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Hands-on ① Single-track passingLv.1

Railway Operation Simulator

日本語
How to Play Guide / Your first custom map / Hands-on ① Single-track passing

🎯 Goal and finished result

In this Hands-on ①, we'll build the simplest possible map from start to finish: a station on a single track (one line) where two trains pass each other. It's that classic scene you see on rural single tracks—an up train and a down train meet at a station and swap places.

Finished result: two trains stopped at a passing station on screen
The finished map. At a two-platform, two-track station in the middle of a single line, a right-bound and a left-bound train pass each other.

What you'll learn in this tutorial

  • How to create a new map and scenario, and how to work through the editing flow (Company → Wiring → Equipment → Operations)
  • How to draw a station with facing (opposed) platforms (two platforms, two tracks)
  • Setting track circuit lengths and speed limits
  • The basics of levers, routes, signals, and departure buttons
  • Path groups and registering trains, all the way to showing the diagram
Prerequisite: This page is the hands-on, build-it chapter. You'll have an easier time if you first get the big picture from Your first custom map, and keep the Glossary open to look up any unfamiliar terms as you go.
When basing a map on a real station: searching for "○○ station track diagram" or "○○ line track diagram" often turns up fan-made track diagrams. Using those as a reference lets you build a station close to the real thing (the examples in this guide don't use any real station names).

✏️ Draw a plan first (the most important step)

Before you touch the editor, we strongly recommend sketching a simple plan on paper. If you just start building, you tend to hit rework later: "the track circuit is too short to place a lever," or "I set things up in the wrong order and have to redo it." If you decide the positions of tracks, the station, and levers on paper first, the work goes straight through without backtracking.

The station we'll build this time looks like this. This is the map for the whole tutorial.

Left single track (left-end TC) Track 1 (TC001) Track 2 (TC002) Platform (Track 1) Platform (Track 2) Right single track (right-end TC) Single switch Single switch
A single-track passing station. The single tracks at each end split into two via single switches, and Track 1 and Track 2 each get a facing (opposed) platform.
Decide your operating rule up front: to keep this tutorial as simple as possible, we'll build it with the rule that right-bound trains always use Track 1, and left-bound trains always use Track 2. With that rule, you need the fewest routes (four in total).

🏢 STEP 1　Company (classes and types)

The menu at the top left runs File → Company → Wiring → Equipment → Operations. Working through it in that order, left to right, minimizes rework. Let's start with Company.

1-1. Create a new map

  1. File → New Map. Enter a map name and click Create (it doesn't have to be a real station name; here we use Passing)
  2. Next you'll be asked to create a scenario. A scenario is the mechanism that lets one map hold multiple time periods—morning, daytime, night, and so on. If you have no preference, leave it at the default (DayTime), or use something clear like Daytime
What is a scenario: it's a set that reuses the same track and station equipment while letting you switch only the diagram (the trains you run) per time period. For details, see the Glossary.

1-2. Trim the train classes down to "just what you use"

Company → Train Classes. Eight classes are provided by default, but the trick is to keep only the ones this map uses and delete the rest. Our small single-track station only expects local trains to stop, so we keep just two: "Local", plus "Out of Service" for non-revenue trains.

The train classes screen trimmed down to just 'Local' and 'Out of Service'
Keep only the train classes you use. For Lv1, keep just "Local" and "Out of Service".

1-3. Create one train type (rolling stock)

In Company → Train Types, define one set of rolling stock to run.

  1. Enter the train type ID (e.g. 1) and a nickname (e.g. Series 1)
  2. Enter the number of cars (e.g. 10 cars) and the total length (e.g. 200m; 10 cars is roughly 200m)
  3. For the icon, choose "Use official bank" → pick a commuter type or similar, and a color you like (e.g. green)
  4. Save
The train type screen with nickname, number of cars, total length, and icon set
Train type: nickname "Series 1", 10 cars, 200m, commuter type from the official bank (green).

→ For more, see the Company editing guide

🛤 STEP 2　Wiring (tracks and station)

Drawing-order tip: start drawing track from the most complex part—the middle of the station—first. Locking down the complex parts before spreading out to the simple ends actually reduces rework.

