Power DOS 1995 July/Power_DOS_CD-ROM_Walnut_Creek_July_1995.iso/games/simulate/rails320.txt

Text File | 1995-03-07 | 14KB | 303 lines

If Railsim reports after you have decrunched it's zip-archive
"railsim.exe manipulated,maybe virus" or something to that effect - ignore
it.This is a little bug in it's internal validation-routine,which doesn't
affect the game at all.

          Information about RAILSIM
          =========================
       (JB Software Saxony railway simulation)

       Last changes:      7th September 1994

       Current version:   3.20    9/1994

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 RAILSIM is the English version of the German railway simulation program
 BAHN. At most places of the following text you can change the names RAILSIM
 and BAHN. There does not exist any English version older than version 3.20.

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 This file contains information in its first section about installation.
 The second section will handle the news of version 3.20 in comparison with
 version 3.11a (available in German only).

 Please read the first section BEFORE copying the program to avoid possible
 problems!

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 1 Installation/Update
 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
 1.1 Technical requirements
 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 Using RAILSIM you need an IBM-compatible personal computer with at least
 80286 CPU, at least 640k byte memory and a VGA graphics card supporting the
 standard graphic mode 640x480 pixels in 16 colors (standard VGA). A mouse
 is recommended (only two buttons are needed).
 RAILSIM uses neither numerical coprocessor nor any memory extensions like
 EMM or XMM nor hidden nor temporary files.

 RAILSIM has been tested using MS-DOS 3.3, 5.00, 6.0 and 6.2.
 I think compatible OS may be usable, too.


 1.2 Installation
 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 The provided disk contains the program RAILSIM 3.20 and some example files
 in packed format. For extracting you need about 3.7 Megabytes of disk space.
 Therefore it is impossible to install RAILSIM on a floppy disk.

 If you should have an older version:
    Create a new directory for RAILSIM 3.20 or copy your old version to
    another directory for security. If there is an error on the update-disk
    and you try to overwrite the old version, then you will not be able to
    use the old version any longer.
    You should delete or overwrite the old version not before the new version
    has been tested successfully.

 Copy the file B320SFX.EXE into a directory you like and start this file
 there. The file will extract itself and will create all files belonging to
 RAILSIM 3.20. If no error message occurs, then RAILSIM will be installed
 successfully and can be started by calling RAILSIM.EXE. For further handling
 use the RAILSIM.TXT file or the online-help-system.
 It doesn't make sense to include the directory into the path using the PATH
 command because RAILSIM runs only in the current directory. It would be
 better to create a batch-file what includes the change of directory.
 Another good way is creating a macro using DOSKEY (MS-DOS 5.0 or higher) or
 ALIAS (4DOS). You must not rename any of the RAILSIM.* files.
 The file B320SFX.EXE can be deleted (from the hard disk) after successful
 installation.

 If you want to overwrite an older version of RAILSIM by the new version:
    During copying the new files over the old files there can occur problems
    because the files have READ ONLY respectively WRITE PROTECTED state. In
    this case you have to reset this state (for the OLD files) using

       ATTRIB -R BAHN.*

    It is more comfortable to use a suitable program for copying, like Norton-
    Commander, PC-Tools or any equivalent shareware product. These programs
    in most cases will warn you when overwriting the old files, but they will
    copy nevertheless. It is important that ALL new files will be used because
    any mix of old and new parts cannot run.


 1.3 Update of network files
 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 RAILSIM 3.20 can't read files created by older program versions. That is
 no problem because you get the network files of 3.11/3.11a versions again
 with the new version. If you use these files (*.NT3) then the problem will
 be solved.

 But if you have changed files or created new networks or you have more files
 than included with the program, then these data have to be converted into
 the new file format. For that the program

  "CONVNT3.EXE"   serves, what is included on the disk.

