RailPro Online

What is RailPro?

!RailPro is a combination of game and simulation, where you are an assistant in the traffic control room of a railway station. It runs on RISC OS, and was created in Mode 28, (and BASIC), in order to have a reasonable portion of the display of the lay-out on screen. Your goal is to let trains arrive on the platforms as given and direct the trains to their correct locations or exits. There are NO trains with terrorists who kill other people, NO guns or lasers to destroy other trains, NO bloody passengers walking about, NO squashing of people by trains. This is NOT a game for bloodthirsty people. If you like to play with trains or have a good interest in them you may like this game.

What is RailPro Online?

RailPro Online is the same RISC OS game, but running under a VNC session which you can access over the Internet - no need for a RISC OS machine. Instead of running the game locally, it runs on a machine in the cloud.

Differences from reality

Your controls

Clicking MENU...

Clicking SELECT...

• on a train: Gives information about the train - number, destination, arrival or departure time, earned revenue thus far.
• on a main signal: This will switch a signal from red to green to red.
• on a sub-signal: This will switch the signal from green to red/orange to green.
• on a point: This will switch the point.
  At 'English' points it will show three different positions - points left, right and crossing. There are three-way points as well - clicking will change to another position.
• on entry points: Tells the name of the destination.
• on station platform: Tells you the station name.

Clicking ADJUST...

• on a train: You can redirect a train to the opposite direction. This may be useful when you sent a train on a wrong track, but it will only work when the train is stopped by a red signal. Click either on the front or end of a train.
• on a signal: This will switch a signal from red or green to orange.
• on the border of the map: This will move the area and display the adjacent part of the map.

The keyboard...

Once you've examined a map for the first time you press 'S' to start.

The first trains will then be announced. To pause the game press 'P', 'C' thereafter to continue. Whilst pausing the screen will display a 1/4 scaled view of the whole lay-out. Pressing 'M' whilst pausing gives you Management-information.

With the cursor-keys you can move and view the whole layout to find out where your stations are and where the trains appear and disappear. Pressing CTRL and a left or right cursor key will jump the layout two screens further. When you wish an overview of all the different departure times, pressing 'D' will show all departures that are due - the time, track and destination. Pressing SPACE will clean the layout of 'dirt' and tables. When anywhere in the map, pressing SPACE will return you to the area where your main station is visible.

All maps start with the idea that your station is a terminal so that all trains get a new destination and departure time once they've arrived. If you feel that it has become too busy for you, press 'T'. This changes your station into a 'through' station. Many trains will give another entry point immediately as their destination and will only stop for a short time at your station. Goods trains will not stop if all signals are green. Pressing 'T' again will make your station into a terminal again. Pressing 'I' will show the interval table and tell you how you can change the intervals on entry. Pressing 'Q' quits the game immediately. You are asked if you wish to save the situation of that moment for the next time. There's also a Bonus list that will appear when your achievements are so good that you may place yourself in the Top Ten. When you're doing too bad this list won't be shown.

What happens automatically

You're very lucky to have intelligent train drivers. Once they've arrived at a platform and stopped they will find out themselves which direction to go with the train. When a train meets a buffer it will automatically redirect itself. If the buffer is not on a platform or siding the train will start running again after 10 seconds. (Don't redirect it manually then for it may cause a crash with itself which finishes the game.) Only redirect at RED signals!! When stopped at a red signal and a delay will arise, the train driver will warn you with the sound of a telephone bell, so all you have to do is switch the signals to green and direct the points correctly.

There are two types of main signals - those that will jump to green when the train passes a second one, switching the latter one to red, and those that will switch to red when a train passes but won't automatically switch to green. These are the manual signals with a mark on them that you will have to switch to green yourself. You'll notice these signals at platforms and sidings and at the spots where you give a train the 'green' to enter the street of points before the station. Local Passenger trains (LP's) should stop at any station (platform). To take a lot of work off your hands they will do that by themselves even if the signal is green. After 30 seconds they will continue their journey. To prevent increasing delays their arrival time at their destination will be adjusted at every station stop.

Time-adjustments will also take place when trains run on a vertical stretch of track.

