If you ever dreamed of driving a steam engine, of raising and lowering pantographs dropping sand on the track or facing the loneliness of a long distance stint in the cab of a train, then Microsoft Train Simulator is for you.
A Train Simulator
Released in 2001, Microsoft Train Simulator gives the player the sought after opportunity to drive steam, diesel and electric locomotives across routes in Europe, Asia and the United States.
Coupling the technical basics with a realisation of the actual scenery en route, Microsoft Train Simulator does for trains what Flight Simulator does for aircraft.
With realistic sound effects, control mechanisms, and task-based journeys, this train sim is for anyone who never quite got what they wanted from Railroad Tycoon or A Train.
| System Requirements | Rating  |
Microsoft Train Simulator ships on 2 CD ROMs and requires a PC with a minimum CPU speed of 266 MHz with 64 MB RAM, a minimum of 500 MB of HD space, CD-ROM drive, and a 4 MB GFX card. A full installation will require 1.5 GB of HDD.
As with many retro XP titles, Microsoft Train Simulator benefits greatly from modern system hardware that really lets you get the best out of it.
Installation is slower than expected, probably due to the discs being designed for 16x CD ROM drives rather than modern multispeed combi drives.
Usefully, Microsoft Train Simulator includes PDF version of the manual in the installation, as well as Train Simulator Editors & Tools that allows the design and teaking of new maps and landscapes to power your locomotive through.
Microsoft Train Simulator Screenshots
| Train Driving Gameplay | Rating  |
Control of the Microsoft Train Simulator locomotive engines is via keyboard and/or mouse, configurable multifunction input device or by RailDriver, the specialist train sim controller for purists.
Most users will of course have a keyboard and mouse, and this option is absolutely fine. The tutorial is designed for keyboard and mouse users and proves a useful introduction toTrain Simulator.
As this is a simulation and not a straightforward game, Microsoft Train Simulator doesn’t really possess the usual difficulty, playability and addictiveness qualities. What it does possess however is a certain magnetism and fascination that will really only count for train enthusiasts – those of you who stare wistfully at viaducts and wander in awe around railway museums.
There are a variety of tracks and routes to choose from, each with its own train. Different trains require a different process to get moving, and it is this variety that lends Microsoft Train Simulator the degree of authenticity that is always required by simulator games.