Simulators in Museums

[Jaxster]

I have been corresponding with my local railroad museum, and they mentioned the fact that at one time Auran was giving the Trainz Simulator to museums at no charge, and was helping them learn to utilize the program to showcase their local railroad history within the museum facilities.

Doesn't that sound like an awesome concept?

Well according to the curator, since there are new owners of the software, that program doesn't seem to be supported any longer. And they are feeling like they are out there on their own with this setup they committed to.

Can anyone with some pull address why that is, and how maybe that needs to be followed up on?

This particular museum is trying to justify even having a simulator, and it taking up the space. Sure would hate to see it go away. Not to mention the PR that could be gained for the Trainz program by having it utilized within this public setting.

Thanks for any input.

 

[Cratey]

Hi Jaxster,

PM me their contact details and i'll get in touch with them. It seems like this is something that has just fallen off to the side as people move on in their lives and roles. We're more than happy to help museums share their love of trains with the world, and I would be delighted to see what we can do to help them out.

 

[Jaxster]

Hi Jaxster,

PM me their contact details and i'll get in touch with them. It seems like this is something that has just fallen off to the side as people move on in their lives and roles. We're more than happy to help museums share their love of trains with the world, and I would be delighted to see what we can do to help them out.

Thanks Charles,

PM sent.

 

[DKPIX]

On a related note, I have a museum that needs a simple once-around simulation for an installation of Trainz Simulator for the children's section of their train museum. So I need a programmer or an existing simulation. I can pay for the effort, but this needs to be done soon. I tried the customer service contact email and got no response. Please help!

Thanks,
DK

 

[itareus]

DK

Your message has been forwarded to the "appropriate authorities" (they are in Brisbane so a considerable time difference for correspondence).

CJM

 

[KevinAGI]

No one from N3v/Auran is responding to DK or me on this issue. Whats the deal here?

Kevin

 

[RRSignal]

Patience. This is your first request in this thread AFAIK and DK's was only a few days ago. It takes time, especially since they are in the middle of almost totally redesigning the product.

 

[cascaderailroad]

What do you need to know ?

If N3V will give away Trainz to museums ?

Someone has to buy it.

TRS2006 Trainz Railwayz by Merscom, works pretty good, and is user friendly @ $20 on EBay (including S&H) ... 10 and 12 are easy to mess up a route with, for unexperienced users

 

[wholbr]

Hi everybody.
With regard to public museums installing commercially produced rail simulators within their confines. Consideration should be given that the museum(s) involved could very soon after installation find themselves being liable to litigation by company's with alternative rail simulation software which had not been offered equal facilities at the site.

Public museums are not and should not be places for advertising todays products. They are and should remain for the sole purpose that those visiting and wishing to see the history of bygone ages should be able to do so without the interference of present day commercial selling. If N3V or any other companys wish to offer their software to a museum with no reference to the providing organisation being made on the computer or in the operation of the software then that to many would be acceptable I am sure.

In the forgoing I am referring to museums that are owned by the governments or more often by the local authorities which in Britain and I believe other European countries are the vast majority.

At present the above are places are where many young children go often in organized school parties along with their teachers to learn past history both general and industrial. That learning process should not be contaminated by commercial interests wishing solely to promote their products of today.

Certainly throughout the world their are no end of excellent rail museums which display static historical locomotive's and rolling stock along with video teaching of how the historical railways where built and operated. Along with the forgoing the museums also give details of the past working conditions together with the terrible death and injury figures which the railway workers so often suffered in past times.

Where then in the above context would there be a place for a rail simulator that only demonstrates the railways as imaginary clean, safe well organized places. In that, no one works hard, gets killed or injured no matter how often you derail or totally write off your train.

Museums are places where you learn how it actually was, not how you would have liked it to be, and long should they remain so.


Bill

 

[martinvk]

Interesting take on the subject.
Many years ago, I was visiting the Train museum in Utrecht, Nederland. There they had setup a cab with a computer interface to simulate a simple route. Visitors were challenged to drive from one station to the next without over or under shooting the platform. Not easy but is was very popular with all the kids of all ages wanting to try again.

Don't remember any worry about "commercial contamination" nor the fact that it was clean, safe and well organized. There was enough reality in other exhibits.

