In Voidtrain, “add wagon” looks like a simple button on the Building Console, but the game hides it behind a story item and a few quiet rules. If the console is asking for an orange toolbox icon or a spring‑and‑bearing symbol, you’re not missing a craft recipe — you’re gated by progression.
Voidtrain add wagon basics: what the game is actually asking for
The “Add wagon” option on the Building Console doesn’t consume normal resources at first. It needs a special quest item, often shown as an icon that looks like a spring combined with a bearing, or (in newer builds) an orange toolbox‑style symbol. You can’t craft this part on the workbench; it’s a one‑off story reward.
Until you have that plot item, the Add wagon button stays locked and will just display the icon. That’s why building springs or bearings on their own doesn’t satisfy the requirement.
How to unlock the first extra wagon
The first new wagon is tied directly to the main story. You unlock it by pushing forward through gates and depots rather than by researching a technology node.
| Step | What you do | What changes for “Add wagon” |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Travel through early gates | Keep following the main line, passing several gates (players usually hit this around the 4th gate or later). | The game flags you for the wagon unlock depot. |
| 2. Reach the story depot | Stop at the special depot during an area transition, disembark, and clear out the enemies. | A short quest sequence starts that leads you to wagon parts. |
| 3. Pick up wagon blueprint and parts | Loot the marked container or room for a wagon platform blueprint and the wagon component item. | The unique wagon part is added to your inventory and quest log. |
| 4. Build a wagon platform | Use your regular building tools to construct a wagon platform on your train. | Your train now has space that can be turned into a new wagon. |
| 5. Use the Building Console | Walk up to the Building Console at the depot, highlight the + (Add wagon) icon, and hold the button. | The console consumes the story item and attaches the new wagon. |
One of the main story quests (“Breaking In”) spells this out very directly: take the blueprint, take the wagon parts, build a wagon platform, then use the console and hold the plus icon to add the wagon.
Orange toolbox and spring/bearing icons explained
Players often run into the Add wagon requirement for the first time right after building the Steam Engine. The Building Console then shows an icon that looks like:
- A small spring and bearing in a single image in some versions, or
- An orange toolbox‑like symbol in more recent builds.
In both cases, that icon stands for the same thing: the plot‑gated wagon coupling component. It is not a normal craftable resource, and it does not come from the first depot where you picked up the blue toolbox‑style item used for platform extensions. You get this new part later, the same way you got that first blue toolbox: by progressing to a later station and looting the designated quest container.
Voidtrain add wagon vs. extend wagon length
The Building Console exposes two related but different upgrades:
| Option | What it does | Requirements | When to use it |
|---|---|---|---|
| Extend wagon | Makes an existing wagon longer (adds more platform segments). | Costs regular resources and, early on, a blue toolbox‑type plot item. | When you want more build space without managing another car. |
| Add wagon | Attaches a completely new wagon behind the current train. | Requires the special wagon component (spring/bearing or orange toolbox icon). | When you’re ready to split your base into multiple cars. |
If the Add wagon button is locked, you can still use the neighboring “extend” option to stretch your first wagon. That’s useful in the early game when storage and machines pile up, but the wagon quest hasn’t triggered yet.
How many wagons you can add: engine and platform limits
Adding wagons is also constrained by how long your train is allowed to be. Voidtrain uses “platform capacity” as the hard limit, and each wagon consumes a number of platforms based on how long you build it.
| Engine state | Max platform capacity | What it means for wagons |
|---|---|---|
| Trolley (starting handle only) | 6 platforms | Limited total length; typically one wagon plus the trolley section. |
| Steam Engine installed | 8 platforms | Two extra platforms over the starting state, enough to either lengthen existing wagons or fit another short one. |
| Diesel Engine installed | 12 platforms | The largest train length; supports more and/or longer wagons. |
The key detail is that the max length applies to the whole train, not per wagon. If you build one very long car early, you will hit the cap sooner and have less room left for additional wagons.
What to do if you’re stuck with one wagon after building the Steam Engine
A common pain point is reaching the Steam Engine upgrade while still limited to a single wagon. At this point, the train is faster, but you’re trying to cram every machine and chest into one car while the Add wagon button still shows a locked icon.
If that’s your situation, there are only two levers you can pull:
- Use the “extend wagon” option to make that one wagon as long as your current platform capacity allows.
- Keep pushing through stations and gates until the depot with the wagon quest appears and you receive the needed component.
There is no alternate blueprint or side path that unlocks the component earlier. The story progression lock is deliberate, but you move past that plateau fairly quickly once you keep traveling.
Quick reference: Voidtrain add wagon checklist
If you just want to confirm whether you’re ready to add a wagon, run down this list:
| Question | If “No” | If “Yes” |
|---|---|---|
| Have you passed several gates (roughly four or more)? | Keep following the track; you haven’t reached the wagon quest depot yet. | You’re close to the depot that holds the wagon item. |
| Have you cleared a depot where the narrator directs you toward wagon parts? | Progress the story through more stations and combat encounters. | Loot the blueprint and parts, then build a wagon platform. |
| Did you build at least one new wagon platform on your train? | Open the build menu and construct a wagon platform first. | Use the depot’s Building Console and hold the + icon. |
| Does the Add wagon button still show the orange toolbox/spring icon? | You still lack the story component; keep progressing. | If you already picked up the part, make sure you’re at a depot console, not trying to add in the Void. |
Once the quest item is consumed on that first use, later wagons can be built using regular resources within your platform capacity limits. From that point on, the Add wagon button behaves more like other upgrades, and you can focus on how you want to split your mobile base between cars rather than worrying about when the next story gate will finally let you expand.
