- For other Rail related objects found in Minecraft, see Rail (Disambiguation).
Detector Rails are a type of rail that acts as a pressure plate, therefore putting out a Redstone current and being able to do many things related to minecarts.
When any kind of minecart is on top of the detector rail, it will generate a Redstone signal. The signal will be transmitted to blocks that are adjacent to the rail (including powered rails) and Redstone placed under the rail, much like how Pressure Plates work.
Detector rails can be found in the Chest Minecarts of Abandoned Mineshafts, but they can also be crafted in a crafting table.
Crafting[]
| Detector Rail x6 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Iron Ingot | None | Iron Ingot |
| Iron Ingot | Stone Pressure Plate | Iron Ingot |
| Iron Ingot | Redstone | Iron Ingot |
Uses[]
Detector rails can be used for many things. One train station-like feature could be activating a note block to indicate that a minecart is approaching, or a note block in conjunction with a redstone torch to have a grade crossing signal. It is easiest to simply wire a series of 4-6 detector rails, one around every 20 blocks, to a note block and an inverter that powers a Redstone Torch. As the cart passes each detector rail, it will trigger the circuit for one flash of the torch and a chime, thus giving one 4-6 chimes before the cart reaches the crossing. Additionally, they can be used to create a one-way gate to a powered rail, with any carts coming the other way slowing down if not stopping completely. They also can be used to activate dispensers to create a minecart-friendly mob trap.
Trivia[]
- If a detector rail is on a slope with a powered rail adjacent to it on flat ground, it will not activate the powered rail when a minecart runs over it.
Gallery[]
