It was 10 years ago today....

Paulsw2

Ambling on the slow line
....that I walked into Woolworth's in Brixton to buy something (I forget what) and instead came across "Trainz Ultimate Collection" for £10 in the bargain bin. Intrigued, I took it home and installed it on my PC.... and here I am 10 years later still enjoying this great hobby!

In celebration of this small anniversary, today I release my third route - Much Murkle Redux - the release thread is here: http://forums.auran.com/trainz/showthread.php?123442-Much-Murkle-Redux-new-Release-Thread

Yes, I know, only three routes in 10 years, but each has been a labour of love: Ashburton-Windrush; Lavenham; Much Murkle. And two of them have been reworkings of routes by Razor - for me, the most inspirational small route creator I've known in Trainz.

For me, this game has always been more than a set of pixels installed on a PC - being part of a great community of people, participating on this forum and, in the last few years, getting into reskinning and releasing stuff of my own, has helped to make Trainz an important part of my life. So I'd like to thank you all: the creators, the script wizards, the enablers and helpers, the route and session kings (and queens), my great colleagues on TCWW and the feisty types on these forums who've often made me laugh, sometimes sigh with frustration, but always feel like part of the 'family'. And thanks too to the staff at N3V, the custodians and stewards of our game - much put upon, often misunderstood and criticised (only sometimes fairly) - but have worked wonders holding everything together and keeping the show on the road all these years with a lot less resource than their competitors.

So the first 10 years is up, now onto the second decade. Onwards!

paulsw2_20150619_0016.jpg


Paul
 
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For me, this game has always been more than a set of pixels installed on a PC - being part of a great community of people, participating on this forum and, in the last few years, getting into reskinning and releasing stuff of my own, has helped to make Trainz an important part of my life. So I'd like to thank you all: the creators, the script wizards, the enablers and helpers, the route and session kings (and queens), my great colleagues on TCWW and the feisty types on these forums who've often made me laugh, sometimes sigh with frustration, but always feel like part of the 'family'. And thanks too to the staff at N3V, the custodians and stewards of our game - much put upon, often misunderstood and criticised (only sometimes fairly) - but have worked wonders holding everything together and keeping the show on the road all these years with a lot less resource than their competitors.

-Paul

Could not have said that better. I'm sure I anger more then a few here, but I feel much the same, as often as not even towards folk that disagree with me, if they've otherwise provided in any way toward the hobby.

Be interesting to see your new Route.

-Falcus
 
Must agree with pailsw2 on Trainz.

Not sure the actual year I discovered the product but had got MS at first being the only sim I had heard of (sssshhhh) but realised that you had to be very, very, techy minded to build a route. Then one day on a search for an alternative discovered TRS04 and went for it. That building was a lot easier and that in itself was encouraging gave a boost. With erratic health issues and sometimes on occasion stuck in Trainz has kept the grey cells going! I think the width of activity beats anyone else and glad that I came across it and have been happy as proverbial Larry.

Now i will get out my wee bottle of Irn Bru and toast Trainz!

ps. Irn Bru is Scotland's national soft drink
 
I did the same thing when I got Trainz. I was in a big store and wandered off (as you do) while my wife was looking at clothes. I found a bargain bucket of Pc games and one had a train on the front. Never heard of Auran but the pictures on the back looked good. I think I paid £4. I was like a pig in whatsit when I got it loaded up with half an idea of what I was supposed to do next. Hooked! (Just reel me in Tony) and here we are today having moved up through all the versions, surviving all sorts of trials and tribulations along the way. My wife still likes to spend hours rooting about in clothes shops but is unable to understand my fascination with Trainz. She just accepts it, knowing it will not go away. I have no idea if I would have found something about Trainz at a later time that would get my attention but I am happy that I was poking about in the bargain bin that day.

Doug
 
Happy anniversary Paul, Fortunately, we still have Woolworths in Australia, but they don't sell Trainz games.

I look forward to seeing your newly released route of Much Murkle Redux.
Cheers,
Roy3b3
 
Hello,

Congrats on your anniversary. Passed mine a couple of years ago. Glad you are enjoying this great simulator.

Jack
 
Perhaps in another 10 years' time we might get Woolworths back ;)

I miss it!

Thanks everyone for responses. Naturally, there had to be a glitch, which turned out to be my ageing brain! I thought the route had uploaded when in fact it had gone into the waiting area. This has actually given me the opportunity to make a few improvements to the route. So I'm hoping to upload again in the next few days. Watch this space!

Paul
 
Happy anniversary Paul!