Signals

!RailPro handles three types of signals:

• Manual main signals: these signals will be switched to red by trains, but not to green. This has to be done by you with a mouse-click.
• Automatic main signals: these will be switched to red and green by the trains. If necessary you can switch them also of course.
• Sub signals: these warn trains if they have to slow down because of an upcoming red signal. They are also there for you to decrease the train speed when maintenance takes place on a following part of the track. During normal running, trains will switch them to orange when passing and back to green when going through the next sub-signal.

Have a close look at the Signals documentation to see how they work.

The Trains

There a three types of trains - InterCity (IC), Local Passenger (LP) and Goods trains (GD). IC is fastest, LP and GD are slower. When an IC or LP passes a platform, it will reduce speed. On leaving a platform it travels at slow speed until the next green signal. Orange signals reduce the speed of the trains. An orange signal will switch to red on passing, and when the train passes the next signal it will switch back to orange. When a train runs slowly because of an orange signal it will continue to do so until it meets a green signal. Then it's full speed again. By the way - red is stop.

Train speeds

Trains can have one of 4 different speeds:

• full speed on straight pieces of track
• medium speed when passing through switched points and orange sub-signals
• slow speed when passing through a station or when passing an orange main-signal or a red/orange sub-signal
• stop when meeting a red main-signal or buffer or a second red/orange sub-signal.

As IC's run fastest, the slower speed will be more visible on them than on GD's.

Maintenance

A maintenance crew may start work on a bit of track. It will be announced and you'll see the spot where it is happening.

The thing for you to do is to warn trains of this event, by switching the signal to slow speed. If the signal is a main signal, switch it to orange with ADJUST-click; if the signal is a sub-signal, switch it to red/orange with SELECT-click.

When work has finished, you'll be notified again, so you can switch the signal back to green with SELECT-click.

Empty trains and Excursion Parties

Up to four trains may not get a new destiny on arrival. The message on the train will then be '00---'.

You have two options for these trains:

• run them to an exit immediately to save on costs, or
• side them on a safe bit of track and wait for an excursion-party.

Depending on the number of empty trains (and the number of platforms in your map) you may get the announcement of an excursion-party that has to be transported to an exit. If so, run empty trains to that platform and have it loaded with passengers and run to (any) exit.

Only empty trains can/will load excursion-parties !!

Empty trains don't stop automatically at platforms, so signals have to switched to red (red/orange when a sub-signal is attached). Switch the signal back to green (or reverse a train manually) when you read the message that passengers are being loaded. After about 20 seconds. the train will continue its journey.

Devious things to watch

When a train has reached its departure time it will try to run. This will work fine when the signals are green or orange. If however the train is of the type IC or LP and it is at a platform with a red signal, a quick switch from red to green won't help then as it will wait another 30 seconds before it attempts to leave again. Another thing that will happen is the departure of more trains at the same time. You'll have to decide which train will go first and which will follow slowly or wait completely. And, of course, keep an eye on the points that will have to be switched quickly. Watch the manual signals - they're likely to be forgotten, leading to delays and wondering why a train hasn't arrived yet. On your map there may be 'suburban' station platforms. If your station is a 'through' station then stopping an IC at an suburban station may result in this train trying to go in the opposite direction. IC's expect only to be stopped at main stations so it mays see this stop as at a main station.

If a train meets a red main-signal at full speed, it has to use its emergency-brakes to stop. You'll get a message from an angry driver. It will not only cost you money, but also time, as the train-systems have to be reset before the train cans continue. If it is not safe for a train to enter an area, see to it that you switch the previous signal to orange (or red/orange).

What goes wrong

A train crash finishes the game. Sending a train to an entry point instead of to the exit point will finish the game. Beware of these! Passing a track where maintenance is taking place at full/medium speed will lead to a derailment. Passing a wrongly set point at full/medium speed causes a derailment immediately. The spot where the accident occurs will remain blocked for 10 minutes, and it will cost you a lot of your revenue. This will certainly happen...

The Messages

On the top of the screen is a text field where most of the messages will appear.

These can be:

• Announcement of an approaching train.
• Message of an arrived train with new data for departure.
• Any accidents/incidents happening.
• Information after your clicking on trains etc.
• The Menu.
• Time (all your activities start at 14:00 hours).

At the bottom of the screen you will get the departure table when requested and a message about trains that have left your area. Clicking SELECT on trains will give information about them. Before arriving the info is, e.g. '03P-5'. '03' is the time in minutes of arriving (14:03) and 'P-5' is the platform where it should arrive. When leaving a station the info is, e.g. '05ECT'. '05' is the time in minutes of departure (14:05) and 'ECT' the 'code' for the destination (exit point). Goods trains (GD) will only give this type of info.

