Locomotives and trains
In BigFred, a vehicle is a single unit in your catalogue — a locomotive, wagon, EMU, driving trailer, or trolley. A train is a named group of vehicles that run and are controlled as one consist.
A locomotive or wagon saved only to your catalogue does not run on a layout yet. You must add it to the layout on its own, or as a member of a train that has been added to the layout.
Why define trains?
- One throttle — when driving a train, every powered vehicle in the consist moves together at the same speed and direction.
- One function screen — on the throttle cockpit you see functions (F0, F1, …) from locomotives and wagons at once; for example, you can turn on wagon lighting and locomotive sound without switching between vehicles.
- One unit on the layout — lend, return, and select a train in throttle mode as a single object instead of each wagon separately.
Adding a locomotive or wagon
- Open the menu (top-left icon) → My → Vehicles.
- Click Add vehicle.
- Enter a name, choose a vehicle kind (e.g. locomotive, wagon), and — if the vehicle should run on track — a DCC address from your assigned pool.
- Confirm with Add.
Without a DCC address you can create a dummy vehicle (e.g. a wagon visible in a consist but not drivable).
To run a vehicle on its own on a layout, use Add to layout on the My vehicles list.
Adding a vehicle to an existing train
- Menu → My → Trains.
- Click Edit on the train you want.
- At the bottom of the form, pick a vehicle from the list and click Add vehicle.
- Set the order with the Up / Down arrows; tick reversed if a wagon is coupled backwards.
- Save with Save.
The vehicle must already exist under My vehicles. It cannot belong to two trains at the same time.
Creating a new train
- Menu → My → Trains.
- Click Add train.
- Enter a train name.
- Add at least one vehicle (Add vehicle), set the order, and mark any reversed couplings.
- Confirm with Add.
Then use Add to layout on the train list so the consist appears on your layout and is available under Throttle.