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Table of Contents
External Resources
This page includes materials related to advtrains.
Please note: We are not responsible for the content of linked pages!
A lot of internal mechanics of advtrains, in particular the signalling system, are made based on systems used on railway lines in Germany.
Signalling
Many websites listed here are about German signalling systems in general. However, only a small, modified subset of these systems are implemented in advtrains for simplicity.
- Wikipedia page on German signals - Gives a bit of context on the features added.
- Section of a website focused on German railway signals - Teaches a lot about German signals
signal book - Shows different types of signals used in Germany, including many that are not implemented in advtrains404 error
Please note that, due to historical reasons, the signal aspect names may differ between the former Deutsche Reichsbahn and the Deutsche Bundesbahn, and, in a few cases, the same name may refer to different signal aspects.
Interlocking
- simsig - A Set of interlocking simulations, to “Get the hang of it”
- OpenTTD - A game with a signalling system. However, please note that setting up routes in advtrains is more complicated than in OpenTTD due to the nature of advtrains.
- 56i's tutorial for interlcoking - A guide to interlocking using a rigid writing style.
Train safety systems
Advtrains uses LZB as its safety system. However, it is very different to the system used on German rail lines, mainly because many considerations in real life, such as signal transmission and central control, become less important in Minetest.
Players interested in German train safety systems can also read about PZB, an older train safety system that is not implemented in advtrains because of the existence of automated trains.
Advtrains
Lua
Advtrains is written in Lua and also allows creating automated setups using LuaATC.
- Programming in Lua ("PIL") - An introduction to Lua. The online version of PIL targets Lua 5.0 but is mostly relevant for Lua 5.1 used by Minetest and Advtrains.
- LuaJIT extensions - These extensions are provided by LuaJIT, another relatively common Lua 5.1 implementation. Please note that some of the extensions are limited by Minetest's sandbox, and the use of implementation-specific behavior in general is discouraged.
- Minetest API documentation - This may be useful if you write mods related to Advtrains.
Mods
Note: Please do not add forks here.
- Advtrains Portable Remote Control - A semi-official train remote mod developed by Maverick2797.
Servers
Listed are various minetest servers and their web pages concerning AdvTrains. Some do not have much, others have a huge amount. Feel free to add your own server, but ensure a neutral point of view.
56i-mtwiki
The wiki of this server grows with the number of buildings; there may be more pages added to this list in just a matter of a month or so. However, the admin is not always online.
- Trackplans - A guide to maps concering advtrains.
- Railway Guide - Concerns the construction of railways across 56i's server, but has advice applicable to you setup.
- Real example - A list of the train infrastructure
infectingnuturing this fertile land. - Live Map - Shows a live map of the server, as well as the train network. If the server is online(which it likely is), it also shows signal states and train locations (advice: left-hand driving is commonplace).
Tunnler's Abyss
Since this server has a smaller web presence than other pages on this list, it may seem smaller than 56i-mtserver. This is the opposite. This server is welcoming, and will likely answer any question you ask them.
- Tutorial - Guide on train construction.
LinuxForks Minetest Server
This server is the oldest server with AdvTrains. For this reason, it has players with a lot of experience. Please be as polite as possible. First impressions matter a lot on this server.
A lot of wiki pages have now been hidden from the general public, including the first two links.
- Railway guide - Concerns the construction of railways across the server.
- Transport System Types - Concerns the transport categories and can be used as inspiration for your own network.
- Map - Unlike 56i-mtserver, this map just shows track locations. Brilliant for seeing how turns are done.
Videos
Youtube videos are an invaluble resource for finding out about real-world railways. Using videos, railways can be made more realistic.
Videos:
- Freight Train (1954) - A vintage film explaining the logistics of the American freight train system at the time.
- Freight and a City (1966) - A railway video detailing Sheffield's transformation from a slow and broken freight system developed organically into a modernised industrial town.
- Operation London Bridge (1975) - A video which goes into detail about a complicated interchange in London being modernised.
Channels:
- RM Transit - American youtuber who goes into detail about various transit systems across the world and gives general opinions on what is good and what can improve.
