''Trainz'' is a series of
3D train simulator
A train simulator (also railroad simulator or railway simulator) is a computer based simulation of rail transport operations. They are generally large complicated software packages modeling a 3D virtual reality world implemented both as comme ...
video game
Video games, also known as computer games, are electronic games that involves interaction with a user interface or input device such as a joystick, controller, keyboard, or motion sensing device to generate visual feedback. This fee ...
s. The Australian studio
Auran
N3V Games (formerly Auran Development and later n3vrf41l Publishing) is an Australian video game developer and publisher based in Helensvale, Queensland, Australia. Auran is now operated as a holding company, with operations and development ced ...
(since 2007
N3V Games
N3V Games (formerly Auran Development and later n3vrf41l Publishing) is an Australian video game developer and publisher based in Helensvale, Queensland, Australia. Auran is now operated as a holding company, with operations and development cede ...
) released the first game in 2001.
The simulators consist of route and session editors called ''Surveyor'', and the ''Driver'' module, that loads a route and lets the player operate and watch the trains run, either in "DCC" mode, which simulates a bare-bones
Digital Command Control
Digital Command Control (DCC) is a standard for a system to operate model railways digitally. When equipped with Digital Command Control, locomotives on the same electrical section of track can be independently controlled.
The DCC protocol is de ...
(DCC) system for the simple stop-and-go of a basic model railway, or "CAB" mode, which simulates real-world physics and adds working cab controls.
Overview
In the route editor, Surveyor, the user can shape the landscape, paint with ground textures, lay tracks, and place buildings and roads. The user then operates the trains in Driver, either in free play, or according to a scenario called a ''Driver Session'' (previously called ''Scenarios'' in the early versions of ''Trainz'', ''Ultimate Trainz Collection'', and ''TRS2004'') which can range in difficulty from beginner to expert. In CAB (cabin) mode the train physics are more sophisticated than in DCC mode; adding real-life considerations such as wheel slip on the rails; how the weight of the consist slows acceleration and deceleration. Any train can be given directions to be driven by the computer.
Other software
The simulators are supported by a large library of
freeware
Freeware is software, most often proprietary, that is distributed at no monetary cost to the end user. There is no agreed-upon set of rights, license, or EULA that defines ''freeware'' unambiguously; every publisher defines its own rules for t ...
assets which can be downloaded from the N3V servers, referred to as Download Station (DLS). Unless users purchase a First Class Ticket with real money, download speeds for the DLS (both in Content Manager and directly through
File Transfer Protocol
The File Transfer Protocol (FTP) is a standard communication protocol used for the transfer of computer files from a server to a client on a computer network. FTP is built on a client–server model architecture using separate control and dat ...
on the Trainz website) are throttled, which tends to be a point of contention in the Trainz community. PaintShed is a simple program for aiding and easing the process of 'reskinning' traincars, altering their livery, by recoloring and adding new heraldry to ''Trainz'' locomotives and other rolling stock. The ''Content Manager'' (CM) module is a Windows program that allows management of the in-game database files. It was renamed under the name of ''Content Manager Plus'' (CMP) in ''TRS2006''.
Games
''Trainz''
While little-to-no information is known about this version of ''Trainz'', it originally started life as a set of downloadable files in 2000.
''Trainz 0.9'' was the CD-ROM beta that was mailed to testers by Auran. Like the file set, nothing is known about this beta of ''Trainz''.
''Trainz Community Edition'' was released in December 2001.
Service packs
In computing, a service pack comprises a collection of updates, fixes, or enhancements to a software program delivered in the form of a single installable package. Companies often release a service pack when the number of individual patches to a ...
1 (April), 2 (June) and 3 (November) were each released in 2002, these progressively updated the ''Community Edition, Trainz 1.0'' to versions 1.1, 1.2, and 1.3 successively. Two retail builds (retail versions releases) existed; the English/USA version is commonly known as ''Trainz 1.0''. (Box, which included
Gmax as an accessory is shown at right in lower left corner.)
''Trainz Retail Edition'' was released in June 2002 aimed at the United States and other North American markets.
Service pack 3 was released in November 2002, this updated both the ''Community and Retail Editions'' to version 1.3. Thus all USA versions are commonly known as ''Trainz 1.3''.
