# Microsoft Train Simulator (Anorak Warning)
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/microsoft-train-simulator-anorak-warning/401559
**Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share
**Created:** [April 25, 2007, 5:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/microsoft-train-simulator-anorak-warning/401559 "2007-04-25T05:55:32Z")
**Posts on this page:** 11
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@TheLoadedDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TheLoadedDog)
#### Post date: [April 25, 2007, 5:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/microsoft-train-simulator-anorak-warning/401559/1 "2007-04-25T05:55:32Z")
In order not to further hijack [this thread](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=415238) about model railways, I’m bringing the discussion I started about _virtual_ railroading over here. **Sapo** and **Happy Wanderer** asked me some questions about it, so I’ll answer those here, and also any other questions other dopers may have.
“What’s a virtual railway/railroad?”, I hear you ask…
It is to rail what flight simulators are to aviation. It’s a way to allow your inner engineer to be Casey Jones for a day. There are several different rail simulators out there, but I’ll talk about the most popular, and the one I use, and that is [Microsoft Train Simulator](http://www.microsoft.com/games/trainsim/), or simply MSTS as it is known in the rail simming community. This product was more or less abandoned by Microsoft about five years ago, and well, frankly, it shows. Even at the time, it wasn’t that flash, so it has a bit of a 1999 feel about it (although the official site is now saying there is a new one coming). But don’t let this put you off. The package comes with half a dozen or so routes, and once you’ve used these a few times, you’ll find they are pretty ordinary - _however_ add-on routes provided by third parties are often, much, much better, and the same can be said for third-party trains. Some of these routes and trains are payware, but most are freeware. Some download sites have limits and require registration, but others do not. I tend to only run Australian routes, and my knowledge of US ones is a bit thin, but I can point you all towards some good sites.
> **[온라인 카지노사이트 추천 검증 바카라사이트 생크림카지노](https://www.train-sim.com/)**
>
> 생크림카지노는 바카라사이트와 온라인카지노 추천의 최고봉! 꼼꼼한 먹튀검증과 순위를 통해 안전한 카지노사이트를 제공합니다. 검증된 사이트에서만의 최상의 경험을 즐기세요. 생크림카지노와 함께라면, 여러분의 게임은 더욱 풍부해집니다.
This site has a huge library of routes, locomotives, and rolling stock. You need to register. It’s free if you don’t mind having to try over and over to get a place in the download queue, or you can pay for easier access. There is also a forum.
> **[UKTrainSim](https://www.uktrainsim.com/)**
>
> Central Resource for the Train Simulation community, contains a massive File Library, latest News and Reviews, Forums and Live Chat!
As you would imagine, this is as above, only British.
[Steam4me](http://steam4me.railpage.org.au/trainsim/)
This is an Australian site, but even if you’re not interested in Aussie routes or rolling stock, I’d recommend this site for its excellent range of downloadable utilities and tweaks. It’s an easy download site with no registration nags or long download queues (though it is known to crash sometimes).
Now then…
In the other thread, **Sapo** asked if designing routes and scenery is easy. Well, I think the short answer is ‘no’. Long answer is: I am terrible at it, and I gave up early in the learning curve, however I have no 3D virtual modeling experience, and I just don’t have that sort of brain anyway. For the people who do it, they still find it demanding, but they get right into it and they seem to love it. It is possible to do this stuff with the set of editing tools that come with the main program, but apparently, most of the serious designers use other software. I’m not really up to speed on all that stuff, but if you look at the various sites I’ve linked to (especially Steam4me and the forums at UK train sim), the people there will be able to point you in the right direction. I believe somebody has even written a book on the subject.
**Happy Wanderer** , I’ve kinda already answered your question about where to find all this stuff. I’d recommend for you that after you install MSTS, and before you start installing add-on routes and trains, you download and install the following utilities: “Xtracks” (this is to trainsim what finescale track is to modeling, and some routes won’t work without it - the Microsoft rails are ugly), “NewRoads” (this is for enhanced AI road traffic - needed for some routes), and “MSTS-bin”, which is a major tweak to the MSTS code, and does a lot of great things to what is now an old program (be warned though - there are some issues with steam locomotives when using MSTS-bin). All of these are available free at the steam4me site.
And the inevitable screenshots:
[At the controls of an American locomotive](http://img211.imageshack.us/img211/1585/lx33mq.jpg) which is a little bit lost and is hauling a 5000 ton coal train to Sydney.
[Driver’s view from a 1920s style (no, really) electric commuter train](http://img229.imageshack.us/img229/3940/rattlerflyingcrossings9kr.jpg) negotiating a set of complex flyovers.
[Driver’s view from an evening suburban train](http://img229.imageshack.us/img229/4752/nearstanmore1xr.jpg)
I’d post some steam shots, but my hosting service is misbehaving…
You can just run about in “explore route” mode, in which there is no other traffic, and no railroading rules, or you can use one of the many activities out there (or make your own, which is pretty easy). A typical activity might be running a commuter train and trying to keep to timetable with the signals against you, or hauling an steam train with your water running low, or even just marshalling freight cars in a yard. Every era from Stephenson’s Rocket to the Shinkansen is represented (the Channel Tunnel is fun). Driving steam is interesting - it’s a bit like sailing a boat compared to operating a motorboat in that it keeps you busy and you are forever adjusting strange, arcane little levers and such. Electric urban stuff is fun in its way - trickier than it looks, and the massive freight trains are probably the most demanding - and rewarding.
