accelerator pointing in the right direction?

Not greened because I'm more or less off the grid lately and I didn't read the thread too thoroughly so it's possible that this was discussed and I missed it.

I assume the current system of powered rails and friction rails are just placeholders until improved mechanisms where they will be replaced with a proper mechanical system.  Am I correct in assuming this?

Probably not. These components make reasonable sense in their current states, and generally Toady doesn't implement things he intends to later redo unless it's essential for something else.

[Cobaldunderpants]

With dwarves in carts a horrifying idea came to me. What if we put axedwarves in carts and launch them off ramps at goblin archers? Sort of a primitive drop pod system. We'd have ODST (Orbital Dwarf Shock Troops) thats what.

Even if they would be mulched on impact with the ground I have to wonder:

Will we be able to designate specific carts for specific dwarves or will it only be a first come first served basis?

[Arkenstone]

I was saying that Fault's idea was the correct idea, that's why I was saying you'd have to change how the bridge was set up so that it covers the "corner".  (And that, no, you wouldn't need the floodgate, and the bridge could be one tile shorter, and that bridge should be displayed while in the "up" position.)

Oh, my fault (no pun intended) for misinterpreting you.

Also, I think a one-tile retracting bridge at the corner would be enough to make a switch junction.

With dwarves in carts a horrifying idea came to me. What if we put axedwarves in carts and launch them off ramps at goblin archers? Sort of a primitive drop pod system. We'd have ODST (Orbital Dwarf Shock Troops) thats what.
[...]
Will we be able to designate specific carts for specific dwarves or will it only be a first come first served basis?

You definately aren't the first to think of that, and even if so you can restrict things with burrows.


EDIT:
There seems to be a lot of confusion regarding how rails work and how they are designated.  I hope to clear this up with some thourough examples and walkthroughs.

NOTE: At the moment, this is only my understanding of how they work; while I feel confident in it I am not infallible by any means.  I hope to get Toady to verify the correctness of this next Future of the Fortress responce. (Unverified conclusions will be marked in green, verified in cyan.)

Example Walkthroughs:

Spoiler: "Parallel Tracks" (click to show/hide)

Let's say you're pressed for space but want to fit multiple tracks through this tunnel:

Code: [Select]

█....█
█....█
█....█
█....█
█....█
█....█
█....█
Well, it's obvious you can fit at least two N/S tracks in:

Code: [Select]

█X...█
█X...█
█X...█
█X...█
█X...█
█X...█
█X...█


Code: [Select]

█║.X.█
█║.X.█
█║.X.█
█║.X.█
█║.X.█
█║.X.█
█║.X.█


Code: [Select]

█║..║█
█║..║█
█║..║█
█║..║█
█║..║█
█║..║█
█║..║█
But you can do better than that, in fact you can fit four full N/S tracks in this tunnel, building them this way:

Code: [Select]

█║X.║█
█║X.║█
█║X.║█
█║X.║█
█║X.║█
█║X.║█
█║X.║█


Code: [Select]

█║║X║█
█║║X║█
█║║X║█
█║║X║█
█║║X║█
█║║X║█
█║║X║█


Code: [Select]

█║║║║█
█║║║║█
█║║║║█
█║║║║█
█║║║║█
█║║║║█
█║║║║█
Now you have four rail lines in a space no more than as many tiles wide.

Conclusion:

Rails designated side-by-side in parallel do not affect each other, and can be placed without leaving a gap in-between.

Spoiler: "Designating Long Straight Tracks" (click to show/hide)

Suppose whatever the maximum length of track that can be designated at once isn't long enough for you, and you end up with this:

Code: [Select]

█...█
█...█
█...█
█.╖.█
█.║.█
█.║.█
You might think that merely desinating another N/S rail NORTH of that will work...

Code: [Select]

█.X.█
█.X.█
█.X.█
█.╖.█
█.║.█
█.║.█
...What's this?! There's a gap in the line!

Code: [Select]

█.║.█
█.║.█
█.╙.█
█.╖.█
█.║.█
█.║.█
It probably won't have much effect besides being a speed bump, but it looks bad and we want it out of there. So we designate a 2-long N/S rail over the gap:

Code: [Select]

█.║.█
█.║.█
█.X.█
█.X.█
█.║.█
█.║.█
And now we have a nice and neat, complete rail line!

Code: [Select]

█.║.█
█.║.█
█.║.█
█.║.█
█.║.█
█.║.█


Conclusion:

In order for straight tracks to link up, they must be designated in overlapping segments.

