Minecarts can be a great way to explore different places in Minecraft without running! Each large mine can take advantage of the mine cart tracks to help move yourself and items in and out of the mine. Mine Carts can also be used for other purposes, for example being used in more creative ways as trains and rollercoasters.
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Part 1 of 4: Making a Mine Cart
Step 1. Find and mine Iron Ore (iron ore)
You need to make or find five Iron Ingots to make a Mine Cart. You can find ingots in forts and dungeons, but it's easier to mine iron ore and smelt ingots yourself.
- Iron ore can be found in the 1st – 63rd block layers, and will occur between the 4th – 10th pulse blocks. Your chances of finding it will be higher in the deeper layers.
- You will need a Stone Pickaxe or a better tool for mining iron ore.
Step 2. Make a Furnace
Furnaces are used to melt iron ore into iron ingots. You can make a Furnace by placing eight Cobblestone blocks around the Crafting grid.
Step 3. Find fuel
Furnaces require fuel to melt iron ore into iron ingots. Fuel can come in any form, and the more fuel efficient it is, the more ore you can smelt for each unit of fuel. You can use any wooden object as fuel, but the most efficient are the Lava Bucket, coal, and charcoal.
Step 4. Use the Furnace to melt iron ore into iron ingots
Place the fuel in the lower box of the Furnace window, and place the iron ore block in the box above it. After a while, iron bars will form. Repeat this step until you have five ingots.
Step 5. Open the Crafting window to create a Mine Cart
Once you have enough ingots, you can use the Crafting Table to open the Craft window and build a Mine Cart.
Step 6. Place three ingots in the bottom row of the Crafting grid
Step 7. Place two iron bars in the second row, on the right and left
Step 8. Take the Mine Cart from the crafting box and drag it into your inventory
Step 9. Create a custom Mine Cart
There are four special Mine Carts that you can build that can help you work in the mines. With the following crafting recipe, place the Mine Cart in the bottom-center box, and place the special ingredients right above it.
- TNT Mining Cart – Mine Cart + TNT. Use this cart to safely dig from afar.
- Mine Carriage Furnace – Mine Cart + Furnace. Use this cart to smelt iron ore as you dig.
- Mine Cart Hopper – Mine Cart + Hopper. Use this cart to collect ore. Mine Carts equipped with hoppers are very useful for automatic mining.
- Mine Cart – Mine Cart + Chest. Use this cart to store essential items while you work in the mines.
Part 2 of 4: Installing Tracks
Step 1. Make more ingots
In order for Mine Cart to work, you need to build Rails (rails). This is the only object to place the Mine Cart. To make a set of 16 rails, you'll need six ingots and one Stick. See the first section for information on making ingots.
Step 2. Create a set of rails
Open the Crafting window and place the three iron bars in the left and right columns. Put one Stick in the middle. Drag the collection of 16 rails from the crafted box into your inventory.
Step 3. Hold the rail to place it on the ground
Look at the block where you want to place the rail and click to place it.
Step 4. Create a railroad track using Rails
The rail pieces will connect automatically when they are arranged in sequence. You can make turns by placing a piece of rail on the right or left at the end of the track. The turns will form automatically.
You can create forks and intersections, but the paths will look disjointed
Step 5. Learn how Mine Cart momentum works
You can push the Mine Cart on a flat surface. The Mine Carriage will speed up as it goes downhill, and will slow down when turning or going uphill. The Mine Carriage also slows down when traveling on level ground.
Leveraging momentum can help you create a useful and fun network of Mine Cart tracks. The high descent will allow you to go up and down a small incline, or skip several turns. By creating a system that has multiple high descents, you can create a track that can carry your Mine Cart over great distances without additional assistance
Step 6. Make a track with a slope
You can make a path up or down by carving a block of steps (stairs). When you place the piece of rail on the descending ladder, the track will automatically slope downwards. You can continue to make sloped paths if there are more stairs.
Step 7. Make a diagonal path
You can simulate a diagonal trajectory by making a zigzag of one turn clockwise. This diagonal trajectory will appear rough, but the Mine Cart will run smoothly in a straight line. A diagonal track will slow the train down as if it were turning.
Part 3 of 4: Using the Mine Cart
Step 1. Place the Mine Cart on the track
Take the train from the inventory and place it on the track to use it.
Step 2. View Mine Cart and press the “Use” button
You'll get into the Mine Cart and begin to take control of it.
Step 3. Press the “Forward” button to start the Mine Cart
The Mine Cart will start moving in the direction in front of you (track clearance). You can move forward on flat ground with the “Forward” button, but your speed will not increase. Skipping descents can increase your speed by up to 8 blocks per second.
Step 4. Exit the Mine Cart by pressing the “Crouch/Sneak” button
If there's only a narrow space about a block above you while trying to exit, your life will be reduced by half.
Step 5. Get the Mine Cart back by attacking it
After a few fist strikes, or one sword strike, the Mine Carriage will be destroyed and you can pick it up and put it back in your inventory.
Part 4 of 4: Getting More Profit from Mine Cart
Step 1. Learn the advantages of Powered Rail
Powered Rails are special rails that can propel Mine Carts, and are essential for the creation of larger and more complex track networks. With Powered Rail, you can create catapults that can send Mine Carts going at breakneck speeds, you can create tracks that automatically bring you back to the surface, and much, much more.
- Powered Rail requires six Gold Ingots, one stick, and a Redstone. Place gold bars in the left and right columns like iron bars to make rails. Place the stick in the center, and place the redstone in the bottom-center square. This will generate a stack of six Powered Rails.
- The Powered Rail needs to be activated with a Redstone Torch or Lever.
Step 2. Use Mine Cart to speed up your mining activities
The main function of the Mine Cart is to quickly take you and your belongings to different places in the mine. If you're actively mining or building somewhere, the Mine Railroad network can help you get to different places more quickly.
Step 3. Create a launcher to keep your Mine Carriage moving
One Powered Rail can catapult the Mine Cart 80 squares on a level ground. Placing a solid block behind the Powered Rail will create a catapult that can propel your Mine Cart away from the block. Stack some Powered Rails at the start of the catapult to give your train a big boost. Placing a Powered Rail in each of the 38 pieces of the track will keep your Mine Carriage moving at high speed (nearly hitting top speed) forever.
You may need to experiment with adjusting the distance of the Powered Rail according to your altitude and speed requirements
Step 4. Create a rollercoaster using a combination of derivatives and Powered Rail
A popular function of the Mine Cart is to make rollercoasters. There are tons of Mine Cart rollercoaster videos on YouTube, and there's a lot you can do to make your rollercoaster more fun and unique.
