DP Tool Club 15/CD_ASCQ_15_070894.iso/news/2490/trnsim10.doc

Text File | 1993-09-07 | 50KB | 1,280 lines

                             TrainSIM 1.0
                                  by
                             Ron Balewski


Please note:  TrainSIM is being distributed as Shareware.  You are
permitted to try TrainSIM before purchasing it.  If you continue to use
TrainSIM beyond the 30-day trial period, you are expected to become a
registered user by sending the $20 registration fee to the author.
Whether you register or not, however, you are encouraged to pass copies
of TrainSIM along for others to try.





                                  Index

                What is TrainSIM ....................... 4
                About This Manual ...................... 4
                Hardware Requirements .................. 4
                Let's Run a Train ...................... 5
                Detailed Instructions .................. 6
                  Diesel Locomotive Theory ............. 6
                  Running a Train ...................... 8
                  Initial Set-Up WIndow ................ 8
                    Engines section .................... 8
                    Cars section ....................... 8
                    Line FIle section .................. 8
                    Start button ....................... 8
                    Build button ....................... 8
                  Primary Control window ............... 8
                    File menu ................. ........ 8
                    Speed menu ......................... 9
                    Window menu ........................ 9
                    Help menu .......................... 9
                    Brake Pressure gauge ............... 9
                    Reserve Pressure gauge ............. 9
                    Air Flow gauge ..................... 10
                    Current gauge ...................... 10
                    Train Brake section ................ 10
                    Engine Brake section ............... 10
                    Throttle section ................... 11
                    Direction section .................. 11
                    Power button ....................... 11
                    Time section ....................... 11
                    Horn button ........................ 11
                    Bell button ........................ 12
                    Telemetry section .................. 12
                    Sand button ........................ 12
                    Slip light ......................... 12
                    Temp light ......................... 12
                    Oil light .......................... 12
                    Load light ......................... 12
                    OL light ........................... 12
                    Stall light ........................ 13
                    No Sound button .................... 13
                    Emergency button ................... 13
                  Speedometer window ................... 13
                    Speedometer gauge .................. 13
                    Mileage section .................... 13


     Page 2


                    Clear section ...................... 13
                  Engine Satus window (Analog) ......... 14
                    Fuel gauge ......................... 14
                    Current gauge ...................... 14
                    Oil Pressure gauge ................. 14
                    Temperature - Engine gauge ......... 14
                    Temperature - Traction gauge ....... 14
                    On Line button ..................... 14
                    Traction Motor Cutout section ...... 14
                    1-10 Locomotive Selector buttons ... 14
                    "D" Digital button ................. 15
                  Engine Status Window (Digital) ....... 15
                    Gauges ............................. 15
                    Traction Motor Cutout section ...... 15
                    1-10 Locomotive Selector buttons ... 15
                    "A" Analog button .................. 15
                  Path window .......................... 15
                  Scenery WIndow ....................... 17
                Building a Track ....................... 18
                  Overview ............................. 18
                  Initial Set-up Window ................ 18
                  Build Window ......................... 18
                    File menu .......................... 18
                    Start section ...................... 18
                    Control section .................... 19
                    Auto section ....................... 20
                    Vert Inc display ................... 20
                    Currents -- Horiz and Vert sections  20
                    SL section ......................... 20
                    MP section ......................... 20
                    Goodies section .................... 21
                    Length display ..................... 21
                    Checkpoint display ................. 21
                    Append button ...................... 21
                    Delete button ...................... 22
                    Goodies button ..................... 22
                  Map window ........................... 22
                Helpful Hints .......................... 22
                How to Register ........................ 23
                What comes with Registration ........... 23
                Add-Ons ................................ 24
                Future Enhancements .................... 24
                Permission to Distribute ............... 25
                Attention Shareware Vendors ............ 25
                Appendix A:  Track File Information .... 26
                Appendix b: System Resources ........... 26

     Page 3




What Is TrainSIM
================
   TrainSIM is a simulation of operating a freight train along a
point-to-point route.  I've tried to mathematically model the "physics"
(acceleration and braking on hills and curves based on train weight,
etc.) and the controls of a train as accurately as possible.

   Please remember that this is a "simulation" and not a "game."  It
can indeed get boring sometimes (like when you've got to pull up a
steep grade at ten miles an hour because you don't have enough power).
However, nobody ever said that reality must always be exciting -- and
with this version, I'm trying for reality!!


About This Manual
=================
   This manual is divided into three parts.  The first will give you
just enough information to get a train moving.  You should read
this part of the manual while running TrainSIM, since it'll include a
lot of "push this button now" simplicity just to get you going.

   The second part will go into great detail about each control on each
window visible while operating the train.  It's laid out on a
window-by-window basis, so it'll be a handy reference as you learn
TrainSIM.

