How to Set Up a Tug Route and Dock for Automated Barge Hauling

Laying the Route

Place a Tug Guide Rail along the water path the tug should follow, and use Vessel Corner Guide Rail at every turn so the tug rounds corners instead of drifting off course. Set a Tug Route on the tug by right-clicking it with the route item, then right-click each guide rail in order to record the path. The tug follows the recorded sequence of guide rails, so gaps in the rail line mean gaps in the route.

Docking and Cargo

Put a Barge Dock at each stop where a barge should load or unload. Link barges to the tug with Vehicle Chain so they trail behind it. Use a Chest Barge for items, a Barrel Barge for bulk storage, or a Fluid Tank Barge for liquids. A Chunk Loader Barge keeps the route area loaded while the tug is away. The Conductor's Wrench reconfigures docking behaviour and route settings on placed blocks. If you want the tug to pause at a dock, place the dock on the route and the tug stops there on each pass. For a stationary collection point, an Item Collection Barge pulls floating items out of the water into an adjacent barge's inventory.