Regarding minecarts, is it possible to set up a single track that traverses multiple Z (from the surface down, say, five levels), which dumps specific goods at each level? I want to have the surface stockpile load up on surface goods (logs, meat, cookable goods and brewable fruits and plants), and distribute them to workshops. Can this be accomplished with a single track, or do I need one stop for each track on the surface? How would I then designate the stops so they don’t just dump everything at the first stop?
Yes you can, you must just build on ramps your tracks and it's a little expensive, but this is usualy way how i dealing with logs... and trashs.
Yes, you can make hauling designations to your workshops stockpiles then to set your workshops to get from this one stockpile. It usualy work great (i didn't play in newest version, yet).
If you are using only one track, i am not recomending using pushes and riding in carts, just because They like crash with themself. Pulling carts worked grat!
Just make in 'r'outes menu other "bases", when your minions are pulling carts, They will pull them where They should without too much enginnering. Just do not make tracks with more than 50 z-levels pulling, usualy avoid more than 30, because if your track is longer than 50 dwarf like to forgoting about They job and cart is riding though them...
How to set them read on wiki, this is great!