RAILWAYS v3.0.8
Official English Documentation

May 1997

RLWLogo

A model railroad design software
with digital control module
(for PC 80286 or above)

Distributed as Freeware

Developed by © Sébastien MARCHANT
Toulouse - France, 1993-1997

* Last updated : May, 14th 1997 * [Document best viewed with NetScape browser]

Availability :

Important notes :

Table of Contents

FORWARD : LEGAL NOTICE

Software : RAILWAYS, version 3.0.8 of May 1997, hereinafter referred to as "the software".

The software has been designed and produced by Sébastien Marchant (Toulouse, FRANCE) who holds all ownership rights to RAILWAYS from version 0.10 to version 3.0.8.

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LICENSE AND ADDRESS

This software package is Freeware, that is FREE OF CHARGE.
Or I should say Postcardware : you are supposed to send me a postcard from your country in order to "pay" your registration !
But if you think it is worth being used, you can send me French Francs or US Dollars, in order to support improvements. Please write to :

Sébastien MARCHANT - RLW Software
21, rue AUVRAY
72 000 LE MANS
FRANCE

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INTRODUCTION

RAILWAYS is a Freeware software to help you to design model railroad track plans and to control them with the digital module for Maerklin Computer Interfaces 6050, 6051 and 6023.
It can be used by any model railroader, using any kind of tracks (Maerklin, Fleischmann, Jouef, Lima, Roco, Altas, LGB, ...) and for any scale (HO, N, O, Z or whatever you want) since you build your own database (DAT file) with a tool software : SETUPRLW.

You can edit your tracks, define a workbench, add rectangles, circles, signals and turntables, add texts and annotations, and above all you can add flextracks with accuracy. Many tools are provided : 'copy, paste & delete' possibilities, load and merge parts of layout, translation, rotation, choice of colours, material list, printer interface for HP-LaserJet, HP-DeskJet and Epson-compatible. PostScript, DXF (for AutoCAD, or other programs that can import DXF files) and BMP files can be also exported.

Please, if you have any suggestions, comments, criticisms or problems, send me an email, or post an article to rec.models.railroad, or write me a letter. So I can improve this software. Please, report the bugs you may find... Thanks a lot.

Don't forget to send me a postcard (or French Francs or US Dollars if you wish) if you find Railways software quite useful to design model railroad layouts and to control them.
If you want to contact me, follow this link (if it still exists...) : http://www.mis.enac.fr/ancien/marchant/

* Thanks again to use RAILWAYS *

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HISTORY

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I. REQUIREMENTS AND INSTALLATION



  • I.2. Installation under MSDOS, Win3.1 and Win95 :

    RAILWAYS v3.0.8 is stored in a compressed archive (ZIP file) named RLW308US.ZIP. Uncompress this file with the following command : PKUNZIP -d RLW308US.ZIP or something similar (maybe you use WinZIP).
    This will restore the SOUNDS\ directory needed by RAILWAYS, where VOC sound files are located.

    RAILWAYS is a DOS-based program. Nevertheless, it can be launched in Win3.1 and Win95 either from a DOS session or from the file-manager/desktop. Read your Windows manual for further information.
    A DOS mouse-driver must be loaded before running RLW.
    Read SVGAMODE.TXT to configure RAILWAYS in VESA-SVGA graphics mode.
    Read SOUNDS.TXT to configure RAILWAYS sound support for SoundBlaster Cards or compatible.


  • I.3. Running RAILWAYS :

    To run RAILWAYS, launch RLW.EXE (or RLW86.EXE) and wait for loading... Do not forget to load the mouse driver before running.
    You are now in RAILWAYS.

    If you want to skip the image presentation (get bored!), add on the command line '/S' or '-S'.
    e.g. : RLW.EXE /S

    If you want to view this image without any text (for capture...), add on the command line '/P' or '-P'.
    e.g. : RLW.EXE /P

    If you want to view another image (that can be found at ftp.mis.enac.fr in /pub/Railways/FNDFiles), add on the command line '/Iname_of_FNDimage' or '-Iname_of_FNDimage'. The default image is IMAGE.FND.
    e.g. : RLW.EXE /ISTEAM.FND
    The .FND extension can be forgotten... The FND format is a special image format imagined by me to be read as fast as possible.
    Email me if you want more information on FND format.


  • I.4. Files in RLW308US.ZIP :

    Note : You can also find a version of RLW86.EXE named RLWNOXMS.EXE which can be run on 8086 processors or required by MAC users running a PC emulator (see RLWNOXMS.ZIP on Master FTP Site).