2-1. Draw the station's Track 1 and Track 2 (facing platforms)

Wiring → Track Circuit. Click a start point → click an end point to draw one segment. First draw Track 1, then Track 2 a little below it. Leave at least about 4 cells of gap between the two tracks (if they're too close, placing platforms and buttons later becomes awkward).

Track 1 and Track 2 track circuits drawn about 4 cells apart
Place Track 1 and Track 2 about 4 cells apart.
Track cannot be drawn perfectly vertical. Always tilt it slightly to one side when drawing.

2-2. Place switches on both sides of the station

Wiring → Switch. Use the single switch type. Connect from the straight direction first, then create one switch at each end of the station that splits into Track 1 and Track 2, and save.

Two single switches placed on both sides of the station
One single switch at each end of the station. This connects the single track to the two tracks.

2-3. Draw the track circuits outside the station (single-track sections)

Draw the single-track section track circuits, one to the left and one to the right—that is, outside the switches, extending out from each side of the station. On a real railway there are multiple track circuits between stations, but here we use one each for clarity.

Make the spots where you'll place a "lever" longer: if a track circuit is only 1 cell, you won't be able to place a lever (the lever that operates a route) there later. For spots where you plan to place a lever, keep a length of about 3–5 cells.

Once you've gotten this far, run ▶ Preview once to check the track is drawn correctly. Previewing frequently is the trick to catching mistakes early.

Preview screen confirming the tracks and switches are connected
Once the track circuits and switches are placed, check once in Preview.

2-4. Set track circuit lengths and speed limits (bulk edit)

In Wiring → Bulk Edit mode, set the length and speed limit of track circuits all at once. If you leave the default length (such as 100m), a 200m train will stick out of the station, so set these properly here.

LocationGuideline lengthGuideline speed limit
Station Track 1 / Track 2240m (200m train + 20m front and back)80km/h
Switch (straight side)Short, e.g. 40m80km/h
Switch (diverging side)Short, e.g. 40m40–45km/h (slow)
Single-track sections outside the stationLong, e.g. 600m80km/h
Bulk edit screen with length 240m and speed limit set and applied
Set the station track circuits to 240m / 80km/h, and the diverging side of the switches to 40–45km/h.

2-5. Register the station and assign track numbers

  1. In Wiring → Station, select the platform track circuits where trains stop (Track 1 and Track 2)
  2. Enter a station name (e.g. Passing Station) and register
  3. Track number assignment appears: set the upper track circuit (e.g. TC001) as Track 1, the lower one (TC002) as Track 2, and press Update
The screen for registering a station name
Select the platform track circuits and register the station name.
Track number assignment screen with TC001 = Track 1, TC002 = Track 2
Assign the upper track circuit to Track 1 and the lower to Track 2, then press "Update".

2-6. Place the platforms

Wiring → Platform. Draw a platform by clicking its four corners to make a rectangle. Since these are facing platforms, place a platform on the upper side of Track 1's track circuit and on the lower side of Track 2's track circuit.

Each platform lets you write a track number on its top and bottom edges. For example, Track 1's platform is above the track circuit, so enter "Track 1" on the platform's lower side (think of it as the track number facing the track side).

Screen with Track 1's platform placed and 'Track 1' set on its lower side
Facing platforms: Track 1 above the track circuit, Track 2 below. Enter the track number on the edge facing the track.

Place Track 2's platform the same way, then check the look in ▶ Preview and save with Ctrl+S.

Save and preview often: saving after each task surfaces a message whenever something is wrong. Fixing those messages as they come up greatly reduces later rework.

→ For more, see the Wiring editing guide

🚦 STEP 3　Equipment (levers, routes, signals, departure buttons)

3-1. Think about "routes" first

Before placing levers, think about what routes (the paths trains travel) you need. This station needs the following four.

  • A route into Track 1 / a route out of Track 1
  • A route into Track 2 / a route out of Track 2

A route is made from a pair of a "start lever (departure side)" and an "end lever (destination side)", so we'll place the levers for these four routes.

Diagram showing the four required routes (into/out of Track 1 and Track 2)
First list out the routes you need. Here it's into ×2 and out of ×2, four in total.
Recommended naming: managing start levers with numbers and end levers with letters is clear and easy to type. Splitting the number ranges by direction too—right-bound as 1, 2, left-bound as 11, 12—keeps things organized.

