Get up to hundreds of dollars of software for train Simulator 2021
For about $15
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$1 for the bottom tier is pretty good. I realized I had this from an earlier version (they seem to upgrade every year, rename it with year+1 and then your older ‘platform’ (heh) gets upgraded - I bought this in 2011 according to steam?).
I had a quick play of the campaign and everyone died (slowing down was not my forte, as I literally couldn’t find the brakes), so I’ll probably lose out on my performance bonus this year. 
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The only time I played a train SIM I crashed it… Come to think about it … That’s pretty much the same as I do With plane Sims 
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if you want, catch me on steam (stavka5) and i will tutorial you on train sims.
Honest question about train sims. Is it just a case of push lever forward to move and hit the dead man switch every 10 seconds or do you get involved with other stuff outside the train like line switches and station side stuff? I’ve often wondered what the hook is with them as they are clearly pretty popular and well recieved
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My last experience with a train sim was ‘Southern Belle’ on the ZX Spectrum back in 1986…
I’m guessing things have improved since then! 
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That was spectacular. That noise is going to be stuck in my head all night now lol.
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I can recognize Battersea Power Station, so the graphics were pretty good for the time. 
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I remember that game …now there is some memories 
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quick derail (he he), here is one from ages long ago especially for @Victork2
I spent many hours in front of small portable TV with a ZX Spectrum and a sligthly dodgy tape recorder and this game
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There are various levels of difficulty available depending on your choices. For instance, you can do absolutely everything manually, or you can have the game take some things off your hands.
The interface itself can also have variable difficulty.
This video is pretty typical, but it can also be much more complicated, for instance joining trains, using turntables and switches, etc.
There is also a train-sim out there called Run8 that actually scares me a bit as it looks more like actually doing the job than it looks like having fun pretending to do the job…
Anyways:
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For me I kinda like them but sort of get bored quite quick. When it does grab me to have a go it tends to be for:
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I like working out how to drive the steam trains, basically because they are steam trains
. Put it on ‘expert mode’ and cold and dark cockpit it. Lots of levers and things to figure out, so it feels like a sim really. -
Nostalgia on real-world places. I used to commute into London or live near things like the Dorset Steam Railway that we took the kids on, and it’s fun to drive a real train on places you recognize.
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The career stuff is kinda interesting, in that it’s scripted ‘missions’ that throw curveballs at you (a tree down on the track, running late behind another train etc) and the ‘mini game’ is really about managing your speed and signals. It’s really hard to get it right, in that know when to start lap braking when approaching a station, when to anticipate a second yellow light, when to hit the ‘dead switch’ system on the fast trains etc. That’s just the passenger side, as it’s also fun to take a massive North American train through the mountains with triple locos and brake cars etc.
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Making the horn sound is fun, especially going into a tunnel. I am a simple man.
It’s basically a flight sim where you can’t go up or down (or much of left/right). lol
I can see the appeal of people that love trains.
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I have all trainsims that exist for pc including some exotic ones and some rare to find ones (non pc also).
Boring or not is a matter of route and simulator deep of detail.
The mainstream complexity of a train sim is to controla huge train with 1000s of tons and get on schedule, because the route is not strait and level and you have traffic and some low speed areas, the big objective is to control the speed as close as possible (but always lower) than the max speed permit in the sector or situation (restrictions). So it not brakes like a car, and some locos from 80mph to 0 can take minutes and many 100s of meters to stop so it requires much planning and you have multiple controls. Also braking too much hard is bad because some brakes can take much time to release.
In trains sims you have mainly 3 types of big tasks: pax, cargo or switching.
Some places and simulators have very complex speed controls measures and signaling and believe that the care and attention that you should have not give you 1s to sleep like in Zusi 3.
With few exceptions mainly almost all addons and contents for train sims are covering uk, usa and germany. My fav ones are german ones because more scenic and average to high speed. Usually the most boring ones are the usa classic desert routes were manytimes you need to go +2h at 30 to 40mph.
But yeah, many also take that flying airliners are boring, other trainsims, its a matter of personal taste. Anyway, even at 30mph in a huge cargo train you move much more the controls than a trans atlantic cruise flight in a modern airliner…
In a very good trainsim you need to deal with signaling, traffic, schedule, speed control systems, and multiple ways of braking (with each having pros and cons).
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For steam locos i really recommend you the master pieces from Justtrains advanced series, its like the a2a of steam locos :D, you not have nothing close from competition, there everything is simulated including even the pitch angle of loco and inertia effects on the water tanks.
Master their locos and keep them running and still have power for the climbs is really a hard challenge and requires planning, strategy and well know the track.
If you buy them, read the manual fully!!!
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Mainly my trainsims are these ones with their big pros:
- Zusi 3 - professional simulation of german railroad
- Diesel Train Simulator - traffic schedule
- run8 - usa cargo (also have pax)
- TS21 - contents and steam locos
- TSW2 - engineer sim, not a loco sim (so you can walk around)
- ZDS - professional sim for russian electric locos
- Railfan 1&2 - visuals
Each one have very good features that others not have.
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In Run8 you have an amazing interesting unique feature of that sim.
When you have a huge (+100 wagons) train and imagine climbing you have few locos in front to pull the cargo BUT because you pulling and climbing, by gravity forces, all the cargo are trying to reverse downhill because gravity, so imagine all that gravity huge force of multiple 1000s tons trying to break the links/connectors between the wagons/loco. So if you do nothing for sure it breaks! To avoid it, you should insert some locos on the tail to push all the cargo and compact them to avoid links too much extension.
Its the only loco simulator were in the front locos you have the real panels were you can adjust the power distribution between front and rear locos to compact the wagons through the train.
Another even more complex sim is the ZDS were you have ALL internal electric/electronic panels (including the maintenance ones) and you should read and learn all the electric circuits of the loco and if you do mistakes you burn the engine 
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To be fair that all sounds a lot more interesting than I imagined it. I’m not a train person as such although I am a member of the Battle of Britain locomotive society (look it up, a great cause and a lovely machine)
I always just imagined that newer trains would be a bit like newer trucks, a lever for forward, an emergency brake and a dead man button. But you all make it sound a lot more interesting than all that.
For completeness sake, if you don’t already have it, you might consider Rolling Line. Its on sale for $16 right now.
Build your own model railway tracks and scenery or explore pre-made layouts, including 1000s of player-made layouts on the Steam Workshop! Play in virtual reality and on PC!
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@stavka Any thoughts on TS2021 versus the original TS? I never upgraded from TS, and am trying to decide if it’s worth spending any money on TS2021.