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  • Newbie RailDriver Question

  • General discussion of computer gaming and railroad simulations. Topics include MS Train Simulator (MSTS), Auran Trainz, Railroad Tycoon, Railroad Dispatcher and more...
General discussion of computer gaming and railroad simulations. Topics include MS Train Simulator (MSTS), Auran Trainz, Railroad Tycoon, Railroad Dispatcher and more...

Moderators: LIRRMEDFORD, 8th Notch

 #1401101  by ACMOTORSTOP
 
I'm interested in purchasing the venerable Raildriver Control Console however I don't want to use it to control a software program, I am looking to display Youtube videos with no sound on a separate TV screen but run the RailDriver through a laptop to make the train sounds like electric engine whine, ribbon rail or jointed rail noise, interlocking switch noise, diesel engine growl, grade crossing horn action, overspeed warnings sounds, etc. through the laptop speakers, I'd use the virtual railroad simulation videos & software but they're way too unrealistic & problematic with penalties for going too fast or running a red signal & other distractions. Any help in this endeavor would be greatly appreciated. thanks all & have a great weekend.
 #1401548  by NaugyRR
 
Unless you're making your own software/simulator to accomplish this, I don't see how the Raildriver would accomplish this out of the box, although I haven't used mine since MSTS on Windows XP. I've been using the keyboard with Train Simulator, but just got a new PC and might take it out of the display cabinet to try it with TS2017.

Have you looked into the advanced and expert settings on Train Simulator? I use the expert controls and have several pieces of content modded with Fan Railer's and other's physics and sound enhancements and find they provide a realistic enough experience. If you have any interest in UK rail equipment, check out Armstrong Powerhouse. I use their sound mods with my collection of English DLC, and with a nice pair of headphones find it a very immersive experience. Granted my real-world experience is limited to a handful of streetcars, but I'm not totally oblivious to the real-world physics and handling of heavy rail equipment either. To me the penalties add to the challenge of the scenarios and help sharpen my skills and handling; if this is not to your liking then you can always deactivate and/or ignore them.

Have you looked into the Run-8 simulator? While I don't own it, I've heard it is one of the most realistic simulators available.

Don't be afraid to contact PI Engineering either, the makers of Raildriver. I'm sure they'll be happy to answer any questions you may have.

If you have an interest in operating equipment, try contacting any of your local museums that run. I typically do the CT Trolley Museum's "Guest Motorman" program every year to renew my membership and find it a very satisfying experience. Many transit museums offer a variation of this program, with some offering heavier transit pieces to operate as well. Other heavy-rail tourist operations are usually volunteer-run, and I'm sure would love to have someone with the interest learn to work on/around and operate the equipment to help out the operation. Most museums offer rules and air brake classes to their volunteers to train them.
 #1401900  by ACMOTORSTOP
 
I haven't checked out the rail sims lately, when I checked them out like 3 years ago the graphics were totally unacceptable to me, people disappearing & reappearing on train platforms, NEC operations appeared to be in Prairie states not to mention user complaints of serious software glitches. Maybe the graphics have vastly improved, thanks much.
 #1401947  by NaugyRR
 
No worries, I'm glad I was able to offer some insight.

DTG's Train Simulator is probably worth another look graphics-wise.

I just retired my old Acer Aspire compact desktop I bought from Wal Mart five or six years ago, and running Train Simulator on that was hit or miss. It only had like 4GB of RAM, an AMD processor, and a lower-end Nvidia graphics card, so I either had to run the game with graphics so low that even the effect of headlights shining on the ground didn't work, or the frame rate would be so bad that one second in game time would be doubled or tripled in real time.

Last week I bought a Lenovo Thinkcentre from Best Buy with 8GB of DDR4 RAM, an Intel 6th-gen i5 processor, and a Nvidia GeForce GT 730 graphics card, and the difference is HUGE. The graphics aren't maxed out, but they look pretty good at their default settings detected for my machine. It's nice actually being able to drive at night now too lol.

One little feature I enjoy is the rain and snow accumulating on the windshield, giving the wipers an actual purpose. People still tend to appear and reappear on platforms, but to me that's easy to ignore. I spend most of my time in the cab and only stick my head out to spot on station platforms or perform switching moves. If I have to reverse a freight drag or passenger consist I will cheat and use the rear overhead camera in lieu of a spotter.

The same company is producing a 'next-gen' simulator called Train-Sim World (there's a thread in this forum discussing it with a YouTube video showcasing it). The graphics are displayed using the Unreal engine, and in my opinion look about as realistic as you can get for the time-being. It'll be interesting to see the game as it develops, and it's probably more of what you're looking for in a sim.