PC [app] - Thirdrails Live Map Tracker & Multiplayer Radar

If your email has issues, the forum also has direct user to user messages, just FYI.

 

I forgot DM was available on here, thanks for reminding me.

 

BeenTrain are you using the httpapi? Is there any further information regarding the api somewhere available? More endpoints perhaps?

 

I'm getting a Thirdrails crash when trying to do a DB service:
* Start Service
* Europe
* Search for services from a location - eg Köln Hbf
* List of services appears
* Click on service to see schedule - Thirdrails crash!

Anyone else having this problem?

 

BeenTrain , what kind of insight do you have into the capabilities of this API? Obviously there is no official documentation about it, however, we are also experimenting with it and are looking specifically for a time read out (local, UTC, or whatever, could theoretically simply be a timer which run synchronously with TSW time progression), which we can not find. Have you any more information about this, by any chance?!

 

protonmw OpenMinded
Yes, I’d be happy to share what I know about the API!

I’m currently on vacation, so a full deep dive is a bit tricky at the moment, but you can already explore quite a bit yourself.

The API runs on http://localhost:31270/.

Start by checking these endpoints using f.e Postman, dont forget to add the api key in the header called "DTGCommKey"

• http://localhost:31270/list
• http://localhost:31270/info

These give you insight into available nodes and endpoints, great starting points for exploring.

OpenMinded you probably need the TimeOfDay node:../get/TimeOfDay

If you’re using C#, you can also take a look at the TSWData.dll included in the ThirdRails setup. It exposes a TSWDataService that wraps the parts of the API used in ThirdRails (functions, models, etc.).

I do have plans to open-source it in some form soon.

Hope this helps! I’ll be back by the end of next week, so I can provide more info or examples if needed, instantly forgot the details on the beach

 

Helps a great deal already, many thanks!

Have a great remaining holiday, then

 

Are you using the latest version (9.0.0.4)?
There was a crash related to the DB service in an earlier version which I’ve since fixed.

I saw some DB real drive services show up on the radar recently, so it looks like it’s working. Not able to check myself right now.

 

Ahh. I was using version 9.0.0.0. I didn't realise it was not the latest version as it said it was up to date when I pressed "check for new version."

Anyway it's fixed now. Thanks

 

Hi maybe I am missing something but I have attempted to follow an 'ad hoc' timetable today. I run RW Enhancer too and created a quick drive and stops in it then loaded up the game through it, and the ThirdRails map after that. I noticed that the timetable clock on the TR map app was ticking through seconds at a faster rate than they were on TS itself. This was meaning it was saying I was behind time repeatedly. Any idea what I am doing wrong? Thanks!

 

You can also set API parameters by writing to a writable "Node", e.g.:

Code:

curl -H "DTGCommKey: ..." http://127.0.0.1:31270/set/CurrentFormation/0/Reverser.InputValue?value=1

The writable nodes can be explored using the "list" APIs, and looking at the returned nodes. Most are read-only, however "InputValue" and "Interacting" are usually writable.

 

Thank you very much for your help! I was able to get it working.
Were you able to set a weather value? I tried a lot but always resume errors from the server.

 

You are doing nothing wrong. You should ignore the TSC time and execute the timetable using ThirdRails HUD. This makes it most flexible because you could drive a night service in daylight if you like.

In TSW its the other way around where you can ignore ThirdRails timings, this is because every TSW scenario has a timetable. (Check "Follow Simulator's Schedule") Could also be used in TSC which hides ThirdRails timings and timeliness.

This tutorial explains it in more detail:
https://www.thirdrails.org/tut_timetabledrides.html

 

Have not played with weather.
But generaly you must use the HTTP Patch method to set values. For weather it would be something like this:
Http://localhost:31270/set/WeatherManager.Temperature?Value=15

Hope this helps!

 

Gave this a little try and it has actually worked Thanks so much for your insight!

 

As this is turning into the API discussion Is there any way to get the currently selected track (doesn't have to be a human readable name, just something that can be used as identification) hidden somewhere in the api?

