Your best TS20xx/TSW recommendations

[Silver Cobra]

One particular tip I would like to suggest for anyone who has TS 2021 but doesn't have the ECML South, GEML, London Waterloo to Portsmouth, Settle to Carlisle and Chatham Main Line & Medway Valley Lines addons, or anyone looking to get TS 2021 and get several extra routes fairly cheaply, is to purchase the Great British Railway Journeys game on Steam as well. This game, which is a standalone version of Train Simulator, includes the five aforementioned routes for the price of a single TS 2021 addon route, and routes featured in GBRJ get added to TS 2021 as well. I picked this up at Christmas during the Winter Steam Sale, so managed to add these five routes to TS 2021 for only £12.49.

 

[318259]

I’m keen to get a SIM but I’m a bit scared off by all the variants and all the extra packs you have to download and import.

I have an iMac which is about three years old but it was fairly high spec when I bought it I believe (£1,800)

Will I be ok to buy one of these?

I've got several Macs and Linux computers, so I'm not a Mac-hating Windows-fanboy by any means. Quite the opposite - I think Windows 10 is hideously ugly. But Macs tend not to be great for gaming. Apple prioritise certain things in their designs - most notably making machines thin and quiet - and this does come with a performance cost. If you run something demanding, Macs can get very hot very quickly. They also tend to under-spec the graphics cards in their machine to keep them cool and quiet, and that's something that hurts gaming performance. If you've got a 27 inch iMac, it should have a dedicated graphics chip that won't be too bad. But the 21 inch Macs have basic Intel graphics which aren't the best.

Your other issue is OS compatibility. A lot of games are released solely for Windows - not Mac OS. The gaming platform Steam includes a feature that makes some Windows-only games run on MacOS and Linux, but it's not perfect and it's a "try at your own risk - we promise nothing" kind of deal. Some things work perfectly out of the box. Some will work with some fiddling. Some won't work at all. So you'd either need to put Windows on your Mac (which is perfectly doable) or find a train simulator that plays nicely on Mac OS.

For what it's worth, I've had Diesel Railcar Simulator working on Linux with no problems at all. But I've never tried it on Mac OS. I just had to install Steam, then go into the settings and enable experimental support for Windows games.

That's probably not the answer you're looking for. Macs are great for a lot of things and they're quite reliable computers. But gaming is really not one of their strong points.

 

[Aictos]

You can get the standard edition of TS 2021 for less than a £1 right now here.

What do you get in that bundle?

 

[bussikuski179]

I can definitely recommend Hauptstrecke Munchen Augsburg for TSW2, it's one of the best DLCs for the game, I can also say that I don't recommend Southeastern High Speed, it's just bad. HS1 lacks scenery, the Queen Elizabeth Bridge looks nasty, the 395 is horrendous and the 375 is just the East Coastway 377 but worse.

 

[Darandio]

What do you get in that bundle?

It's all there on the store page. But basically the first tier gives you the standard edition TS2021 which contains three routes and a further five DLC are included, you only pay 73p for that.

There are two further tiers, the highest one means you pay £8.76 for TS2021 plus you receive over £150 of DLC. When purchasing you are sent codes for each item which you then redeem on Steam. If you already own some of the content then just activate the codes for what you have, you can even give the ones way that you don't want.

 

[Aictos]

It's all there on the store page. But basically the first tier gives you the standard edition TS2021 which contains three routes and a further five DLC are included, you only pay 73p for that.

There are two further tiers, the highest one means you pay £8.76 for TS2021 plus you receive over £150 of DLC. When purchasing you are sent codes for each item which you then redeem on Steam. If you already own some of the content then just activate the codes for what you have, you can even give the ones way that you don't want.

Thank you, some stuff there I've not got so be busy later.

 

[VauxhallandI]

I've got several Macs and Linux computers, so I'm not a Mac-hating Windows-fanboy by any means. Quite the opposite - I think Windows 10 is hideously ugly. But Macs tend not to be great for gaming. Apple prioritise certain things in their designs - most notably making machines thin and quiet - and this does come with a performance cost. If you run something demanding, Macs can get very hot very quickly. They also tend to under-spec the graphics cards in their machine to keep them cool and quiet, and that's something that hurts gaming performance. If you've got a 27 inch iMac, it should have a dedicated graphics chip that won't be too bad. But the 21 inch Macs have basic Intel graphics which aren't the best.

Your other issue is OS compatibility. A lot of games are released solely for Windows - not Mac OS. The gaming platform Steam includes a feature that makes some Windows-only games run on MacOS and Linux, but it's not perfect and it's a "try at your own risk - we promise nothing" kind of deal. Some things work perfectly out of the box. Some will work with some fiddling. Some won't work at all. So you'd either need to put Windows on your Mac (which is perfectly doable) or find a train simulator that plays nicely on Mac OS.