The info display is usually on a blue background, but when a train is delayed the background will be red. This means that no time can be wasted. If you then stop a train at a red signal the revenue starts to decrease. With a blue background you may stop the train without cost. It means it is still on time. But beware that the display doesn't refresh itself when delays begins. Press SPACE to see any changes occurring.

How to play

First you get the announcement of a train approaching. This announcement tells you the type of train, it's destination, its arrival time and on which platform it has to arrive. If the platform is free switch the platform signal to green so that you remember where the train has to be. Then follow from the main track the route the train will have to go through - the street of points - and switch all points so that a 'flow' of cyan runs to the platform, not being blocked by any point. Don't panic. When you've prepared the route switch the manual signal on the main line to green so that the train can continue to run until its arrival. Most of the trains arrive early so corrections are always possible. If you suddenly see blocked points try to stop the train at a red light. You can switch all the signals with the mouse. At least fifteen seconds before a train leaves you will have to prepare the points for its departure.

There's no manual signal for the way out on the main line, obviously. If a train derails you'll only be able to see the cause after ten minutes. Keep on playing and try to make trains avoid that spot. It's better to send a train to another destination if the main line is blocked than to keep them waiting.

The platforms are not always fully numbered. You may decide to go from top to bottom or bottom to top. The game calculates if platforms are free or will be free when the next train is sent in. IC's and LP's will only give notice of an arrival when they're at the grey platforms of their destination, stopped by either a red light or a red buffer and also when they've arrived at their maintenance siding. GD's will only do so on their special siding tracks. If they stop anywhere else they'll think they haven't arrived yet. For the rest it's a matter of experimenting and finding out how things work. When the game starts it appears rather slow.

But within fifteen minutes you may get the first signs of stress :-)

An overview

Rails...

• plain: Where trains run. IC's will slow down on rails with grey platforms. When stopped they'll see it as an arrival at a station. LP's will slow down and always stop if there's a signal at the end of the platform.
• with blueish platform: Maintenance siding for IC's and LP's. When sent here they'll wait for ten minutes, after which they have to go to a platform at the main station. There they'll get a new destination.
• with black extension: Depot siding for GD's. They'll get a new destination here and departure time. As goods take more time to exchange waiting can be up to 15 minutes.
• with bell attached: A train passing here will send a message that is has passed. These rails are/should be on tracks that may have nearby points switched to a certain position. (Usually coming from or connecting to a main line.) Specially in places that will not be on your display all the time.
  On level crossings a bell will ring when a train passes the diagonal part of the crossing.

Signals...

• automatic signals: Change to red when a train passes and back to the previous colour when the train passes the next signal. Usually this will be green. If manually set to orange, it will return to orange. If there's a row of orange signals only the last one will return to orange, the others will change to green.

Points...

• normal points: Click on them to change. If set to a wrong position a train will derail unless the signal before the point was switched to slow speed. Because of the slow speed the wheels of the train will direct the point then to the correct position.
• English points: These are the switchable crossings. These are not derail-protected by orange signals!
• three-way points: Click to set them in the desired position. As English points.
• Buffers: At dead ends there are buffers. If these are not next to platforms the train will reverse automatically within 10 seconds (the driver has to run to the other side). In several maps you'll find these bits of rails with buffers. Use these as much as possible to switch directions as manual switching at other red signals will cost you some revenue.

Outro

Original outro

This program is freeware and only for purpose of enjoyment. If you wish to distribute it, don't hesitate, it's alright by me.

Built in limitations:

• maximum of 24 trains at any time
• maximum of 4 empty trains at any time
• maximum of 20 stations or depots
• maximum of 30 platforms or siding tracks
• maximum of 8 entry/exit points
• maximum of 1 track maintenance crew to disrupt your service

Any remarks, suggestions are welcome.

Addendum, 1998

Jos Keijzers, the author of the game has now no longer got an internet email account so if you need support in playing the game, have a look at the official RailPro pages where you got this from at: http://www.argonet.co.uk/acorngaming then click on 'features' then 'RailPro' (Ed. now defunct).

It is unlikely that any further upgrades will be made to the game but you can still see the railpro map archive at the above address!