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The BigFred lease system lets you hand temporary driving rights for one of your vehicles or trains to another user on the same layout session. Ownership never changes — you can reclaim the locomotive at any time, and the lease expires automatically when the timer runs out. Leases are the recommended way to let a club guest try your engine without giving up your account credentials or transferring your registration.

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How Leases Work

When you grant a lease:
  • The recipient (lessee) gains the ability to select and drive the target vehicle or train from their throttle.
  • You (the owner) keep full ownership — you can still edit the vehicle, remove it from the layout, or revoke the lease at any time.
  • An optional speed limit caps how fast the lessee can drive: if they push the slider above the limit, BigFred silently clamps the command at the limit value.
  • An expiry time counts down from the moment you create the lease. When it reaches zero, driving rights return to you automatically and the lessee’s throttle slot is released.
A lease covers exactly one target — either a single vehicle or an entire train consist. You can hold multiple leases simultaneously (one per vehicle or train you own).

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Granting a Lease

1

Go to the Rentals page

Navigate to Rentals from the main menu, then click the Granted tab. Alternatively, open any vehicle or train card and click the Lend button — this pre-fills the target for you.
2

Open the Lend dialog

Click the Lend button (handshake icon) in the top-right corner of the Granted tab. The lease creation dialog opens.
3

Select the vehicle or train to lend

Use the Target dropdown to pick the vehicle or train you want to lend. The dropdown lists every vehicle and train you own that is currently on the active layout. If you opened the dialog from a vehicle or train card, the target is already selected.
4

Choose the recipient

Start typing a username in the User field and select the recipient from the autocomplete list. Only users who are currently participating in the same layout session are shown.
5

Set a speed limit (optional)

Enter a value in the Speed limit field. This is a DCC speed step value in the range 0–127. A value of 0 means no cap — the lessee can drive at full speed. Any value from 1 to 127 caps the lessee at that DCC speed step; for example, 64 limits them to roughly half the decoder’s speed range.
The speed limit is enforced in the BigFred server, not just in the app. If the lessee sends a speed command above the cap — for example by using an external DCC controller — the server substitutes the capped value before it reaches the command station.
6

Set the duration

Enter the lease duration in hours and minutes. The minimum is 1 minute; there is no hard maximum, but keep in mind that the lessee holds driving rights for the full duration unless you revoke the lease early. A typical club session handover is 30 minutes.
7

Confirm

Click Lend. The lease is created immediately. The recipient will see the vehicle or train appear in their Rentals → Received list and can start driving it from the throttle straight away.

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Viewing Received Leases

Go to Rentals → Received to see every vehicle and train that other users have lent to you. Each row shows:
  • The name of the vehicle or train.
  • The login of the user who lent it to you.
  • A countdown timer showing how long you have left.
While you have an active lease, the target appears in your throttle setup dialog alongside your own vehicles and trains. There is no visual difference on the throttle slider — you drive it exactly as you would your own locomotive.

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Returning a Lease Early

If you finish driving before the timer expires, you can return the lease to the owner:
  1. Go to Rentals → Received.
  2. Click the Return button (reply arrow) on the lease row.
  3. Confirm the prompt. The lease is immediately revoked and driving rights return to the owner.

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Viewing and Managing Granted Leases

Go to Rentals → Granted to see every lease you have issued. Each row shows the target name, the lessee’s login, and the remaining time. Click any row to open the Lease Control dialog, where you can:
  • Extend or shorten the duration by updating the remaining time.
  • Change the speed limit without revoking the lease.
  • Revoke the lease immediately to reclaim the vehicle or train.

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Revoking a Lease

To reclaim a vehicle or train before its lease expires:
  1. Go to Rentals → Granted.
  2. Click the lease row for the target you want to reclaim.
  3. In the Lease Control dialog, click Revoke.
  4. The lease is cancelled instantly. The lessee’s throttle slot is cleared and they can no longer select the vehicle or train.

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The Lease Countdown Timer

When you are driving a leased vehicle, a countdown timer appears in the throttle UI. The timer turns amber when less than five minutes remain and red in the final minute. When the timer reaches zero:
  • The throttle automatically sets speed to 0 for that slot.
  • The slot is cleared — the vehicle or train is deselected.
  • Driving rights return to the owner.
Make sure you are in a safe stopping position before a lease you are depending on expires.

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Lease Takeover

In an interlocking session, the layout signalman can request a brief throttle takeover for safety purposes — for example, to stop a vehicle that is about to pass a closed signal. A takeover creates a short automatic lease (lasting up to 5 minutes) from you to the signalman. You will see a notification on your throttle; you have a 15-second window to accept or reject the request. If you do not respond, the takeover is granted automatically.
A takeover is a safety mechanism, not a manual lease. You cannot create a takeover yourself from the Rentals page. Takeover leases are listed alongside regular leases under Rentals → Received for the signalman and under Rentals → Granted for the driver.