 

Yes, you can get track data via the get/DriverAid.TrackData endpoint. I initially used it to calculate track gradient, but later realized that gradient is also available directly via the DriverAid endpoint.

To give you an idea what it offers, here’s the C# model I use to deserialize the response:

Code:

    public class TrackDataResponse
    {
        public string Result { get; set; }
        public TrackValues Values { get; set; }
    }
    public class TrackValues
    {
        public LastPlayerPosition LastPlayerPosition { get; set; }
        public List<TrackHeight> TrackHeights { get; set; }
        public List<Station> Stations { get; set; }
        public List<Marker> Markers { get; set; }
    }
    public class TrackHeight
    {
        public double Height { get; set; }
        public double DistanceToHeight { get; set; }
        public bool BTunnelFound { get; set; }
    }
    public class Station
    {
        public string StationName { get; set; }
        public DistanceToStation DistanceToStation { get; set; }
        public double DistanceToStationCM { get; set; }
        public double PlatformLength { get; set; }
        public string MarkerType { get; set; }
        public string MarkerName { get; set; }
    }

I found out that Stations and Markers are not always fully populated,they seem to be incomplete or not implemented in every route.

To get back on the topic ThirdRails :
If you're using C#, it's worth checking out the TSWData.dll that comes with the ThirdRails setup. It hides the API behind a service class, so you don’t have to deal with all the technical details.

 

Small niggle I know, compared to more important functionality, especially with the bing debacle, but last I checked, still not a "he" any chance of a box to tick on the account page? Some kind of small bit of profile customisation might be cool like a short paragraph long blurb, or avatars.

 

“the bing debacle” LOL, you make it sound so dramatic

I have no plans to add account options for now. Due to privacy I want to know nothing about you guys and girls except the required stuff.
But you have a fair point. For now I’ve changed it using a well known railway trick: a neutral section.

Princess Entrapta did a ride on Train Sim World! Whistle blown - check out the trip

If you find more gender mix-ups, let me know!

 

Yep, that works!

Simplest solutions!

 

Is this capable on TSW6?

 

Yes, it does work. You just need to copy the 'CommAPIKey.txt' file from the TSW5 config folder (My Documents\My Games\TrainSimWorld5\Saved\Config\) to the TSW 6 config folder (or vice versa).

So TSW 6 uses the same API key as TSW 5, as it is the TSW 5 'CommAPIKey.txt' file that the app currently reads to get the key.

 

Yes, ThirdRails will support TSW 6!
I already have version detection built in, but I can’t test it myself yet (waiting for Oct 1).
If you, or anyone, wants to help test before release, please DM me. I’d love to release it earlier once it’s confirmed working.

 

I can confirm I have TSW6 running on Thirdrails. I copied the txt file over as recommended and it kicked in. Thx

 

Hi, thought I'd test this out. Not working for me on TSW6. I've lauched it with the -HTTPAPI and I can see it's created the txt file that's mentioned above, but ThridRails is giving me the error that the TSW API isn't active.

No rush.

 

Copy the generated API key to the TSW 5 config folder. The app currently is looking in the TSW 5 config folder, so it needs to find the correct api key there.

Also BeenTrain
The app is amazing, I've been using it for a few years in TSC, and I so missed it in my TSW experience. So glad we finally got an API from DTG and the app works with TSW.

 

Copy the existing API key in the TSW5 folder to your new TSW6 folder

 

Ah ok, thanks all. All sorted

 

This is all extremely helpful, thank you! I'm starting a project that will make use of the API but I'm hitting a problem and I'm wondering if you had any insight.

My project will involve reading and writing the status of various cab controls. I've done some experimenting with the API, using your super helpful notes, and all seems well.

My main question is, have you come up with an efficient way of watching for train state updates without constant polling? Looking at the available endpoints, there doesn't seem to be any passive way of receiving updates. I'm wanting to catch short lived events, such as receiving the guard signal bell, and I'm suspecting polling will be very error prone as it could miss the brief moment when, for example on the 387, the SignalBell_R value is true.