 This program is to use as follows:

 Call:        CONVNT3 filename

 Filename is the name of a network file, e.g. "CHEMNITZ.NT3."
 The converter loads this file and converts it into the new file format.
 After that the new file will be saved using the old file name.
 For security the original file will not be deleted, but renamed using the
 same name with extension ".NT2". Using the same example you will find the
 old file as CHEMNITZ.NT2 and the new file as CHEMNITZ.NT3 after converting.
 The new file is about 30 kbytes shorter than the old, that is no error.
 Test the new file using the new program. If there don't occur problems, then
 you can delete the .NT2 file.

 In the usual case there don't occur any problems during converting and you
 don't have to enter any data. But the converter is more than a simple
 converting program, it also checks the files for errors resulting from errors
 in older versions of RAILSIM (or BAHN).
 When CONVNT3 finds such a position, then it will report the error and you
 have to confirm that by pressing any key. The most errors will be corrected
 successfully by the converter. If a warning occurs reporting a defective
 train set, then note the train's route and number and later correct the train
 using RAILSIM (delete the train and after that create a new one with the same
 data but other cars).

 In case of greater problems you can apply to the program author for help, but
 the time until reply can exceed some weeks.

 Contact address:

    Jan Bochmann
    Lutherstraße 19
    D-09126 Chemnitz

 By converting of network files of course there will not be implemented new
 facilities of RAILSIM 3.20 (that means e.g. no bridges, semaphores, stops in
 45° and others). Therefore it is probably that there will be published new
 revised versions, especially for files from other authors than JBSS. There
 is no telling what will happen.

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 For registration of new users and for the update there are valid the
 conditions you find in the RAILSIM.TXT file (section 11).

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 2 New facilities of RAILSIM 3.20 compared with older versions of BAHN
 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
 2.1 New file format
 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
 The network files *.NT3 are some shorter and include many changed or added
 data structures. You have to convert old files using CONVNT3.EXE.
 (see section 1.3)

 2.2 New graphic symbols
 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
 - Symbols with special function in 45° angle
   (stops/stations, terminals, signals, OFF-contacts, buffers, platforms)
 - Tunnels respectively bridges on straight lines for tracks, roads and waters
 - Stops with own memory
 - Terminal stations on permanent way with big black-white label
 - Semaphore signals on rail-owned tracks
 - OFF-contacts for one direction only (instead of two)
 - Speed limited lines with extra memory
 - More buildings, industry and railway plants and animals
 - Objects standing in front of the train (signals, labels...) will no more
   be covered by the train

 2.3 New cars and trains
 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
 -There are no more available all train sets at the same time but there is
  available a greater assortment needing fewer memory.
 -Selection using function "Load train set" of train menu or button "Install
  train set group" in function "New train"
 -New engines and cars:
    (DRG = "Deutsche Reichsbahn [Gesellschaft]", German railway 1922-1949
      DR = "Deutsche Reichsbahn", GDR railway 1949-1993
      DB = "Deutsche Bundesbahn", FRG railway 1949-1993)
 * DR/DB/DRG  254/194/E94
 * DR  346 (ex 106 ex V60)
 * DR  232 (ex 132)
 * DR  155 (ex 250)
 * DB  221 red-grey and blue-white
 * DB  110.1/140 blue-white and red
 * DB  120
 * Express train cars of the twenties/thirties green
 * Green DRG "Donnerbüchsen"
 * Green express train cars of the sixties/seventies
 * DR  green 2piece double-decker car unit
 * DR  2- and 4piece double-decker car unit "RSB"-color
 * DR  green 4axle "Rekowagen"
 * DR  green-yellow express train cars and "Long Halberstädter"
 * DR  orange-yellow City Express train cars
 * DB  gray "Silverlings"
 * DB  blue-white express train cars
 * DB  diesel multiple-unit-car VT 628.2 + 928.2
 * "Rolling Highway" (trucks on freight cars)
 * suburban railway DB 420/421
 * suburban railway Berlin ET/EB167, 485/885 (ex 270)
 * suburban railway Hamburg 472/473, 471/871
 * subway/underground Hamburg DT2
 * Reconstructed tram cars (RAW Schöneweide) TZ70/BZ70 (also combined with
   cars from the twenties)
 * Gotha jumbo-sized cars 4axle T4-62/B4-61
   (also combined with ET57/TZ70)
 * All Gotha- and Reko-cars in orange-yellow color, too (e.g. Berlin)
 * TATRA T6/B6 yellow and orange-yellow (e.g. Magdeburg, Rostock, Berlin)
 * TATRA K2 articulated cars 6axle (Brno, Bratislava)
 * Duewag T4 and T6 (+2axle trailer) of Kiel's tramway
 * T6 and T8 articulated cars of Karlsruhe's tram
   (The most trams in Western Germany used or still use similar cars)