For what it's worth, I've had Diesel Railcar Simulator working on Linux with no problems at all. But I've never tried it on Mac OS. I just had to install Steam, then go into the settings and enable experimental support for Windows games.

That's probably not the answer you're looking for. Macs are great for a lot of things and they're quite reliable computers. But gaming is really not one of their strong points.

Hi,

Thanks for the info I was concerned it just wouldn't be worth it on this machine which is a shame.

Mac (Retina 5K, 27-inch, 2017
Processor 3.4 GHz Quad-Core Intel Core i5
Memory 8 GB 2400 MHz DDR4
Graphics Radeon Pro 570 4 GB

I don't have a new enough windows laptop, looks like I'm destined to watch YouTube videos of other people! I'd probably make a lousy driver anyway.

 

[Darandio]

Hi,

Thanks for the info I was concerned it just wouldn't be worth it on this machine which is a shame.

Mac (Retina 5K, 27-inch, 2017
Processor 3.4 GHz Quad-Core Intel Core i5
Memory 8 GB 2400 MHz DDR4
Graphics Radeon Pro 570 4 GB

I don't have a new enough windows laptop, looks like I'm destined to watch YouTube videos of other people! I'd probably make a lousy driver anyway.

Just use that link I posted above your reply and get TS2021 plus 5 DLC for 73p. You can try and get it working and have a go, you've nothing to lose really other than 73p.

 

[VauxhallandI]

Item
Description
Price

Item
Humble Train Sim Expedition Bundle
Pay What You Want
£5 £8.76 £20 £0.73
Warning: You will not receive the beat-the-average content! Add just £3.45 more to unlock!
Add £3.45
Warning: You will not receive the £8.76 content! Add just £8.03 more to unlock!
Add £8.03

Price:£0.73


I am giving it ago but it says I should pay £20 and when I put 73p I get the message above with warnings? Very odd shopping cart experience

 

[Darandio]

Because it's a bundle, you pay what you want (equal or above the average) and a portion goes to charity. £20 is the default amount so just change that, the other warnings are helpfully letting you know that you could receive over £150 of stuff if you pay £8.03 more. As you are merely testing if it will work, just pay the £0.73, or a quid, or whatever.

 

[VauxhallandI]

Because it's a bundle, you pay what you want (equal or above the average) and a portion goes to charity. £20 is the default amount so just change that, the other warnings are helpfully letting you know that you could receive over £150 of stuff if you pay £8.03 more. As you are merely testing if it will work, just pay the £0.73, or a quid, or whatever.

Thanks yes I just went for 73p.

Now Steam is doing me in, I've reset my password twice but each time it tells me my password is invalid.

Now I remember why I used to like consoles and cartridges

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 10 Feb 2021 ==

Thanks yes I just went for 73p.

Now Steam is doing me in, I've reset my password twice but each time it tells me my password is invalid.

Now I remember why I used to like consoles and cartridges

I've got into Steam now, my fault. It asks for your username not your password to login in. Not useful.

I've downloaded my keys, linked the account to Humble and activated all the keys in Steam.

I'm back on the homepage now and I can't find the games to even start it! This is making me look like a right moron.

 

[318259]

Steam only shows games that are compatible with what you're running. If you run Steam on Windows, it shows all your games. If you run it on Mac OS or Linux, it only shows you games that are compatible with those platforms.

Somewhere in the Steam settings, there's an option to enable an experimental compatibility mode. If you enable that, more games will appear. I can't tell you exactly where it is, because I don't have Steam on any of my Macs or Linux systems any more. But I used it to run a few Windows-only games on Linux and it worked fairly well. I think Train Simulator was a bit fiddly though.

 

[VauxhallandI]

Steam only shows games that are compatible with what you're running. If you run Steam on Windows, it shows all your games. If you run it on Mac OS or Linux, it only shows you games that are compatible with those platforms.

Somewhere in the Steam settings, there's an option to enable an experimental compatibility mode. If you enable that, more games will appear. I can't tell you exactly where it is, because I don't have Steam on any of my Macs or Linux systems any more. But I used it to run a few Windows-only games on Linux and it worked fairly well. I think Train Simulator was a bit fiddly though.

The simulator is listed in my games list, I just don't know how to make them start.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 10 Feb 2021 ==

The simulator is listed in my games list, I just don't know how to make them start.