The ''Ultimate Trainz Collection'', or ''UTC'', was released on 26 November 2002 in North America as a 3-CD set including extra rolling stock, and a CD-ROM with TrainzScript-based scenarios and route map content based on Trainz 1.3 tech. This was the first edition to include the formerly separately retailed PaintShed program and support
RailDriver
RailDriver is a desktop cab controller for train simulation software. It replaces keyboard and mouse operation as far as possible to provide a more realistic train driving experience. It is designed to be compatible with ''Microsoft Train Simulat ...
,
as well as the first incorporating
Trainz user developed
freeware
Freeware is software, most often proprietary, that is distributed at no monetary cost to the end user. There is no agreed-upon set of rights, license, or EULA that defines ''freeware'' unambiguously; every publisher defines its own rules for t ...
content as part of the release, some of which became Trainz staple content in TRS2004 et al. through current releases.
''Trainz Railroad Simulator 2004''
Trainz
''Trainz Railroad Simulator 2004'' (known as ''Trainz Railway Simulator 2004'' in the United Kingdom), or
''TRS2004'', was released in September 2003. ''Trainz Railroad Simulator 2004'' incorporated a load of technical changes and these required many
bug fix
A patch is a set of changes to a computer program or its supporting data designed to update, fix, or improve it. This includes fixing security vulnerabilities and other bugs, with such patches usually being called bugfixes or bug fixes. Patche ...
es that were released as the four
service packs released through 2004 and 2005.
''Trainz Railroad Simulator 2004'' was the first version of ''Trainz'' to include interactive industries and loadable rolling stock capabilities, which allow the player to deliver various resources (such as coal, wood, and steel) and passengers to various industries and stations across the playable area. There were many industries included and much of the bundled rolling stock was updated to include this new dynamic loading and unloading animated capability with a corresponding load-state dynamic driving physics change in the handling of a consist. It was also the first version of the ''Trainz'' series to have built-in steam engines.
''Trainz Railroad Simulator 2004 Deluxe'' was a later 4 CDROM follow on with the first two service packs pre-installed. It also included PaintShed, and a bonus content CD.
This edition was also the first to support downloadable fan-made content, such as characters, buildings and scenery from the popular ''
Thomas & Friends
''Thomas & Friends'' (originally known as ''Thomas the Tank Engine & Friends'' and later ''Thomas & Friends: Big World! Big Adventures!'') is a British children's television series that aired across 24 series from 1984 to 2021. Based on ''The ...
'' franchise, which has since seen the birth of a massive community on
YouTube
YouTube is a global online video platform, online video sharing and social media, social media platform headquartered in San Bruno, California. It was launched on February 14, 2005, by Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, and Jawed Karim. It is owned by ...
involving users recreating episodes of the series using ''Trainz'', or creating their own original stories.
''Trainz Railway Simulator 2006''
''Trainz Railway Simulator 2006'' (known as ''Trainz Railroad Simulator 2006'' in the USA), or ''TRS2006'', was a transitional release, incorporating the stable Auran JET based TRS2004 GUI modules with only some graphics improvements, but introducing the data base manager Content Manager Plus (CMP) as a new core technology. ContentManager.exe (now called just CM) combines
data base
In computing, a database is an organized collection of data stored and accessed electronically. Small databases can be stored on a file system, while large databases are hosted on computer clusters or cloud storage. The design of databases s ...
management, and secure
FTP
The File Transfer Protocol (FTP) is a standard communication protocol used for the transfer of computer files from a server to a client on a computer network. FTP is built on a client–server model architecture using separate control and data ...
upload
Uploading refers to ''transmitting'' data from one computer system to another through means of a network. Common methods of uploading include: uploading via web browsers, FTP clients], and computer terminal, terminals ( SCP/ SFTP). Uploadin ...
and
download
In computer networks, download means to ''receive'' data from a remote system, typically a server such as a web server, an FTP server, an email server, or other similar system. This contrasts with uploading, where data is ''sent to'' a remote ...
facilities and special user definable filters all in one integrated system. By defining a good filter, the user could'' 'selectively not see' ''the clutter of regional items in the Surveyor asset selection menus saving user time when world building. This important filtering feature was further improved in Trainz 2009, becoming far more powerful and easier to use. In addition to these improvements, several new routes were included, such as Hawes Junction (representing a small section of the
Settle and Carlisle Railway and serving as a demo for TC3), Toronto Rail Lands 1954 (representing Toronto's sprawling railyard in 1954), and Marias Pass Approach (representing the BNSF Marias Pass line between
Shelby, Montana
Shelby is a city in and the county seat of Toole County, Montana, United States. The population was 3,169 at the 2020 census.