   The third section will take you through building your own track with
the track layout section included in TrainSIM.


Hardware Requirements
=====================
   Being a Windows application, TrainSIM requires Windows -- version
3.1, to be exact.  You MUST also have SHARE.EXE loaded.  If you get an
Init error the first time you run TrainSIM, it's probably because you
dodm't load SHARE!

   TrainSIM will work with virtually any graphics display that Windows
will support.  However, there are a lot of windows available in
TrainSIM.  To keep them all open with a minimum amount of overlap, you
should have a high resolution (1024x768 or better) display system.  For
this version, the sixteen-color setting will be adequate.  However, a
future version may prefer 256-color mode when I improve the scenery
window.

     Page 4




   I'd also recommend as fast a processor as possible.  The current
version of TrainSIM works fine in real-time on a 25 MHz '386, which is
as slow as I'd recommend.  A slower machine, although it will work,
will run the simulation slower than real-time.


Let's Run a Train
=================
   OK, let's put on that striped engineer's cap and get our eastbound
freight moving!  We've got a schedule to keep!

   To start TrainSIM, just double-click its icon from the program
manager.  If you're not registered, you'll see a shareware notice box.
For now, just press the "I'm still testing!" button.

   You're now at the Train Set-up panel.  You can add or remove engines
or cars by clicking the up/down spinners.  You can also choose another
line file by pressing the F button in the Line File section and
selecting a new line file.  For now, let's use the defaults of 4
engines, 80 cars, and MAINLINE.DB.  So, to get underway, press the
Start button.

   You'll now see two windows, the Primary Control window and the Speed
window.  There are others available, but they're not displayed yet to
reduce clutter.  You'll also notice some activity in the Brake
Pressure, Reserve Pressure, Air Flow, and Telemetry indicators.  This
is good -- it means your air tanks are charging up.  I'll give you more
details on this in section 2.

   To get moving, you'll need the Direction and Throttle levers.  The
Direction lever is represented by three buttons - Reverse, Neutral, and
Forward.  In Version 1.0, Reverse isn't supported yet -- going into
reverse is the same as going into forward.  The Throttle lever is
represented by nine buttons.  An engine has eight power settings and an
Idle setting.  The left-most button is Idle (it's now red to show that
it's selected).  The right-most button is throttle position 8 -- full
throttle.  The buttons in between, of course, represent throttle 1 thru
throttle 7.  The window to the right of the buttons will display the
current power setting (since we're in Idle, IDLE is currently
displayed there).  Press the F button and then the Throttle position 1
button.





     Page 5




   OK, we're moving!  You'll notice the Current meter go up, indicating
that electric current is being delivered to the traction motors.
You'll also notice the speed gradually climb to about 9 MPH if you used
the default engine/car settings.  Let's speed up a bit.  Take 'er up to
throttle 4.  You'll see that we're delivering more current and we're
accelerating.  We should level out at about 68 MPH.  Notice how few
engines and how low a throttle setting is needed to move so many cars
at a good speed on the straight-and-level.

   What does the track look like?  Good question!  Select Map under the
Windows menu on the Primary Control panel.  A Map window will open up.
The black/green/red line indicates the track.  Black is level, red is
an up-hill grade, and green is a down-hill grade.  The yellow grid is
in square-miles.  The blue dot is the front of your train.  The white
dot is the back of your train.  Section 2 will go into more detail on
what you can do with this map window.

   What's ahead of us?  Another good question.  Very few engineers
operate their trains while blind-folded.  They might miss some rather
important information -- like speed limit markers!  Select Scenery from
the Windows menu and let's have a look around.  All we'll usually see
is track.  Keep an eye out for mileposts on the right-hand side --
there's one every mile.  We should see a speed-limit sign whenever we
come into a curve, too.  It'll also be on the right-hand side.  Pay
attention to those speed-limit signs.  They tell us the maximum safe
speed around the curve.  If we go too fast, we may just derail -- and
I'd hate to explain that one to the Trainmaster!

   What about fuel?  Temperature?  And other engine controls?  I'm glad
you asked!  Select Engine from the Windows menu.  This window will show
you the "vital signs" of any engine in your consist.  You'll also
be able to take an engine off-line or bypass groups of traction motors.














     Page 6




Detailed Instructions
=====================

Diesel Locomotive Theory
------------------------
   Most modern diesel locomotives are really Diesel-Electrics.  The
diesel engine drives an electrical generator which produces 600 volts
of DC electrical power.  The electricity is then passed to a set of
traction motors - one per axle - which provide power to the wheels.

   Locomotives today generally produce 3000 - 4000 horsepower.  Most
are either four-axle or six-axle.  They can be assembled into any
necessary multiple-unit (MU) combinations all under the control of one
engineer.

