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[PainRack]

After multiple attempts, I finally 'learnt' how to create a working minecart track(for given amount of work. I can't seem to remove the error note for when I shift z levels on my minecart tracks, but I got my dwarfs pushing it.)

The problem is, its useless.It just loads stuff on one end and then move it to the line, maybe a few z levels down.

Can anyone show me a youtube video or something on how people organise their minecarts for cargo purpose? In particular, I'm looking for something that will be capable of sending in trainload of goods to the trade depot and then carrying it out post trade.

[WanderingKid]

They don't work like that.  Not really.  You could, I suppose, load one up with craft goods, but bins work nearly as well and I wouldn't waste time on a track for those.

Minecarts really have two uses currently.  Quantum Storage and goods transfer between the magma sea and surface for trade/military usage.  Everything else they're rather unwieldy.

[PainRack]

So, the only use at the moment is transferring ores and goods down to my magma forges?

[FuzzyZergling]

So, the only use at the moment is transferring ores and goods down to my magma forges?

You can still use it for other things, it just won't be very efficient.

[kingubu]

They're good for breaking bones.

[Larix]

For complicated automated applications, minecarts are also a good dwarfputing tool, because their pathing and movement is entirely deterministic. They can be used for precisely-timed processes of practically any desired length and they can be pushed onto or off pressure plates to send 'permanent' signals.

For actual transportation, their use is limited - long-distance transport over many levels is o.k., but since this is mostly the transport of boulders, the lowish capacity for those limits the advantage they offer over wheelbarrows. It doesn't help that automated systems apparently need to be designed in a way the dwarfs consider properly connected - if a cart gets from one stop to the next by the sorcery of opening a door, the dwarfs won't acknowledge the presence of the cart at the new stop and will drag it back to the previous one.

As kingubu said, another valuable use is teaching your dwarfs the importance of traffic safety. Results so far aren't encouraging on the traffic safety front, but the programme can do wonders for the efficiency of dwarven healthcare. In addition, it will keep cat populations under control, not so much by killing them, but rather by throwing them into inaccessible places or making them unable to stand, so they can't block a dwarf's movement any longer. A fort that has mastered the basics of minecarts can be recognised by the horribly mangled cats crawling all over the place.