Creating some services

1. Click the "New" button at the top of the service selection screen to start the editor with a new empty timetable.
2. Right-click an empty spot on the map and edit the timetable properties to give it a name and set the date.
3. Right-click a station (a yellow circle is highlighted) somewhere on the map and add a template. Define the stopping places (=orders) by clicking on stations on the map. Add the last station twice to confirm the path.
4. Right-click an empty spot again to edit the template's properties. Change the properties to your liking.
5. Add at least one vehicle to the template from the "List ServiceVehicles" button in the properties. Use one of the train sets instead of single cars if you're not sure which one to use.
6. Add some services to the template via the "List Services" button. An easier way to add a large number of services is to use the "Create batch" or "Create advanced pattern" options which are accessed by right-clicking an empty map spot.
7. Right-click an empty map spot again and test run one of the services to see if the signaller can find a path for it. If the path can't be found, make sure you've added an order for each of the stations along the way: trying to skip them doesn't work (but you can make them non-stop). If the path involves reversing direction, specifically instruct the signaller to do this by changing the appropriate setting in the properties of the last order before the reverse.
8. When the test run has finished use the "Reset running times" option to make sure the trains have sensible passing times at each station.
9. Save the timetable and try running it in the simulator.

In order to get the trains to stop at stations, you'll also need adjust the dwell times for the template orders, but it's not necessary to get the first services running.

If you use Steam you can submit the timetable to the Steam Workshop from the editor. The submitted timetable won't be visible to other users until you publish it from the Workshop website.

Remember to make backups of your timetable file if you're going to spend a long time working on it!

Ideas

If you need some inspiration, consider these ideas:

• Irregular train formations: the railcars were not the most reliable trains around and the maintenance staff was sometimes struggling to bring them into working order for the next day's running. The cars were be assembled into irregular sets with trailers missing or with power/trailer cars loaned from other classes, whatever happened to be available.
• Temporary line closures: sometimes lines are closed for track maintenance. In the first route one or two tracks in the 4-track line could be closed, slow and fast trains being forced to use the same pair of tracks for a short section of the line. In the second route a section of the fast line could be closed completely, causing Inter-City trains to be diverted via the slow line and stopping services being split into two separate workings on each side of the closed section.
• Permanent line closures: many branch lines and other low-traffic lines were closed in the 60's. A line might not be closed for the full length but only for a less-used section from the tail end, or from the middle in the case of a loop line which is connected to the network from both ends.
• Station closures: even if a line isn't fully closed because of low passenger numbers, individual small stations might be, to speed up train services and reduce costs.
• Shiftwork: instead of creating separate services running a line in one direction you can try creating one service which starts at the depot and runs the line back and forth a couple of times before returning to the depot. See one of the demo route timetables for an example.
• Rescue: you may be able to exploit the rescue scenario for purposes other than rescuing, like picking up unpowered trailer cars.