   Because each axle is connected to an electric traction motor,
today's locomotives can provide "dynamic braking" which can assist
stops to reduce friction on the brake shoes.  When a locomotive is put
into dynamic braking mode, the traction motors are disconnected from
the generator and connected to a resistance grid.  The traction motors,
driven by the wheels, act as generators which take their power from the
moving train.  The resulting power is dissipated as heat in a
resistance grid, thus slowing the train.

   Train braking is accomplished with air brakes.  However, a reverse
action fail-safe method based on George Westinghouse's 1872 invention
is used.  The brake pipe is held at high pressure when the brakes are
released.  Applying the brakes will reduce the brake pipe pressure.
Each car contains its own air reserve cannister and pressure monitoring
valve.  When the pressure monitoring valve sees the pipe pressure go
down, it routes air from the local reserve cannister to the brake
cylinders.  WHen the pipe pressure comes back up, the brakes are
released and the reserve cannister is re-charged.  With this method, if
an air hose were to break, the brake pipe pressure would quickly drop
and the brakes would apply.

   Before leaving, the brake system is charged with air to between 70
(lower legal limit) and 110 pounds per square inch (PSI) of pressure.
Federal law further mandates that the train cannot leave unless the
pressure difference between the front and back of the train is less
than 15 PSI and air flow into the brake pipe from the locomotive's



     Page 7




compressor is less than 60 cubic feet per minute (CFM).  Many trains
today use an end-of train (EOT) telemetry device.  The EOT continuously
radios the brake pipe pressure at the back of the train to a receiver
at the engineer's console.  This information can also aid the engineer
in confirming that brake applications and releases happened properly.

Running A Train
----------------
Initial Set-up Window:
  Engines section
     The up/down spinner allows you to choose how many engines you wish
     to have in your traib.  You need at least one.  The maximum number
     is ten.

  Cars section
     The up/down spinner allows you to choose how many cars you want in
     your train.  The maximum number is 200.

  Line File section
     The text window displays the currently selected line file.  The
     default is MAINLINE.DB.  To choose another line file, press the F
     button and choose a line file from the list.

  Start button
     Starts the simulation with the chosen line file, engine, and car
     values.

  Build button
     Puts you into the Build Line mode.  See the Building a Track
     section for complete details.

Primary Control Window:
  File menu / Save simulation
     Saves the current simulation to a disk file.

  File menu / Load simulation
     Loads a saved simulation back into the simulator.

  File menu / Restart
     Re-starts the current simulation from the beginning.

  File menu / Exit
     Exits TrainSIM.


     Page 8



  Speed menu / Pause
     Pauses the simulation.

  Speed menu / Slow
     Sets TrainSIM to run at half of real-time speed.

  Speed menu / Real-Time
     Sets TrainSIM to run at real-time speed where one simulated second
     is one real second.

  Speed menu / Fast
     Sets TraiNSIM to run at four times faster than real-time -- or as
     fast as your computer will allow it to.  It takes a very fast PC
     to get up to four-times speed.

  Window menu / Speed
     Hides or displays the Speedometer window

  Window menu / Engine
     Hides or displays the Engine Status window.

  Window menu / Scenery
     Hides or displays the Scenery window.

  Window menu / Map
     Hides or displays the Map window.

  Window menu / Cascade
     Arranges all open TrainSIM neatly one atop the other in the upper
     left corner of your screen.  Very useful if you "lose" one of your
     windows underneath another or on a virtual screen.

  Help menu / About TrainSIM
     Displays a TrainSIM About dialog box.

  Help menu / About TrainDLL
     Displays the version information of the TrainDLL train simulation
     DLL used by TrainSIM.

  Brake Pressure gauge
     Indicates the current brake pipe pressure at the engine.  Federal
     law mandates that this be at least 70 PSI with brakess released.

  Reserve Pressure Gauge
     Pressure in the locomotive's air compressor reserve tank.

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  Air Flow gauge
     Amount of air flowing from the compressor's reserve tank into the
     brake pipe.  Federal law mandates that this must be less than 60
     CFM before a train is allowed to leave.

  Current gauge
     This gauge indicates the amount of current flowing through the
     locomotive's traction motors.  When dynamic braking is applied,
     the meter will deflect downward into the black region.  When power
     is being applied, the meter will move up into the green or red
     sections.  The more current flowing into the traction motors, the
     more heat they'll accumulate.  You can safely operate in the green
     range indefinitely.  However, if you go into the red section, you
     should monitor your traction motor temperature and cut down power
     if they start to heat up too much.

     Note that this gauge only indicates the current flow for the head
     engine.  Unless engines are off-line, all currents can be assumed
     to be equal.  However, you can double-check things with the Engine
     Status window.

  Train Brake section
     The up/down spinner arrows will apply and release the train
     brakes.  The gray bar will turn red as the brakes are applied with
     the Up spinner and will indicate the percentage of braking.
     Clicking the Down spinner arrow will release the brakes and return
     the bar to gray.

