Table of Contents

TrainCarts Signs

TrainCarts allows you to perform actions on trains or single cars using signs.

Structure and Behaviour

A first glance at the sign format

A sign is always structured the same way. The first line contains either cart or train depending on if you want to target each cart separately or the train as a whole. You can then optionally specify the way the sign responds to redstone and what direction the train must be coming from.

Redstone

TrainCarts signs require Redstone power to function. This means signs will not do anything unless you put a redstone torch or other power signal next to it. If you want to use signs without adding redstone torches, you can make use of a special syntax on the first line, which is the same for [train] and [cart]. Generally you will want to use [+train] to make the sign function.

TrainCarts Sign Power Modes First Line Explanation
[train] The default mode. Sign only works when redstone power is provided
[+train] Always on power mode. Signs work all the time regardless of whether redstone power is provided
[!train] Inverted power mode. Sign works all the time and turns off when redstone power is provided. Works the same as [+train] when no redstone torch is used.
[-train] Always off power mode. Signs don't respond to redstone power. Only useful for the switcher sign.
[/train] On-pulse power mode. Signs only activate once when redstone power goes from off to on, and don't respond to trains riding over it
[\train] Off-pulse power mode. Signs only activate once when redstone power goes from on to off, and don't respond to trains riding over it
[/\\train] Redstone change power mode. Signs only activate once when redstone power switches state, and don't respond to trains riding over it

Lever Output

Signs can output a redstone signal as well by attaching a lever to the same block the sign is also attached to. Only a few signs activate the lever, like the station sign that activates it when trains stop on top of the station.

Activation Direction

By default signs only activate when the train sees the front or sides of the sign. This means you should place signs facing the direction of train movement. To override this behavior you can set these activation directions by adding a colon (:) followed by one or more directions. If you want the sign to always respond, just use [train:*].

For example, [-train:lr] on a switcher sign would activate a lever when a train enters from either the sign-relative left or right direction and doesn't for the remaining ones. It uses -train so that it does not switch the track.

Remote Control

A few sign systems support remote control: the ability to control trains by name. You then use the [train <name>] format, or the shorter alias [t <name>]. Remotely controlled signs only respond to redstone changes, thus where you place them is not important. So far the property, destination, destroy, eject and setblock sign systems support remote control.

Remote control can also affect multiple trains. Just like the tag system, remote control uses *-signs to identify the trains to affect. For example, the following remote control sign will set the destination to home for all intercity trains:

[train Intercity*]
property 
destination 
interhome

You can use this to recall all your trains easily. If you use tags to navigate trains, you can also add a tag saying that the train should return.

Placement

Empty minecarts are blocked

Trains are switched left and right using a 1:1 counter

Each sign targets a certain track piece above. Signs attached to walls take the block they are attached to and look up until they find a piece of track. That track is then used for that sign. Sign posts look up until they find a piece of track. There may not be blocks without signs between the bottom sign and the tracks.

You can make a pillar of blocks below a single track piece and attach signs to it, to make a bundle of actions on a single track piece. Trains look down when they enter a new track piece to check for signs, so make sure you put the output signs above the signs that use this output for correct results.

For most signs the sign direction influences what happens, as also discussed earlier (Activation Direction):

Types

Permissions

Each sign has a separate build permission. See the main permissions page. For using remote control, the player requires the `train.build.feature.remotecontrol` permission which is OP-only by default.