Microsoft Train Simulator

Complete Update 12-31-2008




Introduction

Most of us were fascinated by trains when we were kids. In fact, to be honest, I don’t know a kid that hasn’t been interested by trains one day or another. Sure when growing up this interest fades out for some, but for others it remains a real passion. I still remember I was always mesmerized to watch the fastest train of earth dubbed ‘TGV’ passing by at 314km/h on France’s railways: in fact I asked my parents to bring me to watch the ‘real’ thing every week or so because it was so exciting. At home I had (and I still have in fact) a LEGO train circuit with several trains running on it. Today I don’t have the time nor space to build trains anymore so I was very interested to learn Microsoft has launched the first real Train Simulator for PCs. Developed by Kuju entertainment this game has been announced since a while by Microsoft and is at last available. Not only will this game let you play with trains but you can also drive them to calm down your frustrations. Sure this game targets a niche market but it’ll be of great interest if you’re a train enthusiast! So let’s see how this game is.

Setup

Before you can leave the station driving your favorite train, you have to install the game. Microsoft Train Simulator comes on two discs.. Installing the whole game is far from being a breeze since more than 1.8GB of data will be copied! So first make sure your hard disk has enough space to fit the game, and don’t stay in front of the computer during the very long install process: go out and read the newspaper!

One good point however is that, since there’s no protection mechanism, the game doesn’t require the CD to be in the drive to work.

Game Features

Microsoft Train Simulator propels you to the controls of six of the most beautiful trains on six various real-life railways: from Austria, Japan, to the United States of America these ultra realistic landscapes are leaking reality. Every details (including soil elevation data), are transcribed on the hundreds of miles of lines available within the game. If you choose an urban train circuit you’ll see factories, buildings, stations, cars, trucks and much, much, more. Whether you choose to perform an actual journey with the Amtrak Acela Express train or an old school journey with the Flying Scotsman train, you’ll be amazed by the level of details the game offers as well as the beauty of the 3D graphics.


Official Game Site (MUST READ Before Installing):
Game Update
Train Simulator Update
7.37 MB

An update for Microsoft Train Simulator is now available for download.
This update for the English language (only) version of Microsoft Train Simulator addresses several issues.

Update:

Microsoft Train Simulator version 1 downloads
6 August, 2008

If you own the original Microsoft Train Simulator (version 1), the following updates may be of interest to you. Please be aware that Microsoft Train Simulator 2 is not yet available for purchase; the downloads on this page apply only to Microsoft Train Simulator version 1.

* Train Simulator Add-ons
* Train Simulator gmax Game Pack
* Train Simulator Update (version 1.2)
* Quick Reference Card
* System Requirements for Microsoft Train Simulator version 1

Train Simulator Add-ons

[October 2002]

Those who purchased Train Simulator can download two new locomotives, seven new cars, and new activities.

New content includes:

* Two new locomotives: BSNF SD40-2 diesel and UK Class 50 diesel
* Seven new cars: BNSF refrigerator car, BNSF two-bay cement covered hopper, caboose (with the awesome new caboose view) and four UK passenger carriages
* Two new activities for each locomotiveInstall the BNSF SD40-2 locomotive, 2 freight cars, a caboose, and 2 new activities:

DOWNLOAD SD40-2 NOW (18.4 MB)

Install the Class 50 locomotive, 4 passenger carriages, and 2 new activities:
DOWNLOAD CLASS 50 NOW (20.3 MB)
Train Simulator gmax Game Pack

[April 2002]

A game pack for use with the Autodesk gmax product is now available for download. With this game pack advanced users can create 3-D models and export them for use in Train Simulator. In addition to the game pack, there is a sample locomotive available for download.

Important: gmax software is no longer offered or supported by Autodesk.

DOWNLOAD GMAX GAME PACK NOW (3.84 MB)
DOWNLOAD SAMPLE LOCOMOTIVE NOW (5.67 MB)

After the download:

When asked to pick a driver, choose Direct3D. Also, make sure you use the "Trainsim Gamepack Gmax" icon in the game pack folder to launch your gmax game pack and not the gmax icon that appeared when you installed gmax. This Microsoft Train Simulator gmax Game Pack is intended for use with the gmax 3-D modeling program and is provided free of charge. Please do not contact Microsoft regarding product support or information regarding gmax. This Game Pack is provided without warranty or product support by Microsoft; its use is covered by the End User License Agreement which comes with the Game Pack.

Train Simulator Update (Version 1.2)

[April 2002]

An update for Microsoft Train Simulator is now available for download. This update of Microsoft Train Simulator addresses several issues. There is also a separate Tools update that includes updated versions of Conv3ds and MakeAce, and updated technical documentation for creating cabs and converting shapes and textures to a format that can be used in Train Simulator.

These two updates were previously available for download in one combined download; we have separated them to make the download smaller for customers who do not use the tools. We also decreased the file size of the tools documentation. No other changes have been made to the update; if you previously installed the Train Simulator update, you do not need to install this version.