     As you apply brakes, you'll notice the Brake Pressure drop.  You
     should also soon notice the pressure coming back from the
     Telemetry device drop.  Releasing the brakes will cause both
     pressures to go back up.

  Engine Brake section
     The Engine Brake controls work just like the Train Brake controls.
     However, the Engine Brake only applies friction braking to the
     engines and NOT to the entire train.  Brake pipe pressure is NOT
     affected by applying the engine brakes.







     Page 10




  Throttle section
     All locomotives have a nine-poition throttle lever with an idle
     position and eight power positions.  The nine push buttons
     represent the nine possible throttle settings.  The button on the
     left side of the row is for the Idle positon.  THe right-most
     button is for the throttle 8 position (full throttle).  The
     buttons in between represent (of course) throttle positions 1 thru
     7.  The display window to the right of the buttons will indicate
     which throttle setting is active.  Likewise, the active throttle
     button will be red.

     On this particular locomotive, the throttle lever also doubles as
     the dynamic brake lever.  When in Braking mode, Throttle positions
     1 thru 8 are braking levels 1 thru 8 where 8 is the most braking.
     The Idle position causes no braking at all.

     This lever will control the throttle positions of all locomotives
     in the train.  All will supply power equally except for those that
     are off-line (they supply no power) or have tracton motor banks
     by-passed (they supply reduced power).

  Direction section
     The locomotive direction is set by a three-position lever.  The
     three buttons in the Direction section simulate this lever.  F is
     forward, N is neutral, and R is reverse.  Currently, Reverse is
     inoperative.  Shifting into Reverse is the same as shifting into
     Forward.  The selected direction button will be red.

  Power button
     This button shifts you between Power and Dynamic Braking
     mode.  Pressing the button will cause it to toggle between
     Power and Brake.  You should NOT press this button unless the
     throttle lever is set to Idle!!

     This button will control the power mode for all locomotives in the
     consist.  Off-line locomotives will NOT contribute to braking.

  Time section
     Displays the current time.

  Horn mutton
     Blows the locomotive's horn!



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  Bell button
     Rings the locomotive's bell!

  Telemetry section
     Brake pipe pressure at the back of the train received from the EOT
     telemetry device.

  Sand button
     The Sand button will toggle the sander on & off.  If your wheels
     start to slip due to a steep grade and a large load, you may be
     able to alleviate the problem by turning on the sander.  Sand is
     dropped onto the track in frontof your wheels to increase
     traction.

  Slip light
     When ANY locomotive in the train experiences "wheel slip", this
     light comes on and the alarm sounds.  Wheel slip means that the
     drive wheels of the locomotive are slipping on the track rather
     than providing power.  To alleviate slippage, you can turn on the
     sander and / or reduce your throttle setting until the Slip light
     goes out.

  Temp light
     When the engine or traction motor temperature of any locomotive in
     the consist approaches a dangerous level, this light will come on
     and the alarm will sound.  The light will go off when all
     temperatures drop below the danger level.

  Oil light
     Whenever the oil pressure of any locomotive engine drops below the
     danger point, this light will come on and the alarm will sound.

  Load light
     Whenever any locomotive isn't "loading" properly, this light will
     come on and the alarm will sound.  The term "loading" means that
     electrical power is getting from the generator to the traction
     motors.

  OL light
     Whenever any engine is off-line -- regardless of whether you took
     it off-line or it went off-line because of a problem -- this light
     will come on and the alert will sound.



     Page 12




  Stall light
     Whenever the train's speed drops below more than 3 MPH for more
     than a few seconds with power being applied, this warning light
     will come on and the alarm will sound.  It means that you are very
     likely to stall (stop moving, but still have power applied) soon
     unless action is taken.  The most common cause for stalling is
     climbing a hill with insufficient power for the load.

  No Sound button
     Whenever an alert light is turned on, an alarm sound will also
     start.  The alarm sound will continue until it's reset with this
     button.

  Emergency button
     Puts the train into "emergency" by setting the throttle to Idle
     and setting the brakes to absolute maximum.


Speedometer Window
  Speedometer Gauge
     This is about what you'd expect -- a speedometer gauge in miles
     per hour (MPH).  The small digital window on the bottom of the
     gauge will display your speed digitally.

  Mileage section
     This is a re-settable odometer.  As you move, it will count
     upward.  Pressing the R will reset it to 0.

  Clear section
     This handy device is used to let you know when your train is clear
     of a point.  Normally, it displays "Ready ---".  When you press
     the Ready button, the Ready changes to RUN and the window displays
     the length of your train in feet.  As you move, the display window
     counts down.  When it hits zero, an alarm sounds and the control
     returns to its "Ready ---" state.

