2 laptops

[daveyplod]

Is it possible to run Railmaster pro on two laptops running two different layouts?

[96RAF]

Assuming the layouts are completely separate.

You need two licences. Pro upgrade if desired.

You will also need two controllers - one for each layout.

[westernwill]

Alternatively you can run 2 independent layouts from 1 laptop running RM.

I did just that for a while running a N gauge layout alongside my OO layout.

[daveyplod]

Thanks, do I also need 2 e links and 2 Pro upgrades?

[westernwill]

To use 1 laptop for both layouts you only need 1 version of RM Pro and 1 Elink.

Just connect both layouts into the Elink.

You will need to set up both layouts in the trackplan if you are operating points through RM. And make sure you do not use the same point addresses or Loco numbers across the layouts.

For instance Loco numbers in layout 1 could be in the range 100-199 and layout 2 the range 200-299. Similarly for the point addresses.

[P-Henny]

In addition to WW's suggestion above. You could create two layout track plans (I'll call them A&B).

Layout A would have 'Track Plan A.pln' and layout B would have 'Track Plan B.pln'. To switch between them, you would have to change the .pln file loaded when RM starts in the RM 'System Settings Screen' and restart RM to load the other plan if it needed to be changed. Unfortunately there is no RM 'Command Line' option to tell RM what track plan to load when started, so the track plan that is loaded would have to done via the method described above.

Your layout A&B locos could be assigned to two different 'Groups' A&B to restrict the number of locos in the throttle roster panel to just those for the layout being operated. Thus, the RM screen displayed would be unique to the layout being controlled. Read up on 'Groups' in the RM manual for 'how to' information.

The addressing separation that WW has described would still need to be applied if both layouts were left physically connected to the eLink Track A&B output in parallel.

Layout, Group and Track Plan File names used in this reply are purely examples to aid my description.

[96RAF]

Rather than use two named track-plans if both will fit within the overall plan boundary limit you could have them on a single screen and have RM zoom to plan A or B.

Edit - see also clarification amendment to my original response, which then allows the other single laptop options to follow on more sensibly.

[Fishmanoz]

I liked RAF’s first reply as I went with the assumption of needing two laptops.

The one laptop option won’t work well if you want to run simultaneously two layouts situated where you can’t see both from wherever you site the single laptop. But no problem if you only run the layouts one at a time.

[daveyplod]

Thanks to all who contributed to this. Very Informative and helpful.

Davey Plod

[P-Henny]

It would be helpful if you were to give an indication which, if any, of the solutions offered you are considering to use at this time.