NEW TO TRAIN SIMS?

A BEGINNER’S GUIDE TO TRAIN SIMULATION ON YOUR PC

Driving trains on your home computer can be a hugely rewarding experience, not only proving to be enjoyable but also helping to improve your understanding of real-world railways.

Train Simulation hasn't been around for quite as long as Flight Simulation, and it's only in the past few years, since the arrival of Microsoft Train Simulator, Auran’s Trainz and, more recently, Rail Simulator from EA, that people have really sat up and taken notice of train simulation - even if they're not all interested in trains.

Some of the earliest train simulation software relied on basic 2D representations of trains mapped out on a signal box style control panel, putting users in charge of dispatching and scheduling trains at major stations. More modern simulators, however, have put computer users in the seat of the cab, controlling lifelike trains in full 3D virtual landscapes.

Taking your first steps in train simulation can be a confusing process if you don't know where to start, so we've put together a selection of Frequently Asked Questions to help get you on the right track.

Which trains can I drive and where can I drive them?

A huge amount of trains from right around the globe have been modelled for the various train simulators. Unlike flight simulation you can't just hop in an aircraft and fly wherever you want, and will be limited instead to where the route takes you.

Thankfully there's a large community of users who are developing their own routes and sharing them with other train simulation fans, through either free downloads or commercially available add-ons such as the Severn Valley Railway for Microsoft's Train Simulator or the West Somerset Railway for Trainz Railway Simulator.

Am I limited to just real routes - and can I create my own?

No, not at all! Whilst it's fair to say that you'll usually only find 'real' routes included with train simulators, there are a lot of fictional routes which are made by people who simply want to have fun driving trains - whether based on real-life operation or simply a masterpiece of imagination and creativity.

Yes, it is possible to make your own routes, although it does require quite a good understanding of how to use the tools to get the desired result. Microsoft's Train Simulator comes with a basic - but powerful - route editor tool, whilst Trainz has a much more user-friendly system which is built in to the main simulator and provides an easier to understand system for creating and editing routes, forming hills and valleys, painting the textures on the landscape, and positioning houses and other objects wherever you want them.

It's these route editor tools which have enabled hundreds of great add-ons to be released by people who have spent many weeks and months creating virtual masterpieces which have been enjoyed by the rest of the simulation community.

Will I need to be a computer expert to become a virtual Train Driver?

Although a basic familiarity with your computer is obviously a requirement, you certainly don't need to know the ins and outs of how it all works. Much of the software has been designed to be easy to use.

Most commercial add-on routes and rolling stock use simple installers which allow you to add the features of the expansion packs straight into your train simulator, but some of the freeware extras require you to manually add content by dragging and dropping files from a Zip archive - it's not complicated, and usually good instructions are supplied. If you get stuck there's usually someone willing to point you in the right direction.

Do I need a powerful computer to get started in train simulation?

You certainly don't need a supercomputer which could run the Space Shuttle, but it's fair to say that you'll need a reasonably powerful PC to get the most out of the more modern simulators - the sort of PC which you'd find at any good local computer retailer.

We’d suggest as a minimum that you have a PC running the Windows XP operating system, and that it has a processor with a speed of 2GHz or faster, 512Mb of RAM, a graphics card with 64Mb of RAM, 50Gb of hard drive space, mouse, sound card and speakers and/or headphones.

Ideally, though, you'll want the best hardware your budget can cater for, so ideally look for a computer with plenty of RAM and hard drive space and a good graphics card. Ensure that your PC has a DVD-ROM drive rather than a CD drive, as a lot of the latest add-ons and software are only supplied on DVD discs.

It’s worth noting that a good ‘business’ machine may not be as suitable as a machine designed for ‘games’ – the quality of the graphics card is particularly important for train simulation. Generally speaking, the better specified the PC, the better the graphics and fluidity of your train simulation experience.

Unlike Flight Simulation and most games, you don't need a joystick. Full control is usually managed with a combination of the keyboard and mouse, with a number of keystrokes being assigned to various locomotive functions such as accelerating, braking, whistle/horn, and the various camera views.

What exactly are a ‘standalone’ program, ‘add-ons’ and ‘freeware’?

