Rail Simulator screenshots

The games starts with a menu and a 10s timer before launching the main game. During this time you can select some basic game options.

the initial options are hardware related, like screen resolution.

After the 10s timer runs out, we get the title splash screen.

Then the main game menu, with 'routes' as the entry to playing. There are also credits and more options here. Many of the menus have rather low resolution.

These options are more detailed, esp. for graphics content settings, but the default setup worked fine for me.

The 'route' menu lets you choose from four ready-made railway areas, with several scenarios/missions, or you can edit your own maps using included objects.

Here I have chosen a 'free-play' session on the Hagen-Siegen route, a German line.

In free-play you are placed close to the trains, but with no schedule to follow. Here is a freight-train pulling some bulk freight, maybe sand.

Beside it stands a commuter train, going in the opposite direction. Clicking on either train takes control of it.

You can also see a small map of the tracks, with your selected train in red, I have chosen the freighter. The signs hovering over the track show switches, these signs can toggled on/off.

We are on our way. The camera can be set to show the train passing a point by the track, or following from various positions.

A cab view is also available, here looking ahead from the drivers seat. The HUD status and speed indicators can be on top/bottom/both/off

An impressive array of buttons and switches decorate the cabs interior, some actually do work, but not all.

If you want to, you can hang out the side door as well. In scenarios you should use the horn when entering tunnels, but only in daytime, or you get a bad report.

There is a good overview from high up, you can see my train passing over the bridge on the right.

The track map can be seen full screen as you move along, the track 'owned' by my train is red, the next bit is yellow, cautionary for other trains.

The overhead scene shows quite a complex rail yard here, there are also road traffic in towns, with cars spawning and disappearing at road-crossings.

A special camera position is used for coupling/decoupling, hanging right over the end of the engine.

The cab views are fully rotatable 360 degrees, and tilts up/down. I think the book up there might be 'Trainspotting for Dummies'.

The water reflections in the rivers we pass are nice I think, but something needs to be done to straighten out that leaning forest on the ridge.

Another scenario, this is supposedly Oxford, again I took a free-play trip. All the trains below can be selected.

Quite a lot of city far off the tracks. Looks good, not much load on the graphics card either.

But where are all the passengers?

Aha, they are already on board, waiting for the late driver.

This is the commuter train I will drive now.

This train has not one, but two phones in the cab. The red phone might be a direct line to the prime minister, in case he needs a ride?

On the left of the drivers seat is a familiar throttle control...maybe it's a jet? On the wall are the door controls, important buttons on passenger trains.

Nobody jump off, it's a tight squeeze between the tracks here.

If the passengers get unruly, we can also disconnect them using this menu, but the boss won't like it.

I feel like I'm seeing double...no triple...noo - I've landed in the Matrix!

This is the map editor, an orange train greets you. There are online resources available for more complex work, and sharing of your maps.

One of the many menus in the 3D editor, this is a simplified tool, where you use ready-made objects to create an area from scratch, or based on one of the included areas.

Rail Simulator

Windows screenshots