3-2. Place the levers

Equipment → Lever. Start levers come in "Main Start" and "Shunt Start" varieties, but just Main Start is fine at first. Since we decided right-bound = Track 1 and left-bound = Track 2 this time, place them as follows.

RouteStart lever (number)End lever (letter)
Into Track 11A
Out of Track 12B
Into Track 211C
Out of Track 212D

Choose the lever's direction (left/right), enter a name, click the coordinate → Register. Place the end lever on the track circuit where the route ends.

Start lever 1 and end lever A placed
Start lever "1" and end lever "A". This forms the pair for the "into Track 1" route.

Place the remaining levers (2/B, 11/C, 12/D) the same way. When done, check in Preview.

Preview screen with all levers for the four routes placed
All levers placed. You can't place them on track circuits that are too short, so here's where keeping the lengths long pays off.

3-3. Register the routes

Once the levers are placed, routes are easy. In Equipment → Route,

  1. Click the start lever → click the end lever (e.g. 1 → A for route 1A)
  2. Click the track circuits it passes through in order (e.g. the straight side of the switch → Track 1's track circuit)
  3. (Optional / advanced) Specify the approach locking track circuit (next item)
  4. Register. The route name is auto-generated from start + end (e.g. 1A)
How to think about the track circuits it passes through: don't include the track circuit where the start lever is; select from the next track circuit through to the one where the end lever is, in order. The track circuit with the start lever becomes the target of the next "approach locking".

The track circuits you chain together form the area that the route's signal (home / starting / shunting) protects. While any of those track circuits is occupied, the signal stays red, blocking further trains from entering.

Therefore, do not include the track circuit where the start lever or the signal itself is placed. If you do, the moment the train reaches that lever/signal position, the signal protects its own location, turns red, and the train stops right there.

Rule of thumb: a route's first track circuit must be the one past the start lever and signal, not the one they sit on.
When wiring, decide which track circuit "handles" the signal, place the lever and signal on the near side of that boundary, and let the route's chained circuits begin on the far side.

Example: if the layout is TC_A → TC_B → TC_C with the start lever on TC_A, the home signal at the TC_A/TC_B boundary, and the end lever on TC_C, the route should chain TC_B and TC_C. TC_A is excluded. The end lever's track circuit TC_C is included (the end lever marks where the route terminates, and its track circuit sits inside the route's protected range).

Train direction → TC_A TC_B TC_C Start lever Home signal End lever Include this range (TC_C with the end lever is included) × Excluded
The start lever sits on TC_A (excluded), the home signal at the TC_A/TC_B boundary, and the end lever on TC_C. The route chains TC_B through TC_C.

3-4. (Optional / advanced) Set up approach locking

Skip this if it's tricky. Approach locking (the approach lock) is the mechanism that prevents a route from being released on its own while a train is right in front of the signal, suddenly turning a green aspect red.
If you select an "approach locking track circuit" when registering a route, then while a train is on that track circuit, the route can't be released on its own. Normally you specify the track circuit (right in front of the signal) where the start lever is. For details, also see the Glossary "approach locking".
Screen specifying the approach locking track circuit
(Optional) Approach locking: specify the track circuit right in front of the signal.

Once you've registered the four routes (1A, 2B, 11C, 12D) the same way, operate the levers in Preview and confirm that the switches actually change over.

Preview screen with a lever operated, the route open, and the switch changed over
Operating a lever opens the route and changes the switch over.

3-5. Place the signals

Equipment → Signal. A signal goes together with a route—one signal per route. The side where a train arrives is the home signal, and the side it departs from is the starting signal (the mechanism is the same).

  1. In signal mode, choose the type (home / starting) and click a coordinate on the map
  2. Click the start lever and end lever to specify the route it serves (e.g. 1 → A for the 1A signal)
  3. Register signal

Place one for each of the four routes (home: 1A, 11C; starting: 2B, 12D).

Place them consistently on the left of the direction of travel: just like a real railway, placing signals on the left of the direction of travel makes it clear at a glance later "which direction this signal is for".

3-6. (Optional / advanced) Enable yellow aspects

Skip this if you're not sure. By default, signals are mostly "green (proceed) / red (stop)", but you can add a condition for "show yellow (caution) when the next signal is red".
Click a signal to enter edit mode, then "Add OR condition" → specify the next signal (e.g. beyond 1A is 2B) being red and save. Now if the next is red the one before shows yellow, and if the one beyond that is green the one before is green too—a realistic three-aspect display.
Screen with the yellow-aspect condition (next signal is red) set
(Optional) Add a condition to show yellow when the next signal is red.

