ArtsAutosBooksBusinessEducationEntertainmentFamilyFashionFoodGamesGenderHealthHolidaysHomeHubPagesPersonal FinancePetsPoliticsReligionSportsTechnologyTravel

What is Train Simulator 2015?

Updated on January 31, 2015
Zakmoonbeam profile image

Michael has been an avid gamer and part time writer in more decades than he cares to remember.

Train Simulator? Is That Even a Thing ?

Ahem, time to release my inner nerd, geek or anorak train spotter and confess all. I know, I know, Zakkers me old mate, surely as a fan of flight simulators that are all whooshy and fast, surely you were pushing your boundaries far enough with Euro Truck Simulator (review link for those that missed it). But no, you had to go one step further didn't you. A train simulator...There's not even a steering wheel to change direction, its just "Full Steam Ahead.)

Look, it's a good game, with graphics, sound and everything! And STEAM achievements! Surely that makes it interesting enough to take a sneaky peek at? Besides, trains go fast too don't you know, and judging by the sales figures and extremely active forums, this is really, really popular.

This is the age of the train

Those who traveled on the Inter-City 125 often replaced the "C" of City with an "SH."
Those who traveled on the Inter-City 125 often replaced the "C" of City with an "SH."

Ok, Let's Have a Look Then

Good, I am so glad you are still with me! So, lets have a bit of background first. Railworks was developed by RailSimulator.com as a successor to Rail Simulator. Released in 2009 online and in stores (remember them? That's where we used to buy games. It involved getting a bus or driving to the shop, parking, walking, talking and handling actual money to receive an actual physical product rather than just a download)! It was updated a year later and released on Steam as well as DVD. 2011 saw the release of Railworks 3: Train Simulator 2012 but effectively dropped "Railworks" from the title. Jump forward a year and Train Simulator 2013 (effectively Railworks 4) was released.

But what do you get for your pounds, euros and dollars? As it turns out quite a bit, although I am sad to say that you get far less as a new purchaser of 2013, than if you had purchased 2012, which then would have had a free upgrade to the newest version. As such it does feel like new customers are getting screwed a bit, especially as they saw fit to remove the TUTORIALS in what can be a complicated simulation to get your head around, especially with the Steam locomotives.

Being a niche subject matter of course means that the price is also high, currently 42,99€ on Steam, but GreenmanGaming and Steam often have sales on.

Simply Stunning
Simply Stunning

Content Included in Train Simulator 2013

OK, lets look at what you get when you take the plunge.

The core simulation, which is incredibly accurate and includes realistic and where possible sampled sounds, functioning interior cockpits with clickable controls, realistically modeled physics and simply stunning graphics on both the stars of the show, the trains, and the locations and stations.

Three routes are currently included, London to Brighton, Munich to Ausburg and Sherman Hill.

Controls are either by keyboard and mouse, or (don't laugh) an Xbox 360 controller, which works surprisingly well! Also worthy of note is on online global leader board with a career system and quick drive option for a quick hoon about. Interactive task lists and maps for signalling are a must, and work extremely well and fluidly.

I saved the best for last. Not only does it have a built in editor for creating your own masterpieces but it also has built in Steam Workshop functionality, which allows the community to create their own routes and mods (modifications) and host them within Steam and Train Simulator 3 for the easiest mod management I have seen!

Brighton Station is beautifully modeled
Brighton Station is beautifully modeled
Whoops, forgot to close the doors!
Whoops, forgot to close the doors!

London To Brighton

  • Includes 50 miles of track from London Victoria to Brighton
  • Includes Class 377 Electrostar
  • Major landmarks include River Thames, Battersea Power Station, Clapham Junction, East Croydon and Gatwick Airport.
  • All Stations on the route are modelled
  • 3 Free roams and 12 scenarios.
  • Modelled systems include master key, cruise control, cab light, opening windows, movable blinds, depot whistle and Driver Vigilance Device.

Class 377 Electrostar is stunning in Train Simulator 3
Class 377 Electrostar is stunning in Train Simulator 3

Munich to Augsburg

  • Munich to Augsburg line is a German high-speed railway line.
  • Comes with the ICE 3 high-speed train.
  • 38-mile high-speed route.
  • Features the huge Munich Main Station complete with underground S-Bahn station.
  • Class 406 ICE 3M high speed electric train with functioning AFB, PZB90 and LZB
  • Class 101 electric locomotive with functioning AFB, PZB90 and LZB
  • Class 294 diesel locomotive with functioning PZB90

ICE 3 high-speed train
ICE 3 high-speed train

Conclusions

It is so tricky to put a rating on this one. Do you love trains? Do you love simulations? If so then this is going to be a 5 out of 5 for you. If one of the above is missing in you, then it would be best to do some research before jumping in. It is expensive, and purely due to the subject matter I feel it lacks involvement and interaction, especially on longer routes. That being said, it is extremely niche, and I have been enjoying it immensely despite it's shortcomings.

