What's the best way to clear out stone from a room? I've been designating the stone to be dragged to a garbage dump, but I didn't know if there was some time-saving trick I'm missing.
1) minecart track, 2 tiles long, trackstop on the ending side set to dump.
2) put a small 6 tile or so stockpile next to one side, and 1 single tile stockpile on the other. The 6 tile one accepts stone, and the minecart route draws from that stockpile only, also accepting stone. The one tile accepts links from rails only, and accepts stone, and is the dump target.
3) Assign a bunch of wheelbarrows to the 6 tile one.
4) Set the schedule of the route to push when full, and dump into the 1 tile stockpile
From now on, whenever you dig out a room ever, dwarves will automatically swoop in without you doing anything, wheelbarrow the stone to your rail area thing, and automatically quantum stockpile all the rocks on that one tile that the cart dumps onto. Which usually you should have immediately next to your stonemasons, etc.
This goes much faster than garbage dumping due to using wheelbarrows, it is automatic, and you don't have to unforbid the stone before masons will start using it.
You can also make two of them to separate out magma safe and non magma safe stone for two workshop areas, or color coding, or whatever. Also automatically. I usually do non magma safe and magma safe, each with masons and mechanics and such, and build mechanisms and floodgates in the safe pile and tables and such in the non safe pile.
(Note: this same system works for everything. Auto log collecting and quantum stockpiling by your carpenter, auto ore collecting, auto bar stockpiling from the smelter to the forge, etc. etc.)