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Making sure, for example, that you don't exceed the speed limit is a good thing, but not if you forget to stop for passengers while you're doing it. The activities are like having a stern instructor at your elbow, praising you for things done well and letting you know when you've blown it. And a hearty dose of ordinary freight operations that no one ever notices when they're done right. There's the earthquake-damaged track in Japan, murder on the Orient Express and medical emergencies in England. But what to do? Why not try an activity or two? Depending on the route, Train Simulator provides from six to thirteen different scenarios to challenge armchair engineers.
TRAIN SIMULATOR DEMO ONLINE HOW TO
Activity TimeĪssuming you've gotten a handle on how to handle the handles in the cab of, say, an Amtrak Acela, it's time to put some distance between you and your point of origin. And the source of efficiency on a train is whoever is handling of the controls. Trains, especially passenger trains, are supposed to run on time, neither arriving early nor showing up late. As in the real world, you can take a corner too fast in Train Simulator and find yourself well off the rails. In addition to the concise introduction to train physics, Train Simulator also has fine in-game tutorials (beginners are advised to start with the electric train) that provide the foundation for safe and efficient train operation. You turn the page and find yourself reading about tractive force and the coefficient of adhesion and realize the folks at Microsoft really are serious when they insist on your sustained attention. These trains are modeled so closely on real trains that the challenges are significant, and a little preparation can go a long way." Or, as it says on page 20 of the 90 page manual, "Before you start barreling down the track, we recommend you learn the basics of operating one of the three types of locomotives in Microsoft Train Simulator. Since this is a simulation and not a summer blockbuster, it takes more than showing up in the cab and grabbing at things to nudge these iron horses out of the barn. Other games may look better, but then they're not trying to model over six hundred miles of landscape at near-ground level. Whether sticking one's head out of the cab of the Flying Scotsman or sitting quietly in a passenger car and watching the Northeast Corridor slip by, Train Simulator delivers impressive, if not stunning graphics. All of these routes can be run in all seasons, in all weather, day or night.Īnd all these routes look good enough to sustain the illusion that one really is operating a train rather than manipulating a simulation.

Anton aka "the Orient Express"), England (the Settle & Carlisle Railway) and Japan (Tokyo-Hakone and the Hisatu line). These nine locomotives have been given more than 600 miles worth of track in the United States (Marias Pass in Montana and the Northeast Corridor), the Austrian Alps (Innsbrook-St.
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You're looking at two steam locomotives (the Flying Scotsman and the Golsdorf Series 380), three diesel locomotives (the GE-9-44CW or Dash 9, the GP38-2 and the Kiha 31) and four electric locomotives (the 2000 series, the 7000 LSE series and two versions of the Amtrak Acela). That might seem extreme until you consider just how much has been wedged into that space. It takes a heap'a hard drive to house a whole worldįully installed, Train Simulator takes up about 1.8GB. There is even an editor included to allow the process of add-ons to begin immediately. Like Microsoft Flight Simulator, the intention is to provide an open framework for ongoing development by Microsoft and anyone else.

Microsoft Train Simulator is not so much a single program as it is the cornerstone of what will likely become an edifice of expansion packs, sequels and third party add-ons. Those not seeking that experience are gently urged to look elsewhere.

For those seeking that experience, Microsoft Train Simulator will provide hours of deeply immersive entertainment. Perhaps by offering those who are not railroad, simulation or railroad simulation buffs this warning: this is a title aimed squarely at folks who really want the moment-to-moment experience of operating steam, electric and diesel trains, both passenger and freight, in all sorts of weather and in all seasons, all over the world. The reviewer's challenge posed by a title as richly complex as Microsoft Train Simulator is the challenge posed by all serious simulations: Where does one start?
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Read Full Review It's for Trainiacs, Trainiacs.