Right what I didn't know was I had to download Steam to my computer, I thought I played it off the web.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 10 Feb 2021 ==

Looks like they aren't compatible with iMac, I just can't get them to start and the manual says "Other OS versions and types are not supported"

I took photos but they are too large to load.

 

[Inversnecky]

Also remember that using the F2 method to bypass missing stock could potentially render the scenario useless if some of the missing stock is an integral part of the scenario, e.g AI interaction.

Tried this yesterday: still works for me.

 

[Darandio]

Tried this yesterday: still works for me.

Because what you didn't own probably didn't affect the scenario, but i'm not sure you understand what we were getting at.

As an example, a train may be placed to intentionally run in front of you at some point meaning you run on yellow signals, this in turn is intended to make you arrive at certain locations within a specific timeframe and interact with other AI trains. If you don't own the original train that was placed to cause this sequence of events, the scenario won't play out as intended. You may well be able to drive right through until the end of the scenario, but not as the author had written it.

 

[Inversnecky]

Because what you didn't own probably didn't affect the scenario, but i'm not sure you understand what we were getting at.

As an example, a train may be placed to intentionally run in front of you at some point meaning you run on yellow signals, this in turn is intended to make you arrive at certain locations within a specific timeframe and interact with other AI trains. If you don't own the original train that was placed to cause this sequence of events, the scenario won't play out as intended. You may well be able to drive right through until the end of the scenario, but not as the author had written it.

You’re likely right, it was just to say it can work in some circumstances.

 

[_toommm_]

Hi,

Thanks for the info I was concerned it just wouldn't be worth it on this machine which is a shame.

Mac (Retina 5K, 27-inch, 2017
Processor 3.4 GHz Quad-Core Intel Core i5
Memory 8 GB 2400 MHz DDR4
Graphics Radeon Pro 570 4 GB

I don't have a new enough windows laptop, looks like I'm destined to watch YouTube videos of other people! I'd probably make a lousy driver anyway.

Mac has an official tool for you to install Windows - Boot Camp Assistant. It’ll also install all the relevant drivers once you boot into Windows too.

When you have it installed, hold the option key when you boot, and you can choose to boot into Mac or Windows.

This is what I used to do on my MacBook before I built my Windows computer. It ran like s*** because of an iGPU but it was a start…

 

[VauxhallandI]

Mac has an official tool for you to install Windows - Boot Camp Assistant. It’ll also install all the relevant drivers once you boot into Windows too.

When you have it installed, hold the option key when you boot, and you can choose to boot into Mac or Windows.

This is what I used to do on my MacBook before I built my Windows computer. It ran like s*** because of an iGPU but it was a start…

Thanks looking at it now. It says I have to choose a size to portion to Windows and it cannot be changed. It is suggesting 42GB to Windows; is this enough?

 

[_toommm_]

Thanks looking at it now. It says I have to choose a size to portion to Windows and it cannot be changed. It is suggesting 42GB to Windows; is this enough?

It is enough for Windows plus some buffer, but not once you’ve got train sim. My TS install alone is 250GB at least.

You can resize BTW - there’s unofficial methods that work very well:

Redirect Notice

Use the second method in this article, the one where you don’t have to delete Windows.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 11 Feb 2021 ==

There’s also a sale on too ATM on Steam

 

[Silver Cobra]

With the current Steam Lunar Sale and the already-mentioned Humble Bundle sale for TS2021, anyone looking to get into Train Simulator and wanting a decent starting collection of UK routes, you can currently get a nice collection for just under £11, by purchasing the following:

- The base TS2021 on Humble Bundle for £0.73
- The Great British Railway Journeys game on Steam for £9.99

As I mentioned in my post upthread, the Great British Railway Journeys game, while being a standalone Train Simulator in itself, adds the five routes featured in the game to TS2021, which are;

- ECML London to Peterborough
- Great Eastern Main Line
- London Waterloo to Portsmouth
- Settle to Carlisle
- Chatham and Medway Valley Lines (includes Chatham Main Line)

The Steam Lunar Sale only runs until the end of the 15th February (this Monday), so there isn't long to take advantage of this.

 

[Peter C]

With the current Steam Lunar Sale and the already-mentioned Humble Bundle sale for TS2021, anyone looking to get into Train Simulator and wanting a decent starting collection of UK routes, you can currently get a nice collection for just under £11, by purchasing the following:

- The base TS2021 on Humble Bundle for £0.73
- The Great British Railway Journeys game on Steam for £9.99

As I mentioned in my post upthread, the Great British Railway Journeys game, while being a standalone Train Simulator in itself, add the six routes featured in the game to TS2021, which are;

- ECML London to Peterborough
- Great Eastern Main Line
- London Waterloo to Portsmouth
- Settle to Carlisle
- Chatham Main Line
- Chatham and Medway Valley Lines

The Steam Lunar Sale only runs until the end of the 15th February (this Monday), so there isn't long to take advantage of this.

