The idle state (1) was added to the simulator options to assist in testing all the combinations of paths and number of trains.


From the initialization screen, the "Stopped" state, the update loop is entered in the "Starting" state as normal. The "Run" state is reached as normal. However, in the "Run" state, a predetermined number steps are executed and the state automatically advances to the "Return" state as if the <End Run> button was pressed. When all the trains are parked in the "Parking" state, the simulator comes to this "Idle" state instead of returning to the initialization screen/"Stopped" state.


Each run in the <Similar Runs> mode have the same number of trains as configured on the initialization screen. Each new configuration is randomly selected effectively using two 'hats'. One hat contains the 4 train colors. The second hat contains tokens for the 4 paths, small and large figure-eights, small and large ovals.


A path is selected from one hat and a color from the other. Then a 'coin' is flipped to assign CW or CCW direction to the train path. This process is repeated until the required number of trains have been configured. A new random number of run steps is selected for the next simulation. All simulator status data elements are updated, the simulator state is advanced to the "Starting" state and the new simulator is run as described above.


This process is repeated until the <ABORT> or <End Run> buttons are pressed.