openrails/openrails
Mar 2025 – Mar 2026
8 Months active
Languages Used
C#RSTreStructuredTextrst
Technical Skills
Game DevelopmentPhysics ProgrammingSimulationAudio ProgrammingC#Code Cleanup
peternewell
PROFILE
Peternewell
Peter contributed to the openrails/openrails repository by developing and refining advanced simulation features for railway systems, focusing on steam locomotive dynamics, audio subsystems, and rack railway operations. He applied C# and object-oriented programming to implement AI-driven boiler feed algorithms, back pressure control, and Riggenbach counter-pressure braking, enhancing simulation realism and safety. His work included code refactoring, documentation improvements, and UI integration, ensuring maintainability and clarity for users and contributors. Through targeted bug fixes, configuration validation, and technical writing, Peter improved system reliability and onboarding, demonstrating depth in simulation programming, mechanical engineering principles, and collaborative software development practices.
Overall Statistics
Feature vs Bugs
70%Features
Repository Contributions
82Total
Bugs
13
Commits
82
Features
30
Lines of code
599,169
Activity Months8
Your Network
16 peopleShared Repositories
16
Work History
March 2026
1 Commits • 1 Features
Mar 1, 2026March 2026 monthly summary for openrails/openrails focusing on targeted code quality improvements and maintainability. Delivered a focused cleanup by removing an unused System.Security.Cryptography using directive to reduce unnecessary dependencies and potential noise in code analysis/builds. This work aligns with security hygiene, code cleanliness, and maintainability goals for the repo.
1 Commits • 1 Features
Mar 1, 2026March 2026 monthly summary for openrails/openrails focusing on targeted code quality improvements and maintainability. Delivered a focused cleanup by removing an unused System.Security.Cryptography using directive to reduce unnecessary dependencies and potential noise in code analysis/builds. This work aligns with security hygiene, code cleanliness, and maintainability goals for the repo.
March 2026
February 2026
17 Commits • 4 Features
Feb 1, 2026February 2026 monthly summary for openrails/openrails focusing on feature delivery, stability, and technical excellence with business impact. Key features delivered: - Rack railway locomotives enhancements: support for rack lines including steam traction, improved tractive force calculations, and updated rack operation documentation. Commits: a76730dc6445c65e7043d0e9a3546880d28302aa; ab66af3a71df1809234caac7be93b269aa2fe18c; 6ab9a5f0e83d46224eb87b080c9fdb2ee7a4699f; ad7c5693d63952e6871d1521e8ec5fbe49629b3a - Riggenbach counter-pressure braking system for steam locomotives: implemented force calculations, water usage tracking, adjustments to exhaust, UI display, and documentation. Commits: 66040b0823882d01254d4f50e3700f4b61cbb9b7; b00f1e45ba39e72603841cbf269b6cba2d529236; 6ee1deeddad56fc06d6081c81a93ad4629761518; 5ce21781f712fa2ba91e0f60e5bcdf03e8db75f0; a5a1c1f50f12f2b49cc07a17e41d7850ec38e406; c5f02bdfc5abbcd8244f770f3405a3bcdf077b21; 8d2fc27b984d8e59b5569398b1e08487aacc3777; e64949597564f64501664ce45da488c5cb60b887 - Braking cog wheel logic and settings updates: updated terminology and settings based on axle traction type to improve simulation accuracy. Commits: 2d9d021c64559f4bca205f7fb39ec1739a46357c; c63e103f4d31e4ba24f0da9fde708c4586113607 - Locomotive axle drive types enumeration and parsing: introduced a new enumeration for drive types and updated parsing logic. Commit: b6f44453d2cbb540b0da06c5f1478035645b0d3b - Revert LocomotiveAxleDriveRailTypes enum and related parsing: revert test changes and remove the enum due to test issues. Commit: 8336a47c4416caa9460dc216589b82c2af5a7a70 - MSTSSteamLocomotive auxiliary engine handling fix: ensure non-booster engines are processed correctly with added trace logging for debugging. Commit: d8ac7b604e39063b2305fdc5a23fc23bc43dd759 Major bugs fixed: - Reverted LocomotiveAxleDriveRailTypes enum and related parsing due to test instability, stabilizing the input handling. - Fixes to auxiliary steam engine handling to prevent processing errors and to aid troubleshooting with trace logs. Overall impact and accomplishments: - Enhanced simulation realism and robustness for rack rail operations and steam locomotive dynamics, enabling more accurate testing and customer-facing demos. - Improved user experience through UI integration, clearer operation documentation, and traceable debugging improvements. - Strengthened code hygiene and maintainability with targeted refactors, test-driven adjustments, and related documentation. Technologies and skills demonstrated: - Systems modeling and physics-based calculations (tractive force, steam exhaust, water usage). - UI design and data presentation integration for rail operations. - Documentation, testing discipline, and traceability through logging and commits. - Cross-feature integration and change management with attention to test stability and rollback when needed.