3-7. Place the departure buttons

  1. Equipment → Departure Button. Click a coordinate to place it
  2. Choose the station it serves and the departure sound (bell / buzzer), then Register button
  3. Place one on both Track 1 and Track 2, and the equipment is complete

→ For more, see the Equipment editing guide

📋 STEP 4　Operations (build the diagram)

The Operations category is only available when a scenario is selected. Proceed in order: Path Group → Train → Diagram.

4-1. Create a path group

A path group is a "template for the path a train travels". Writing out each train one by one is a lot of work, so you group routes together and reuse them. First, create the group for right-bound (into and out of Track 1).

  1. Operations → Path Group. Enter a path group ID (e.g. Track 1 arrival)
  2. Choose the direction (right / left). Right-bound, so "right"
  3. Choose the appearance TC = the track circuit where the train appears (the left-end single-track TC). The appearance offset is how many seconds before the station stop it appears (e.g. 80 seconds)
  4. The station direction can be left at "Auto (determined from direction)"
  5. Register the steps in order: left-click the track circuit of route 1A → Shift+left-click the Track 1 track circuit where it stops (station stop) → left-click the track circuit of the departure route 2B
  6. Once the three steps are registered, click Register
Screen registering the path group steps in order
Stack the steps in the order route → station stop → route. Shift+left-click means "stop at the station".

Create the left-bound (Track 2) group the same way (ID e.g. Track 2 departure, direction "left", appearance TC is the right-end single-track TC, steps are 11C → stop at Track 2 → 12D).

4-2. Register the trains

In Operations → Train List, register the trains to run. Since they pass each other, create two.

ItemTrain 1Train 2
Train number10011002
Train typeSeries 1Series 1
Train classLocalLocal
Path groupTrack 1 arrival (right-bound)Track 2 departure (left-bound)
Arrival time10:0010:00
Departure time10:0110:01

If both arrive and depart at the same time, the two trains pass at the station. Once saved, run ▶ Preview to confirm trains appear on the departure indicator and actually appear and depart (try pressing the departure button too).

Preview screen with trains appearing and shown on the departure indicator
The two trains appear. Pressing the departure button makes them depart.

4-3. Show the diagram (optional)

At this point the trains move. The last step is the setup to show the diagram (a time × position graph). Feel free to skip it if it's tricky.

In Operations → Diagram Row, register the rows that line up along the graph's vertical axis, from top to bottom.

  • Left end (map edge): type "Terminal", a display name (e.g. Left end), and select the corresponding track circuit
  • Station Track 1 / Track 2: type "Platform", select the station and track number, and register
  • Right end (map edge): same as the left end

Lining them up as Left end → Track 1 → Track 2 → Right end—the edges first and last, the station's tracks in the middle—draws the diagram.

Screen with the train lines drawn on the diagram
Once the diagram rows are registered, the train lines appear on the diagram.

4-4. Add more trains (copy)

Once you have one, you can mass-produce similar trains with Copy in Operations → Train List. Just change the train number and times.

Don't pack a single track too tightly: if you space trains too closely on a single-track section, they can back up against each other and get stuck. Use intervals with enough room to pass (several minutes or more).

→ For more, see the Operations editing guide

🎉 Done! On to the next level

Nice work. You've now gone full circle through the basics of a custom map: two trains passing each other on a single track. If you've got a feel for the Company → Wiring → Equipment → Operations flow and the relationship between levers, routes, and signals, that's a big success.

If it doesn't work

  • Read the messages when saving: warnings like "the route doesn't reference a track circuit" are telling you what setup is missing
  • Preview often: checking one or two trains at a time lets you immediately catch a wrong appearance-TC direction or a mistake in step order
  • Can't place a lever: that's a sign the track circuit is too short. Redraw it longer (3–5 cells)
  • Trains back up: check that the spacing on the single track isn't too close
Next is Hands-on ② (in preparation): you'll take on turnaround operation at a double-track station. On top of up and down trains, you'll build trains that turn around at the station using the path group's "next operation".

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