History
Shelby was named in honor of Peter O. Shelby, General Manager of the Montana Central Railway. A railroad st ...
and
Cut Bank, Montana
Cut Bank is a city in and the county seat of Glacier County, Montana, United States, located just east of the "cut bank" (gorge) along Cut Bank Creek. The population was 3,056 at the 2020 census, The town began in 1891 with the arrival of the G ...
and serving as a demo for the full Marias Pass payware route). TRS2006 was published in September 2005, and the base release with its single service pack formed the core of the regional releases (most are joint ventures with 'Trainz Partners' combining payware content provider's products with the base Trainz software) over the next four years until the introduction of new technologies in TC3 and TRS2009. In Germany, it was published by Bluesky-Interactive, as ''ProTrain Perfect''.
''Trainz Driver''
''Trainz Driver'' (also known as ''Trainz Driver Edition (TDE)'' in the USA) is a version of ''Trainz Railroad Simulator 2006'' released in 2005 lacking the Content Manager and Surveyor GUI world building module, having only the Driver and Railyard modules. Note this is precisely the formula utilized with the 2011-2016 release of iPhone and iPad based Trainz releases, as well as the new Driver 2016.
* The package includes three large routes with 21 driver sessions, all set in North America. ''Trainz Driver'' is the first instance when Auran turned to blatant marketing measures to boost sales. Current CEO Tony Hilliam had taken on an increasing role in company management beginning in 2005, and by 2008 would end up a principle investor in Auran with rights to develop and distribute the Trainz franchise.
* Over the same three-year period, Auran licensed eight separate'' 'Regional releases' ''based on the stable JET2 (TRS2004/TRS2006) game engine
[See other sections on this page: 1) Trainz Routes (Routes), 2) Trainz Driver (TDE), 3) Trainz the Complete Collection (TCC), the three Trainz Classics: 4-6) ''TC1, TC2, & TC3'', 7) TRS2007 and 8) TRS2008] releases aimed at opening new market niches. These versions had few game improvements,
[Neglecting Gcard interface (next footnote), only Trainz Classics 3, v2.8 had changes which impacted the data model guidelines content creators had to follow—and those affected virtually only locomotive modeling, leaving most content creation standards unchanged.] and Driver and Surveyor were technically equivalent to The TRS2004-TRS2006 games, albeit, given new skins and better graphics interfacing. Prior to those releases, if you had a high end graphics system, to let the game know about your superior hardware you had to edit an ini file called TrainzOptions.txt with apropos height and width entries.
''Trainz Railroad Simulator 2007''
''Trainz Railroad Simulator 2007'' (abbreviated as ''TRS2007'') was the second release targeting a regional market distributed by
Anuman Interactive
Microids (formerly Microïds) is a French video game developer and publisher based in Paris. Founded in 1985 by Elliot Grassiano, it attained early success with games published through Loriciel in France and other partners (including Activision ...
for sale in France, Belgium and Switzerland. There were initially two versions: the standard version which consisted of ''Trainz Railroad Simulator 2006'' with Service Pack 1 applied, and the ''Gold'' edition, which included French regional add-on items.
;TRS2008
*
Halycon Media
Halcyon is a name originally derived from Alcyone and Ceyx, Alcyone of Greek mythology.
Halcyon or Halcyone may refer to:
Arts and entertainment
Television
* Halcyon (TV series), ''Halcyon'' (TV series), a Virtual Reality murder mystery on S ...
later distributed ''Trainz Railroad Simulator 2007'' with German region-specific content for the
British
British may refer to:
Peoples, culture, and language
* British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories, and Crown Dependencies.
** Britishness, the British identity and common culture
* British English, ...
