The formulas utilized in OpenRail are not properly documented within the Help Information. Several Examples include CANT.

The Equilibrium Constant gives no useful information in the help documentation for understanding WHAT THIS VALUE IS. As a designer, you are expected to input a number. THIS NUMBER is not typically used in US rail design per AREMA. As such, in order for a designer to deal with this value, they have to figure out what the number should be within the software, which is pretty impossible.

I should not have to search the web, the forums, etc... in order to find information about what a number should be. Information should be included within the HELP documentation for the software that shows and explains HOW the number is used and WHAT is used in the Calculation.

For example, JPLN posted in the forums the following:

Equilibrium Constant:

EC=(Center rail to Center Rail distance)/(GravityConstant*3.6^2)

Example: EC=1500/(9.809x3.6^2)=11.799
9.809 is gravity constant in Paris. 11.8 is applied.

Help Documentation should show the following for ALL inputs:

• The Formula

• Where the Variables Come From

  • As an example, the Center Rail to Center Rail distance is taken from the Design File Settings under Rail (if that is even the case. Is it hard coded? Who knows!)

• Examples in BOTH Imperial and Metric

THESE PROBLEMS EXTEND TO MULTIPLE RAIL SETTINGS WITHIN THE SOFTWARE. It is particularly bad for US Rail design in that most of the formulas used are more European and also are typically in Metric.