Pretty much the same story from me, must have been in 2005 when I was in a supermarket, bored, when I saw a PC game in the bargain bin. It turned out to be Trainz Ultimate Collection. I installed it, found these forums and was hooked. It's not so much the game, but also the community on here.
I quickly found that there had been an updated version and I was almost purchasing it when I realised form the forums there was to be another updated version out soon. This was TRS2006, and I've not looked back.

Unlike yourself, Paul, I've only managed 1 route release, and its still an ongoing work...
 
I'm going on 12 years myself, now that I think about it. It was December 2003 and just after Christmas when I got TRS2004 at good old CompUSA for $29.99. This was the Merscom Publishing edition, and it was SP0. I had known about Auran from some add-ons, including Paint Shed for MSTS. On the box was the www.auran.com website link and some cool-looking models on the box. I went to the website and read the forums. I was fascinated because I saw the developer in there answering questions. There were also a lot of familiar faces too, sadly a few are no longer with us. This was in the early days, probably around 2001 and I was quite skeptic about ordering something online, let alone from Australia!

I downloaded the demo route and gave the program a whirl. It crashed with a black screen after a few minutes due to my awful ATI 8500 video card, which would crash anything if you looked the wrong way at it. I waited and watched, and then the announcement came out about TRS2004, and it would be available in retail stores which I got and have been hooked ever since.

I can say that this is the longest application, by far, that I have installed on my PC and has outlived many, many game titles I have had on my drives including SimCity, various versions, Command and Conquer, and many others. Though the program has given me some angst at times, I still come back to it and try again as it also brings a lot of joy and an escape from the real world when things are going terribly tits up like they do usually for me.

John
 
Many moons ago I recieved Trainz Railwayz - Full Version, by Merscom, build 3337, trainz-build 2.6, as a Christmas gift ... every so often you still find a virgin, never opened, unregistered, new, in box, on E-Bay ... It installs in 15 minutes, and plays out of box, and requires no SP whatsoever

Trainz_Railwayz_2D_Hi-res2boxart_160w.jpg


ever since then:

The game should come with a warning label: "Caution, Highly Addictive" ! Once you play, your entire life will be consumed in Trainz ! Your night time (and daytime) dreams will be in surveyor laying track, and driving in Trainz, and you will no longer have any pleasant dreams of being on a sunny vacation beach in the Caribbean, Your family will be having fun at the Casino, but you will be down at the railyard (where you purposely booked your 3rd rate motel room) in Las Vegas, your wife will leave you, or go on vacation without you, and you will not even miss her for 3 months, the kids will be left unattended in the playpen crying, and you won't even hear them, the dogs water bowl will go dry for 3 days straight, your school grades will plummet and you will get kicked out of college, you will get fired from your job for not showing up for work and calling out sick (when you are not even sick at all), your neighbors will hate you, and will call the cops on you for (multiple) excessive noise complaint(s), as they will think that a train station has moved in right next door to them, you will sit in a chair for 18 hours straight, and get carpal tunnel syndrome, you will sit in front of a blinding PC monitor so long that you will go out and buy "Blue Blocker" gold tinted outdoor sunglasses, and will instead wear them indoors while playing with Trainz, Do not use medications, nor drink alcoholic beverages while operating Trainz (as you will most likely spill your drink, and forget to take your medication), If you are pregnant, do not smoke while playing Trainz, as your cigarette will totally ash, and you will have wasted your money on cigarettes, and your baby will grow up to be a RR engineer, and his/her first words instead of being: "Da Da", will be: "Wooo Wooo", do not cook or barbeque while operating Trainz, unless you really like totally incinerated burnt up foodz. Everyone you know will look at you in wonder if you are crazy, when you say out loud: "WoW ... That beautiful sunset sky looks just like Pomme13 ! If you can not afford to buy Trainz, DLC content, or a 1 year FCT (costs @ 0.06 cents per day), N3V may be able to help you, by once again having their "Sooper Dooper 75% Off Sale" on TS12" !

The Conductors blues:

It's not my job to blow the whistle
I can not ring the bell
But if the dang thing jumps the tracks
See who catch's He (Double Toothpicks)

The light at the end of the tunnel, just might be an oncoming freight !
 
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I've been running trainz since the first box version and now I'm into 2015 with the new era. Got steams 2015 and old msts installed also,but don't play them much. Always like Trainz better. Happy Trainzing.
:)
 
Oh, it is very addictive as I once delayed a meal with a female admirer to the following night as I was irked I had not reached where I wanted to be on a route build. The problem was solved so the meal the next night was more enjoyable as I would not be distracted.......
 
Can you still get games in that store as I live near Brixton and want to get some sims ther if they have it
 
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