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Onboarding

New layout owners start at Sign up (/signup), which continues straight into Get Started (/onboarding) — the onboarding wizard. A progress tracker shows every station on the line: Create Account → Name Layout → Support DEJA (optional) → Install Server → Connected

When you sign in and don't own a layout yet, Throttle opens Get Started for you. Your progress is saved to your account, so if you close the tab you pick up where you left off.

Onboarding Steps

Step 1 — Create Account

Sign up in Throttle using Google, GitHub, or email and password. The wizard starts right after — no second sign-in.

Step 2 — Name Your Railroad

Give your railroad a name — a unique layout ID is created for you automatically from the name and checked for availability.

Your layout ID scopes all data in DEJA — locomotives, turnouts, effects, routes, signals, and commands are all tied to this ID. Every new layout is seeded with one locomotive, DEFAULT DCC #3 at address 3, so there's something to drive right away — most decoders ship from the factory on address 3.

If you signed up with Google or GitHub — so never saw the sign-up form's optional news checkbox — the wizard asks once here whether you'd like DEJA news, tips, and launch updates by email: Yes, keep me posted, No thanks, or Skip. None of them holds up setup, and you can change your mind any time from Profile.

Step 3 — Support DEJA (optional)

DEJA is free. If it earns a spot on your layout, you can chip in to keep it growing — and nothing is locked either way.

  • $5/month is the suggested option. Use +5 to give more (or −5 to step back down toward the $5 default).
  • One-time $10 is there if you'd rather chip in once. It has the same +5 button.
  • Amounts run from $5 to $500 in $5 steps.
  • I just want to use the app skips this step.

If you choose to chip in, the next screen takes your card through Stripe. Some cards ask for an extra confirmation (3-D Secure); that happens right in the form. Skip for now is always available, and you can come back any time from Profile (/profile) › Your support.

Monthly donations are managed or cancelled from Profile › Your support › Manage.

Step 4 — Install Server

This step connects your railroad to the real world. It has three parts:

  1. Run the installer on the machine connected to your DCC-EX EX-CommandStation. On a Raspberry Pi, Mac, or Linux box:

    curl -fsSL https://install.dejadcc.com | bash

    On Windows, open PowerShell and run:

    irm https://install.dejadcc.com/install.ps1 | iex

  2. Connect your account by running deja login on that machine. The CLI shows a short one-time code and opens Throttle's Connect Server page in your browser — check the code matches your terminal, pick your new layout, and click Authorize. The CLI finishes on its own, and the server stays logged in from then on. Installing on a headless Raspberry Pi over SSH? Open the printed link from your phone or laptop instead.

  3. Start the server with deja start.

While the installer runs, the wizard rotates through setup tips & tricks. You can click Skip for now to explore Throttle first and install the server later. The setup steps are always available on Throttle's Home screen and the Devices page.

Step 5 — Connected

Once your DEJA Server is running, the wizard moves to its last station and checks whether your EX-CommandStation is plugged in:

  • Found and verified — a celebration screen: "Your railroad is connected!" 🎉, with a Start driving button.
  • No EX-CommandStation on the layout yet — an Add EX-CommandStation button opens device setup, or Skip for now to plug one in later.
  • Waiting for it — a spinner reads "Waiting for your EX-CommandStation…" while the server looks for it over USB; Skip for now is available here too.

Either way, this step also offers to install Throttle as an app on your phone (an Add to Home Screen card).

After Onboarding

Home shows a Set up your railroad card with the install steps until your server connects, then a welcome card. Your layout already has DEFAULT DCC #3 to drive while you add the rest of your fleet from the Roster — the quick-add row only needs the DCC address programmed into your decoder.

Once setup is done, Home also offers a short guided tour of the app and a throttle cab — skip it or take it, and replay it later from Settings → App.

Want hands-on help?

Rather have an expert set it up? Track & Trestle offers paid one-on-one sessions — see Support. The same sheet is reachable from the Get help entry in Throttle's nav dock, the command palette, and Settings › App › Help & support. (A screenshot of the Support DEJA step will be added in the screenshot pass.)