Spoiler: "Designating a Turn" (click to show/hide)

Suppose we want to have a track come up from the SOUTH and turn EAST just SE of this statue here:

Code: [Select]

...N...
.......
..Ω....
W.....E
.......
.......
...S...
So then, we start by designating a N/S rail like so:

Code: [Select]

.......
.......
..Ω....
...X...
...X...
...X...
...X...
After the engraver is finished, the result is such:

Code: [Select]

.......
.......
..Ω....
...╖...
...║...
...║...
...║...
Now, your next action would probably be to designate an E/W rail this way:

Code: [Select]

.......
.......
..Ω....
...╖XXX
...║...
...║...
...║...
But wait! Let's see what happens when the engraver is finished...

Code: [Select]

.......
.......
..Ω....
...╖╒══
...║...
...║...
...║...
That isn't what we wanted at all! Now carts coming from both directions will run off the track and crash. How do we remedy this? Simple, we designate an E/W track like this:

Code: [Select]

.......
.......
..Ω....
...XX══
...║...
...║...
...║...
Then our engraver comes to link the two tracks...

Code: [Select]

.......
.......
..Ω....
...╔═══
...║...
...║...
...║...
Perfect! We have the turn we wanted now!


Conclusion:

In order for tracks to turn, E/W and N/S must also be designated in overlapping segments.

Spoiler: "'Fake' T-Junctions" (click to show/hide)

Let's say we want to make a simple T-junction next to the statue:

Code: [Select]

...N...
.......
..Ω....
W.....E
.......
.......
...S...
The natural responce would be to designate the rail in two parts:

Code: [Select]

...X...
...X...
..ΩX...
...X...
...X...
...X...
...X...


Code: [Select]

...║...
...║...
..Ω║...
...XXXX
...║...
...║...
...║...


Code: [Select]

...║...
...║...
..Ω║...
...╠═══
...║...
...║...
...║...
But this won't work. The reason why is that a cart coming from the EAST will not choose a direction to travel in, but instead will just keep barrelling WESTwards off the rails.

Instead, start with a corner:

Code: [Select]

.......
.......
..Ω....
...╔═══
...║...
...║...
...║...
Then designate a N/S rail all the way up to but not overlapping the corner.

Code: [Select]

...X...
...X...
..ΩX...
...╔═══
...║...
...║...
...║...
There is no need to leave an empty tile between the end of this rail and the corner.

Code: [Select]

...║...
...║...
..Ω╙...
...╔═══
...║...
...║...
...║...
Carts coming from the NORTH should be able to jump the short gap between rails and continue SOUTH with no trouble, while carts from the EAST will turn SOUTH as well.  Carts from the SOUTH will turn EAST unless going too fast, but it might be very difficult to attempt to make them go NORTH reliably.


Conclusion:

It is possible to make a pseudo-T junction where two tracks 'merge' by carving a rail up to (but not onto) a corner.

EDIT: all verified by Toady!

[Cobaldunderpants]

With dwarves in carts a horrifying idea came to me. What if we put axedwarves in carts and launch them off ramps at goblin archers? Sort of a primitive drop pod system. We'd have ODST (Orbital Dwarf Shock Troops) thats what.
[...]
Will we be able to designate specific carts for specific dwarves or will it only be a first come first served basis?

You definately aren't the first to think of that, and even if so you can restrict things with burrows.

I may be rather new to the forums but by no means did I mean to imply that I was the first to think about this. I would be deeply suprised if I was. I was simply thinking out loud is all.

[Farmerbob]

I was immediately drawn to the following comment today:

"Hopefully that code linking vehicles/projectiles and units will also set up some horrifying possibilities for collisions of carts and units, which is also coming up."

Hopefully, lol.  Thank you Toady, for starting my day with a good laugh

[smirk]

vehicles/projectiles

So vehicles are projectiles, eh? Here's hoping the first minecart versions have size/striking-surface bugs that allow them to stick in goblins like bolts...

[NW_Kohaku]

vehicles/projectiles

So vehicles are projectiles, eh? Here's hoping the first minecart versions have size/striking-surface bugs that allow them to stick in goblins like bolts...

Carts are raw-editable.  Why hope for a bug, when you can do it on purpose? 

Since dwarves can ride them, you could also your carts skateboards that just happen to grind double-rails continuously for a Tony Hawk Fortress.  Be sure to add jumps so you get more stunt multipliers.