AVSIM Commercial Product Preview Train Simulator

The hobbies we choose are shaped by our life experiences, and I'm no exception. I've been deeply immersed in flight simulation for years, I think largely because I've spent my adult years in and around computers and the aerospace industry—yes, there were computers when I got an engineering degree in 1955; they just came in rooms full of boxes—and I built and flew gasoline-powered model airplanes throughout the '40s. But I haven't thought much about railroading for years, though I enjoy watching trains passing along the Interstate highways as I've traveled across the Western and Mid-western U.S. But minutes after loading our "Press package" CD Microsoft sent us I found myself fondly remembering my early teenage years as a serious model railroader.

So with Train Simulator I've come full-circle. And the potential is intriguing—let me tell you why.

Sure, it was fun to have a splendid layout occupying our entire attic, some 60 feet long and 40 feet across, in 'HO' gauge, of course. My Dad and I laid all the rail by hand, using brass spikes pressed into a milled wood roadbed. It had full electrical block controls with switches controlled by solenoids, and all the paper maché scenery you could imagine—even a truss bridge over the stair well (a Pratt Truss, of course <G>). What made it really satisfying, though, was the challenge of constructing custom locomotives and rolling stock.

Not from plastic kits, mind you. They were made from scratch from kits containing zinc embossed and silk screened car panels, brass ladders, cast trucks and couplings; the locomotives came in cast metal sections, and the running gear had to be assembled by hand. Really satisfying stuff.

So my expectations of a computer simulated railroad are probably not typical. What I'm really hoping is that MS Train Simulator (in association with Kuju Entertainment) is only the beginning of an open-ended hobby who's only limitation is your imagination—just as is the case with flight simulation with its aircraft (read locomotives/rolling stock) and scenery design tools and a thriving third-party development industry. The fun, as always, is going where you want to go and enjoying the equipment you like. And always having something new to learn.

Test System Dell XPS 800 MHz Windows 2000 Pro 256 Megs RAM GeForce 3 4X AGP 16X DVD CDROM SoundBlaster Value 3D Sound Mitsubishi 19" Monitor Amtrack's Acela rolling out of Baltimore, Maryland Cab view of the Bombardier/ALASTOM HHP-8 electric locomotive The GE-9-44CW (Dash 9) Diesel locomotive in BNSF livery You'll see trucks and cars at grade crossings, and lots more moving along adjacent roads This scene from a tutorial screen shows the text cues accompanying voice instructions Engineer's view of the Gölsdorf Series 380 locomotive Here's the famed "Orient-Express"... ...with a view of the entire train One of the Activity Editor screens

So how does Train Simulator stack up? My overall impression is that this is a very polished product. You choose from six venues and the appropriate engine type – steam (2 types), electric (3 types) or Diesel (another 3 types) – and passenger or freight rolling stock appropriate to the selected route and era. Although my tests were with a beta version (and with the display settings at max), the graphics are amazingly good; image transitions are smooth with only an occasional 'stutter' on my system (see box). There's plenty to learn from the excellent accompanying Engineer's Handbook (and software tutorials are included) and the well-implemented help files. Lots of flexibility in train control with plenty of surprises if you take grade transitions too fast or fail to sand the rails in time while climbing a mountain pass. On routes with double tracks you'll see trains passing in the opposite direction.

There's an "Activity Editor" to set such things as the objectives of your next run, season and weather conditions, fuel available, hazards encountered, and the like. With this you can assemble trains realistically (even adding another 'helper' locomotive), control switching to assemble cars in rail yards and to hold on sidings for passing trains, and more. There's also a Terrain Builder and a Route Editor that lets you create your own routes complete with textures and objects you select, stations and grades—terrain image files for the entire world, even Africa, are included.

You can also customize your locomotive's cab (placement of controls, etc.) and even repaint locomotives and scenery objects using your own 2D paint tool. All in all, it's as though Train Simulator appeared on the scene skipping all the versions Flight Simulator went through to get to a truly advanced state. BUT... will it be possible to create entirely new locomotives and types of rolling stock? I couldn't find any mention of this, so we'll just have to see what hobbyist developers can come up with.