     I often use this device to tell me when I'm totally clear of a
     speed restriction.  You CANNOT speed up until your entire train is
     clear of the speed restricted area.  As soon as I pass the higher
     speed marker, I hit the Ready button.  When the alarm sounds, I
     know its safe to speed up.





     Page 13




Engine Status Window (Analog)
  Fuel gauge
     Displays how much fuel is left in the selected locomotive, of
     course.

  Current gauge
     Displays the current going to the traction motors in the selected
     locomotive.

  Oil Pressure gauge
     Displays the oil pressure in the engine of the selected
     locomotive.

  Temperature - Engine gauge
     Displays the engine coolant temperature of the selected
     locomotive.

  Temperature - Traction gauge
     Displays the traction motor temperature of the selected
     locomotive.  This gauge is really three gauges in one.  The Top
     section is for traction motor pair 1 and 6, the center section is
     for traction motor pair 2 and 4, and the bottom section is for
     traction motor pair 3 and 5.

  On Line button
     The ON Line button indicates whether or not the current locomotive
     is on line and will toggle between on line and off line pressed.
     If the locomotive was taken off line automatically due to high
     temperature, etc.  this button will reflect the change.  To put it
     back on line, you must manually press this button.

  Traction Motor Cutout section
     The six traction motors are arranged in three groups of two.  Any
     one group can be taken out of service due to problems without
     having to take the entire engine off line.  Of course, when you
     cut out a traction motor pair, the locomotive's horsepower output
     is reduced by one third.


  1-10 Locomotive Selector buttons
     These buttons will select which lococomotive's status is being
     displayed.  There'll be only as many numbered buttons as you have
     locomotives.  All others will be greyed.


     Page 14




  "D" Digital button
     Press the D button to change the Engine Status window gauges from
     analog to digital.


Engine Status WIndow (Digital)
  Fuel gauge
    Same as on analog gauge panel.

  Traction Current gauge
     Same as on analog gauge panel

  Oil Pressure gauge
     Same as on analog gauge panel

  Engine Temperature gauge
     Same as on analog gauge panel

  Traction Temperature gauge
     Same as on analog gauge panel

  Traction Motor Cutout section
     Same as on analog gauge panel

  1-10 Locomotive Selector buttons
     Same as on analog gauge panel

  "A" Analog button
     Press the A button to change the Engine Status window gauges from
     digital to analog.


Path Window
  Zoom In
     Zooms the view in 50%.  The window scroll positions are
     automatically changed to put the front of the train as close to
     the center of the window s possible.

  Zoom Out
     Zooms the view out 50%.  The window scroll positions are
     automatically changed to put the front of the train as close to
     the center of the window s possible.



     Page 15




  Zoom Full Out
     Zooms the view completely out to see teh entire track.

  Zoom Reposition
     Re-positions the scroll settings so the front of the train is at
     the center of the window like Zoom in/out functions do, but
     doesn't affect the magnification.

  Zoom Redraw
     Re-draws the current screen without changing the magnification or
     scroll settings.



Scenery Window
   There's nothing to do in the Scenery window -- it's for display
only.  However, it does provide some useful information.  The cab view
section occupies most of the window.  You'll see the track, speed
markers, checkpoint markers, and various other track-related objects.
In a later version, this window will also provide real, full-color
scenery -- trees, stations, buildings, bridges, and whatever else I can
think of putting in).

   The Track Information section displays the current grade and curve
of the track, along with the last milepost and checkpoint detected.
Note that the detectors aren't perfect.  If you're going too fast, you
could go right by a milepost or checkpoint without the detector
updating the window.  Don't rely on them when making important
decisions!  Watch the track yourself!!

   The two gray bars on the bottom of the Scenery window are "danger
detectors."  Curves and possibly rundown sections of straight track
have maximum safe speeds.  The faster you go beyond the safe limit, the
more chance of a derailment.  Likewise, the more cars within the
train that are exceeding the speed limit, the greater the chance of a
derailment.  The detector on the right shows the overspeed danger level
of the worst car in the train by turning red from left to right.  The
detector on the left shows your train's overall overspeed danger level,
again by turning red from left to right.






     Page 16




   A couple of examples may help this explanation.  First, let's assume
that you'e on a long straightaway with only one car-length section of
track restricted to 30 MPH and your 80-car train is travelling at 50
MPH.  As soon as you hit that section, the right-hand danger detector
will turn partially red because at least one car is exceeding the speed
limit by 20 MPH.  The detector on the left, though will, at worst, only
display a slight bit of red -- and probably none at all.  This is
because at any time, only one of your cars is in danger of derailing.
The rest are completely safe.  You could probably get through this
small problem area safely at 50 MPH because the overall danger is so
low -- but there is the chance that a car will derail.

