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[Anonymous]

I have the Microsoft train simulator and was thinking of adding Trainz and Train Master. I wondered if any of the members have tried these and what they recommend.

[Anonymous]

I have the Microsoft train simulator and was thinking of adding Trainz and Train Master. I wondered if any of the members have tried these and what they recommend.

[Anonymous]

Trainz got me back into model railroading.

Seriously; I've been literally in my armchair, neglecting my layout (and this forum) for a long while, and then I picked up Trainz on the cheap. I had MSTS before, and quickly tired of it because it didn't represent *my* railroad. Granted, with a lot of online hunting, I could amass enough custom content to make it feel like West Virginia, but it's a railroad simulator, not a modeling tool.

Trainz is a modeling tool. Within two weeks of purchasing it, I had already created a digital version of my actual layout so far, one that I can operate and view with total freedom and the added fun of weather and daylight cycles, cab views, etc. I've branched out a bit and tried creating some custom content, specifically repainting a locomotive in my own roadname, and found that it is approximately as difficult as doing the same thing to an actual model; in other words, I derived the same feeling of satisfaction from modeling in Trainz as I do from modeling in the "real world". It really helps as a pre-visualization tool, too, because I was able to complete some scenery in Trainz that has yet to be roughed in on the layout, and I got some great ideas by doing so. If you want to see some images, browse to:

http://members.nuvox.net/~on.paranoid/MyTrainz/screens.htm

Building your own layout is so phenomenally easy with Trainz! And, they are soon going to release the 2004 version, which might be a reason to wait to purchase, but like I said earlier, I got my copy of version 1.1 for extremely cheap ($9.99 at a retail store), and I like it so much more than MSTS.

[Anonymous]

Trainz got me back into model railroading.

Seriously; I've been literally in my armchair, neglecting my layout (and this forum) for a long while, and then I picked up Trainz on the cheap. I had MSTS before, and quickly tired of it because it didn't represent *my* railroad. Granted, with a lot of online hunting, I could amass enough custom content to make it feel like West Virginia, but it's a railroad simulator, not a modeling tool.

Trainz is a modeling tool. Within two weeks of purchasing it, I had already created a digital version of my actual layout so far, one that I can operate and view with total freedom and the added fun of weather and daylight cycles, cab views, etc. I've branched out a bit and tried creating some custom content, specifically repainting a locomotive in my own roadname, and found that it is approximately as difficult as doing the same thing to an actual model; in other words, I derived the same feeling of satisfaction from modeling in Trainz as I do from modeling in the "real world". It really helps as a pre-visualization tool, too, because I was able to complete some scenery in Trainz that has yet to be roughed in on the layout, and I got some great ideas by doing so. If you want to see some images, browse to:

http://members.nuvox.net/~on.paranoid/MyTrainz/screens.htm

Building your own layout is so phenomenally easy with Trainz! And, they are soon going to release the 2004 version, which might be a reason to wait to purchase, but like I said earlier, I got my copy of version 1.1 for extremely cheap ($9.99 at a retail store), and I like it so much more than MSTS.

[Anonymous]

I have used Train Master. While it is certainly behind MS-TS in terms of graphics and game play in general, it really does simulate train handling. It is a very good simulator of engine and train performance, including braking. If you have a 100 car train it certainly is reflected in the length of time for the brakes to be set or released.

While it does not have the bells and whistles I certainly recommend it. I have had more fun using it them MS-TS. There is also a free trial version that you can download to test it out.

-Joe

[Anonymous]

I have used Train Master. While it is certainly behind MS-TS in terms of graphics and game play in general, it really does simulate train handling. It is a very good simulator of engine and train performance, including braking. If you have a 100 car train it certainly is reflected in the length of time for the brakes to be set or released.

While it does not have the bells and whistles I certainly recommend it. I have had more fun using it them MS-TS. There is also a free trial version that you can download to test it out.

-Joe

[kevarc]

It depends on what you want. Trainz is a model RR simulator. MSTS & TM are sims. TM has the physics down, but limited graphics and options is severly limited. MSTS has its faults but with the work that has been done by the MSTS community most of them have been overcome.

[kevarc]

It depends on what you want. Trainz is a model RR simulator. MSTS & TM are sims. TM has the physics down, but limited graphics and options is severly limited. MSTS has its faults but with the work that has been done by the MSTS community most of them have been overcome.