, Austrian, and Swiss market. This release version of ''TRS2007'' was not available in American markets, though the ''Gold'' edition content was included in later games.
''Trainz Classics (TC1—TC3)''
''Trainz Classics'', also abbreviated as ''TC'' (TC1, TC2, TC3), is a series of 3 standalone ''Trainz Railroad Simulator 2006'' joint venture customizations put together by Auran and different professional providers of third party content. Unlike typical Trainz releases which feature a round-the-world sampling of content typical to different regions of the planet, the Trainz Classics versions feature a large railroad layout with plenty of special professionally written sessions exploiting the featured railroad. Trainz Classics 3 renewed evolution of the Trainz base technologies incorporating various changes to the older stable four-year-old data models resulting in the publication of a new .pdf fil
TC3 Content Creator's Guide
TC1 focuses on the
Metro-North Railroad's Harlem Line
The Metro-North Railroad Harlem Line, originally chartered as the New York and Harlem Railroad, is an commuter rail line running north from New York City to Wassaic, in eastern Dutchess County. The lower from Grand Central Terminal to Sou ...
in the 2000s (due to
EMD FL9
The EMD FL9 (New Haven Class EDER-5) is a model of electro-diesel locomotive, capable of operating either as a traditional diesel-electric locomotive or as an electric locomotive powered from a third rail. Sixty units were built between October 1 ...
locomotives still being in service), TC2 focuses on a freelanced city called "Modula City", featuring European trams running in the city and to an island (a demo version was included with TRS2004). TC3 focuses on the famed
Settle-Carlisle Line from
Skipton
Skipton (also known as Skipton-in-Craven) is a market town and civil parish in the Craven district of North Yorkshire, England. Historically in the East Division of Staincliffe Wapentake in the West Riding of Yorkshire, it is on the River Ai ...
to
Carlisle
Carlisle ( , ; from xcb, Caer Luel) is a city that lies within the Northern England, Northern English county of Cumbria, south of the Anglo-Scottish border, Scottish border at the confluence of the rivers River Eden, Cumbria, Eden, River C ...
in the late 1950s/early 1960s during the steam-diesel transition.
Demos of Modula City and the Settle-Carlisle line were included in ''TRS2006'', along with a limited amount of content in unrefined states.
The content from Trainz Classics 1 and 2 were later released as built-content for TS2009 and TS2010, and can be downloaded from the DLS for all future games. Trainz Classics 3 was re-released as an expansion pack for all subsequent games as the ''Settle & Carlisle Route,'' with extra content added from the original release (some of the Mark 1 coaches in BR Blue were also included by default in these versions due to being used in the consists of trains on the built-in
East Coast Main Line
The East Coast Main Line (ECML) is a electrified railway between London and Edinburgh via Peterborough, Doncaster, York, Darlington, Durham and Newcastle. The line is a key transport artery on the eastern side of Great Britain running broa ...
routes).
''Trainz – The Complete Collection''
Released 13 June 2008. This is a large compilation, containing three DVD's: ''Ultimate Trainz Collection'', ''TRS2004'', ''TRS2006'', ''Trainz Routes'' (volumes 1–4), and ''Trainz PaintShed''.
''Trainz Simulator 2009: World Builder Edition''
Released in 2008, ''Trainz Simulator 2009'' now has improved Surveyor capabilities and a new skin; the version contains the first actual software game engine advances that harnessed the increased RAM and video card memory asset utilizations and was the
''TS2009/10'' also support the new specs, additionally they support DXT graphic compression transparently, and multi-core processors which the earlier versions did not. When running under a 64 bit operating system these programs can use 4 gigs of memory, ''TC3'' and earlier versions are limited to 2 gigs of memory
''Trainz Simulator 2010: Engineer’s Edition''
''TS2010'' introduced improved graphics capabilities and Speedtree technology with a new skin variant. ''TS2010-SP2'' introduced the use of 64 bit processing while retaining a compatibility mode with older 32 bit computer architectures.
Service Pack 4 introduced an early version of multiplayer, but also controversially removed Compatibility Mode that enabled the use of older content that was marked "Faulty" due to stricter code enforcement.