   Next, let's assume that you're travelling at 50 MPH into a curve
rated at 30 MPH. As soon as your first locomotive hits the curve, the
right detector will turn red.  The left one will stay grey.  As more
locomotives and cars enter the curve, though, the left detector will
gradually fill with red.  In this case, since more of your train is at
risk at all times, something will probably derail when you get a ways
into the curve unless you slow down.

   Yes, I realize that real trains don't have anything like this to
warn the engineers of impending disaster.  I added these while working
on the derailment algorithms to see what was going on -- and liked
them.  So I left them in!  If enough purists complain about them,
though, I'll include a way to hide them in a future release!




















Page 17




Building a Track
----------------
Overview
   TrainSIM track sections are 66 feet each (the same length that
TrainSIM uses as an average car length -- how about that!!).  Each
section can have a grade and curve value associated with it, along with
some number of track or scenery objects.  The track must be single
track point-to-point.  Switches and sidings are not allowed in this
version.


Initial Set-Up Window
   Press the Build button to enter the track builder.  The line file
selection in the set-up window is NOT used.  When you press Build,
you'll be asked for the name of the line you wish to build.  If that
line already exests, you'll be so informed and asked if you wish to
continue editing it.  If you select YES, the line will be loaded and
you'll be at the end ready to add more track.  If you select NO, the
old line will be deleted and you'll start from the beginning.

   The track editor is, admittedly, quite complicated to use.  I tried
to simplify it as much as possible (in fact, I'm still trying), but
haven't been as successful as I'd like.  There's so much versatility
available in the track format that whenever I simplify the designer I
find that it limits what I can do to the track.  For this release, I
decided to keep the power and put up with the complexity


Build window
   File menu / Exit
     Exit will quit TrainSIM.  There's no need to save your new line
     file before selecting Exit.  TrainSIM builds and maintains the
     line file on disk as you work.

   Start section
     When you start a new track file, this array of buttons determines
     where the track will start on the Map screen.  Initially, the top
     button will be red.  This means the track will start from the top
     and proceed downward.  If you press the left butotn, the track
     will start from the left side of the map and proceed to the right.
     You can select these buttons freely until the first piece of track
     is laid.  As soon as you put down the first section, all the Start
     buttons become black and cannot be pressed


     Page 18




   Control section
     This is where most of the action takes place.  These buttons
     control the slope, direction, and advance of the track.  The
     center up and down arrows raise and lower the Vertical Increment
     by .01 percent grade (NOTE: This does not translate directly into
     grade -- I'll get back to it in a moment).  The left and right
     arrows control curve in 1 degree increments from left 15 to right
     15.  The gradiant up arrow in the center (I hope it looks more
     like "forward" than "up") lays one or more sections of track with
     the current horizontal curve and vertical slope attributes (info
     in the Currents section).

     The spinner and number in the lower left corner of the Control box
     will let you lay from 1 to 30 sections of track with each press of
     the Forward button.  The number indicates the current lay size.
     This is very useful for laying long straightaways.

     The INC button in the lower right corner is where the confusion
     will start.  Remember I said the up and down arrows control the
     Vertical Increment and NOT the current vertical grade directly?
     What happens is this -- Whenever you press the Forward button, the
     Vertical Increment is added to the Current Vertical Grade before
     the first section of track is laid.  This lets you easily create
     nice, smooth grades that graduallly build up to the maximum grade,
     then gradually taper off to level.  Ihe INC button lets you decide
     if you want the increment to take place only once for each press
     of the Forward button (INC button will be black) or for each track
     section laid (INC button will be red).  For instance, if you set
     that lower-left sections indicator to 30, set the Vertical
     Increment to .01, turn on the INC (Red), and press Forward, you'll
     get 30 sections of track.  The first will have a .01% grade, the
     second a .02% grade, the third a .03% grade, etc.  After the
     operation, the Current Vertical grade indicator will indicate a
     .3% grade.  I'll admit it's confusing -- but it's easier than
     laying one section of track at a time and having to manually
     increase the grade each time!









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   Auto section
     Automatically places certain goodies along the track as follows:

      Speed:
       When Auto Speed is turned on, changing the curve will post a
       speed limit sign containing the recommended speed for the curve
       installed.  Use of this feature is highly recommended!

     Drager / Wayside:
       A dragging equipment detectors and / or waysides are placed a
       fixed distance apart along the length of the track.  Each time
       either of these is turned on, a dialog box comes up containing
       a mileage display and a spinner.  Use the spinner to set the
       distance between items and press OK.

   Vert Inc display
     Displays the current vertical increment value as described above.

   Currents - Horiz and Vert section
     Displays the current settings for horizontal curve and vertical
     grade for new track.