Taking into account the main functionality of ThirdRails, and looking at your TSWDataService, you're tracking the train location, so I'm wondering how you're achieving that. I'm hoping you've come up with some way of receiving updates without polling, but am suspecting the limitations of the API are unsurmountable.

I'll be very grateful for any help you can give, thank you!

 

Glad you found the info useful!
The TSW API is REST-based, so unlike a WebSocket API you can’t subscribe directly to events happening in the sim.
In ThirdRails I currently poll every second with 4–5 requests (Lat/Lon, Speed, Gradient, AWS state). Because it’s all on localhost, there’s no noticeable latency, even during multi-hour runs.
I recently learned about Subscriptions in the API, with that you can bundle several endpoints into one call. You first subscribe the endpoints you want, and then a single request to that subscription returns all their data at once.
The current polling setup in ThirdRails runs smoothly, but I’ll be refactoring to use subscriptions to make it even smoother.

So to answer your question: polling is your only choice, but it’s unlikely to be a problem.

 

Thank you for that, very helpful indeed!

Yes, a WebSocket API would have been lovely, maybe one day...

I've done some experiments and response times seem to be in the 50ms range, so that should enable me to poll regularly if the need arises, it's good to know you've not encountered any problems.

Yes, I'd spotted subscriptions listed in the /info response and have experimented with them. It occurred to me it would be a convenient way of easily grouping all the various data I need for a specific class of train, since the nodes seem to be known by different names from one class to another.

Many thanks again for your help, I'm very grateful.

 

For those interested: ThirdRails 9.1 is out!
Now with auto TSW version detection, so no more swapping API keys between 5 and 6. (and 7,8,9 etc )
Grab your free copy here: https://thirdrails.org/downloads.html

 

I downloaded 9.1, no success getting it working in TSW6. I have -HTTPAPI enabled and after it first failed I also tried copying the txt file over from tsw5 but no luck there either.

It also ceased working in TSW5 so I am restoring the older version from my backup images.

 

Okay, so while 9.003 only worked with TSW5 for me, 9.004 works with both, while 9.100 does not work with either.

 

You probably mixed up the apikeys. Delete the commapikey.txt file from the C:\Users\[YOUR USERNAME]\Documents\My Games\TrainSimWorld6\Saved\Config folder , restart TSW6. If the file is generated it should work. Nothing changed with that in 9.1 compared to 9.0

 

Nope.

This was the order of operations:

Clean install of TSW6 and enabled -HTTPAPI in the startup options.

Loaded up Thirdrails 9.0.0.3 which I had been on before, and it worked fine with 5 but it turned out not with 6. Threw up the activate API key error, Assumed it was simply a matter of TR not being up to date.

Installed 9.1, found TSW6 was still getting the error. Tried the trick mentioned earlier in the thread of copying the TSW5 one to the TSW6 folder (Backed up the clean TSW6 one to my desktop to restore if this did not fix it), no dice. Subsequently discovered TSW5 (Which at no point in this process had any files been altered in) was getting the exact same error with 9.1, so I did what I usually do in such situations. Looked at the version history and found one I had not tried.

Deleted my Thirdrails folder and installed 9.0.0.4 and found that it worked out of the box with both TSW5 and TSW6.

Still got the TSW6 key backed up on my desktop, but for now 9.0.0.4 seems to recognise TSW6 with 5's one, so it's just gonna sit in my backups folder in case it is needed in the future. But 9.1 didn't recognise either game's key, so I'll stick with this version for now.

 

Of course, I hadn't intended to end up acquiring TSW6 so this testing was mostly all hypothetical and no doubt by the time I decide to switch to it there will be a newer still version of TR available. This was some seat of my pants experimentation with an unintended copy of a game that so far from my experience with it was in absolutely no fit state for release and desperately needed a few more months in the oven to iron out the faults..

 

Yeah you mixed up, should be TSW6 to TSW5. Backup of keys is not recommened they can change at anytime according official documentation.
So again:
Delete the files, run TSW 5 and 6, new ones will be created 9.1 will find automatically the correct one.

 

Ah, so 9.1 looks for the TSW6 one even in TSW5?

But then we get back to my original point - why did it not work with the default one TSW6 generated on a perfectly clean install?