February 2026
17 Commits • 4 Features
Feb 1, 2026February 2026 monthly summary for openrails/openrails focusing on feature delivery, stability, and technical excellence with business impact. Key features delivered: - Rack railway locomotives enhancements: support for rack lines including steam traction, improved tractive force calculations, and updated rack operation documentation. Commits: a76730dc6445c65e7043d0e9a3546880d28302aa; ab66af3a71df1809234caac7be93b269aa2fe18c; 6ab9a5f0e83d46224eb87b080c9fdb2ee7a4699f; ad7c5693d63952e6871d1521e8ec5fbe49629b3a - Riggenbach counter-pressure braking system for steam locomotives: implemented force calculations, water usage tracking, adjustments to exhaust, UI display, and documentation. Commits: 66040b0823882d01254d4f50e3700f4b61cbb9b7; b00f1e45ba39e72603841cbf269b6cba2d529236; 6ee1deeddad56fc06d6081c81a93ad4629761518; 5ce21781f712fa2ba91e0f60e5bcdf03e8db75f0; a5a1c1f50f12f2b49cc07a17e41d7850ec38e406; c5f02bdfc5abbcd8244f770f3405a3bcdf077b21; 8d2fc27b984d8e59b5569398b1e08487aacc3777; e64949597564f64501664ce45da488c5cb60b887 - Braking cog wheel logic and settings updates: updated terminology and settings based on axle traction type to improve simulation accuracy. Commits: 2d9d021c64559f4bca205f7fb39ec1739a46357c; c63e103f4d31e4ba24f0da9fde708c4586113607 - Locomotive axle drive types enumeration and parsing: introduced a new enumeration for drive types and updated parsing logic. Commit: b6f44453d2cbb540b0da06c5f1478035645b0d3b - Revert LocomotiveAxleDriveRailTypes enum and related parsing: revert test changes and remove the enum due to test issues. Commit: 8336a47c4416caa9460dc216589b82c2af5a7a70 - MSTSSteamLocomotive auxiliary engine handling fix: ensure non-booster engines are processed correctly with added trace logging for debugging. Commit: d8ac7b604e39063b2305fdc5a23fc23bc43dd759 Major bugs fixed: - Reverted LocomotiveAxleDriveRailTypes enum and related parsing due to test instability, stabilizing the input handling. - Fixes to auxiliary steam engine handling to prevent processing errors and to aid troubleshooting with trace logs. Overall impact and accomplishments: - Enhanced simulation realism and robustness for rack rail operations and steam locomotive dynamics, enabling more accurate testing and customer-facing demos. - Improved user experience through UI integration, clearer operation documentation, and traceable debugging improvements. - Strengthened code hygiene and maintainability with targeted refactors, test-driven adjustments, and related documentation. Technologies and skills demonstrated: - Systems modeling and physics-based calculations (tractive force, steam exhaust, water usage). - UI design and data presentation integration for rail operations. - Documentation, testing discipline, and traceability through logging and commits. - Cross-feature integration and change management with attention to test stability and rollback when needed.
January 2026
26 Commits • 15 Features
Jan 1, 2026January 2026 – OpenRails: Built a solid baseline and delivered high-value features with strong safety and configurability, while improving realism and maintainability. Major contributions include back-pressure volume control with documentation, rack railway enhancements (gear factor, components, rack steam engine control), transmission and tractive force tuning with parameter documentation, and robust configuration validation. Stability and quality gains from PR polish, HUD improvements, and comprehensive bug fixes (e.g., PR #1082 fix, adhesion fixes, boiler default fix, typing error). These changes reduce operational risk, improve simulation fidelity, and accelerate future development through improved documentation and parameter governance.
