How to start a cart from inside it?

Question

I've still fairly new to Minecraft but absolutely love it. I'm learning about the carts and have a nice track setup with several powered rails but is there a way I can start a cart while already inside? I've read about ways to make stations and choose tracks with buttons but I'd like to a) get in the cart, then push something to activate travel and b) have stops along my track that will by off by default, and if those aren't my final destination, I could press something to keep going.

What are the best solutions/alternatives?

Answer 1

This is a variation on @KevinY's answer; with the major difference being the stations:

The design for the end station is fairly well defined, and mostly invariant:

When it comes to stations in the middle of the track, however; there are two basic approaches; @KevinY's proposal, a rise station; and the similar but distinct dip station:

Which station you choose can vary on a number of factors; they both perform the same task, and both do it well, but the dip station has a couple of convenient attributes:

• When using only one button, access to this button is somewhat easier to achieve with a dip station.

• Dip stations in tunnels require no extra headroom when compared to rise stations.

• Dip stations do not require detector rails

• While there is a risk of getting turned around due to high speed; the risk of completely overshooting the station is smaller than with the rise station as proposed by Kevin. (This may or may not be what you want).

Answer 2

The easiest and least complex solution would probably be something like this.

This would be the first "station" in your minecart transit system. To use it, you would place a minecart on the unpowered piece of track and get in. From there, you can press the button, and because the button is technically occupying the block right next to the rail, it will power it, launching you to the right.

The reason this works is because there is a block directly next to the minecart when it is placed down, and powering the powered rail will start the minecart. You will notice that if you were to remove the block and press the button, nothing would happen. This is because the minecart "doesn't know which direction to go". This is important to note when building stations based on powered rails.

At a stop, you could simply do something like this. It is identical to your first station, except for the button being placed differently. Your minecart will stop on the unpowered sloped rail because powered rails act like a brake when unpowered. However, if the button is placed where it was on the initial station, it is hard to press due to being on a slope, so you have to raise it up and use wire to connect it to the rail. If it's your station, you can get out of the minecart; if you want to continue to the next stop, just press the button.

This can be modified into a two-way station though the use of detector rails. This is what your middle stops could like like in a two-way transit system:

If you are approaching the station from the left, your cart activated the detector rail, turning the unpowered track on, and stopping you on the right side of the block (and of course, vice versa coming the other direction). However, if you approach the station too quickly using this technique, your minecart won't stop properly and it will touch the second detector rail, powering the rail you are supposed to stop on, and you'll keep on going. Just don't go overboard with the powered rails.

Williham Totland came up with an even simpler two-way station by using a dip instead of a rise, which I now prefer.

Answer 3

SInce version 1.3.1 minecarts can be moved slowly by using the movement keys. You can place a minecart on a powered rail and press W and it will move forward, enough for the rail to start boosting it.