During this command, the Tool Bar and Hot Bar are changed. Most of the Tool Bar buttons are replaced by the Go/Stop and Exit buttons. The Go/Stop button toggles between Pausing all Trains and allowing Trains to Run. The Exit button terminates the Train Simulation and returns to Layout Design mode.
Selecting New Cars
The Hot Bar contains the Cars and Locomotives which are have not been placed on the Layout. Cars are created and managed using the Car Inventory dialog.
Each item on the Hot Bar can represent a group of Cars. Cars can be grouped by Prototype, Manufacturer and/or Part Number. They can also be listed as individual Car Items. This grouping is controlled by Car Labels Drop Down List on the Display dialog.
To place a Car, select it from the Hot Bar. If the Hot Bar is displaying Cars in groups (and not as individual Car Items) then a Drop Down List is displayed on the Status Bar containing the individual Car Items in that group.
If you are not displaying the Hot Bar, then the New Car button will be shown on the Tool Bar.
Pressing this button will display the Drop Down List on the Status Bar containing all of your Car Items that have not yet been placed on the layout.
Placing Cars
Once you have selected a new Car, or have selected an existing Car on the Layout, you can position it by dragging it on the Layout. If the Car is coupled to other Cars then the whole set of Cars is moved. If you place the Car on a Track, then Car (and the other coupled Cars) will be aligned along the track.
Note: if you move the tracks but not the cars (or vice-versa) using the Move or Rotate commands the cars will not remain attached to the tracks. If the cars are moved close to a track, then they will be aligned when the Train Simulation command is next invoked.
Coupling Cars
If you move a Car along a track to another Car then the Cars will be coupled together. To uncouple Cars, Right-Click between the Cars and select Uncouple from the pop-up menu.
Trains
A Train consists of one or more Locomotives coupled to other Cars. One Locomotive will be the MU Master for the Train. The MU Master can be changed by Right-Clicking on a Locomotive and selecting MU Master from the pop-up menu. The MU Master is drawn with a solid Yellow head light indicating the direction is moving. If a Train is split by uncoupling between Locomotives, then two Trains will be created, each with their own MU Master
Train Control
The Train Control dialog is used to set the speed and direction of Trains. The dialog contains a list of Trains (listed by their MU Master Locomotive). Before each Train on the list is either a Red circle (indicating the Train is stopped) or a Green circle (indicating the Train is moving).
Any number of Trains can be running, although it might be difficult to keep track of more than a few.
For the selected Train, the Train Control dialog lists
Train Operation
Once a Train is moving, it will continue to move until it is Stopped manually, hits the end of track or an open Turnout. If the Train 'runs into' other Cars, those Cars will be coupled to the Train. If Train's speed is faster than the Max Coupling Speed then the Train will crash and must be manually moved back onto the track.
If two Trains are coupled, one of the two MU Masters will be chosen as the MU Master for the combined Train.
The motion of all Trains can be Paused by clicking the Go/Stop button on the Main Window Tool Bar. Pressing the Escape key has the same effect as clicking on the Stop button. This allows you set Turnout positions or make other changes. When Train command starts, the Go/Stop button is in the Stop position and must be clicked before Trains move.
Turnouts and Turntables
Turnout positions are indicated by Red lines connecting the End-Points on the route through the Turnout. Trains will follow this route through the Turnout. If you Shift-Left-Click on the Turnout, the next position will used and Red line changed to indicate the new position.
Turntables can be turned by Shift-Left-Clicking on the End-Point you want the Turntable to move to. To turn the Turntable 180°, Shift-Left-Click on the End-Point again.