Computer Train Games

NSBrakeman Jul 18, 2000

  1. NSBrakeman

    NSBrakeman E-Mail Bounces

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    Can anyone tell me the best computer games for trains? You know, the ones where you can be the engineer and set out/pick up cars and the like? If you know of the best one with the best graphics, sounds, operational opprotunities, and view (from engineer's cab side), I would greatly appreciate it. This is my first computer game, so I would rather get the best on the market, no matter the cost. I'm sure there is over 20 variations, so all help is appreciated greatly! Thanks you guys.

    Dave North

    Route of the 400s
    Chicago and North Western
     
  2. tunnel88

    tunnel88 TrainBoard Member

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    I've never really seen any of these games so i guess i can't help... Usually i head to the layout when i want to 'play' with trains! [​IMG]

    Seriously, anyone know how sharp they are and stuff?
     
  3. ten87

    ten87 TrainBoard Member

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    My son and I like to play Lionel's TrainTown http://gregor.sierra.com/3dultra/traintown/ . It has something for beginner to advanced with lots of fun for a five year old and a 40 year old too. Plus the price is right, I picked it up for ten bucks at the local office supply store sale. Here is a screen shot: [​IMG]

    Ed Harrison

    [This message has been edited by ten87 (edited 18 July 2000).]
     
  4. StickyMonk

    StickyMonk TrainBoard Member

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    its not really the same type of game you want but i often play railroad tycoon II (and the expantion pack). i have never seen any of the operational ones as im not sure we can get them in england.

    go to www.railroadtycoon2.com for info

    and when you get good at it you can then play online [​IMG]

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    Matthew
    wheres all the C636's????
    stickymonk.com
    Matts Photo gallery
     
  5. Maxwell Plant

    Maxwell Plant TrainBoard Member

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    Me too Sticky! TY-II is what I play, but what I sometimes fire up the old 486 and play the original RR TYCOON. I've demoed a few of the "Run the train from the cab" games and didn't like them much.

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    RAILROADING-TO-THE-MAX!
    Brent Tidaback, Member #234 and a N-Scaler to boot!
     
  6. NSBrakeman

    NSBrakeman E-Mail Bounces

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    Not that I think those games are bad, but I am interested in the kind where your view is from inside the cab of a diesel locomotive. Anyone know about these kinds or should I post it on a different forum for computers and such?
    Thanks!!

    Dave North

    Route of the Streamliners
    Chicago and North Western
     
  7. Maxwell Plant

    Maxwell Plant TrainBoard Member

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    Dave, I thought I just said, "I've demoed a few of those 'run the train from the cab' games, didn't like them." I think you're in the right place, maybe nobody here has played them, or like me, didn't like them.

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    RAILROADING-TO-THE-MAX!
    Brent Tidaback, Member #234 and a N-Scaler to boot!
     
  8. Alan

    Alan Staff Member TrainBoard Supporter

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  9. Chessie_SD50_8563

    Chessie_SD50_8563 Permanently dispatched

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    I thought microsoft was suposed to come out with a "drive the train from the engineers side of the cab" simulation.

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    Theres no such thing as having to many coal hoppers or GP40-2 when you model Chessie System
    LONG LIVE THE KITTEN!!!
    LONG LIVE BIG BLUE!!!
     
  10. Gats

    Gats TrainBoard Member

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    There was an arcade game (sit-in type), I saw in Hong Kong, where you drove Japanese commuter trains from station to station. A version came out for Sony's Playstation as well.
    Yes, it was hard, and when you did something wrong, like overshooting the platform or charging through a speed restriction, and little anime girl would pop up in the lower left corner and scold you. Don't ask what she said - it was in Japanese! But the finger being waved did look mighty serious! [​IMG]

    Max, I run RR Tycoon from Win 98 on a clocked (450) Celeron 300 with no problems.

    Gary.

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    Gary A. Rose
    The Unofficial TC&W page
    N to the Nth degree!
     
  11. StickyMonk

    StickyMonk TrainBoard Member

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    <BLOCKQUOTE>quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Gats:


    Max, I run RR Tycoon from Win 98 on a clocked (450) Celeron 300 with no problems.

    Gary.

    <HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

    i used to have the origonal RR tycoon as well but even on my old computer a 166MMX win 95 it wouldnt run, i was told the computer was 2 fast, i wouldnt want to try it on my PIII...... might blow up [​IMG]



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    Matthew
    wheres all the C636's????
    stickymonk.com
    Matts Photo gallery
     
  12. ten87

    ten87 TrainBoard Member

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    <BLOCKQUOTE>quote:</font><HR>I thought microsoft was suposed to come out with a "drive the train from the engineers side of the cab" simulation.
    <HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

    I just saw the preview page for the Microsoft train simulation game. WOW! This looks like it is a train version of their infamous flight simulator. http://www.microsoft.com/games/trainsim/ Here is a screen shot:

    [​IMG]

    Ed Harrison

    [This message has been edited by ten87 (edited 26 July 2000).]
     
  13. NSBrakeman

    NSBrakeman E-Mail Bounces

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    COOL!!!! That's what I was looking for! Is it on the market yet? Do they have versions from inside of an older EMD cab? Thanks a lot, Ten87!