The reason I think this important is because, as with Flight Simulator, you'll have lots of fun exploring Train Simulator "out of the box" and surely it will keep you occupied for many hours discovering what it has to offer. But then... as the classic "train sets" became uninteresting after awhile, you'll want to download (or to create yourself) other types of trains. Variations on '20s - '50s era steam locomotives—like the classic Union Pacific "Challenger" articulated locomotive with its dual sets of driving wheels—and a variety of rail cars of every sort. As with FS, you'll want to duplicate other classic railway stations, switching yard layouts, and other scenery that's unique to your area or interests. Hopefully Train Simulator will prove to be as "open-ended" as Flight Simulator and Fly!; if so Train Simulator's enjoyment potential will truly be endless.

What's In the Box?

I'll not provide in-depth coverage here as we'll be doing that in a future review of the released product (but there's an excellent rundown by Chris Kilroy of the current beta version at Train Simulator Online). So here's a quick look at Train Simulator's major features:

You can get an overall feel for the simulator by simply clicking "Drive a Train" and select from the Routes list that appears:

Northeast Corridor	Eastern U.S. seaboard	High-speed inter-urban corridor linking major U.S. cities
Marias Pass	Montana, U.S.	Steep grades, beautiful Rocky Mountain scenery
Tokyo-Hakone	Tokyo region, Japan	High-speed urban corridor leading to countryside near Mt. Fuji
Hisatsu line	Island of Kyushu, Southwestern Japan	Historic and scenic Japanese route
Innsbruck-St. Anton	Tyrolean region, Austria	1920s-era Orient-Express route through the Alps
Settle & Carlisle line	Northwest England	1920s-era rural route featuring famous Flying Scotsman

Then select Explore the Route from the Activities list. Here you choose a locomotive and control track switches to explore a particular route. You can select other activities for an "assignment" which gives you feedback on how you did (you'll want to read the Engineer's Handbook chapter on Operations first). Also there's information on operating locomotives in the How to Drive... Steam, Diesel and Electric locomotive chapters.

By now you'll be convinced you should explore the Tutorials too! These are voice-narrated guides to sim operations and locomotive type controls (these are accessed from the Home screen). As further evidence that this product is well thought out, in addition to the expected Help files there's also "Help while you're driving"—just pause the mouse over any item on any screen to see an appropriate tip at the bottom of the screen, point to a control or instrument and its identifying label (or optionally, its description) appears (as with FS), and "Driving aids" described in the Tools for Driving chapter are available. There's also an "Operations Notebook" feature that highlights appropriate key commands, operating procedures, and a progress summary. All in all a wealth of information to help you enjoy this unique simulation experience.

Incidentally, the keyboard and mouse commands are simple and straight-forward. There's a nicely-done 4-page color-coded Keyboard Shortcuts and Signals and Signs pamphlet to guide you.

Just as with FS there's a wide choice of views, selectable using the numeric keys:
<1> Front cab view
<2> External view - beginning from the lead locomotive
<3> External view - beginning from the train's last car
<4> Trackside view
<5> View from within a passenger car (look around using arrow keys or right mouse button)
<6> Coupler view - used in train assembly operations
<7> Yard view - used in train assembly operations (looking down),

You'll find the expected zoom and view "look left/right" and rotation controls. And there's additional view commands, accessed using the <F11> key. When you set up an activity for a particular route you're given a choice of starting location (station or milepost), however there's not a "Sim Rate" feature that would permit you to traverse to particular scenery quickly.

Another point worth mentioning is that you'll learn quite a lot about railroading from this sim, and especially from the Engineer's Handbook. Not only is there a wealth of definitions of railroading terms and descriptions of locomotive controls, but interesting schematics as well that show you how things work with real-world equipment.

It's hard to give you a feel for the experience Train Simulator offers without you seeing it in action for yourself. The accompanying images (click to view full size) will have to suffice here. But now that it's released you'll likely want to get it for yourself if you're at all interested in railroading. Especially if you've done any model railroading in years gone by!

You can keep in touch with developments in AVSIM Online's new Train Simulator - General forum, and also see our Train Designers and Scenery Designers forums. And periodically check Microsoft's Train Simulator home website for articles and other information posted there. A final note: This is a large sim requiring a minimum 500 MB of hard disk space; more as you add routes up to the six available. A full install is over 1 GB.