Privacy Policy
Last updated October 11, 2026.
This policy explains what modelrailsim.com ("modelrailsim", "we") collects, why, and what you can do about it. modelrailsim is operated by Iron Rod Systems LLC, Salt Lake City, Utah.
What we collect
- Your account: your username, email address (and whether you've confirmed it), an optional display name, and your password, stored only as a salted, one-way hash (we can't read it).
- Google or Apple sign-in: if you use them, the provider's user ID for you, and the email (and, from Apple, the name) they share with us. With Apple you can choose to hide your email.
- Your game data: your saves, macros, settings, and the layouts you add or design are kept with your account, so they're there on any device you sign in on. A copy also stays in your browser.
- Puzzle results: each puzzle you finish (moves, time, efficiency, and whether you or the autopilot drove), for your personal bests and the leaderboard.
- Ideas and votes: the ideas you post and which ideas you vote for.
- Sign-in sessions: a random session token (we store only a hash of it), when it was created, and your browser's user-agent string, so you can stay signed in and sign out other devices.
- Security and usage records: counts of failed sign-in attempts per username and per IP address, kept for a short time to stop password guessing; when you last signed in; how many AI requests you make each day (for the daily limit); and a log of any action an administrator takes on your account.
What others can see
- The Ideas board is public. Anyone can read the ideas posted there, with the username of whoever posted them and how many votes each has. Who voted for what isn't shown.
- The leaderboard is public. It shows your username with your best runs. Runs the autopilot drove aren't shown there.
- Nothing else about your account (your email, saves or layouts) is shown to anyone else.
AI features
When you use an AI feature (solving a puzzle with AI, the end-of-puzzle assessment, the layout designer, or the check for similar ideas when you post one), the puzzle position, move record, your layout conversation and plan, or your idea and the ideas already on the board, is sent to our AI provider, Anthropic, to produce the answer. We don't send your password or email with it.
Emails
We email you to confirm your address, to reset your password when you ask, and, unless you turn it off on your Account page (or with the link in any of these emails), when an idea you voted for is planned, started, delivered or declined. No marketing emails.
Cookies
mrs_session: keeps you signed in (30 days, renewed while you use the site).mrs_oauth: a short-lived (10 minute) cookie used only while you sign in with Google or Apple.- When you create an account, Cloudflare Turnstile checks you're a person; it may set its own short-lived cookie for that check.
We don't use advertising or tracking cookies, and we don't sell or rent your information. Cloudflare Web Analytics counts page visits without cookies and without identifying you.
Who processes it
- Cloudflare hosts the site and the database, runs the sign-up check (Turnstile) and counts visits (Web Analytics).
- Fastmail delivers our emails.
- Google and Apple, if you choose to sign in with them.
- Anthropic, for the AI features, as described above.
How long we keep it
We keep your account and its data until you delete it. Deleting your account (from your Account page) removes your account, your saved game data, puzzle results, votes, sign-in links and sessions straight away. Ideas you posted stay on the board (they belong to everyone who voted for them) but are shown as from a "former member". Records of administrator actions are kept for security.
Your choices
From your Account page you can view and change your username, email and password, connect or disconnect Google and Apple, turn idea emails off, download a copy of your data, delete the game data saved to your account, sign out everywhere, and delete your account. You can withdraw an idea you posted while it's still open. For anything else, write to support@ironrodsystems.com.
Children
modelrailsim isn't directed at children under 13, and we don't knowingly collect their information. If you believe a child under 13 has an account, contact us and we'll delete it.
Changes
If we change this policy, we'll update the date above, and tell you on the site or by email for significant changes.
Contact
Iron Rod Systems LLC, Salt Lake City, Utah · support@ironrodsystems.com · +1 833-476-6763