''Trainz Simulator'': iPad, Android
To celebrate the 10th anniversary of ''Trainz'', N3V Games released a ''Trainz'' app for the
iPad
The iPad is a brand of iOS and iPadOS-based tablet computers that are developed by Apple Inc. The iPad was conceived before the related iPhone but the iPhone was developed and released first. Speculation about the development, operating s ...
on 4 December 2010. Users can lay tracks, drive trains. Users have access to Driver and Surveyor and can create routes and drive trains with the help of tutorials. An
Android version of the game was released on 22 July 2011 and has the same features as the iPad version. The app is a port of ''Trainz Simulator 2009''.
''Trainz Simulator 12''
''Trainz Simulator 12'', or ''TS12'', was released on 12 April 2011. Among other upgrades, this product offers a variety of new routes,
doppler effect
The Doppler effect or Doppler shift (or simply Doppler, when in context) is the change in frequency of a wave in relation to an observer who is moving relative to the wave source. It is named after the Austrian physicist Christian Doppler, who d ...
support, satellite view, and a
multiplayer
A multiplayer video game is a video game in which more than one person can play in the same game environment at the same time, either locally on the same computing system (couch co-op), on different computing systems via a local area network, or ...
feature for the first time (multiplayer was publicly tested in ''TS2010''). A Trainz 10th Anniversary Boxset was announced which includes the game and other extras. The game was initially released for pre-order on 18 March 2011 as part of the limited-edition ''Trainz 10th Anniversary Collector's Edition''. A certain amount of content from previous versions was removed from this release, making it the first release since Trainz 1.0 to feature all and only new routes and related assets. Like most Trainz releases, the package contains only content vetted for the new technology, which in TS12 needed to be updated for compatibility with 64 bit computers. However, much of the content (not all of it) from the previous versions was released on the Download Station (DLS) in an updated form as of the end of 2012 under an initiative known as the "Download Station Cleanup".
''My First Trainz Set''
''My First Trainz Set'' was designed for the younger generation who do not want to worry about realism or management when playing the ''Trainz'' game. The game features 4 locations to lay track in that are based on rooms throughout a house, such as a bedroom or kitchen. The user has the ability to place down small toy-like objects in the replacement of buildings and scenery. However, its graphical quality of the trains, track, and objects is still very much like that of the standard ''Trainz'' simulator games. Controls are also far more simplified. The game was also ported to
Android devices.
''Trainz Simulator: Mac''
''Trainz Simulator: Mac'' was a port of ''Trainz Simulator: 2010 for Macintosh''.
''Trainz Driver'': iPhone
''Trainz Driver'' leveraged the work done porting Trainz Simulator onto iPad and brought the driving aspect of the Trainz franchise to mobile phones for the first time.
''Trainz Simulator 2 Mac''
''Trainz Simulator 2 Mac'' was released on 27 March 2014 via the Mac App Store, which amongst other things, introduced an online multiplayer feature. It is a port of ''Trainz 12''.
''Trainz Driver 2'': iPhone
''Trainz Driver 2'' leveraged the iPad updates and introduced the powerful route editing tools to the phone. It has ''TS2009''’s game engine built into it.
''Trainz: A New Era''
''Trainz: A New Era'' is, as noted in the new naming convention, a new beginning for the Trainz franchise. In November 2013, a
Kickstarter
Kickstarter is an American public benefit corporation based in Brooklyn, New York, that maintains a global crowdfunding platform focused on creativity. The company's stated mission is to "help bring creative projects to life". As of July 2021, ...
campaign for the game was launched to help fund the game and the new purpose-built game engine. The campaign reached its target funding level a month later. Contributors were awarded prizes ranging from desktop wallpapers, First Class Tickets for the Download Station, full copies of the game, and various additional content depending on the amount pledged.
* The game utilizes a new custom designed 64 bit game engine, which features far more realistic (lifelike) graphics, slightly improved train physics, and various other new features and improvements led by a top ten hit-list drawn up by the user community on the forums between September and November 2013.
* Subsequently, a download only release, ''the 'TANE Community Edition' ''was released in mid-December 2014. The new game was officially released as a retail version for wide distribution on 15 May 2015, though it was rather bare bones, lacking many normal User Interface features such as Content Manager hotkeys, a working minimap and like UX multiplier factors.
