Railway Tracks

When driving your train around the railway, you will encounter different obstacles and/or instructions on or near the track. Completion of the level will depend on your ability to handle the different obstacles and follow the instructions found along the railroad track.

Fixed Signs/Signals

Fixed signs/signals found along the trackside. In general you need to obey train facing signs/signals that are found on the right side of the track relative to your driving direction. (Some more complex levels will have signs/signals on the left side, though.)

• Stop Board

  The white rectangle H or the blue diamond stop board indicates an obligatory stopping position for passenger trains at railway station platform. When you need to stop at that train station (for example to board or unboard passengers) then you must stop at or right before this stop board.

  • You'll earn 5 points when you stop within 0 and 0.5 centimeter of the stop board sign.

  • You'll earn 3 points when you stop within 0.5 and 1 centimeter of the stop board sign.

  • You'll earn 1 points when you stop within 1 and 2 centimeter of the stop board sign.

  Warning: Ignoring or overrunning the stop board by any amount of distance will result in a ¤50 fine. So be very careful in your speeding and braking approach when arriving at a train station with stop boards placed.

  Note: If no stop board is found at a train station then it doesn't matter where you stop and no stop score points are awarded.

• Speed Signs

  Speed signs give instructions about a maximum allowed speed at track segments. Speed limits are shown with numbers as a tenth of the allowed speed of meters per minute. For example the number '8' means a speed limit of 80 meters per minute.

  • A downward facing yellow triangle with a number indicates speed must be reduced to at max the shown limit before reaching the following square speed limit sign.

  • A white square with a number indicates that the train speed must be at or below the shown limit before passing this sign.

  • An upward facing green triangle with a number indicates speed may be increased beyond this point freely to at max the shown limit.

  Speed signs that are in effect will be repeated after turnouts that may result in a divergent route.

  • You'll earn 2 points when your driving speed is at or below the indicated speed limit at entry of the square sign.

  • You'll earn another 2 points when your driving speed didn't exceed the speed limit during your travel on the whole controlled railroad segment.

  Warning: Ignoring or overspeeding the forced speed limit board by any amount of speed will result in a ¤75 fine. So be very careful in your speeding and braking approach when traversing a route with speed limit boards placed.

  Note: If no speed sign is found then it doesn't matter how slow or fast you drive on that track and no points are awarded.

• Operable Equipment Signs

  Some signs are placed for trains that are equiped with operable devices such as snow ploughs. The signs only need to be obeyed when your train is equiped with the intended device.

  • A white or yellow V indicates a snow plough can be lowered at or beyond this point.

  • A white or yellow inverted V indicates a snow plough must be raised when crossing this point and must be kept raised until the next instruction.

  • A diamond white board F means that the horn or flute must be operated within 5 centimeter track of this sign.

  Some signs allow you to earn points.

  • You'll earn 2 points when your snow plough is raised at the moment of passing the inverted V sign.

  • You'll earn another 2 points when you didn't lower the snow plough beyond this inverted V sign until the regular V sign.

  • You'll earn 1 point for giving the flute signal.

  • Consecutively following the flute signal in a row will earn you 1 point extra per flute signal successfully passed, with a maximum of 10 points per flute signal.

  Warning: The snow plough raise sign must be obeyed otherwise you'll receive a ¤100 fine.

Signals

Some signals guard a block section; they warn you of trains (and even vehicles and animals) blocking the track. This is the default operation of signals.

Other signals control a block section; they overtake your Locomotive (e.g. stop the train on a red signal). These signals can be recognized by a slow-down sign (downward triangle).

Finally, there are signals that are timed; based on a timer, they switch between green and red. These signals can be recognized by a clock sign (circle).

Any red signal you ignore on a non-permissive signal will be fined by the railway police. For each consecutive red signal ignored in a row, the fine increases per violation. So be careful not to drive through red signals when you're low on money.

There are some signals, though, that you can set as well.

• Manual Signal

  A manual signal has blades. Because the signal operation is manual, its signal command cannot control the Locomotive operation.

• Distant Signal

  A distant signal is permissive and announces a non-permissive signal further down the track. Because it is a permissive signal, the warning may be ignored and is without a fine.

• Electric Signal

  An electric signal with lights. Because the signal operation is automatic, its signal command can control the Locomotive operation! E.g. passing a red signal may enfore a braking operation on your Locomotive engine.

• Signal Bridge

  A bridge containing multiple signals at once. Common configurations are 2 or 4 signals, for 2 tracks one way or 2 tracks both ways. A signal bridge may show manual or electric signals.

Level Crossovers

At crossovers the rail track crosses roads or walk/bicycle ways. Watch out for cars, bicycles, pedestrians and even animals crossing here. A collission may cause damage to your train or even derailment.