A standalone program (such as Microsoft’s Train Simulator, Trainz Classics or Rail Simulator) is one that doesn’t need any further software for it to work. You can buy it, install it on your PC and use it.

With a copy of Trainz or Train Simulator you get a selection of routes and trains, giving you a good selection of places to go and locomotives to experience, but there is much more that you can add to improve your train simulation world. Add-ons (or expansions, as they are sometimes known) are extra programs designed to expand the simulator program in specific ways, such as providing extra rolling stock, routes, improved scenery, and so on.

Add-ons are exactly what the name suggests, and they require the host simulator for them to function. The particular program required is always clearly marked on the product, so you'll know if it's compatible with the simulator which you have.

Freeware refers to add-ons which are created by enthusiasts for others to share and are totally free! With an Internet connection you can download thousands of new locomotives, wagons, coaches, routes, scenery, activities and a selection of useful tools, many of which are of the very highest quality. There are numerous train simulation websites with enormous libraries of freeware, from which you can download as much as you like, perfectly legally!

Developers are constantly working hard to make the simulated experience as close as possible to real railway operation, and here are just a few types of add-on available to either buy or find for absolutely nothing in freeware libraries:

• Locomotives – everything from old steam engines to the very latest diesels and electrics, and even some future trains which aren’t available in real life yet.
• Rolling stock – carriages, trucks, engineers wagons, brake vans.
• Routes – everything from the well known routes to small branch lines, and even some completely fictional creations.
• Activities/sessions – Give yourself something different to do with your existing routes and trains.
• Utilities – manage your collection of locomotives and rolling stock, and generally keep your simulator in good working order to improve the experience and do more than even the developers originally expected to be possible.

And so much more...

Do I need an Internet connection?

Strictly speaking, no, although we’d strongly recommend it, otherwise you'll miss out on being able to access all the news and information on the various train simulaton websites, where you can also interact with fellow simmers on forums. Fast broadband internet access is preferable, as it provides an excellent way to obtain downloadable train simulation add-ons.

What’s the difference between downloads and boxed products?

Some add-ons are only available as boxed software on CD or DVD disk whilst some others are only available to download via the Internet, and of course some can be bought in both formats, depending on the buyer’s preference. Making products available to buy as downloads is becoming increasingly popular, thanks to the spread of broadband Internet access, and these products should work just as well as those provided on CD and DVD.

Do I need to be an expert in railways to enjoy train simulation?

Definitely not! While some understanding of the various railway terms will be handy for knowing what you are doing, it's not a requirement for simply getting started, and you'll soon pick things up.

The one thing which you will need to know about is signals - not an in-depth understanding, but just the basics which are fairly self-explanatory and are usually described in the manual supplied with the train simulator program.

Some people will enjoy simply hopping in the cab of an express train and driving it between stations or shunting freight in a siding, while others will happily dedicate countless hours ensuring the accurate operation of both their train and route - quite how much time and effort you put in to train simulation is entirely up to you!

How realistic are today’s train simulators?

They're as realistic as you make them, within the limitations of what is possible on a standard home PC, and while running through a red signal or crashing into the buffers isn't recommended, you won't end up hurting yourself if it happens in the simulator.

Visually, train simulation is getting more and more realistic all the time, with photographic textures being used to make life-like trains and scenery, and many months of development work being put in to creating accurately detailed representations of real routes.

Rail Simulator even includes 3D cabs which you can look around by moving the mouse, and which also feature dynamic shadows cast across the cab and controls from passing buildings and other line-side objects.

Online and Printed Resources

There are numerous websites for the train simulation enthusiast, each of which covers their own aspect of the hobby, with some specialising in a specific simulator or region of the world. As a starting point on the Web, we recommend you have a look at these major sites for news, reviews, forums and downloads:

UKTrainSim.com

Train-Sim.com

railsimulator.com

Railserve

NEED MORE INFORMATION?

If you’re interested in joining the growing ranks of virtual train drivers then we hope these FAQs have been helpful in getting you on the right track.

If there’s anything else you’d like to know, you’re very welcome to contact us by e-mail or make a post on our public forum, where the Just Trains team look in on a regular basis. The forum users are a knowledgeable bunch of enthusiasts who can be relied on to provide sensible and helpful answers to any questions you may wish to ask.