Voidtrain steam engine fuel relies entirely on steam batteries crafted at a workbench rather than raw coal or briquettes. Each steam battery provides 240 fuel points to power your locomotive across medium and afterburner speeds, while an empty engine defaults to a slow baseline crawl without stranding you in the void.
How to Get and Craft Steam Batteries
In older versions of Voidtrain, players relied on coal briquettes and water canisters. Following the official Engine Fuel System overhaul (Update 13620) and earlier balance updates, canisters and briquettes were removed from crafting, standardizing train fuel into dedicated batteries.
To fuel a steam engine, you must gather raw resources from the void and refine them through two workstations:
- Harvest Coal Lumps: Collect floating lumps of coal while traveling through the void or pulling resources with your grappling hook.
- Process Coal in the Recycler: Place a lump of coal into the Recycler. Processing one heavy lump of coal yields three individual coal chunks.
- Craft Steam Batteries at the Workbench: Take your coal chunks and water to the workbench to assemble a steam battery. Player testing confirms the recipe requires two water and coal chunks to craft.
Once crafted, steam batteries can be carried to the engine cab and placed directly into the steam cell slots via the engine inspection interface.
Fuel Points, Speeds, and Consumption Rates
The engine interface provides a real-time readout of your remaining fuel points alongside your estimated consumption per minute based on the chosen speed throttle.
| Speed Setting | Operational Status | Fuel Consumption Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Slow | Functional without fuel | Operates at baseline speed even when total fuel reaches 0 |
| Medium | Consumes active fuel | Consumes approximately 60 fuel points per minute under testing |
| Afterburner | Rapid drain | Maximum speed burst used to escape pursuers or clear minefields |
A single steam battery contributes 240 fuel points. Because running out of fuel only locks you into the slow speed setting, you will not permanently stall in the middle of a run if your fuel cells expire between depots.
Multi-Battery Drain: Bug or Feature?
When loading up to four steam batteries into the engine simultaneously, you will notice that all inserted batteries drain their fuel gauges at the same time rather than depleting one by one.
This simultaneous drain is an intended game mechanic, as officially confirmed by developer Niko in the Steam community discussions. Loading multiple batteries does not cause fuel to burn faster; instead, all active cells pool together into a single, larger fuel capacity. Having a fully stocked battery bay ensures you have a deep reserve to maintain sustained speed during enemy train chases or timed hazard sections.
The standard rate of fuel consumption does not decrease simply by adding more batteries. To reduce the engine's fuel drain rate per minute, you must assign a Rofleemo crew member with conductor skills directly to the locomotive engine.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I put raw coal directly into the steam engine?
No. Raw coal lumps cannot be inserted directly into the engine. You must process coal lumps into coal chunks in a Recycler and then craft steam batteries at a workbench.
What happens when the steam engine runs out of fuel?
The train continues moving forward on the slow speed setting. Fuel points are required only to sustain medium speed and engage the afterburner.
Why are all four of my steam batteries draining at once?
Developer confirmation verifies that all fuel slots drain simultaneously by design. The slots pool their fuel points together to create a larger total reserve rather than consuming cells sequentially.
Can steam batteries be used for anything else?
Official patch notes specify that steam batteries can also be used to power compatible train workstations that offer a battery refueling option.
