Redstone engines powering wooden pipes.
This article discusses the redstone engine in Buildcraft 4. For the version in Buildcraft 3, see here.
Redstone engines are the cheapest of the type of Engine and as such are the least powerful of the three types of engine.
Redstone engines, like all other engines, gain speed as they heat up, which increases their energy output per second. Unlike other engines, they will never explode on running hot, except when not powering anything (see below). In fact, they produce more power when red and it is not advised to turn them off unless needed (again, see below).
Like the other engines, the redstone engine can be turned on and off using a redstone signal, and requires an active signal in order to activate.
Break it with a pickaxe to get it back.
Recipe
Ingredients: Produces: 1 x Redstone Engine
See: Crafting Guide
Setup Demonstration
Redstone Engine - Buildcraft In Less Than 90 Seconds
Power Output
Simple redstone engine installation: engine plus lever.
The Redstone Engine has 5 different power outputs, depending on how hot it is, it will eventually heat up and reach the last (best) output.
Uses
Redstone engines are most often used for powering things like wooden pipes when it's not necessary to move many items at once. The minimum configuration takes only two blocks: the engine itself and a lever or redstone torch.
In addition to wooden pipes, redstone engines are able to power two basic machines directly, the pump, and the mining well, though they require multiple engines more running hot to have any effect.
Prior to BC3.7, redstone engine would explode if allowed to overheat. Being connected even to a single wooden pipe (even if leading nowhere) will allow it to run indefinitely without any risk of exploding.
- 3 x Wooden Planks
- 2 x Wood Gear
- 1 x Piston
- 1 x Glass
- Blue: Makes 1 Energy Pulse every 5 seconds (0.01MJ/t).
- Green: Makes 1 Energy Pulse every 2.5 seconds (0.02MJ/t).
- Orange: Makes 1 Energy Pulse every 1.25 seconds (0.04MJ/t).
- Red: Makes 1 Energy Pulse every 0.625 seconds (0.08MJ/t).