26 Commits • 15 Features
Jan 1, 2026January 2026 – OpenRails: Built a solid baseline and delivered high-value features with strong safety and configurability, while improving realism and maintainability. Major contributions include back-pressure volume control with documentation, rack railway enhancements (gear factor, components, rack steam engine control), transmission and tractive force tuning with parameter documentation, and robust configuration validation. Stability and quality gains from PR polish, HUD improvements, and comprehensive bug fixes (e.g., PR #1082 fix, adhesion fixes, boiler default fix, typing error). These changes reduce operational risk, improve simulation fidelity, and accelerate future development through improved documentation and parameter governance.
January 2026
December 2025
21 Commits • 6 Features
Dec 1, 2025December 2025 monthly performance summary for repository: openrails/openrails. Focused on delivering reliable control systems, AI-driven optimization, and maintainability enhancements while stabilizing integration. Key features delivered: - Back pressure control enhancements: improved back pressure handling and control with changeover dependency on cylinder back pressure, adjusted back pressure operation, and an attempted volume-controlled curve (with a subsequent revert). Representative commits include 1e9d30b9a622fa09de70e74bedf44f8aa98e16e9; b49a6938c659c932ad68a63fc7d37a37b28821e4; daa2c74f81a7faf19f9a71c3e255548aeeae8d27; 6fcbe31f0646b0c7002d75fdcf39b480a4ffc663; 6550dab08605c03a04271fe32828834e68b46da7. - Injector defaults configuration: adjusted default values for live steam injectors and injector type defaults to improve safety and correctness. Commits include a0547a3e7a0b335be664e169cff7bf8aedba0f2a; f3a4ef5b5744a20539e073b91537daa007a71eaf. - AI boiler feed algorithm improvements: iterative refinements to the AI-based boiler feed algorithm to enhance accuracy and stability. Commits include 971ab90bfde74cfadcea362a19ef726cb5e9824f; 89189d611cb0e303f945167b2cd74154f75deeaa; e500ca970a148f76692a4aad3fa39adc8bc88733; d80a7286cb54b00eb5752ae881551521a5550668. - AI-controlled motion pump and related control: tuning of the AI algorithm and refinement of AI control for the motion pump to improve responsiveness and stability, plus related motion pump operation enhancements. Commits include 02ddbfe532f32b0cf8f279670c81d1629331cfe6; 46c51cc87d6d57bf50eb80a495e708d47d094545; 619fc257e22dd6be226c398f4a82c8a6a9b6bfe4; 701642a4cd7e2ade82a8e9710181cec8f2f12fec; 4d46ee4470c5dbb744a8519f12c53a9e17901c67. - Documentation updates: manual improvements and boiler orientation notes to improve operator guidance and onboarding. Commits include af5bc46170ec1e5b438ee8ca9bd5a013be3f5df4; 58cc60104728e5dd6625577708cb30909b99bfdf. - Additional quality and maintainability work: general documentation of changes, review efforts, and alignment with project conventions. Major bugs fixed: - Locomotive sizing issue fix for large locomotives. Commit: b191a549844ad423a66ef77cdc4b3bbb6d3fd726. - Merge conflict resolution during integration to stabilize the main branch. Commit: b5918dfe2f9bdfc19a5b46493afe42d3ede649c8. - Conflict resolution fix to stabilize batch integration. Commit: 2e11e5cba92c2e86f0758749009c15229c835b35. Overall impact and accomplishments: - Improved system reliability, safety, and predictability of plant behavior through enhanced back pressure control, stabilized AI-driven feeds and motion control, and reduced integration risk. The changes enable safer startups, better efficiency in boiler operations, and faster, more predictable maintenance cycles. These efforts collectively reduce operational risk and support scalable future improvements. Technologies and skills demonstrated: - Control systems engineering (back pressure, boiler feed), AI-driven control, and motion pump dynamics. - Software maintenance discipline: defaults, configuration management, and documentation hygiene. - Collaboration enablers: merge conflict resolution and batch integration stability.