  • I.5. Upgrading RLW files to this new version :

    Because of changes in file formats, you must upgrade all the files you have made with previous RAILWAYS versions. If you want to know the version number of a LYO file, type at DOS prompt : 'TYPE filename.LYO'. You should read only this line :
    [FICHIER DE SAUVEGARDE POUR RAILWAYS X.YZ] where X.YZ is the version number.
    To upgrade, use UPGRDRLW.EXE.

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    II. RAILWAYS USER INTERFACE

    RAILWAYS is divided into several icons bars in the upper part of the screen. Each icons bar offers specific possibilities, which are presented below.
    You can access these bars either by selecting the proper icon, or by clicking the right mouse-button which proposes a popup menu.

    Some useful information are displayed in the lower part of the screen such as the current reference, the length of current flextrack, the current line-mode and width of rails, length of current selected tracks, and a little help with instructions... So always have a look at this part of the screen !
    Press F1 for the Inline Help.


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    III. CREATING TRACKS, FLEXTRACKS AND OTHERS WITH RAILWAYS

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    IV. CREATING A TRACKS' DATABASE (DAT File)

    The DAT File is one of the most important files for a good work with RAILWAYS. It contains all the characteristics of the tracks you use (references, dimensions, types, ...). SETUPRLW provides you with saving your tracks characteristics in a DAT file. Type SETUPRLW on DOS prompt and follow the instructions.

    I will be really pleased if you can mail or email me the DAT File(s) you manage to make, in order to provide other RAILWAYS users with as many DAT Files as possible.

    First steps when creating a DAT File :



    Database Conventions :



    Important notes :

    Merging DAT files :

    Railways can not load several DAT files at the same time. In order to use several ones, it is possible to merge them into a single DAT file.

    Here is the content of a DAT file (this is a text-file) :

    First, you must check if the measure unit is the same in every DAT file you want to merge. If not, you couldn't merge them.
    In addition, be sure that no reference-name is defined in more than one DAT file. Otherwise, you may have problem in finding the right track when running Railways.

    Second, copy all DAT files you want to merge in a single file. For instance the DOS command line : COPY FILES-1.DAT + FILES-2.DAT [+ ... ] TARGET.DAT does it for you, assuming FILES-*.DAT are source files and TARGET.DAT is the destination file.

    Third, edit the TARGET.DAT file, and remove all lines containing header, name of tracks and measure unit information (except the first three lines of the files, of course), and remove all lines containing ends information (except the last one).

    The following example should help you. The TARGET.DAT file looks like this : 

      [FICHIER DE DONNEES POUR RAILWAYS v3.0]
  Name of tracks AAA
  in

  S 9999
  1 1 11
   2.2200000000E+01  0.0000000000E+00

  W 12345
  2 1 44
   1.1100000000E+01  1.5000000000E+01
   1.1500000000E+01  1.5000000000E+01

  [FIN DE FICHIER DE DONNEES]                   (***)
  [FICHIER DE DONNEES POUR RAILWAYS v3.0]       (***)
  Name of tracks BBB                            (***)
  in                                            (***)
                                                (***)
  C 452546
  1 1 12
   1.1100000000E+01  3.0000000000E+01

  W 987654
  2 1 44
   1.1100000000E+01  1.5000000000E+01
   1.1500000000E+01  1.5000000000E+01

  [FIN DE FICHIER DE DONNEES]                   (***)
  [FICHIER DE DONNEES POUR RAILWAYS v3.0]       (***)
  Name of tracks CCC                            (***)
  in                                            (***)
                                                (***)
  W Cross 15
  2 1 24
   2.0000000000E+01  1.5000000000E+01
   2.0000000000E+01  1.5000000000E+01

  [FIN DE FICHIER DE DONNEES]
    The lines with (***) must be deleted and the final TARGET.DAT should be : 
      [FICHIER DE DONNEES POUR RAILWAYS v3.0]
  Name of tracks AAA
  in

  S 9999
  1 1 11
   2.2200000000E+01  0.0000000000E+00

  W 12345
  2 1 44
   1.1100000000E+01  1.5000000000E+01
   1.1500000000E+01  1.5000000000E+01

  C 452546
  1 1 12
   1.1100000000E+01  3.0000000000E+01

  W 987654
  2 1 44
   1.1100000000E+01  1.5000000000E+01
   1.1500000000E+01  1.5000000000E+01

  W Cross 15
  2 1 24
   2.0000000000E+01  1.5000000000E+01
   2.0000000000E+01  1.5000000000E+01

  [FIN DE FICHIER DE DONNEES]
    You may wish to rename the tracks' name : simply change the second line of TARGET.DAT.
    The TARGET.DAT is the final DAT file containing several DAT files.

