Approximately 4 weeks before Christmas (2010) I purchased Railworks 2. At that time I mentioned it on the forum and was asked by several members if I would do an unbiased review of my experiences with Railworks as compared to Trainz. Well, after nearly 6 weeks of using Railworks here is that review.
Purchase, installation and add-ons.
I purchased both Railworks 2 and at the same time the Bristol to Exeter add on Route by download. Both installed automatically and without any problems. The basic simulator plus the add-on where up and running within 30 minutes from the start of the download. The operation is handled through steam who take care of all rail simulator customer downloads. Without doubt the installation time is far less than that needed for Trainz and many may consider it to be far less hazardous and error-free than the direct Auran/NV3 download system used at present (although Trainz can be purchased through steam I have no experience of this at present).
All patching of Railworks and any add-ons purchased through rail simulator is done automatically as the patches become available. As any computer which has Railworks installed on it is always connected to steam on start-up, the patching can take place even when Railworks is not being used. Some users may find this rather disconcerting or even concerning when pop-ups appear informing you of Railworks patching even though you may be using your system for other things at that time.
Content Availability Both Free and Payware.
Railworks on purchase comes with a number of preinstalled routes and a very limited number of engines and rolling stock. As compared to Trainz many may consider that it would have inadequate usability and realism without further content being added. Freeware content is available from a number of sites in the form of routes, scenery and rolling stock. However, when direct comparisons are made to Trainz, freeware availability would seem limited and the range far less than required by many users.
Payware by contrast is readily available through a number of well-known commercial content sites and there is also a comparatively small number of Railworks “enthusiasts “ who offer content for purchase through a number of avenues. Almost all of the larger commercial producers offer their content as downloadable through the steam system which is then automatically installed into Railworks with the buyer having to take no action whatsoever. By contrast assets acquired through the small private content creators usually have to be installed manually which can be a somewhat cumbersome process which can easily produce errors.
Since initially buying Railworks 2 and the Bristol to Exeter add-on (total costs £50 British sterling) I have also purchased the following content:- Dmu class 101, Dmu Class 170, Dmu class 158, Dmu Class 220 Voyager, Br standard 4MT locomotive, Br Fowler 4f locomotive and the Falmouth branch line.
With the exception of the Falmouth branch line I would consider the above the minimum necessary to make many British scenarios in Railworks realistic. My total cost including purchase of the simulator is approximately £120. The foregoing may well be a factor many potential owners of Railworks would wish to take into consideration before purchase.
Realism and Usability.
Initially on first using Railworks the colours while running scenarios seemed rather drab as compared to Trainz. However, after adjusting my monitor several times I eventually achieved a very good colour balance which made the simulator very true to life. The scenario driving experience of Railworks I have found exceptional. The graphics are of photographic quality which makes the driving very immersive and a somewhat addictive activity. I am sure many would find the foregoing by far the simulator's greatest asset. However, as with any computer simulator activity a high-end system is very necessary to achieve the above results.
Route, scenarios and Content Creation.
Approximately 3 weeks ago I decided to try some route creation with Railworks. I looked to build a small route based on the three and a half mile rail line that did exist between Yatton and Clevedon in North Somerset Great Britain. Using the world editor in Railworks is a completely different to anything users may experience with Trainz. Without being biased in any way I feel confident in saying that the Railworks world editor is not in any way in the same ballpark with regard to usability as this simulator.
I believe I am a person with at least average intelligence and patience but after three weeks and many hours of reading numerous tutorials and watching endless videos on YouTube with regard to route creation I have yet to achieve anything meaningful with the Railworks world editor. Alongside the foregoing is the simple fact that Trainz has never crashed my computer in the 15 months I have had this system. However, Railworks world editor has succeeded in doing that any number of times in the last three weeks. I do not believe that this is in any way connected to the setup of my system as it is used for many various functions including the use of speech to text software which is far more demanding than any simulation and yet it has never faltered in any way in that activity or when using Trainz.
Users also have to get to grips with Railworks world editor for scenario creation but in a much more limited context. I have found this experience much improved and usable than trying to create actual routes. Scenarios are straightforward and quick to create with the high-speed running of the scenarios possible through the map before fully running your conception. However, it has to be remembered that A1 consists are really only mobile scenery in Railworks as you cannot move from consist to consist as you can in Trainz. Neither can you ride as a passenger in any A1 consist carriage as this is only possible in the player train (that being the one you are driving) and then you quickly lose any knowledge of your position on the map. Therefore you have to return quickly to the cab view and take over the controls if an accident is to be avoided.
Forum Support.
The only forum I have used with regard to Railworks would be the UK Trainsim forum and that has only been in the last two weeks while requesting assistance with the world editor. Contrary to information I had received with regard to it being a very intimidating place I found the people there to be very helpful and polite in posting assistance to my problems. However, the forum has a much lower activity rate than this one with a much greater activity seemingly being posted on Facebook and Twitter. However, I have to say I have not become involved with that.
