[Jack@Elvas]

Hi Everyone!

I've had the great fortune to meet a handful of people in the openrails community - It seems the first few folks I've met have been route builders, and they don't really run trains.

I am interested in operating some trains and am curious how non-route builders make use of openrails.

I'm looking for some help understanding what trains to run, how to figure out what cars need to go where, etc...

In a perfect world, I'd meet someone passionate about openrails who doesn't mind acting as an openrails ambassador to help me get started on the operational side of things.

But any help/advice would be great!

Thanks!
- Jack


PS, if it helps, I have 4 routes from trainsimulations:
BSNF Starter route.
DRGW Green river.
MRL Mulan Pass
SP Shasta.

I've been trying the activity "Fruita Turn" On the DRGW green river route, but don't really understand what I'm to do.
The scenario starts with the engine moving, and if Keep driving, I eventually run into another train that's coming in my direction.

[engmod]

Hi Jack,

The time zone will be hard for us.

The start paragraph:-

You have been tasked with switching local industries at the east end of the subdivision.
Today, you will run west to Fruita, switch the elevator, then proceed just west of Fruita and switch the industries located there.


You will get instructions along the way.
Be sure to follow your work order closely

[Weter]

Hello, Jack.
Sure, many of us would be glad to help, so we are ready for Your concrete questions.
Asking questions are good for both: anyone's self-improvement and common better understanding things.
So, leave hesitations and go on.

[Laci1959]

Quote

I'm looking for some help understanding what trains to run, how to figure out what cars need to go where, etc...

Hello.

In Hungary, content creators use real schedules. This can be purchased and downloaded from the Internet. The more fanatical ones look at the railway from which track it departs and arrives, or ask railway passengers for the so-called Service Schedule.

Sincerely, Laci1959

[A D REID]

Hello Jack,

My name is Dan Reid, and I understand fully what it is like to be faced with a new simulator, and wondering how to use it. So, with the assistance of Peter Murdock, I created a tutorial to help people "get started" with shunting operations in Open Rails; that is, doing such things as serving industries by dropping off (or picking up) rail cars at sidings along the route, or re-arranging cars in a rail yard to assemble a train, or breaking down a long train and sorting the cars onto different tracks. Personally, I prefer doing those things, rather than driving a long distance from one city to another city.

The tutorial consists of about ten activities, ranging from easy to difficult. The activities are based on the BNSF Scenic route (once known as the BNSF Starter route) available from Train Simulations. Over the years, there have been several versions of this route, available from different sources, and supplied with different combinations of locomotives and rolling stock. There are two versions of the tutorial, based on a couple of the more recent versions of the route, and the text files included should help you decide which one is appropriate for you.

I believe you will find this tutorial entertaining as well as informative, and it may provide the sort of help you are looking for. The tutorial files are available for download from TrainSim.Com:

open_rails_starter_tutorial_1_0x.zip (File ID 86048)

open_rails_starter_tutorial_1_1.zip (File ID 86050)

open_rails_starter_tutorial_2.zip (File ID 86266)

I am most interested in hearing your impressions of the tutorial, and I invite you to contact me via private message (PM) to discuss any aspect of these activities.

I would be happy to share my knowledge and experience you. I usually check this forum at least once per day, and will respond promptly to messages.

As you gain experience, you may wish to build things for Open Rails (I found it very satisfying to develop these activities). As bonus content in the version 2 tutorial, I have included some simple guides on "Customizing, Improving, and Building Activities". These guides may help you "get started" on building things for yourself.

Regards,
Dan Reid

[Jack@Elvas]

A D REID, on 27 February 2024 - 06:44 AM, said:

Hello Jack,

My name is Dan Reid, and I understand fully what it is like to be faced with a new simulator, and wondering how to use it. So, with the assistance of Peter Murdock, I created a tutorial to help people "get started" with shunting operations in Open Rails; that is, doing such things as serving industries by dropping off (or picking up) rail cars at sidings along the route, or re-arranging cars in a rail yard to assemble a train, or breaking down a long train and sorting the cars onto different tracks. Personally, I prefer doing those things, rather than driving a long distance from one city to another city.

The tutorial consists of about ten activities, ranging from easy to difficult. The activities are based on the BNSF Scenic route (once known as the BNSF Starter route) available from Train Simulations. Over the years, there have been several versions of this route, available from different sources, and supplied with different combinations of locomotives and rolling stock. There are two versions of the tutorial, based on a couple of the more recent versions of the route, and the text files included should help you decide which one is appropriate for you.

I believe you will find this tutorial entertaining as well as informative, and it may provide the sort of help you are looking for. The tutorial files are available for download from TrainSim.Com:

open_rails_starter_tutorial_1_0x.zip (File ID 86048)

open_rails_starter_tutorial_1_1.zip (File ID 86050)

open_rails_starter_tutorial_2.zip (File ID 86266)

I am most interested in hearing your impressions of the tutorial, and I invite you to contact me via private message (PM) to discuss any aspect of these activities.

I would be happy to share my knowledge and experience you. I usually check this forum at least once per day, and will respond promptly to messages.

As you gain experience, you may wish to build things for Open Rails (I found it very satisfying to develop these activities). As bonus content in the version 2 tutorial, I have included some simple guides on "Customizing, Improving, and Building Activities". These guides may help you "get started" on building things for yourself.

Regards,
Dan Reid

Thanks Dan, are the 1.0/1.1 for the earlier BNSF starter route, and the v2 is for the current one?
- Jack

[A D REID]

Jack@Elvas, on 27 February 2024 - 07:41 AM, said:

Thanks Dan, are the 1.0/1.1 for the earlier BNSF starter route, and the v2 is for the current one?
- Jack

Actually, I believe the one being offered at the moment by Train Simulations is a regression to an earlier version. I recommend that you compare your folder name to the README files in the ZIP files.

[DexterXSR]

A D REID, on 27 February 2024 - 09:22 AM, said:

Actually, I believe the one being offered at the moment by Train Simulations is a regression to an earlier version. I recommend that you compare your folder name to the README files in the ZIP files.

I was able to rejig the V2 files to work on the current release, but they still require a few other TS routes (the stock I had on offer that I used to replace the missing stock).

Paths were also easy to fix, I believe you'll need the BNSF Seligman route as well with what you already have.