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    NS "We need more SD40s!!!" Brakeman
     
  14. FriscoCharlie

    FriscoCharlie Staff Member TrainBoard Supporter

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    Wow! That looks great! I would buy that. I have a laptop and I am always looking for things to entertain myself when I can't be online and I am worn out from working on a project. Right now I have a pool game on CD that is the most realistic thing that I have ever seen. The train game looks great. Looks like it will be some time though before it is available and I'm sure it won't be cheap.

    Has anyone ever played A TRAIN (I think it was called)? This was put out by Maxis, the same fols who gave us the addicting Sim City and Sim Farm (among others). It was a great game where you started building your railroad and the town built up around you. You started out small and if you did it right you ended up with skyscrapers and the whole thing.

    In the days before the Internet (as we know it) a friend of mine and I had that game and the computer crashed and that was the end of it. Anyone else remember this game? All the Sim City Classic stuff is available but that train game seemed to drop off the face of the earth. I have even done searches for it. There is no mention of it on Maxis' web site.

    Charlie

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    Ship It On The FRISCO!
     
  15. mtaylor

    mtaylor Staff Member TrainBoard Supporter

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    <BLOCKQUOTE>quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by E-8:
    Wow! That looks great! I would buy that. I have a laptop and I am always looking for things to entertain myself when I can't be online and I am worn out from working on a project. Right now I have a pool game on CD that is the most realistic thing that I have ever seen. The train game looks great. Looks like it will be some time though before it is available and I'm sure it won't be cheap.

    Has anyone ever played A TRAIN (I think it was called)? This was put out by Maxis, the same fols who gave us the addicting Sim City and Sim Farm (among others). It was a great game where you started building your railroad and the town built up around you. You started out small and if you did it right you ended up with skyscrapers and the whole thing.

    In the days before the Internet (as we know it) a friend of mine and I had that game and the computer crashed and that was the end of it. Anyone else remember this game? All the Sim City Classic stuff is available but that train game seemed to drop off the face of the earth. I have even done searches for it. There is no mention of it on Maxis' web site.

    Charlie

    <HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

    I bought this game with the "A-Train Construction Kit" when it first came out. I must have spent months playing this and the original "Sim City" back on my old 386. Now I run ten computers in my home running on a CAT 5 switched network. I used to havew dedicated Ineternet accesss before I moved, I can't wait till I get it again. A-train was great during it's day. I still have it but is does not run well on my PIII 500 [​IMG] I also played the heck out of Railroad tycoon. I also bought Railroad Tycoon II when it came out. good graphics but I thought the game play was not quite as good as Railroad tycoon. I will have to check out the evil empire's website (Microsoft....hey, I can say that I am MCSE) Like many others, I love computers and computer games. But I am itching to get my layout going.

    Cheers,
    Matt
     
  16. upguy

    upguy TrainBoard Member

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    E-8, I have an "A-train" program that I would be happy to sell to you. I never spent the time to really understand it. Personally I liked the original Railroad Tycoon better than the II version. My problem was I just wanted to operate the trains. The stock market and having to answer to the shareholders was a distraction, but I was able to solve that problem. Then I was disgusted when the program limited my number of stations. Who wants to retire after one hundred years of railroad management? Not me! I wanted to keep playing forever!

    With Tycoon II, I never seemed to master the game. I built my own map of the Oregon area and tried to run trains, but the time line and the industries never seemed to be in sync.

    I guess I'll just send time building my N-scale empire. [​IMG]

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    Rett
     
  17. StickyMonk

    StickyMonk TrainBoard Member

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    i used to have a-train and the construction kit for my old amiga... didnt know it was avalible for the PC

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    Matthew
    wheres all the C636's????
    stickymonk.com
    Matts Photo gallery
     
  18. eddelozier

    eddelozier TrainBoard Member

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  19. drbooher

    drbooher Guest

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    Here's another website with info about railroad computer games (lots of reviews):
    www.vernsrailpages.org.uk

    Check out the Trainmaster 4 page. It's supposed to ship this month. Looks like they beat MS to the punch. Interesting line at the end of the page:

    "If Bill Gates sees TM4, he will be weeping in his coffee and wondering why Microsoft have ignored this market."

    I guess Bill did see it [​IMG]

    Dwight
     
  20. Chris McDaniel

    Chris McDaniel TrainBoard Member

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    Microsoft's train simulator is supposed to be released in the Spring of 2001. We'll see! The developer is Kuju: (www.kuju.com/TrainWeb/trainindex.htm)

    I had the chance to play test this simulator almost two years ago. In fact, I thought the project had been dropped. If this simulator is anything like what I play tested (and it should be better), then Microsoft already has my 50 bucks.

    Also, looking at the descriptions and screenshots, it appears the developers actually listened to the suggestions we (rail fans and model railroaders) offered.

    During the test, we had the chance to run the Flying Scotsman over a few miles of trackage (from a country station to an industrial yard). The steam fans were really impressed. Carriages rocked in relation to the speed of the train. Smoke, steam, and vapor were very well modeled. They also included multiple cab, carriage, and trackside views. Everyone loved it.

    The main thing I like is the option for the user to edit the terrain and trackage. I intend to use this to help me in design my next layout (from an operational standpoint).

    BTW, Microsoft's Flight Sim 2000 was/is a hit. Pilot's have told me this flight sim is the best they've ever seen (to include real time - like now - enroute and terminal weather. If Microsoft brings that same level of detail to this rail sim, then we have a hit!

    Nope, don't work for Mr. Bill, but looking forward to a decent rail sim (finally)!!

    Look Ahead, Look South
     

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