December 2025
21 Commits • 6 Features
Dec 1, 2025December 2025 monthly performance summary for repository: openrails/openrails. Focused on delivering reliable control systems, AI-driven optimization, and maintainability enhancements while stabilizing integration. Key features delivered: - Back pressure control enhancements: improved back pressure handling and control with changeover dependency on cylinder back pressure, adjusted back pressure operation, and an attempted volume-controlled curve (with a subsequent revert). Representative commits include 1e9d30b9a622fa09de70e74bedf44f8aa98e16e9; b49a6938c659c932ad68a63fc7d37a37b28821e4; daa2c74f81a7faf19f9a71c3e255548aeeae8d27; 6fcbe31f0646b0c7002d75fdcf39b480a4ffc663; 6550dab08605c03a04271fe32828834e68b46da7. - Injector defaults configuration: adjusted default values for live steam injectors and injector type defaults to improve safety and correctness. Commits include a0547a3e7a0b335be664e169cff7bf8aedba0f2a; f3a4ef5b5744a20539e073b91537daa007a71eaf. - AI boiler feed algorithm improvements: iterative refinements to the AI-based boiler feed algorithm to enhance accuracy and stability. Commits include 971ab90bfde74cfadcea362a19ef726cb5e9824f; 89189d611cb0e303f945167b2cd74154f75deeaa; e500ca970a148f76692a4aad3fa39adc8bc88733; d80a7286cb54b00eb5752ae881551521a5550668. - AI-controlled motion pump and related control: tuning of the AI algorithm and refinement of AI control for the motion pump to improve responsiveness and stability, plus related motion pump operation enhancements. Commits include 02ddbfe532f32b0cf8f279670c81d1629331cfe6; 46c51cc87d6d57bf50eb80a495e708d47d094545; 619fc257e22dd6be226c398f4a82c8a6a9b6bfe4; 701642a4cd7e2ade82a8e9710181cec8f2f12fec; 4d46ee4470c5dbb744a8519f12c53a9e17901c67. - Documentation updates: manual improvements and boiler orientation notes to improve operator guidance and onboarding. Commits include af5bc46170ec1e5b438ee8ca9bd5a013be3f5df4; 58cc60104728e5dd6625577708cb30909b99bfdf. - Additional quality and maintainability work: general documentation of changes, review efforts, and alignment with project conventions. Major bugs fixed: - Locomotive sizing issue fix for large locomotives. Commit: b191a549844ad423a66ef77cdc4b3bbb6d3fd726. - Merge conflict resolution during integration to stabilize the main branch. Commit: b5918dfe2f9bdfc19a5b46493afe42d3ede649c8. - Conflict resolution fix to stabilize batch integration. Commit: 2e11e5cba92c2e86f0758749009c15229c835b35. Overall impact and accomplishments: - Improved system reliability, safety, and predictability of plant behavior through enhanced back pressure control, stabilized AI-driven feeds and motion control, and reduced integration risk. The changes enable safer startups, better efficiency in boiler operations, and faster, more predictable maintenance cycles. These efforts collectively reduce operational risk and support scalable future improvements. Technologies and skills demonstrated: - Control systems engineering (back pressure, boiler feed), AI-driven control, and motion pump dynamics. - Software maintenance discipline: defaults, configuration management, and documentation hygiene. - Collaboration enablers: merge conflict resolution and batch integration stability.
November 2025
6 Commits • 1 Features
Nov 1, 2025November 2025 performance snapshot for repository openrails/openrails focused on delivering a high-fidelity injector model for MSTSSteamLocomotive and strengthening the codebase through targeted refactoring and diagnostics. The month prioritized business value through accurate simulations, improved logging, and maintainable changes.
6 Commits • 1 Features
Nov 1, 2025November 2025 performance snapshot for repository openrails/openrails focused on delivering a high-fidelity injector model for MSTSSteamLocomotive and strengthening the codebase through targeted refactoring and diagnostics. The month prioritized business value through accurate simulations, improved logging, and maintainable changes.
