This tutorial details how to operate a railway in Railway Operation Simulator. First you will need to download a simulation from the website, or create your own.
Loading the Simulation
After loading up the ROS program, you can load a route using "Load Railway", under "File" (or alternatively, Ctrl+L).
Once the route is loaded, select "Load Timetable" under "File" (or use Ctrl+I) to select the timetable you wish to operate. All routes on the website should come with at least one timetable ready made for operation.
Finally, select "Operate railway" from under "Mode" (or press Ctrl+O) to enter the operation mode.
Most routes also come with a session file, which can be selected from "Load Session" under "File" (or Ctrl+N), instead of the above steps. This file will load the railway and timetable, and any routes that have been preset. This is also how a previously saved game can be re-opened in the future, as a session file saves the time and position of every train.
'Pre-Start' Mode
In pre-start mode, the clock is paused and no trains will move, until the "run" button is pressed. Routes may be set and train information is available in this mode.
It is best practice to set up some initial routes at this point - particularly automatic (blue) routes. Start by pressing the "Preset automatic signal routes" button in the toolbar. This sets all routes that don't cross points, crossovers, level crossing or facing signals, and only have a single preferred direction set. Optionally, you may then choose to add more automatic routes using the "Create automatic route" button (see below). However, remember that automatic routes can be difficult to cancel, and so they should not be set over crossings and points that may be used during operation, no matter how little.
In this mode, the simulation speed can also be selected. This can be changed later, but only when the simulation is paused.