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Go 200+ mph:
Select "Simple Controls" in the options window, select
the Innsbruck to St. Anton route, select the starting
point to be St. Anton, and select the Flying Scotsman as
the train. Start the simulation. Detach from your train
(leave the tender) and press D until the regulator is at
100%. Wait, and your speed will exceed 200 mph.
At it's simplest level Train Simulator
can be used as an interactive screensaver, one of the
first options is the ability to take a virtual tour on
any of the lines with the AI driving the train.
Tutorials are included for the novice user to assist in
learning how to operate steam, diesel and electric
locos. However the bread and butter of Train Simulator
comes in actually driving (or operating) trains as the
virtual engineer. On selecting a route you are given an
option to explore in "free play" mode, though this is
still subject to speed restrictions etc. In practice
this is not always easy as every time you approach a set
of facing points you need to choose which leg of the
turnout you take. This can lead you up a dead end spur
or siding.
Also, in explore the route, there are no AI trains as
the dispatcher is inactive. Each route comes with a
number of pre-defined activities or work orders.
Depending on the route, these might be passenger or
freight operations and in addition to driving the train
you may also be required to switch cars in or out at
locations along the way, pick up or drop off helper
engines etc. This is so much more than in previous
simulations and adds to the sense that Train Simulator
is a complete virtual railroading experience. All the
routes (apart from the Kalispell branch on Marias Pass)
are fully signalled according to the rules and era of
the particular railway and under control of the
aforementioned AI dispatcher. It's quite something to
arrive on a crossing loop with a train waiting on the
opposite track. As you draw in clear the signal for the
other train changes to proceed and it departs! On the
Settle & Carlisle the semaphore signals change with a
satisfying "clank". Whether driving steam, diesel or
electric traction each type presents its own challenge.
Steam locos are the most demanding, particularly if you
switch off the AI fireman and attend to the boiler and
fire yourself. The workload this creates is very tough,
leaving little time for sightseeing but ultimately more
rewarding than just letting the computer take care of
things. Don't forget to switch the blower on before
entering tunnels or stopping though, or you will end up
well done to crispy when the fire blows back!
My only comment about the steam locos is that
acceleration seems a little brisk at times, at least
compared to what I have experienced travelling behind
steam. Diesel is quite a bit easier to handle, but on
Marias Pass this is countered by the fact you have to
manage a 50 or 60 car consist behind the locos -
possibly one mile long and 5000 tonnes in weight. It is
easy (actually too easy) to break a coupler if you mis-manage
the train handling. Everything you do from advancing the
throttle to making a brake application has to be planned
ahead and executed with regard to how it might affect
the portion of the train 1000 yards back.
Your performance is rated on how well you manage
passenger comfort and freight durability. Both the US
locos are fitted with dynamic braking but as implemented
in the simulation are not very effective. It should be
possible to slow and nearly stop a train on dynamics but
at 40 MPH on level track, full dynamic braking barely
retards the train. Simplest of all are the electrics,
particularly the Acela which is the Ferrari of the Train
Simulator collection. Very easy to get carried away with
this baby!
A number of visual aids are provided to assist in
operating the train. The most useful of these is the
Track Monitor which shows upcoming speed restrictions
and signal aspects or if you are being switched at a
turnout. You also get a projection of your "expected"
speed according to the route ahead if you continue at
current throttle or brake settings. In practice this
tends to fluctuate especially on undulating routes and
an indication of the actual gradients would have been
more useful. On a number of the routes (notably Marias
Pass, at East Java) you can experience quite abrupt
changes in gradient with little or no transition.
A few of the gradients seem steeper than they otherwise
should be, almost as if the developers have stuck
rigidly to the DEM data rather than referring to a
gradient profile. This is also probably the best place
to mention that curved track is not canted
(super-elevated on the outside curve) though one assumes
this is factored in to the physics. Other pop-ups tell
you how far to the next station stop, allow you to
manually switch points in yard limits for switching or
call up the train consist. Very useful for steam locos
or controlling the train in external view is a HUD view
which can be called up on the right side of the screen.
A couple of limitations - you can't change cabs, the
forward view is always from the primary traction unit.
So when reversing the train you need to do so in
external view. This effectively makes it impractical to
include lines where trains reverse en route, as you
can't change ends (in an MU train), run the loco round
the train and change cabs, or attach a fresh engine at
the other end facing the correct way.
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