User Guide

MICROSOFT TRAIN SIMULATOR ENGINEER’S HANDBOOK

TOOLS FOR DRIVING | 18

Cycle car numbers

(F7)(F7)

(F7)

You can view a train’s car number. This is useful for coupling.

Switching driving aid

(F8)(F8)

(F8)

The Switching driving aid displays the status of both the switch immediately in front of the train and

the switch immediately behind the train. If these switches are not under the control of the dispatcher,

you can set either switch by clicking one of the arrows in the Switching driving aid or by pressing the

G key (front switch) or SHIFT+G (rear switch).

Next Station Display

(F10)(F10)

(F10)

During a passenger run you are required to keep to a Timetable. The Next Station Display helps you

out by showing your scheduled arrival and departure time for the next station on your route. After

you arrive at a station, your actual times are tracked and displayed next to the scheduled times.

The Next Station Display shows the current time of day and the distance remaining until the next

scheduled stop.

Note: You reach 0 (zero) distance when your train reaches the end of the platform, which is

usually not the optimal location for passenger dropoff. The ideal stopping location depends on

the size of your train; the locomotive/power car may have to be stopped beyond the platform.

The Next Station Display shows only the station you are at (or have just departed from) and the next

upcoming station; the full Timetable is available in the Operations Notebook (F11).

When you begin loading and unloading passengers (press the ENTER key to do this), watch the

Loading Time display to see how quickly passengers are getting on and off the train. The loading

time is longer if any passenger cars are not next to the platform during loading and unloading.

Loading Time is based on the train’s location and the number of passengers at the station. When you

press the ENTER key, the Loading Time starts counting down. When the Loading Time reaches 0,

you must wait for the “OK to proceed” whistle, buzzer, or radio message before you depart. Moving

the train before you receive permission is considered an early departure, and is logged as an infrac-

tion in the Activity Evaluation.as an infraction in the Activity Evaluation.

Note: You don’t actually see passengers loading and unloading. The Next Station Display

driving aid displays your only indication of the passenger loading and unloading process.

Hiding all driving aids

(F12) (F12)

(F12)

To close all your driving aids windows at once, press F12. This is useful if you want an unobstructed

view of all the controls in your cab, without having to close the windows one at a time.