   SL section
     The SL section works together with the Speed Marker object in the
     Goodies section.  When you place a Speed Marker, this box sets the
     speed limit value to be placed in the marker.  The display window
     shows the current setting.  The up/down spinner will change it in
     5mph increments.  Note that turning on Autp Speed marker and
     changing the curve with the Control left/right arrows will also
     change this setting to what's correct for the selected curve
     degree.



   MP section
     Whenever a track is built, it'll always have milepost markings.
     This section controls the FIRST milepost marker on the line.  By
     default it's 100 -- which is fine most of the time.  If you'd like
     to start at some other value, though, change it here with the
     up/down spinner.  Note that this MUST be changed BEFORE any track
     is laid!  Once a track is laid, the milepost designations for the
     line are finalized and CANNOT be changed!



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   Goodies section
     To manually place a piece of trackside scenery, choose the object
     to be placed before clicking the Forward control button.  On a
     multiple-section forward command, the object is placed on the
     FIRST section laid in the group.  Each Forward command will also
     return the selected Goodie to None!

     Most Goodies are self-contained.  Only the Speed Marker and
     Checkpoint need extra information.  The Speed Marker will take its
     maximum speed display from the current SL (Speed Limit) section
     setting.  The Checkpoint object will get the name of the
     checkpoint from the current Checkpoint section value.

   Length display
     This is simply a running total current line length in miles.

   Checkpoint display
     This section is used along with the Checkpoint object in the
     Goodies section.  When you place a Checkpoint, you must gove it a
     name.  Simply click in the white edit box and type in the
     checkpoint name.

   Append button
     Whenever you start a new line or edit an existing line, you're
     initially in the append mode -- placing track on the end of the
     current line.  To insert some new track in the middle of the line,
     click on where you'd like the insert to start on the Map window.
     The Append will change to a red Insert to let you know your
     insertion point was successfully found.  Now, as you lay track,
     it'll look like you're laying a branch line -- the track will
     start from your insertion point.  THIS IS NOT A BRANCH LINE!!!
     THe rest of the track will be added to the end of what you've
     inserted when you're done inserting!!!

     When you're done inserting, press the red Insert button.  The line
     will be re-built and re-displayed with the rest of the track
     tacked onto the end of the new insert, the red Insert button will
     return to Append, and you're back in Append mode where additions
     are put at the end of the track.






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   Delete button
     To delete a section of track, first click the starting point in
     the Map window.  The Append button will change to Insert, as
     described above.  Next, press the Delete button.  Both the
     Append/Insert and Delete buttons will display a red "Delete".
     Now, click on the end point of the deleted section in the Map
     window.  The track will be re-built and re-displayed without the
     deleted section and both the Append and Delete buttons will return
     to normal.

   Goodies button
     The Goodies button will let you place an object (speed sign, etc.)
     at any point along an already-completed track.  First, press teh
     Goodies button.  It will turn red.  THen, click anywhere on the
     track in the Map window.  If your click is close enough to the
     track to be meaningful, a dialog box will appear.  Select the
     object you wish to place and press OK.  The object will be placed
     and the Goodies button will return to black.  Note that the Speed
     Marker and Checkpoint objects require that you also fill in either
     the SL seting or Checkpoint name respectively.

Map window
   The Zoom menu works just like it does while running a train.
   Clicking in the Map window during Build mode will put you in Insert
   mode if you click close enough to the existing track.  All other
   clicks are ignored.


Helpful Hints
=============
   Probably the best advice I can give on running the train is to take
it nice and easy!  Like other electric motors, the locomotive's
traction motors can only put out so much torque.  After a certain
point, more energy is dissipated as heat than is used to turn the
motor.  This of course causes the traction motors to heat up
considerably, while not increasing your speed too much.  If the
traction motor current is in the red, try dropping the throttle down a
notch.  You may be able to save fuel and take a large heat load off the
traction motors with very little loss of speed.







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   Plan ahead.  If you've got a long hill coming up, keep things nice
and cool before starting up it -- long hills really take their toll on
engine and traction motor temperature.  Starting out cool will let
you apply over-power for a longer time to make it up the hill.  If
you've got no problem areas coming up,  pushing the engines for some
extra speed on the level will be safe.


How do I register?
==================
   To register TrainSIM, just press the Let's Prepare the Registration
Form button on the opening screen and fill in the blanks.  Then, print
the form and mail it with the $20 registration fee to the address on
the form.  You'll soon recieve a registration code number.  Type the
number EXACTLY as given into the Registration Number window on the
opening screen and press the Here's My Code button.  If all's OK,
you'll never see the opening non-registered screen again.  If the
code's invalid, you'll be so told.


What do I get when I register?
==============================
   Registered users are entitled to updates for a greatly reduced cost
-- usually just a few dollars to cover my duplication & shipping costs.
At some point, the registered version of TrainSIM may be more advanced
than the Shareware version.  I often keep the registered version a
version or two ahead of the shareware one.  More importantly, you'll
receive a code to get rid of that annoying UNREGISTERED opening
screen!!