I only attempted to use the TSW5 one as a last resort AFTER 9.1 already did not recognise the one in TSW6 which had been put there when I installed and launched it for the first time.

Clean install with no pre-existing TSW6 folders as I just acquired it -> Set -HTTPAPI -> launch TSW6 -> Launch TR 9.1 = API key error

I CANNOT get any version of TR to recognise the API key included in TSW6 or generated by it on launch after deletion, PERIOD.

9.1 does not recognise the TSW6 one when launching TSW6 OR the TSW5 one when launching TSW5.
The only one I can get a version of TR to recognise is the TSW5 one, which works in 9.0.0.4 and earlier, but only 9.0.0.4 recognises TSW6 as having a valid key, and then only when TSW6 is using the TSW5 key

 

In what folder are TSW5/6 installed?

 

Their respective folders in my steamapps/common directory, as always. With their config files where they belong in My Games. This isn't my first rodeo when it comes to handling testing a new version before deciding it's finished enough for me to switch over.

And before you ask, the only reason TSW5's install directory shows as last modified the same day is bc I got a key for a TSW5 DLC at the same time as for TSW6. I can show you the pak file if needed.




Currently in My games->saved->config TSW6 is using the CommAPIKey.txt dated 31/05/2025 from TSW5 which is functioning perfectly fine under 9.0.0.4 and allowing me to log TSW6 runs using TR - the one dated 23/10/2025 from TSW6 is not recognised by any of the three versions of TR I tested it with, including 9.1, it gives me the API key error.

As I say, I found a workaround for now and I am sure down the line this won't be an issue as sooner or later when I come back to TSW6 following a significant bugfix pass, there'll be a new TR anyway and most likely an updated key for TSW6 too. For now, while I need it to work with TSW5 for the foreseeable future, this stopgap has me covered with both games working with TR.

 

Looking pretty standard to me.
For some reason, ThirdRails isn’t able to detect which TSW version you’re running.
Since TSW5 and TSW6 are basically the same program, ThirdRails determines the version by checking the installation folder of the running process, which normally works flawlessly, but in your case something seems off.

How do you usually start TSW? If it’s not through Steam, please try launching it via Steam.
Also, to rule out a permissions issue, try running ThirdRails as Administrator.

If it still doesn’t work, feel free to DM me so we can look into it together.

 

Yeah, I do both of those.
Once I move to TSW6 full time, hopefully in the new year, I will see if the issue is still there by then, but for now no sense causing a fuss for you, I have MacGyvered a fix.

 

I run TSW6 via Epic and I can't run ThirdRails. ThirdRails 9.1.0.0 don't find the API Key. Why?

 

I have not the Epic version.
Can you tell me in which folder the TrainSimWorld.exe is located?

Chances are that the auto Train Sim World version detection is missing it for the Epic version.
Thanks!

 

the application TSW6 location is C:\Program Files\Epic Games\TrainSimWorld6
and the location of the API Key is My Games\TrainSimWorld6EGS\Saved\Config
I placed the -HTTPAPI as additional command in EPIC

 

That explains it. One platform, three different folders to save the key.
Will make a fix for this in 9.2
Thanks for info!

 

BeenTrain thanks very much for your help, that's kind of you

 

If you want to use Thirdrails with TSW6 Epic without waiting for version 9.2.....,
and if you have already played TSW5 Epic you can use version 9.0.0.4 (Princess Entrapta was right)
Copy the key file "CommAPIKey" from Documents\My Games\TrainSimWorld5EGS\Saved\Config to Documents\My Games\TrainSimWorld6EGS\Saved\Config and Documents\My Games\TrainSimWorld5\Saved\Config. The key file must be identical in the 3 folders!! That's strange but it works for me. (BeenTrain was right that ThirdRails detect which TSW version you’re running 5 or 6)
Don't be surprised that with TSW5 Epic you have 2 folders TrainSimWorld5 and TrainSimWorld5EGS present in Documents\My Games!
I hope that will help. ThirdRails is really interesting, it's a very good tool for TSW

 

Glad I was able to help someone!