DLC needs to be mentioned here. There is a LOT of free content on the Steam Workshop, but much of it relies on having at least some DLC trains or routes, and these are expensive. Currently if you want to get all 112 (ish at time of writing) DLC add ons then get ready for a shocking price to the tune of 1766.88€ or 2278.75$.

Like I said, blinkin' pricey. But on the other hand, nothing else offers what is on offer here.

If you enjoyed this article

Please don't forget to click the green "Rate Up" button and "share" it with your friends via Email, Twitter, Facebook, or any other social networking sites.

Don't forget to leave a comment, I just LOVE comments!

Remember, if you need a sweet Flight simulator joystick, or HOTAS to fly with, check out my review!!

If civilian flight is you thing, check out The noobs guide to FSX or Microsoft Flight Review!!

Fancy a trip down memory lane? Why not have a look at some of the best Retro Flight Simulators from the 80's and 90's in this great roundup!!

For something rooted firmly in realism, I have also written an article on theSupermarine Spitfire.

Zakmoonbeam's Rating for Train Simulator 2013

4 stars for Train Simulator 2013
working

This website uses cookies

As a user in the EEA, your approval is needed on a few things. To provide a better website experience, hubpages.com uses cookies (and other similar technologies) and may collect, process, and share personal data. Please choose which areas of our service you consent to our doing so.

For more information on managing or withdrawing consents and how we handle data, visit our Privacy Policy at: https://corp.maven.io/privacy-policy

Show Details
Necessary
HubPages Device IDThis is used to identify particular browsers or devices when the access the service, and is used for security reasons.
LoginThis is necessary to sign in to the HubPages Service.
Google RecaptchaThis is used to prevent bots and spam. (Privacy Policy)
AkismetThis is used to detect comment spam. (Privacy Policy)
HubPages Google AnalyticsThis is used to provide data on traffic to our website, all personally identifyable data is anonymized. (Privacy Policy)
HubPages Traffic PixelThis is used to collect data on traffic to articles and other pages on our site. Unless you are signed in to a HubPages account, all personally identifiable information is anonymized.
Amazon Web ServicesThis is a cloud services platform that we used to host our service. (Privacy Policy)
CloudflareThis is a cloud CDN service that we use to efficiently deliver files required for our service to operate such as javascript, cascading style sheets, images, and videos. (Privacy Policy)
Google Hosted LibrariesJavascript software libraries such as jQuery are loaded at endpoints on the googleapis.com or gstatic.com domains, for performance and efficiency reasons. (Privacy Policy)
Features
Google Custom SearchThis is feature allows you to search the site. (Privacy Policy)
Google MapsSome articles have Google Maps embedded in them. (Privacy Policy)
Google ChartsThis is used to display charts and graphs on articles and the author center. (Privacy Policy)
Google AdSense Host APIThis service allows you to sign up for or associate a Google AdSense account with HubPages, so that you can earn money from ads on your articles. No data is shared unless you engage with this feature. (Privacy Policy)
Google YouTubeSome articles have YouTube videos embedded in them. (Privacy Policy)
VimeoSome articles have Vimeo videos embedded in them. (Privacy Policy)
PaypalThis is used for a registered author who enrolls in the HubPages Earnings program and requests to be paid via PayPal. No data is shared with Paypal unless you engage with this feature. (Privacy Policy)
Facebook LoginYou can use this to streamline signing up for, or signing in to your Hubpages account. No data is shared with Facebook unless you engage with this feature. (Privacy Policy)
MavenThis supports the Maven widget and search functionality. (Privacy Policy)
Marketing
Google AdSenseThis is an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
Google DoubleClickGoogle provides ad serving technology and runs an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
Index ExchangeThis is an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
SovrnThis is an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
Facebook AdsThis is an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
Amazon Unified Ad MarketplaceThis is an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
AppNexusThis is an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
OpenxThis is an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
Rubicon ProjectThis is an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
TripleLiftThis is an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
Say MediaWe partner with Say Media to deliver ad campaigns on our sites. (Privacy Policy)
Remarketing PixelsWe may use remarketing pixels from advertising networks such as Google AdWords, Bing Ads, and Facebook in order to advertise the HubPages Service to people that have visited our sites.
Conversion Tracking PixelsWe may use conversion tracking pixels from advertising networks such as Google AdWords, Bing Ads, and Facebook in order to identify when an advertisement has successfully resulted in the desired action, such as signing up for the HubPages Service or publishing an article on the HubPages Service.
Statistics
Author Google AnalyticsThis is used to provide traffic data and reports to the authors of articles on the HubPages Service. (Privacy Policy)
ComscoreComScore is a media measurement and analytics company providing marketing data and analytics to enterprises, media and advertising agencies, and publishers. Non-consent will result in ComScore only processing obfuscated personal data. (Privacy Policy)
Amazon Tracking PixelSome articles display amazon products as part of the Amazon Affiliate program, this pixel provides traffic statistics for those products (Privacy Policy)
ClickscoThis is a data management platform studying reader behavior (Privacy Policy)