* A whole series of bug fixing hotfix software updates were forthcoming throughout the year, and often these would incrementally improve UI lacks and so gradually raise the UX. A long delayed Service Pack 1 finally passed a succession of hurdles which had new BETA Candidate Replacements updating the last until finally six-to-seven weeks late, a SP1 release build heralded a new stage of stability and capability in mid-January, 12 January 2016 instead of Halloween.
[, By Tony_Hilliam, 12 January 2016, access-date=2016-03-24] Major Kickstarter contributors also could participate in Beta testing in addition to a dedicated in-house employee team testing new code; so hundreds participated in moving the new technology into matured stability. Two hotfixes followed after just a month and a half, one after the other a week apart on 11 March 2016 (build 81190)
[, By Tony_Hilliam, 11 March 2016, access-date=2016-03-24] and 18 March 2016 (build 81296),
[, By Tony_Hilliam, 18 March 2016 - Service Pack 1 Hotfix 2 addresses a map (route) saving issue introduced in the previous update, making in a very highly recommended update., access-date=2016-03-24] but normal UI to recapture UX operations of earlier Trainz aside from Driver, are still lacking in hotfix2. Several of the CM hotkeys were reinstated with the second hotfix, and N3V has announced that Service Pack 2 beta candidate builds will be forthcoming soon, implying the rapid rebuilding of the Trainz customary UX may not be far behind.
''Trainz Railroad Simulator 2019''
On 11 May 2018, N3V Games announced a new version of Trainz featuring better graphics, Physically-Based Rendering, Parallax Occlusion Mapping and more content than ever before. Early Access was made in July 2018 and the game was officially launched 7 January 2019. It is also the first entry in the series since TRS2006 to feature the "Trainz Railroad Simulator" moniker. Possibly to avoid confusion with "Train Simulator" by Dovetail Games. The game uses whole-game DRM in all versions, whereas certain versions of ''Trainz: A New Era'' could be purchased and run offline. This requires that the game is connected to the internet at least once a month in order for the game and content to continue functioning. TRS19 is primarily being offered as subscription model, although a one-time purchase (but with the monthly DRM check still required) is also available via the Trainz Store and Steam. It also has the ability to download content from the Download Station (DLS) while in the game; though without the purchase of so-called "first class tickets" (limited-duration speed upgrades) the download speed is severely throttled.
Full Editions
There are two editions offered:
* Standard Edition - The baseline version, which includes six routes: Kickstarter County 2 (an updated version of the Kickstart County route from T:ANE), Canadian Rockies - Golden, BC (featuring the Canadian Pacific Mountain and Wildemere subdivisions, on which the
Rocky Mountaineer
Rocky Mountaineer is a Canadian rail-tour company based in Vancouver that operates luxury scenic trains on four rail routes in British Columbia, Alberta, Colorado, and Utah.
History
Via Rail Canada
The Rocky Mountaineer concept was created b ...
runs), Sebino Lake, Italy (representing the
Ferrovienord
Ferrovienord (prior to 2006, Ferrovie Nord Milano Esercizio) is an Italian transport company managing the network of regional railway concessions owned by the group in northern Italy. It is a subsidiary of Ferrovie Nord Milano.
History
The compa ...
line from Brescia to Pisogne in the 1980s), Niddertalbahn (representing
Main-Weser-Bahn from Bad Vilbel to Stockheim), Edinburgh-Dundee (representing the
East Coast Main Line
The East Coast Main Line (ECML) is a electrified railway between London and Edinburgh via Peterborough, Doncaster, York, Darlington, Durham and Newcastle. The line is a key transport artery on the eastern side of Great Britain running broa ...
from
Edinburgh Waverley
Edinburgh Waverley railway station (also known simply as Waverley; gd, Waverley Dhùn Èideann) is the principal railway station serving Edinburgh, Scotland. It is the second busiest station in Scotland, after Glasgow Central. It is the north ...
to
Dundee
Dundee (; sco, Dundee; gd, Dùn Dè or ) is Scotland's fourth-largest city and the 51st-most-populous built-up area in the United Kingdom. The mid-year population estimate for 2016 was , giving Dundee a population density of 2,478/km2 or ...
in 1976, serving as an extension of the main ECML route from King's Cross to Edinburgh in T:ANE), and Cornish Mainline and Branchlines (representing the
Cornish Main Line
The Cornish Main Line ( kw, Penn-hyns-horn Kernow) is a railway line in Cornwall and Devon in the United Kingdom. It runs from Penzance to Plymouth, crossing from Cornwall into Devon over the famous Royal Albert Bridge at Saltash.