    DAT Files included in RAILWAYS v3.0.8 package
    Track's Name DAT File
    Arnold NARNOLD-N.DAT
    Atlas HO C100ATLAS-HO.DAT (*)
    Atlas NATLAS-N.DAT
    Fleischmann Profi HOFMANN-HO.DAT
    Fleischmann N (#1)FMANN-N1.DAT
    Fleischmann N (#2)FMANN-N2.DAT
    Frateschi (Brazil)FRATESCH.DAT
    Hornby OO ImperialHRNBYOO1.DAT (*)
    Hornby OO gaugeHRNBYOO2.DAT
    Jouef HOJOUEF-HO.DAT (*)
    Kleinbahn and Klein ModellbahnKLEINBHO.DAT
    LGB IImLGB-IIM.DAT
    Lima HO 'Nickel Silver'LIMA-HO1.DAT
    Lima HO 'Standard' or 'Blister'LIMA-HO2.DAT
    Lionel O-27LIONLO27.DAT
    Maerklin AlphaMARKALPH.DAT
    Maerklin-Huebner IMARKHUB1.DAT
    Maerklin CMARKLINC.DAT
    Maerklin KMARKLINK.DAT (*)
    Maerklin MMARKLINM.DAT (*)
    Maerklin ZMARKLINZ.DAT
    Maerklin 3800-3900MARKMODM.DAT
    Minitrix NMINITRXN.DAT
    Peco HO SetrackPECO-HO.DAT
    Peco NPECO-N.DAT
    Piko HO 'Standardgleis'PIKO-HO.DAT
    Pilz TT standard #1 (Hungary)PILZ-TT1.DAT
    Pilz TT standard #2 (Hungary)PILZ-TT2.DAT
    Rivarossi HORIVA-HO.DAT
    Roco Line HOROCO-HO.DAT
    Roco NROCO-N.DAT
    Roco 2.5 (old tracks)ROCO2-5.DAT
    Zeuke TT (Poland)ZEUKE-TT.DAT

    (*) This file was updated to support new uncoupler features. See UNCOULPR.TXT.


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    V. DIGITAL CONTROL MODULE

    The Digital Control Module is only for the Maerklin Computer Interfaces 6023, 6050 and 6051. It allows you to control 256 switches, signals and uncouplers, 80 locos (speed, functions, direction) and 496 feedbacks on the tracks.
    If you use Maerklin Interface 6023, be sure to set it to BINARY MODE.

    After designing your layout, you can define your locos (address, name, sound, max.speed), your electros (signals, switches and uncouplers addresses) and feedbacks (for instance Reed contacts) using the RAILWAYS interface.
    When running, you turn switches or signals, and activate uncouplers with a simple mouse-click and the retro-signalization shows you their active states. You can accelerate, decelerate, start and stop the lights, or uncouple (TeleX command) locos, play associated sounds with the same simple mouse operation thanks to a multiple windows manager.
    Thanks to the feedback retro-signalization, you can see in real-time where locos are on your tracks.

    This module is divided into two icons bars. With the first one, you define your locos and electros, and with the second one, you can run them.

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    VI. CONFIGURATION OF RLW

    RLW-US.CFG is the configuration file of RAILWAYS. It contains all the default settings while running. For instance, you can choose your colours for rails, flextracks, accessories, or your preloaded DAT File, EGA, VGA, SVGA mode, Digital constants, etc.
    Comment lines begin with the '#' character.

    You will have to edit RLW-US.CFG if you want to change something.

    Let's analyse it :

    Warning : do not introduce a zero value unless specified, otherwise an error message will abort the program. Only introduce integers between 1 and 65535. 

     Colour Codes to use in RLW-US.CFG :
  1 - Black            8 - DeepBlue
  2 - DarkGray         9 - Blue
  3 - LightGray       10 - LightBlue
  4 - White           11 - Purple
  5 - LightGreen      12 - Brown
  6 - Green           13 - Red
  7 - DarkGreen       14 - Yellow

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    VII. MISCELLANEOUS

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    VIII. MAIN EXPECTED IMPROVEMENTS FOR NEXT VERSIONS

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    * End of Document *