Moving items over distance

[Zerop]

It would seem minecarts are a natural fit for moving items over distances, but alas, you run into unloaded chunks and the minecarts pause. I have a simple rail going from chunk 2115 x 2101 to 2122 x 2121. As far as chunks go, not very far - a maximum of 20 chunks in the north/south direction. The minecarts don't get very far before they "become invisible". I can still see the track and further rendered blocks, but the cart disappears unless I also move forward.

How many chunks out from the player on the server do chunks pause? Is this different than the render distance? Good to know for other such things too like crops or smelting.

Most importantly, how do people move items in bulk from place to place? Do I always have to ride behind my chest minecarts in a train? Will it work with a player at either end standing in applicable chunks so that there are no paused chunks between them? (I sense an experiment coming...)

Lots of questions. Information is good.
Thanks in advance.

[Kealper]

Minecarts will be paused when they're 112 or more blocks away from any players. That's seven chunks in distance, but this is not tied to chunk boarders, it's 112 regardless of the player's position in their chunk. Once any player moves within 112 blocks of a paused cart, it will resume as if it had never stopped.

If you wish to use minecart trains to move mass amounts of items, you would have to ride along with them if it's further than 112 blocks.

Minecarts will visually disappear after they get more than 64 blocks away from you, but they'll continue to move even when you can't see them.