Trainz--Can I learn from Software?

[SpaceMouse]

I'm bouncing all over the topic charts today.

I just read an old MR article about Trainz and MS Train Simulator.

Any one try these? What do you think?

[Anonymous]

MSTS is definently the best train sim out there. Well worth the money. And with all the add-ons, there's no limit to what you can get.

[cacole]

Trainz is a program from Australia with hundreds of add-ins from users around the world. In some ways it's better than Microsoft Train Simulator, depending on whether or not you have the latest version of Trainz, but is not as easy to use because Trainz is so much more complex. A very high speed CPU (3000 MHz+) and graphics card with 256 MB of RAM is a necessity or your graphics will be seriously degraded and jerky, even though the authors claim otherwise. Microsoft Train Simulator requires a lot of computer horsepower, too.

[Anonymous]

I like them both, but MSTS is better. [:)]

[Cox 47]

Space Mouse just wanted to tell you if I see your name on a topic I read it. You always ask interesting ?s. You always seem to be trying or doing some thing new. Keep up the good work Space Mouse Cox 47

[ereimer]

either of these programs are going to eat a serious amount of your time .... you've been warned !

[dinwitty]

I like them both for differing reasons.

If you want to accurately model a line, this is the way to go, I plan on South Shore and/or North Shore or both.

[fievel]

The real reason I finally broke down and bought a computer was to use Train
Simulator ![;)]
Great program ! I've never tried Trainz, but the screen shots look very interesting.

[Anonymous]

I don't have either program but I read recently that the MS Train Simulator was discontinued by Microsoft some time ago and they no longer support it. Don't know if this makes any difference or not.

Bob Boudreau

[Anonymous]

QUOTE: Originally posted by ereimer

either of these programs are going to eat a serious amount of your time .... you've been warned !

[#ditto] If you have a HUGE amount of free time [which I do NOT] then maybe you'll get some enjoyment from one of these. You'll need to take time learning how the stuff operates, then you could find yourself spending HOURS playing with virtual trains instead of getting any meaningful work accomplished on your layout or rolling stock.

Is it fun when you've learned how to use it? Definitely! But for that amount of time, I prefer trains I can physically hold in my hand[2c].

[SpaceMouse]

Quite frakly, I was hoping to get some experieince. There is a lot I am simply ignorant about when it comes to trains and their operation. I was hoping that if I had some virtual experieince, it would make my layout designe a little better. I have a ways to go in preparing the basement for my new layout and I want to get the layout as well thought out as possible.

[ereimer]

i have no experience with MS train sim , but i did play with Trainz for a while when it first came out . IF you spend the time on it that is required to learn how to make a 'layout' you can build a virtual copy of any trackplan and see what it is like to run it , so it could be a good tool to test your layout design . there are also a ton of user designed layouts available for free download , many of them incredibly well designed , so yes you could learn something about operation

Trainz is an amazing piece of software , but i stand by my original statement , it will eat a lot of your time that might be better spent working on your 'real' railroad .

[MisterBeasley]

I used to spend inordinate amounts of time on MS Flight Simulator. In fact, my wife encouraged me to pull my trains out of the attic, mostly to get me away from the computer and MSFS. I suspect MSTS is the same way, so be forewarned. (Last night, my "cockpit" was full of locomotives being cleaned and lubed. I agree that a train I can really handle and touch is far more alluring than a virtual 737.)

Flight Simulator and Train Simulator are both "open architecture." Microsoft publishes the internal specs, which makes it easy to produce add-ons. You can go out on the Web and download scenery and aircraft (or rolling stock) for either of these programs, most of it freeware. I don't have MSTS, but I suspect the internals are based on the same software. It wouldn't surprise me if you could download airport scenery from Flight Simulator and plug it into Train Simulator.

As a last note, AVSIM, one of the premier Flight Simulator sites, www.avsim.com, is also a major freeware download library for Train Simulator. If you click on Forums and scroll all the way down to the bottom, you'll find a Train Simulator forum to look at.

[Anonymous]

I have MSTS and i have found that it can be very addicting and time consuming. However it has helped when it came to constuction of my layout.

[Anonymous]

MSTS is great! I just downloaded my Chessie and CSX fleet!