Clearer Layout Setup: Renaming Locations & Switching Areas
The problem
A user recently pointed out that the terms Location and Switching Area don't make it obvious how they relate to each other, or which one to create first. The current setup screen presents both as flat lists side by side, which makes it easy to create a Location without realising it belongs inside a Switching Area.
The underlying structure is actually quite natural once you see it — a Switching Area is a named part of your layout (a town, a yard, a junction), and Locations are the individual tracks and sidings within it. The problem is the current names and layout don't make that hierarchy obvious.
The proposal
Rename the concepts to use more familiar railroad vocabulary, and reorganise the Layout Setup screen so the hierarchy is visible at a glance.
The hierarchy reads: Location → Tracks → Industries. A track is a specific siding or lead within the location. An industry is a spot on that track — a grain elevator, a fuel dealer, a team track spot.
Note: Community feedback suggested "Town" felt too specific for layouts that use yard complexes, junctions, or staging areas as top-level groups. "Location" was chosen as the final name for its flexibility across layout types.
Before and after
What changes and what stays the same
What changes
- Labels in the Layout Setup screen
- Tracks are created inside a Town, not as a separate list
- Form labels and help text throughout the app
- The word "Location" disappears from the UI
What stays the same
- All your existing layout data
- How session planning works
- How the dispatcher builds consists
- Waybills, car roster, operating sessions
This is a rename and UI reorganisation only — the underlying data does not change. Your existing layout would look identical after the update, just with different labels.
Your feedback
Nothing is final. If the community prefers different terminology or a different approach, we'll adjust before building anything.
- Do "Town" and "Track" feel right for your layout? Or does your railroad use different language — Division, District, Industry Lead, something else?
- Are there layout configurations this doesn't fit? For example, a point-to-point without town structure, or a switching layout that's all one area.
- Is the current setup confusing to you, or did you figure it out and it's fine as-is?
- Any other thoughts? We're open to completely different approaches if the community has better ideas.
Reply in the forum thread linked from the Updates & Roadmap page, or reach out directly via Patreon.