Analysis of about 7809 chunks
from layers 10-13 (head level at 12, most optimal mining position)
gold: 0.07%
iron: 0.39%
redstone: 2.50%
The redstone was multiplied by 4.5 to account for the mining of ore yielding 4-5 redstone
So as for time needed to mine ores in each for of transport, assuming 1 block broken per second which equates to 4 blocks made visible per second. per kilometer
Powered (cargo)
300 iron -------------------------------5 hours 30 minutes
200 gold -------------------------------18 hours 48 minutes
200 redstone -------------------------- 35 minutes
Total: ~25 hours
Furnace
375 iron -------------------------------6 hours 53 minutes
Total: ~7 hours
Piston
7000 redstone ------------------------20 hours 24 minutes
Total: ~20.5 hours
Ok, piston monorails wont work, i can see that. What do you mean by "Only the best is good enough"
Assuming this server runs for another 5 years, pretty optimistic? Assume a total cargo rail mileage of 4km by the end of 5 years, not unrealistic (considering to expansion of spawntown to the north and Vatallus city in progress). At 1chestcart-kilometer per day, and assuming 2 kilometer distance per average trip. That is 1826 kilometers traveled. (2070 charcoal).
In 5 years, 110 chestcart hours will have been saved with powered vs furnace transport.
2070 charcoal=21 minutes to mine and 20 minutes to smelt, add another 20 minutes for walking etc. Thats 1 hour of work to power 5 years of minecarting.
According to above calculations, 4km of powered rails will take 100 hours while 4km of furnace cart will take 28 hours, a difference of 72 hours.
Assume, P% of the time, you are waiting at *this* location for a chest cart to arrive.
If P%*110>71, then it is worth it to build powered rails
P>65, then build powered
P<65, then don't powered
The longer the rail is run, the more this tips in favor of powered rails. But i think 5 years and almost 2000km of travel is very optimistic prediction.
The cargo rail between spawntown and desertopia has been used about 20 times, and not once have i needed to wait for the minecart.
Anyway i don't really care whether or not powered rails are used or not between regions. I just think it'd save time and effort.
Although can i have building to building cargo rails within my region that use furnace carts. I don't need speed, and i like use minimal materials. A single harvest of my half completed farm will yield over a large chest of melons, so i'll transport significant amounts of material. Not enough that powered rails should be worth it, but more than i can comfortably carry.
(As in, carrying the material would take up a significant portion of the time i needed to make/mine/harvest it in the first place).