It directly ...
and its associated branchlines just after the formation of
British Railways
British Railways (BR), which from 1965 traded as British Rail, was a state-owned company that operated most of the overground rail transport in Great Britain from 1948 to 1997. It was formed from the nationalisation of the Big Four British rai ...
in 1948)
* Platinum Edition - this includes everything in the standard edition plus unified camera and surveyor options, and an additional content bundle
Regional Editions
2019 saw the release of regional versions, with content (routes, locomotives, etc.) specific to certain parts of the world (and only those parts):
* World Edition - Containing all six routes and related content, this is a new name for the standard edition
* North American Edition - Only comes with Kickstarter Country 2 and Golden, BC
* United Kingdom Edition - Only comes with Kickstarter Country 2, Edinburgh-Dundee, and Cornish Mainline and Branchlines
* European Edition - Only comes with Kickstarter Country 2, Niddertalbahn, and Sebino Lake, Italy
Subscriptions
A different way of purchasing Trainz is by paying a monthly subscription cost. This gives you access to the game and its contents as long as you remain a subscriber.
* Trainz Plus Membership - This gives you access to the standard game and all updates, as well as accelerated downloads ("first class ticket")
* Trainz Gold Membership - In addition to the Plus membership, you gain access to pre-release content, "nearly all" DLC, and promotional features
''Trainz Simulator 3'': Mobile
A port of ''Trainz Railroad Simulator 2019'' for mobile devices was released around August 2021. The game currently comes with 4 routes, one of them being based on a fictional
high-speed line in Sweden used by the
ETR 1000
The Frecciarossa 1000, is a high-speed train operated by Italian state railway operator Trenitalia. It was co-developed as a joint venture between Italian rail manufacturer Hitachi Rail Italy (initially AnsaldoBreda) and multinational conglomera ...
, an
Italian high-speed train. The line is most likely based on the
Swedish
Swedish or ' may refer to:
Anything from or related to Sweden, a country in Northern Europe. Or, specifically:
* Swedish language, a North Germanic language spoken primarily in Sweden and Finland
** Swedish alphabet, the official alphabet used by ...
SJ X2000 high-speed trainset used between
Copenhagen
Copenhagen ( or .; da, København ) is the capital and most populous city of Denmark, with a proper population of around 815.000 in the last quarter of 2022; and some 1.370,000 in the urban area; and the wider Copenhagen metropolitan ar ...
and major cities in Sweden such as
Stockholm
Stockholm () is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in Sweden by population, largest city of Sweden as well as the List of urban areas in the Nordic countries, largest urban area in Scandinavia. Approximately 980,000 people liv ...
,
Malmö
Malmö (, ; da, Malmø ) is the largest city in the Swedish county (län) of Scania (Skåne). It is the third-largest city in Sweden, after Stockholm and Gothenburg, and the sixth-largest city in the Nordic region, with a municipal populat ...
or
Göteborg
Gothenburg (; abbreviated Gbg; sv, Göteborg ) is the second-largest city in Sweden, fifth-largest in the Nordic countries, and capital of the Västra Götaland County. It is situated by the Kattegat, on the west coast of Sweden, and has a p ...
. Another route involves the
Rocky Mountains
The Rocky Mountains, also known as the Rockies, are a major mountain range and the largest mountain system in North America. The Rocky Mountains stretch in straight-line distance from the northernmost part of western Canada, to New Mexico in ...
featuring the
Rocky Mountaineer
Rocky Mountaineer is a Canadian rail-tour company based in Vancouver that operates luxury scenic trains on four rail routes in British Columbia, Alberta, Colorado, and Utah.
History
Via Rail Canada
The Rocky Mountaineer concept was created b ...