I found out about the Steam sale yesterday and there are definitely some nice bargains on there, but the one you've posted (the Great British Railway Journeys one) is probably the best. Having done some quick calculations, all of that is probably worth £100 or over. But why you get both Chatham Main Line and Chatham Main and Medway Valley Lines I don't know, as the latter includes both as two separate routes.

-Peter

 

[Silver Cobra]

But why you get both Chatham Main Line and Chatham Main and Medway Valley Lines I don't know, as the latter includes both as two separate routes.

-Peter

That's a mistake on my part as game actually only lists Chatham & Medway, and like you say, the Chatham & Medway includes the Chatham Main Line. I'll edit that out.

 

[Peter C]

That's a mistake on my part as game actually only lists Chatham & Medway, and like you say, the Chatham & Medway includes the Chatham Main Line. I'll edit that out.

Ah OK - sorry if I've caused any issues. I can say from experience that the Chatham Main and Medway Valley Lines routes are very good - some of the best DTG have made, and made even better with the Armstrong Powerhouse Track and Sky & Weather Enhancement Packs.

-Peter

 

[_toommm_]

Ah OK - sorry if I've caused any issues. I can say from experience that the Chatham Main and Medway Valley Lines routes are very good - some of the best DTG have made, and made even better with the Armstrong Powerhouse Track and Sky & Weather Enhancement Packs.

-Peter

Just be careful with the Chatham ML and the ECML South as both have TPWS enabled - you can’t approach red signals at more than 20mph or halfway down the platform at more than 10mph or the emergency brake will go off.

 

[Peter C]

Just be careful with the Chatham ML and the ECML South as both have TPWS enabled - you can’t approach red signals at more than 20mph or halfway down the platform at more than 10mph or the emergency brake will go off.

Ah OK - I never knew that! Thanks. I always assumed it never worked in TS until recently, but didn't know what routes it worked on. I need to do some looking into how it works so I've got an idea of how to drive better!

-Peter

 

[VauxhallandI]

Well folks I partitioned the MAC and installed Windows 10. I had to download Steam again (must delete it on Mac side).

I also bought the Great British pack.

All working and the only issue I have seen is a little slow down when another moving train passes but not everytime

I’ve powered down now, but I was wondering how does the computer know which OS I want to boot up into and how do I swap between them? A power down I imagine or a restart maybe?

Thanks every one

 

[_toommm_]

Well folks I partitioned the MAC and installed Windows 10. I had to download Steam again (must delete it on Mac side).

I also bought the Great British pack.

All working and the only issue I have seen is a little slow down when another moving train passes but not everytime

I’ve powered down now, but I was wondering how does the computer know which OS I want to boot up into and how do I swap between them? A power down I imagine or a restart maybe?

Thanks every one

When you next boot up your computer, (I’m assuming you have a Mac-style keyboard with the command key) hold down option until you get a picture of two hard drives. Choose MacOS and youlll boot into MacOS.

Then move your cursor to the top left and go to preferences for MacOS. There should be an option for Startup Disk. Choose MacOS or Windows as your default (whichever works for you).

Then when you want to load the OS that isn’t your default, restart and hold the option key and choose the alternate OS.

These instructions definitely work in the latest MacOS, whatever that’s called. I’m too tired to remember off the top of my head.

 

[VauxhallandI]

When you next boot up your computer, (I’m assuming you have a Mac-style keyboard with the command key) hold down option until you get a picture of two hard drives. Choose MacOS and youlll boot into MacOS.

Then move your cursor to the top left and go to preferences for MacOS. There should be an option for Startup Disk. Choose MacOS or Windows as your default (whichever works for you).

Then when you want to load the OS that isn’t your default, restart and hold the option key and choose the alternate OS.

These instructions definitely work in the latest MacOS, whatever that’s called. I’m too tired to remember off the top of my head.

You are a star thanks.

BigSur, I downloaded it this week.

I need to get tucked into the TS user manual now

 

[_toommm_]

You are a star thanks.

BigSur, I downloaded it this week.

I need to get tucked into the TS user manual now

Just remember use 100% braking all the time when needing to slow down for maximum passenger comfort

 

[VauxhallandI]

Just remember use 100% braking all the time when needing to slow down for maximum passenger comfort

Ha yes I’ve noticed the recoil on emergency stops! My problem is I can’t get the thing to start moving especially after enforced emergency stops. It starts eventually after much control waggling, maybe I shouldn’t go through Seven Kings at 103mph..