diff --git a/builtin/game/misc.lua b/builtin/game/misc.lua
index 010974b0e..a7be274dc 100644
--- a/builtin/game/misc.lua
+++ b/builtin/game/misc.lua
@@ -114,11 +114,14 @@ function core.record_protection_violation(pos, name)
 	end
 end
 
-function freeminer.color(color)
-	assert(#color == 6, "Color must be six characters in length.")
-	return "\v" .. color
-end
-
-function freeminer.colorize(color, message)
-	return freeminer.color(color) .. message .. freeminer.color("ffffff")
+local raillike_ids = {}
+local raillike_cur_id = 0
+function core.raillike_group(name)
+	local id = raillike_ids[name]
+	if not id then
+		raillike_cur_id = raillike_cur_id + 1
+		raillike_ids[name] = raillike_cur_id
+		id = raillike_cur_id
+	end
+	return id
 end
diff --git a/doc/lua_api.txt b/doc/lua_api.txt
index 8fda137ae..5a1d49d03 100644
--- a/doc/lua_api.txt
+++ b/doc/lua_api.txt
@@ -2190,6 +2190,10 @@ These functions return the leftover itemstack.
     * Get rating of a group of an item. (`0` means: not in group)
 * `minetest.get_node_group(name, group)`: returns a rating
     * Deprecated: An alias for the former.
+* `minetest.raillike_group(name)`: returns a rating
+    * Returns rating of the connect_to_raillike group corresponding to name
+    * If name is not yet the name of a connect_to_raillike group, a new group id
+    * is created, with that name
 * `minetest.get_content_id(name)`: returns an integer
     * Gets the internal content ID of `name`
 * `minetest.get_name_from_content_id(content_id)`: returns a string