Managing User Accounts in the BigFred Admin Console

Create, edit, and deactivate BigFred user accounts. Assign roles, set numeric PINs, and configure DCC address pools for each operator.

The Admin → Users page is your central hub for controlling who can log in to BigFred and what DCC addresses they are permitted to register vehicles at. Every account you see here maps to a single operator — you can create, edit, deactivate, and delete accounts from one table without leaving the page.

The Users table

Open Admin → Users to see all accounts. Each row shows:

Column	Meaning
Login / Organization	The login name (used for sign-in) plus the optional organization name. Your own row is marked You.
Role	Driver for regular operators, Admin for administrators.
DCC pool	A summary of the address ranges assigned to this user (e.g. 50–99, 3001–3010). A dash (—) means no pool is set and the user cannot register DCC vehicles.
Status	Active (green) or Inactive (amber).

Creating a user

1. Open the create dialog

   Click New User (the blue button in the top-right corner of the Users page).

2. Set the login name

   Enter a Login — this is the identifier the operator types when signing in. It must be 1–32 characters and may only contain letters, digits, dots, underscores, and hyphens (A–Z a–z 0–9 . _ -).

3. Optionally set an organization name

   The Organization field is an optional club or organization name (128 characters maximum). When set, BigFred displays it alongside the login name throughout the interface. Leave blank if the login name alone is sufficient.

4. Choose a role

   Select Driver for a regular operator or Admin to grant full access to the admin panels. See Roles below for details.

5. Set an initial PIN

   Enter a numeric PIN (4–12 digits). This is the operator’s password for logging in. You can communicate this PIN to the operator — they can change it later from Account → Change password.

6. Configure the DCC address pool

   Add at least one address range under DCC Address Pool. Enter a From and To address (both inclusive, valid range 1–9999). For example, 50 to 99 grants the operator addresses 50 through 99. You can add multiple ranges with + Add range.

   A user with no pool configured can log in but cannot register any DCC-addressed vehicles.

7. Save

   Click Create. The new account appears immediately in the table.

Editing a user

Click the pencil icon on any row to open the edit dialog. You can change the login name, organization name, role, and DCC pool at any time.

PIN rotation: The PIN field in the edit dialog is blank by default. Leave it blank to keep the user’s current PIN unchanged. Type a new PIN only if you need to reset their credentials — for example, if they are locked out. Remind the operator that only they can change their own PIN via Account → Change password; you as admin cannot see their current PIN.

DCC address pools

Every user needs one or more address ranges that define which DCC addresses they are permitted to register vehicles at. Ranges are set in the create or edit dialog under DCC Address Pool.

• Ranges are inclusive: From 100, To 199 covers addresses 100, 101, …, 199.
• You can grant multiple discontiguous ranges to a single user (e.g. 50–99 and 3001–3010).
• The valid address space is 1–9999.
• Vehicles without a DCC address (non-DCC dummy entries) are exempt from pool checks.

If a user’s pool does not cover an address they try to register, BigFred will reject the registration.

Deactivating and reactivating a user

Deactivation is the recommended way to suspend access temporarily without losing any of the user’s vehicles and trains.

• Click the lock icon on an active user’s row and confirm the dialog. The status changes to Inactive (amber).
• A deactivated account cannot log in. Existing sessions that were already in progress will continue until they expire naturally.
• To restore access, click the unlock icon on an inactive user’s row and confirm. The account returns to Active immediately.

You cannot deactivate or delete your own account while you are logged in. BigFred prevents self-lockout — the relevant buttons are disabled on your own row.

Deleting a user

Deletion is permanent. Deleting a user removes their account and all of their registered vehicles and trains. This cannot be undone. Unless you are certain the operator and their data are no longer needed, deactivate the account instead.

BigFred will refuse the deletion if the user still owns vehicles or trains in active use — the error surfaces inline in the confirmation dialog.

To delete a user, click the red trash icon on their row and confirm. Your own row’s delete button is disabled to prevent accidental self-removal.

Roles

BigFred has two assignable roles:

Role	Access
Driver	Regular operator. Can log in, select a layout, and drive locomotives in their DCC pool. Has no access to Admin pages.
Admin	Full access to all Admin pages — users, layouts, command stations, interlockings. Can create and manage all accounts.

Assign the Admin role only to people who should manage the installation. You can demote an admin to Driver by editing their account and selecting the Driver role, as long as you are not editing your own account.