Rails is a simple train set app for Android devices. It's not meant to be a fully featured railway simulator (for that try my PC sim
www.rail3d.net ) but it will let you create tracks and run trains and it's meant to be fun.
Installing Rails
Download
Rails from the Android Market (Google Play) and install it on your device.
This is the first app I've published on the Android market - so please let me know if there are any problems with the install process, and I'll try and fix them ASAP.
Creating a layout
When you first open Rails you will see a more or less blank screen with some buttons at the top (or side):
For starters, tap and hold on the map (the green area), then drag across the surface. As you drag a construction line is shown:
Release the drag finger and track is constructed where you have dragged:
Continue by holding and dragging to create more tracks - where tracks join, junctions are created.
If you need to erase track, click the "Erase button" (the first button on the bar) and then double-tap track sections to remove them.
Note
- A short tap and drag scrolls the map
- To create track, tap and hold before dragging.
Saving and Loading layouts
- Select "Save" from the application menu to save the layout.
- Select "Load" to load a previously saved or downloaded layout
Files are in XML format and if you understand XML format you can edit the file in a text editor if required.
Trains
You can add trains to the layout by selecting the "Train" button on the toolbar then double-tapping on a track section. If there is no train there, then a new train is created. If there is an existing train where you click then an additional vehicle is added to the train.
Hint: it is easier to add vehicles to existing trains if you pause the simulation first - but note that the added vehicle won't appear until you unpause the simulation.
At the moment there is only one graphic type for trains - I plan to add more in due course.
Editing a train
Select the "Edit" button (the one with the tick) and then double-tap a train (
hint, easier when paused) - the train edit dialog opens.
You can set a route label for the train.
The route name is shown on the map
More train options will be added in future developments
Following a train
Select "Follow Train" from the application menu - a list of trains will be displayed, click on the train you want to follow.
The display now scrolls to follow the train selected.
To turn off train following, select "Follow Train" from the menu again.
Routing
You can choose how trains behave at junctions with the routing options:
The first set of options set the default behaviour. Click "Straight" to send trains on the straight route, click "Curve" to send trains on the curved route.
If "Either" is selected, trains will route either way.
If you only want to send some trains in one direction, use the default options to set the main direction for trains to take but add the route name of the train you want to go the other way to the "Straight", "Curve", or "Either" boxes.
In the above example, the default route is straight, but any trains with route "Branch" will take the curved route instead.
If you want to add multiple route names to the routing boxes use | to separate the route names, eg "Branch| Freight"
Advanced Routing
The routing options use RegEx to select the trains - if you understand RegEx you can write complex expressions.
Examples
- "Branch" selects routes "Branch" (case insensitive)
- "Branch|Freight" selects route "Branch" and "Freight" (case sensitive)
- "Branch." selects any route starting "Branch" + any one character, eg "Branch1" and "Branch2" but not "BranchTrain"
- "Branch.*" selects any route starting "Branch", eg "Branch", "Branch1", "Branch2" ,"BranchTrain" etc
Signals
You can add signals to the layout by selecting the "Signals" button and the double-tapping a track section.
If the signal is facing the wrong way, double-tap it again to reverse the signal direction.
Trains stop at red signals and will not proceed until the signal is green.
Signals are normally red, but will clear for an approaching train if the line ahead is clear.
Occupationally, particularly when editing train routes or adding signals, signals can get stuck in the red state - if this happens and trains will not move, select "Reset Signals" from the application menu to clear the stuck signals.
You can use the erase button to remove signals.
Stops
To add a stop, click the "Edit" button (the one with the tick) and double-tap a track section. Click "Stop" to create a stop.
At the moment, the other options on this form are not implemented and all trains stop at the stop section.
Platforms
