Microsoft Train Simulator

This article is about the train simulator published by Microsoft. For other uses, see Train Simulator (disambiguation).

Microsoft Train Simulator
Developer(s)	Kuju Entertainment
Publisher(s)	Microsoft
Platform(s)	Microsoft Windows (XP, Vista, Server 2008, 7)
Release	July 2001
Genre(s)	Simulation
Mode(s)	Single player

Microsoft Train Simulator (abbreviated to MSTS) is a train simulator for Microsoft Windows, released in July 2001 and developed by UK based Kuju Entertainment.

Gameplay

The simulation allows players to operate a train on various routes in Europe, Asia and the United States. Players need to stop and start the train, couple wagons, using the computer mouse, keyboard or a hardware addition such as Raildriver to operate the controls. Sound effects are enabled.

Routes

The original game featured six routes. Also included was the Editors & Tools program, which allowed the user to build custom routes, create activities for any route, create custom consists, create custom cabviews, or edit the default ones. The Editors & Tools program is also included with later versions of the game.

Locomotives (1.0/1.2)

The 1.0 base package contains 9 drivable locomotives and multiple units plus 8 AI trains

Locomotive	Image	Ingame Number	Type	mph	km/h	Built	Country	Route	Livery(s)	1.0	1.2	Player Driveable	Notes
Flying Scotsman		4472 Flying Scotsman	Steam	100	160	1923		Settle & Carlisle Railway	LNER Green	Yes	Yes	Yes	—
Royal Scot		6100 Royal Scot	Steam	90	145	1927		Settle & Carlisle Railway	LMS Red	Yes	Yes	No	—
Pendennis Castle		4079 Pendennis Castle	Steam	75	120	1924		Settle & Carlisle Railway	GWR Green	Yes	Yes	No	—
BR Class 50		50015 Valiant	Diesel	100	160	1967		Settle & Carlisle Railway	BR Blue	No	Yes	Yes	—
Gölsdorf 310	—	310.23	Steam	—	—	—		Innsbruck - St. Anton	OBB	Yes	Yes	No	—
Gölsdorf 380	—	380.119	Steam	43	60	1911		Innsbruck - St. Anton	OBB	Yes	Yes	Yes	Cabview comes from Gölsdorf 180 Steam Locomotive
Dash 9		4723	Diesel	70	112	1993		Marias Pass	BNSF	Yes	Yes	Yes	—
Genesis		705	Diesel	100	160	1994		Marias Pass Northeast Corridor	Amtrak	Yes	Yes	No	—
GP38-2		2081	Diesel	70	112	1972		Marias Pass	BNSF	Yes	Yes	Yes	—
SD40		7171	Diesel	83	134	1966		Marias Pass	BNSF	Yes	Yes	No	—
SD40-2		8010	Diesel	70	112	1972		Marias Pass	BNSF	No	Yes	Yes	—
Acela Express		2001	Electric	150	240	1998		Northeast Corridor	Amtrak	Yes	Yes	Yes	—
Acela HHP-8		651	Electric	135	217	1999		Northeast Corridor	Amtrak	Yes	Yes	Yes	—
Metroliner		620	Electric	90	145	1972		Northeast Corridor	Amtrak	Yes	Yes	No	—
KIHA 31		—	Diesel	60	95	1986		Hisatsu Line	JP Kyushu	Yes	Yes	Yes	—
KIHA 140		—	Diesel	—	—	—		Hisatsu Line	JP Kyushu	Yes	Yes	No	—
Series 1000 (referred as Series 2000		—	Electric	60	100	1987		Tokyo - Hakone	Odakyu Electric Railway	Yes	Yes	Yes	Only in 8 car formation referred as Series 2000)
Series 2000		—	Electric	60	100	1995		Tokyo - Hakone	Odakyu Electric Railway	Yes	Yes	Yes	—
Series 7000 LSE		—	Electric	70	110	1980		Tokyo - Hakone	Odakyu Electric Railway	Yes	Yes	Yes	—
Series 30000 EXE		—	Electric	75	120	1996		Tokyo - Hakone	Odakyu Electric Railway	Yes	Yes	No	Centre Gangway Cabs cars 4/5 or 6/7 depending on train Direction never modeled, Uses End 1 and 10 cabs instead.

Gameplay issues

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 signalling and AI dispatching. The game is also notoriously unstable with unusually high tendencies to hang, crash without giving reason, and display error messages incorrectly and/or at the wrong times. In many instances, out-of-place error messages, usually for missing files, will cause a highly undesired crash at the wrong time. MSTS 1.2 addressed some of these issues.

Updates

v1.2 added new items such as British and American rolling stock, namely the British Rail Class 50, British Rail Mark 1 Coaches, an EMD SD40-2 and general US freight cars, along with two new activities each for the SD40-2 and Class 50.

Reception

The game sold over a million units.

Microsoft Train Simulator 2

Main article: Microsoft Train Simulator 2

On May 7, 2003, Microsoft announced that it would be making a sister game of MSTS called Microsoft Train Simulator 2 and it was first demoed to the public at E3 on May 15. Seemingly its main improvements were the addition of people to the game (e.g. passengers waiting at the stations, people operating the new locomotive roster, etc.), more realistic crashes and other accidents, and turntables. It was being developed by Kuju Entertainment, the original MSTS creators. Despite restructuring efforts at Kuju, the project was however handed over to Microsoft Game Studios on August 18, 2003.

This project was ultimately halted, as the following statement on April 24, 2004 from Microsoft confirmed:

Microsoft Game Studios has halted the Windows-based game "Train Simulator 2.0." The decision to halt "Train Simulator 2.0" was made some time ago and was based on a long, hard and difficult look at our business objectives and product offerings. We remain focused on the simulations category with successful, platform-driving franchises such as "Microsoft Flight Simulator."

— 

On January 19, 2007, Microsoft announced the relaunch of the Microsoft Train Simulator project. This time the game was being made in-house by ACES Game Studio (Microsoft Game Studios) known for its long line of Microsoft Flight Simulators, as a part of the "Games for Windows" initiative. The game would have used the Microsoft Flight Simulator X graphics engine and it was planned to be compatible with both Windows Vista and Windows XP. A post on the 'The Little Wheel Goes in Back' blog, written by one of the developers, on August 23, 2007 suggested the working title was 'Train Simulator 2'.

On January 23, 2009, Microsoft announced that it was permanently closing ACES Game Studios, the internal development studio responsible for both Microsoft Flight Simulator and Microsoft Train Simulator. As a result, all future development on Train Simulator 2 (which was entering the final stages of development at the time of the closure) was immediately halted, marking the second time that the project was terminated. While Microsoft states that "they are committed to both the Flight Simulator and Train Simulator brands", it is currently unknown if the Train Simulator 2 project will ever be resurrected and completed sometime in the future. Many former employees of ACES Game Studios went on to join Cascade Game Foundry, a new company that was itself founded by two ACES alumni. Cascade Game Foundry focuses on developing entertainment simulations.

Notes

• * Distributed under license.

See also

• Train simulator – reference article to other train simulator products.
• Open Rails – a free software successor to MSTS which uses current technology.

External links

• Official website
• Microsoft Train Simulator at Curlie