If you have read this far without falling asleep, I hope you have enjoyed the review
Bill
Purchase, installation and add-ons.
I purchased both Railworks 2 and at the same time the Bristol to Exeter add on Route by download. Both installed automatically and without any problems. The basic simulator plus the add-on where up and running within 30 minutes from the start of the download. The operation is handled through steam who take care of all rail simulator customer downloads. Without doubt the installation time is far less than that needed for Trainz and many may consider it to be far less hazardous and error-free than the direct Auran/NV3 download system used at present (although Trainz can be purchased through steam I have no experience of this at present).
All patching of Railworks and any add-ons purchased through rail simulator is done automatically as the patches become available. As any computer which has Railworks installed on it is always connected to steam on start-up, the patching can take place even when Railworks is not being used. Some users may find this rather disconcerting or even concerning when pop-ups appear informing you of Railworks patching even though you may be using your system for other things at that time.
Content Availability Both Free and Payware.
Railworks on purchase comes with a number of preinstalled routes and a very limited number of engines and rolling stock. As compared to Trainz many may consider that it would have inadequate usability and realism without further content being added. Freeware content is available from a number of sites in the form of routes, scenery and rolling stock. However, when direct comparisons are made to Trainz, freeware availability would seem limited and the range far less than required by many users.
Payware by contrast is readily available through a number of well-known commercial content sites and there is also a comparatively small number of Railworks “enthusiasts “ who offer content for purchase through a number of avenues. Almost all of the larger commercial producers offer their content as downloadable through the steam system which is then automatically installed into Railworks with the buyer having to take no action whatsoever. By contrast assets acquired through the small private content creators usually have to be installed manually which can be a somewhat cumbersome process which can easily produce errors.
Since initially buying Railworks 2 and the Bristol to Exeter add-on (total costs £50 British sterling) I have also purchased the following content:- Dmu class 101, Dmu Class 170, Dmu class 158, Dmu Class 220 Voyager, Br standard 4MT locomotive, Br Fowler 4f locomotive and the Falmouth branch line.
With the exception of the Falmouth branch line I would consider the above the minimum necessary to make many British scenarios in Railworks realistic. My total cost including purchase of the simulator is approximately £120. The foregoing may well be a factor many potential owners of Railworks would wish to take into consideration before purchase.
Realism and Usability.
Initially on first using Railworks the colours while running scenarios seemed rather drab as compared to Trainz. However, after adjusting my monitor several times I eventually achieved a very good colour balance which made the simulator very true to life. The scenario driving experience of Railworks I have found exceptional. The graphics are of photographic quality which makes the driving very immersive and a somewhat addictive activity. I am sure many would find the foregoing by far the simulator's greatest asset. However, as with any computer simulator activity a high-end system is very necessary to achieve the above results.
Route, scenarios and Content Creation.
Approximately 3 weeks ago I decided to try some route creation with Railworks. I looked to build a small route based on the three and a half mile rail line that did exist between Yatton and Clevedon in North Somerset Great Britain. Using the world editor in Railworks is a completely different to anything users may experience with Trainz. Without being biased in any way I feel confident in saying that the Railworks world editor is not in any way in the same ballpark with regard to usability as this simulator.
I believe I am a person with at least average intelligence and patience but after three weeks and many hours of reading numerous tutorials and watching endless videos on YouTube with regard to route creation I have yet to achieve anything meaningful with the Railworks world editor. Alongside the foregoing is the simple fact that Trainz has never crashed my computer in the 15 months I have had this system. However, Railworks world editor has succeeded in doing that any number of times in the last three weeks. I do not believe that this is in any way connected to the setup of my system as it is used for many various functions including the use of speech to text software which is far more demanding than any simulation and yet it has never faltered in any way in that activity or when using Trainz.
Users also have to get to grips with Railworks world editor for scenario creation but in a much more limited context. I have found this experience much improved and usable than trying to create actual routes. Scenarios are straightforward and quick to create with the high-speed running of the scenarios possible through the map before fully running your conception. However, it has to be remembered that A1 consists are really only mobile scenery in Railworks as you cannot move from consist to consist as you can in Trainz. Neither can you ride as a passenger in any A1 consist carriage as this is only possible in the player train (that being the one you are driving) and then you quickly lose any knowledge of your position on the map. Therefore you have to return quickly to the cab view and take over the controls if an accident is to be avoided.
Forum Support.
The only forum I have used with regard to Railworks would be the UK Trainsim forum and that has only been in the last two weeks while requesting assistance with the world editor. Contrary to information I had received with regard to it being a very intimidating place I found the people there to be very helpful and polite in posting assistance to my problems. However, the forum has a much lower activity rate than this one with a much greater activity seemingly being posted on Facebook and Twitter. However, I have to say I have not become involved with that.
If you have read this far without falling asleep, I hope you have enjoyed the review
Bill