DOWNLOAD THE UPDATE NOW (1.98 MB)
DOWNLOAD THE TOOLS UPDATE NOW (740 KB)
[19 April 2002]

The update is now available for German and French versions of Train Simulator:
DOWNLOAD THE FRENCH VERSION OF THE UPDATE NOW (7.37 MB)
DOWNLOAD THE GERMAN VERSION OF THE UPDATE NOW (7.37 MB)
[4 March 2002]

Quick Reference Card

The Train Simulator Quick Reference Card is now available for download. You'll need Adobe Acrobat Reader to view this file. If you have Acrobat Reader installed, click the link below to view the file, or right-click and choose Save As to save the file to your hard drive.

DOWNLOAD QUICK REFERENCE CARD NOW (1.79 MB)
System Requirements for Microsoft Train Simulator version 1

To play Microsoft Train Simulator, You need:

* Multimedia PC with a Pentium II 266 MHz equivalent or higher processor with 8 MB 3D video hardware acceleration or better, or a Pentium II 350 MHz equivalent or higher processor
* Microsoft Windows 95, Windows 98, Windows Millennium Edition, Windows 2000 or Windows XP operating system (Does not support Windows NT)
* 32 MB of RAM for Windows 95, Windows 98, Windows ME; 64 MB for Windows 2000
* 500 MB of available hard disk space for a minimum install
* Approximately 1.5 GB of available hard disk space for a full install
* DirectX 7. 0a API or later
* DirectX 7. 0a or later compatible 4 MB video card capable of 800 x 600 resolution in 32K colors
* DirectX 7. 0a or later compatible sound card with speakers or headphones for audio
* Quad- speed CD-ROM drive
* Microsoft Mouse or compatible pointing device
* Super VGA, 1-bit color monitor or better supporting 800 x 600 resolution


Additional Info:

Microsoft Train Simulator (known in the Train Simulator community also as simply MSTS 1) is a train simulator for Microsoft Windows, released in July 2001 and developed by UK based Kuju Entertainment. On January 19, 2007 Microsoft informed the community about the development of Train Simulator 2 based on the
Microsoft Flight Simulator X platform.

Original version features

Routes

The original game featured the following lines:
* Arlberg railway in Austria (Innsbruck Hauptbahnhof – St. Anton) in the 1930s, with the Orient Express
* Settle to Carlisle Railway line, with the "Flying Scotsman"
* Northeast Corridor (Philadelphia—Washington, D.C.) in the United States with the Acela Express
* Marias Pass in the United States with the BNSF Railway
* Odakyu Odawara Line in Japan with the Odakyu Electric Railway
* Hisatsu Line in Japan with the Kyushu Railway Company (or JR Kyushu)

Locomotives

* BNSF Dash 9
* BNSF GP38
* BNSF SD40(Unplayable)
* BNSF SD40-2(Received by patch or separate download)
* Amtrak GE Genesis(Unplayable)
* Acela Express
* HHP-8 Double Cab
* Metroliner AEM-7(Unplayable)
* LNER Class A3 4472 Flying Scotsman
* Royal Scot(Unplayable)
* GWR Pendennis Castle(Unplayable)
* British Rail Class 50(Received by patch or separate download)
* Gölsdorf 380
* Gölsdorf 310(Unplayable)
* Odakyu 2000 series
* Odakyu 7000 series LSE
* Odayku 30000 series(Unplayable)
* KIHA 31
* KIHA 140(Unplayable)


These original models were criticized by many people for being inaccurate. However, as with uktrain sim, people started creating and distributing their own models and other content through websites. New routes, trains, sounds, cab views, and other MSTS accessories are available either as freeware or payware from various websites and companies.

Editor

Included with Train Simulator was the Editors & Tools program, which mainly allowed the user to build railroads, or "routes", as they were called in MSTS. Users could also create activities for any route, create custom cab views, or edit the default ones.

Bugs

The original version contained many bugs, for example the "front coupling bug", where the locomotive's front coupler would not work, the "white void bug", where the route scenery disappears, leaving a white void, and the "end-of-the-line bug", where the locomotive, if it crashes through the last buffers on the route, would fall into an empty void. There are also issues with the signaling and AI dispatching.

However, through the work of people in the community, some of these bugs were either removed or avoided by applying "unofficial" patches to the program.[1]. The game is also somewhat unstable with a tendency to crash.

Version 1.2

Later, some more stock was added, including: Drivable SD40-2 with BNSF Heritage I paint, a Class 50 British Locomotive, new British Passenger Cars, a few new US freight cars, and a US caboose with a special "caboose view".

Version 1.2 also includes a few new activities for the new train equipment.

Credit Original Uploader

Complete Update 12-31-2008

All links checked 12-30-2008

Originally Posted by samkeymaster is great but sucks on Vista or the graphics do any way...lol but great post