, and some
CSX
CSX Transportation , known colloquially as simply CSX, is a Class I freight railroad operating in the Eastern United States and the Canadian provinces of Ontario and Quebec. The railroad operates approximately 21,000 route miles () of track. ...
freighters. Despite the game not having a route based in China, there are Chinese trains available for purchase such as the
SS4, an electric locomotive used for
cargo
Cargo consists of bulk goods conveyed by water, air, or land. In economics, freight is cargo that is transported at a freight rate for commercial gain. ''Cargo'' was originally a shipload but now covers all types of freight, including trans ...
operations
''Trainz Railroad Simulator 2022''
The next major release of Trainz was announced in November 2021, with preorders starting December 1. This major release will start on November 31, 2021.Routes included in the base game besides Kickstarter County 2 from ''TRS2019'' include:
* ''West From Denver'', representing the
Union Pacific
The Union Pacific Railroad , legally Union Pacific Railroad Company and often called simply Union Pacific, is a freight-hauling railroad that operates 8,300 locomotives over routes in 23 U.S. states west of Chicago and New Orleans. Union Paci ...
mainline from
Denver
Denver () is a consolidated city and county, the capital, and most populous city of the U.S. state of Colorado. Its population was 715,522 at the 2020 census, a 19.22% increase since 2010. It is the 19th-most populous city in the Unit ...
to
Hot Sulphur Springs, Colorado
Hot Sulphur Springs is a statutory town and the county seat of Grand County, Colorado, United States. The town is located near Byers Canyon between Granby and Kremmling, northwest of Denver and northwest of Winter Park. The town population ...
* ''Schwäninger Land'', a freelance route set in modern Germany
* ''Liskeard to Looe'', representing the
Looe Valley Line
The Looe Valley Line is an community railway from Liskeard to Looe in Cornwall, United Kingdom, that follows the valley of the East Looe River for much of its course. It is operated by Great Western Railway.
History
The Looe Valley Line was ...
in
Cornwall
Cornwall (; kw, Kernow ) is a historic county and ceremonial county in South West England. It is recognised as one of the Celtic nations, and is the homeland of the Cornish people. Cornwall is bordered to the north and west by the Atlantic ...
from the
Privatisation of British Rail
The privatisation of British Rail was the process by which ownership and operation of the railways of Great Britain passed from government control into private hands. Begun in 1994, it had been completed by 1997. The deregulation of the industr ...
to modern
Great Western Railway
The Great Western Railway (GWR) was a British railway company that linked London with the southwest, west and West Midlands of England and most of Wales. It was founded in 1833, received its enabling Act of Parliament on 31 August 1835 and ran ...
operations
* ''Bairnsdale to Orbost,'' representing the
Gippsland railway line
The Gippsland line (also known as the Orbost railway line) is a railway line serving the Latrobe Valley and Gippsland regions of Victoria (Australia), Victoria, Australia. It runs east from the state capital Melbourne through the cities of Moe, ...
in the 1970s
* ''Beloreck - South Ural Mountains'', representing the
South Urals Railway
New features include Multiplayer Surveyor (tested in TRS2019 closed betas), the unification of Driver and Surveyor that allows seamless switching between the two, new effect layer tools and presets, the ability to bulk paint textures under splines, new camera options beyond the original four (including Walk, Car, Fly, and Drone), an in-game content store, and support for game controllers. There is also an improved version of the world building tool called Surveyor 2.0 or S20. This is only available if an annual membership is paid. It is not available if an outright purchase is made.
Special hardware support
The desktop cab controller
RailDriver
RailDriver is a desktop cab controller for train simulation software. It replaces keyboard and mouse operation as far as possible to provide a more realistic train driving experience. It is designed to be compatible with ''Microsoft Train Simulat ...
was first supported for use in Service Pack 1 for the ''Ultimate Trainz Collection'', and is also supported by all subsequent ''Trainz'' releases.
Reception
''Trainz'' was a runner-up for ''GameSpot''s annual "Best Simulation on PC" award in 2002.
References
External links
{{Wikibooks, Trainz
''Trainz Simulator'' official websiteAuran official website
2001 video games
Android (operating system) games
IOS games
MacOS games
Windows games
Video game franchises introduced in 2001
Video games developed in Australia
Train simulation video games