All in all, it’s a good hobby, and you can get into it for $10.
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### Author:  [@Gleena](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gleena)
#### Post date: [April 25, 2007, 1:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/microsoft-train-simulator-anorak-warning/401559/2 "2007-04-25T13:14:03Z")
**TheLoadedDog** can I ask a quick train question?
I was driving the other day near Sydenham station and saw one of the old red CityRail trains, I think four cars worth. Where in the heck could those be going? They were headed away from the CBD, so I suppose they were leaving Central or somewhere near the Redfern works, but geez. It was kinda cool to see.
As far as train sims, thanks for the links - I like sims of all kids (except the Sims sims, I mean more Civ sims and so forth.)
Cheers,
G
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### Author:  [@TheLoadedDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TheLoadedDog)
#### Post date: [April 25, 2007, 1:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/microsoft-train-simulator-anorak-warning/401559/3 "2007-04-25T13:41:15Z")
Really? Was it an electric train? If it was, that’s unusual, because for various reasons of petty squabbling and internal politics in the rail heritage movement, the restored electric trains are not currently operating. However, if you saw a steam-hauled train, or even old carriages hauled by a diesel loco, it would have probably been something to do with a festival of steam held in the Hunter Valley last weekend.
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### Author:  [@Sunspace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunspace)
#### Post date: [April 25, 2007, 1:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/microsoft-train-simulator-anorak-warning/401559/4 "2007-04-25T13:54:38Z")
“Anorak Warning”?
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### Author:  [@yoyodyne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yoyodyne)
#### Post date: [April 25, 2007, 2:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/microsoft-train-simulator-anorak-warning/401559/5 "2007-04-25T14:29:55Z")
[http://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/h2g2/A742655](http://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/h2g2/A742655)
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### Author:  [@Sapo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sapo)
#### Post date: [April 25, 2007, 3:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/microsoft-train-simulator-anorak-warning/401559/6 "2007-04-25T15:42:45Z")
thanks for the links **TLD** , Although I don’t consider myself an expert, I do know my way around 3d modelling environments (some of my stuff is still around at [there.com](http://there.com), my name was _arepera_)
I am definitely more interested in layout designs than I will be in actually driving the train (although that sounds fun, I might get hooked). When I play with my kids trains set, I can easily spend a couple hours or more in a layout and then it takes me only a couple of runs to get bored with it.
Don’t be surprised when you download a setup made by \*arepera \* 😉
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### Author:  [@GaryM](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GaryM)
#### Post date: [April 25, 2007, 3:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/microsoft-train-simulator-anorak-warning/401559/7 "2007-04-25T15:54:58Z")
Has anyone tried Trainz? [http://www.auran.com/TRS2006/index.php](http://www.auran.com/TRS2006/index.php)
It’s a model railroad simulator publihed by the Auran group in Australia. I have two versions, but not worked with them lately. Lot’s of content to download and/or create.
I’ve not kept up with the latest developments though.
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### Author:  [@tdn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tdn)
#### Post date: [April 25, 2007, 4:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/microsoft-train-simulator-anorak-warning/401559/8 "2007-04-25T16:44:47Z")
Very cool. I sure hope it sucks less than Train Master.
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### Author:  [@Gleena](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gleena)
#### Post date: [April 25, 2007, 10:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/microsoft-train-simulator-anorak-warning/401559/9 "2007-04-25T22:53:36Z")
[QUOTE=TheLoadedDog]
Really? Was it an electric train? If it was, that’s unusual, because for various reasons of petty squabbling and internal politics in the rail heritage movement, the restored electric trains are not currently operating. However, if you saw a steam-hauled train, or even old carriages hauled by a diesel loco, it would have probably been something to do with a festival of steam held in the Hunter Valley last weekend.
[/QUOTE]
I don’t know if it was electric or not, to be honest - I was driving over the bridge on May St near Sydenham, and just noticed the train. But all the cars were the same, the engine matched the cards, so…? No steam either (I’d have noticed that.)
It was a 5 second glimpse, max.
Cheers,
G
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### Author:  [@TheLoadedDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TheLoadedDog)
#### Post date: [April 26, 2007, 12:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/microsoft-train-simulator-anorak-warning/401559/10 "2007-04-26T00:27:47Z")
[QUOTE=Gleena]
I don’t know if it was electric or not, to be honest - I was driving over the bridge on May St near Sydenham, and just noticed the train. But all the cars were the same, the engine matched the cards, so…? No steam either (I’d have noticed that.)
[/QUOTE]
Sounds like the cars and loco were in tuscan red with gold trim, hauled by a heritage diesel, so I’d wager that what you saw was the [Cockatoo Run](http://www.3801limited.com.au/cockatoo.htm), which goes down to the South Coast and Southern Highlands.
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### Author:  [@Gleena](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gleena)
#### Post date: [April 26, 2007, 7:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/microsoft-train-simulator-anorak-warning/401559/11 "2007-04-26T07:54:33Z")
Thanks heaps. 🙂
Cheers,
G