🎯 Overview
The Operation category defines "when, what type of train, running from where" on a map whose wiring and equipment are already complete. It is only enabled when a scenario is loaded.
Three editing targets
| Item | Role |
|---|---|
| Path Group | A "template" of a train's running route — appearance point, sequence of routes traversed, station stops, all in time order |
| Train List | Real trains, one row per train. Each row specifies the train number, the type and class to use, and which path group it follows |
| Diagram Row | The vertical axis labels of the diagram (stations, platform tracks, terminal points) |
Editing flow
- Tune the diagram rows if needed — the rows are what becomes the vertical axis of the diagram
- Build the path groups for each route variant you need (e.g. "morning inbound into track 1", "evening turnaround via pull-out", etc.)
- Add trains one by one to the train list, specifying their number, type, class, and path group
- Save and check the result with Preview
🛤 Path Group
A path group is the route template of a train. It describes "appears here → traverses this route → stops at this station → traverses this route → vanishes here" in time order.
Where to edit
Open it from the left sidebar under Operation → Path Group.
Main path-group fields
| Field | Description |
|---|---|
| Path Group ID | Internal identifier (e.g. down_local_morning) |
| Direction | Direction of travel (Right / Left buttons). All trains using this path group run in this direction |
| Appearance TC | The track circuit where trains spawn (click "Pick TC", then click a track circuit on the map) |
| Appearance offset (sec) | Seconds relative to the scenario start. Leaving it empty marks this group as a Connection (the train is handed off from a preceding operation) |
| Departure board direction | Which board "Towards X" entry this path group's trains appear under. Choose by button (auto / a direction master entry / hidden from the board) |
Building the steps
A path group is a sequence of steps. Each step is either "go through this route" or "stop at this station".
| Step kind | Role |
|---|---|
| Route step | Move via the specified route to the next location |
| Station-stop step | Stop at the specified station for passengers. Dwell time and departure time are set separately |
Steps are stored in sequence order. A typical chain is: appearance → route → stop → route → stop → ... → route (to the terminus).
Departure board direction picker (button style)
The departure board direction is entered via button selection (not free text). The buttons include "Auto", any entries from the station direction master, and "Hide from board".
🚆 Train List
The train list enumerates real trains, one per row. If a path group is a route template, the train list is the concrete instance: "the 5:07 1234 train, which follows path group X".
Where to edit
Open it from the left sidebar under Operation → Train List.
Main train-list fields
| Field | Description |
|---|---|
| Train number | The identifier of the train (e.g. 1001) |
| Train type | Pick from the train type master (shown by nickname) |
| Train class | Pick from the train class master (e.g. Local, Express) |
| Path group | Pick from the path group master (e.g. down_local_morning) |
| Arrival / Pass time | Arrival time at the first stop (HH:MM:SS). When every step of the path group is a pass-through, this becomes "pass time" |
| Departure time | Departure time from the first stop (HH:MM:SS). Hidden for pass-through trains |
| Next operation | Train number to chain to (used for turnaround operations). The ◀▶ buttons cycle through known candidates |
Copy
When you want to create a new train based on an existing one, the Copy button is handy. Change just the train number and time, and you can mass-produce trains following the same route and type.
Turnaround trains
Set the Next operation field to a different train number to chain the two — the second train continues with the same rolling stock as a turnaround. The second train has no appearance TC or appearance time of its own; it is handed off the moment the first train reaches its terminus.
📈 Diagram Row
Diagram rows define the rows along the vertical axis of the diagram (time × position graph). They determine which stations, platform tracks, and terminal points appear and in what order.
Where to edit
Open it from the left sidebar under Operation → Diagram Row.
Main fields
| Field | Description |
|---|---|
| Kind | Pick either Platform (tied to a specific station's track) or Terminal (the end of a line drawn out from a station) |
| Target station / track | For "Platform" kind, pick from the station and track-number masters. The display name is auto-derived from these |
| Display name | Left-side label on the diagram. Auto-generated for "Platform" kind from station + track; free input for "Terminal" kind |
| Track circuits | The track circuits tied to this row (multiple allowed). Add / remove by left-clicking on the map |
| Sort order | Order from top to bottom in the diagram. Reorder via the ▲▼ buttons in the row list |
Tying to track circuits
Diagram rows are linked to track circuits. When a train passes through one of those track circuits, the line appears on this row in the diagram. Missing links cause trains to disappear from the diagram, so check the validation messages on save.
💡 Tips
Preview little, preview often
Rather than building out the whole timetable and previewing at the end, prefer adding one or two trains at a time and previewing between rounds. Wrong appearance TC directions, mis-ordered path group steps — these only become obvious when you actually run the simulator.
Number trains by direction
Following the real-world convention of even-numbered inbounds and odd-numbered outbounds (or vice versa) keeps the train list readable.
Use the diagram view to step back and look
Inside Preview, F1 opens the diagram view, which lets you take in the entire timetable at once on a time × station grid. See the diagram view guide for details.