   Registered users of any of my products are also allowed to register
other products at a discount -- usually 30 percent off the normal
registration fee.

   Please note that I DO NOT regularly send upgrade notices to all
registered users whenever I release an upgrade.  Doing so would be
quite expensive.  I'd have to either raise my registration fee or
charge more for upgrades to cover the expense -- or simply not release
upgrades as often as I'd like.  If you're a registered user interested
in upgrading, though, you can feel free to inquire about the current
version at any time.  If you disagree with this policy and would rather
pay more for each upgrade and recieve a notification card, let me know.
If enough people are intersted in a notice and enough don't complain
about a higher upgrade fee, I'll consider starting the service.

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What else is available?
=======================
   I hope to create and collect track lines and make them available on
high-density disks for registered users.  If you build a fun rail line,
please send me a copy.  I'll add it to the library and send you a disk
or two (depending on what I have) of new rail lines.  I'll probably
charge $3 per disk to cover my time and expenses.

   I also hope to put together a printed and bound version of this
manual and make it available to registered users.  I don't have any
idea what the price would be -- it would depend entirely on how much
the book would cost to produce.

   I also have two versions of Mah Jongg available -- Mah Jongg VGA and
Mah Jongg for Windows.  Sample disks are available to registered
TrainSIM usere for $3 per disk.  All others should be able to find
these games on a local BBS or a national service like Compuserve or
America Online.


Future Enhancements
===================
   This version of TrainSIM is definitely not the last release.  There
are a LOT of things I'd like to add.  I just wanted to get something
reasonable out the door to generate some feedback on what can be done
to make the simulator "feel" more realistic.  I'm hoping that people in
the railroad industry especially will be intrigued enough by TrainSIM
to send me their thoughts, observations, and suggestions.

   So, here's what I see in the future so far:  A much improved scenery
window that includes "real" scenery (trees, buildings, whatever else)
and working signal lights.  All in 256 colors! Talking dragging
equipment detectors!  Simulated dispatch operations, complete with Form
D's from the dispatcher!  Sections of double-track with traffic coming
in the other direction!  More realistic-looking controls (for example,
a throttle lever that looks like a lever)!  A choice of engines!  A
choice of freight cars, both loaded and unloaded!   Occasional
breakdowns of both the train and the track equipment (signal lights,
etc.)!  The ability to get "helper service" on certain grades!

   If you have any ideas to add to this list, I'd love to hear them!




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Permission to Distribute
========================
   Individuals, BBS's, clubs, and shareware distributors are permitted
to copy and distribute TrainSIM provided that they charge no more than
$5 for their disk copying service, charge nothing for the software
itself, and make all recipients aware that they are receiving
un-registered Shareware which will require a registration fee if they
use the product for more than 30 days.


Attention Shareware Vendors
===========================
   You have my permission to distribute this copy of TrainSIM.  If
you'd like a copy of the latest shareware version directly from me,
please be sure to include a stamped, self-addressed return mailer and a
pre-formatted high-density disk. A $4 check to cover my time and
expenses can be substituted if more convenient (please specify whether
you'd like 5.25" or 3.5" disk format).  Your request must also be on
your company letterhead.  If you fail to comply with these
requirements, your request WILL NOT BE FULFILLED!  I ABSOLUTELY WILL
NOT send copies to shareware vendors at my expense!!!!

























     Page 25




Appendix A: Track File Information
==================================

   The track line file is a Paradox database file.  If you need the
exact data specifications for the fields, please write and request a
current TrainSIM line database spec sheet.

   Note that I expect the database to change as TrainSIM evolves.  I'll
have to add a LOT of new objects and scenery object positions as the
scenery window develops, for instance.  If enough people build track
lines for TrainSIM, I'll write conversion routines as necessary.
Whether or not a conversion routine is available, though, the format
will NOT change so drastically that the track line files can't be
quickly fixed up in Paradox by adding the appropriate fields.  I intend
to keep the exact format of the line files public to both allow for
this type of modification and to allow other developers to produce
add-on tools and utilities for use with TrainSIM track files.


Appendix B:  System resources
=============================

   TrainSIM requires a large amount of system resources.  Basically,
the system resource memory is used by Windows to keep track of windows,
tools, and controls on the screen.  SInce TrainSIM uses a lot of
windows and controls, it requires Windows to use a lot if its resource
storage section.  If TrainSIM behaves strangely (controls re-draw very
slowly, screens incompletely re-draw, etc.), try closing down all other
applications to free up some resources.  You should also try exiting
and re-starting Windows, because Windows resources are often gradually
"used up" by software that doesn't release them.  Re-starting Windows
will free the unused resources.














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