Some crossovers are equiped with automatic gate barriers, sound bells and warning flashers, to timely clear the crossover before your train arrives.

When a rail track crosses another rail track, a train may pass by obstructing the route.

• Level Crossing

  Just a simple, unguarded level crossing. To clear the level crossing from pedestrains, bicyclists or cars, you must sound the train horn when approaching.

• Level Crossing with Flashers

  The flashers will announce your approaching train, so you don't need to sound the horn in advance to clear the track.

• Gated Level Crossing

  A level crossing with manual gate barriers. Requires a nearby post house with a gate controller, to be operated for you. If a post house is there, you need to sound your train horn when approaching to clear the track.

• Gated Level Crossing for Cattle

  A level crossing with manual gate barriers especially for cattle. When the crossing is open for road traffic (cattle), the barriers block entry to the rail track. Requires a nearby post house with a gate controller, to be operated for you. If a post house is there, you need to sound your train horn when approaching to clear the track.

• Gated Level Crossing with Flashers

  An level crossing with automatically closing gate barriers and flashing lights. It works very well to keep the track cleared except for astray animals.

• Gated Double Track Level Crossing with Flashers and Gate Controller

  A double track level crossing with automatic gate barriers and a gate controller house.

Railtrack Devices

Between the rails you might come across the following devices:

• Trigger magnets

  When driving past trigger magnets, some action may be triggered. For example, a bridge may open or close, or a signal or turnout may switch.

• Decoupler

  Decouplers decouple wagons from a train. They appear in fixed (static) and operatable (dynamic) versions.

  Hint: When you cross activated decouplers fast enough with your train, any decoupled wagon may keep on rolling a bit past the decoupler.

• Isolator

  Isolators are often used in conjunction with signals. They often activate when a signal turns red or a track segment has been blocked by another train. When activated, they power-down a consecutively marked part of the track (up to the next rail connector insulator). You cannot give power to your engine while travelling on an activated isolated railpath.

  Hint: When you cross activated isolators on small track segments fast enough with your train, you might be able to successfully reach the end of the isolated track without having to wait for the isolator to deactivate.

• Power connector

  Indicates a starting position for a player.

• Brake mid-rail

  Slows down trains passing by at higher speed by applying additional brake force.

• Weight gauge rail

  Displays the weight of the train wagon positioned on it's rail track. This is a handy device to use when you are unsure if your train weight is allowed on certain bridges.

Bridges

Bridges may be a danger when you overload the bridge with a too heavy train composition, or when the bridge is opened for boat traffic (and then the train route is temporarily blocked). A bridge may be closed for repair/maintenace, or part of the bridge may have been destroyed by explosives. Hint: Send in a work Locomotive, maintenance wagon or incident repair vehicle to fix a damaged bridge.

• Plate Girder Bridge

  A small sectional plate girder bridge.

  Steel and wood are required to repair a damaged Plate Girder bridge.

• Small Bridge

  A small bridge.

  Steel is required to repair a damaged Small bridge.

• Concrete Arch Bridge

  A concrete arch bridge.

  Sand, stone and water are required to repair a damaged Concrete Arch bridge.

• Large Steel Arch Bridge

  A very strong large steel arch bridge.

  Steel and wood are required to repair a damaged Large Steel Arch bridge.

• Steel Carrier Bridge

  A strong steel carrier bridge.

  Steel is required to repair a damaged Steel Carrier Bridge.

• A Bridge

  A wooden bridge in the shape of an A.

  Wood is required to repair a damaged A bridge.

Tunnels

Tunnels are not so dangerous except that you have very poor vision. Though it has been reported that some tunnels are haunted… and wagons disappear suddenly: they go in but mysteriously don't come out.

Bumpers / Buffer Stops

Mark the end of a railroad track. You can slowly drive into a buffer stop to halt your train. When you drive too fast into a bumper then you may damage your train… and the bumper as well (opening up possibilities to open up the track behind).

Switches / Points / Turnouts

A switch sets the direction of a point / turnout.

You can drive safely in opposite direction of the switch. But when you drive towards the switch, make sure your bogus stay on the same track: don't switch turnouts while a train is passing them. This may cause derailment of that train.

• Left Turnout

  A turnout with 2 options: go straight ahead or divert to the left.

• Right Turnout

  A turnout with 2 options: go straight ahead or divert to the right.

• Wye Turnout

  A turnout with 2 options: divert to the left or the right.

• Threeway Turnout

  A turnout with 3 options: go straight ahead, divert to the left or divert to the right.

• Catch Point

  A turnout with 2 options: go straight ahead or derail at the catch point.