"Open Rails for Dummies"

[ronfalt]

Hello all. I have just begun with Open Rails. Download went fine, Selected route(s) open fine. However, I cannot get ANY engine/ consist to budge, whether it be Steam, Diesel or Electric. All views of selected stock work great, but there they sit. What am I doing wrong? Please help.
Thanks in advance,
Ron

[johanno4]

Press shift+/ to initialize the consists brakes. Your train will then move forward. This type of information can be found in the OR Manual...

[peaches461999]

Ah the long lost art of reading a manual.

[ronfalt]

Without sounding too bold, where in the 209 page manual is this info provided? Tried the shift+/ still no go.
Thank you.

[ftldave]

Ah the long lost art of reading a manual.

And when you can't find or clearly understand the information in the manual, we have this wonderful trainsim.com forum where helpful people can point in the right direction. I've always thought that's one of the most important reasons we have a forum.

I found the section in my copy of the OR manual titled 7.6.2 Intialize brakes that includes this phrase: "Check the keyboard assignment for the keys to be pressed", so it doesn't explicitly explain that "Shift +/" is the keyboard command. And that actually means "Shift key and / key simultaneously", no plus symbol needed, right right? There is a reference in the manual about some rolling stock not being able to fully release brakes due to configurations that MSTS ignores. Nowhere does it say, try this command if the train won't move, as a helpful "Open Rails for Dummies" manual surely would, to help beginners to better understand.

[R. Steele]

Without sounding too bold, where in the 209 page manual is this info provided? ....Thank you.

All the commands can also be found in two other places...
When in the game: F1 (Help) >>> first page, Key Commands scroll through all the keystrokes
On the OR main menu window Options > Keyboard Tab, where you can also assign keys, check your keys, set everything to default, or export the commands.

[peaches461999]

But you stated it does say to check the keyboard commands...and therein lies the answer to your question. Within the manual. And as stated above also, F1. The nice thing about OR, it's commands closely mimic those of MSTS. Especially the F keys. And in many instances, OR has expanded what can be seen using the F key commands.

[markus1996]

But you stated it does say to check the keyboard commands...and therein lies the answer to your question. Within the manual. And as stated above also, F1. The nice thing about OR, it's commands closely mimic those of MSTS. Especially the F keys. And in many instances, OR has expanded what can be seen using the F key commands.

I would rather check the keyboard commands on the in-game help menu (F1) as the same key might be called differently on different keyboard layouts.

Cheers, Markus

[dphorton]

Hey guys. What's the problem asking something on the Forum. Isn't that what it is all about. Sometimes you need a little help to jog your thought process. If you don't like the question, then don't answer. There is a lot of information to digest in the Operations Manual.

[peaches461999]

I would rather check the keyboard commands on the in-game help menu (F1) as the same key might be called differently on different keyboard layouts.

Cheers, Markus

True, but the bare bones, unmodified, Open Rails download, does not have randomly assigned key assignments. The OP is a NEW user to OR, and I seriously doubt that the OP changed his keyboard layout. So in this case, the manual saying to check the keyboard layout, if perfectly correct, as EVERY download of OR from their site, comes with the same keyboard assignment. Keyboard layouts may be different, but here in the USA, most every keyboard has the same keys. F keys are all common, they come with standard issue keyboard alpha numeric layout as has been standard for well over 70 years. Most all come with the 9 key numeric pad.

[OTTODAD]

Hey guys. What's the problem asking something on the Forum. Isn't that what it is all about. Sometimes you need a little help to jog your thought process. If you don't like the question, then don't answer. There is a lot of information to digest in the Operations Manual.

How many operating systems, computers, laptops, tablets they and programs, games and simulators run on, their users have studied all their manuals of, many no longer being supplied Hard Copy ?

No, what is needed is for all of them to have adequate F1 HELP when using them, hoping that the user is aware of this universal F1 Help function, used by most programs, including the ones that I have created !

Problem is that many don't even know the basics in Computing !

[slipperman]

Hi Otto,

Problem is that many don't even know the basics in Computing !

Never have truer words been written!! We dinosaurs grew up with DOS and its huge manual (remember MSDOS 5?); even Windows 3 and 3.1 came with their own manuals, which covered a lot of the basics. Where do today's beginners learn all that??

Apologies for going "off-topic"

Cheers,
Ged

[dphorton]

You are correct but I kind of thought that it came off a little like "hey dummy". We all started out some place and I remember spelling osculate instead of oscillate and I had lots of stupid comments. That was back in 1999, seem a long time ago but the again it don't. I always give the new guy a brake and use a positive to be helpful, no matter what I think of the question, is my point. So I will leave it there as I certainly don't want to stir up any hostility.

[ronfalt]

Hello all. Thanks for all of the feedback this post has generated. Just want to clarify some things without stepping on toes. Firstly, I consider myself adequately computer literate. I too am a "dinosaur"... pre-pc... Apple 2, Apple 2 GS, then Windows 3.1. Basic Four at work... backing up nightly required several cassettes as big as my son's Millenium Falcon toy.
Yes I have used the F1 help guide... Things are still to no avail. Keyboard commands all used, no train movements.
I am in a real quandry here, especially as all function correctly in MSTS.
Ron

[Darter7]

I, too, had the same lack of train movement problem. The solution for me: release train brake by pressing the ";" key (same as MSTS), release engine brake by pressing the "[" key (same as MSTS). what that does is allow brake pressure to build. and lastly, initialize the brakes with the Shift Key and the "/" key pressed at the same time. The train now moves, with great physics I might add; problem solved.