 2.4 Switches (points)
 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
 - Memory for switches increased
 - New switch type "Alternation switch" for turn off/go straight on using
   a number ratio
 - For "Branching" switches there can be entered a main direction
 - For "Branchings" there can be determined time intervals for routes, so
   that route's course can change dependent on the simulation time

 2.5 Terminal stops
 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
 - Memory for terminal stops increased
 - Effectiveness of terminals restrictable for some routes and some intervals
 - Trains going into depot and trains of other routes serve terminals like
   stops.

 2.6 Signalling systems
 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
 - Memory for signalling systems increased
 - Semaphore signals for rail-owned tracks
 - Signals what are passed by a train switch correct in the same time
 - OFF-contacts for only one direction, the old (for two directions) will be
   supported in the future, too

 2.7 File-infos
 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
 - Previous info text becomes headline (80 characters)
 - Information about author[s] possible (80 characters)
 - Information text of 4000 characters length

 2.8 Route management
 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
 - New route memory with plain statistics
 - Eligible order of routes and therefore of trains
 - Routes can be renamed

 2.9 Train control
 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
 - New state STOP
  * Train can be stopped anywhere and everytimes
  * No CPU-time consumption, suitable for parking out of depots
  * In table of trains marked as blue "S"
  * Set/Reset of Stop-state using new buttons in "Edit Train"
 - Stop Follow also possible while editing the followed train
 - Follow also with manual control
  * At branchings and alternating switches entering of wanted direction
  * Using this feature can be gone for a drive nearly at will
 - Report of following state in the menu section respectively above the map

 2.10 Map modes
 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
 - Upper windows larger, therefore no more shown a menu in map modes
 - Mouse control on right border

 2.11 Command line and program start
 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
 - All command line arguments will be converted into capital letters
 - Possible entering of filename or path at once to load/to set
 - Suppress mouse support by /M0 switch
 - In case of some initialization errors the start is possible, however

 2.12 General handling, editor and user interface
 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
 - Change from full-screen mode to standard mode also possible by >ESC< key
   or by right mouse button
 - Many symbol groups changed resp. new because of new graphic symbols
 - Additional hot-keys (letters) for selection of some symbol groups
 - Optional report of track geometry of the active symbol group by >F10<
   (Therefore prevention of track symbol confusions)
 - Mouse double-click for selecting in list boxes, e.g. filenames
 - Buttons in dialogboxes can be set inactive, when their usage is not
   suitable at the moment
 - Radiobuttons as new dialogbox element
 - Text input with changing Insert/Overwrite mode
 - Clicking objects covered by a train
   (using >CTRL + ET< resp. >CTRL + left mouse button<)
 - Simple screen saver function by switching off the cursors
 - Move of entire network possible
 - Details of user interface revised

 2.13 Error correction
 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
 - All errors known from BAHN 3.11a have been removed
   (e.g. problems during turning and initializing, rough screen trouble when
    using mouse, error entering terminal times, text input)
 - When going into a depot there no more will be driven over the hall's roof
 - Signals what are passed by a train switch correct at the same time