November 2025
October 2025
1 Commits • 1 Features
Oct 1, 2025October 2025 monthly summary for openrails/openrails: Delivered a targeted documentation quality improvement in the Sound Module. Corrected the misspelling 'automaticvally' to 'automatically' in sound.rst, enhancing clarity for users and contributors. The change was committed as a single, well-scoped update with clear traceability, without impacting code behavior.
October 2025
1 Commits • 1 Features
Oct 1, 2025October 2025 monthly summary for openrails/openrails: Delivered a targeted documentation quality improvement in the Sound Module. Corrected the misspelling 'automaticvally' to 'automatically' in sound.rst, enhancing clarity for users and contributors. The change was committed as a single, well-scoped update with clear traceability, without impacting code behavior.
September 2025
9 Commits • 2 Features
Sep 1, 2025September 2025 (openrails/openrails) focused on enhancing the audio subsystem and stabilizing simulation-triggered sounds to improve realism, reliability, and maintainability. Key work delivered this month includes a track-based sound effects system with configured parameters for track joints, concrete sleepers, and continuous playback; expanded trigger conditions for track joints, switches, and crossovers with axle-count handling; and accompanying route documentation to reduce onboarding time for teams adopting the feature. In parallel, a critical bug fix corrected the processing of two-axle train cars in the simulation, ensuring proper triggers for track switches and joints and corresponding sound triggers for eight-axle configurations. Maintenance work on the sound subsystem cleaned up code quality issues, resolved merge conflicts remnants, removed surplus triggers, and refreshed related documentation.
9 Commits • 2 Features
Sep 1, 2025September 2025 (openrails/openrails) focused on enhancing the audio subsystem and stabilizing simulation-triggered sounds to improve realism, reliability, and maintainability. Key work delivered this month includes a track-based sound effects system with configured parameters for track joints, concrete sleepers, and continuous playback; expanded trigger conditions for track joints, switches, and crossovers with axle-count handling; and accompanying route documentation to reduce onboarding time for teams adopting the feature. In parallel, a critical bug fix corrected the processing of two-axle train cars in the simulation, ensuring proper triggers for track switches and joints and corresponding sound triggers for eight-axle configurations. Maintenance work on the sound subsystem cleaned up code quality issues, resolved merge conflicts remnants, removed surplus triggers, and refreshed related documentation.
September 2025
March 2025
1 Commits
Mar 1, 2025March 2025: Delivered a critical bug fix in the Steam Sound Playback subsystem for the openrails/openrails project. By refining the steam cock pressure reduction factor calculation to account for locomotive state (throttle open, stationary or moving) and the presence of a superheater, steam cylinder sounds now play accurately across stationary and moving operations, improving realism and user immersion. The change reduces mis-synchronization of engine sounds, lowering support overhead and boosting perceived quality. The work also established clearer state handling and laid groundwork for future sound subsystem enhancements and test coverage. Commit referenced: 68d578cefb3356df73c623909b57acb78cc6017b.
March 2025
1 Commits
Mar 1, 2025March 2025: Delivered a critical bug fix in the Steam Sound Playback subsystem for the openrails/openrails project. By refining the steam cock pressure reduction factor calculation to account for locomotive state (throttle open, stationary or moving) and the presence of a superheater, steam cylinder sounds now play accurately across stationary and moving operations, improving realism and user immersion. The change reduces mis-synchronization of engine sounds, lowering support overhead and boosting perceived quality. The work also established clearer state handling and laid groundwork for future sound subsystem enhancements and test coverage. Commit referenced: 68d578cefb3356df73c623909b57acb78cc6017b.
Activity
Loading activity data...
Quality Metrics
Correctness86.0%
Maintainability83.6%
Architecture83.6%
Performance84.2%
AI Usage24.8%
Skills & Technologies
Programming Languages
C#RSTreStructuredTextrst
Technical Skills
AI DevelopmentAI integrationAudio ProgrammingC#C# ProgrammingC# developmentC# programmingCode CleanupCode RefactoringDocumentationGame DevelopmentObject-Oriented ProgrammingPhysics ProgrammingRefactoringSimulation
Repositories Contributed To
Overview of all repositories you've contributed to across your timeline