 

[wholbr]

Interesting take on the subject.
Many years ago, I was visiting the Train museum in Utrecht, Nederland. There they had setup a cab with a computer interface to simulate a simple route. Visitors were challenged to drive from one station to the next without over or under shooting the platform. Not easy but is was very popular with all the kids of all ages wanting to try again.

Don't remember any worry about "commercial contamination" nor the fact that it was clean, safe and well organized. There was enough reality in other exhibits.

That is exactly what they hope for. That you will not worry about commercial contamination while you are on the software. They also hope you will enjoy the experience and buy the software without thinking of the real world that driver worked and lived in.

Bill

 

[martinvk]

That is exactly what they hope for. That you will not worry about commercial contamination while you are on the software. They also hope you will enjoy the experience and buy the software without thinking of the real world that driver worked and lived in.

Bill

There was no sales pitch, in fact the origin of the simulator was not obvious. And what's wrong with enjoying the experience without having the real world rubbed in your face?

 

[wholbr]

There was no sales pitch, in fact the origin of the simulator was not obvious. And what's wrong with enjoying the experience without having the real world rubbed in your face?

Its a musem, the real world as it was in time that you are looking at is supposed to be rubbed in your face. That is what most people visit museums for, just that experience.

Bill

 

[cascaderailroad]

Unfortunately the "Real World" is "in" your face ... When a museum wants a telescope observatory, or a star planetarium room, a multi billion dollar Company like Lockheed Martin may provide some free equipment, for a small charge ... and the rest of the construction bill is handed to the museum, which they pay from admission / donations received.

If everything was "Free" then we would have no "Economy"... and no one would need money, and everything would be freeware ... Can I fill up my car tank with gasoline please ... how much is that ? ... OH, no charge ... It's all free !

How much does a Train game set you back ? $20, $30, $40 ? What's the big deal ?

And if a kid plays the Trainz simulator in a museum ... he's gonna' want it at home ... And that in fact is the subliminal advertising sales pitch ... I saw it, I played it, I want it, Who manufactures the product ? ... OK I'm gonna' go out and buy it, and shell out some cold hard cash to N3V, out of my own bank account.

See: https://akronrrclub.wordpress.com/tag/ns-exhibit-car/

 

[torino72]

I think that a Trainz simulator would be a great teaching/learning tool in a Museum of Discovery targeted to young minds or even in schools where there is a desire to develop one's mind to do cause and effect thinking. I would not be too concerned about litigation because of one product vs another being used, especially where the product is a donation that does not consume tax payer dollars.

I remember back in the 1980's the car spotting and switching games published in Trains and/or Model Railroader magazines to test your ability to spot cars at industries in the fewest moves possible. At the time I was an instructor in a staff development unit. Many of our new employees lacked the ability to process a lot of information placed in front of them, sort it out, and make decisions as to the best course of action to take for the benefit of our client's. I suggested that we us these types of "switching" scenarios to improve peoples thinking processes and show the impact of poor decisions. It was never implemented, but I found them useful in training the mind to always look forward toward the "end result" before you get there.

In the 90's I went from instructing to IT program design/development and user acceptance testing for both the State of Arkansas and the US Army. My assignments were basically, "See if you can figure out a way to electronically do this because I (or our employees) cannot." I was always looking for how to achieve a desired result in the fewest moves necessary and with a high degree of accuracy. After all, even computer processing time comes at a cost. Sort of like spotting cars, I guess.

In today's computer age, people are even worse at making logical decisions. They expect computers to make those decisions for them. They cannot perform even relatively simple "logic" tasks. Today, even in retirement, I still use switching scenarios with Trainz to stimulate my brain. My 8 year old grandson visits often and he likes to use Trainz. I let him try to figure out how to put a consist together that uses the locomotives and cars he wants. He's getting better at it.

 

[wholbr]

Hi Torino and everybody again.
In Britain and I believe much of Europe a large percentage of the museums are local authority or government owned. Their is no entrance fee so that everyone can visit regardless of wealth.

Therfore, as the museums are fully supported by public funds no commercial lnterests are allowed input into them, if there was, any commertial interest in any sector could demand equal access. If not litigation would undoubtedly follow.

The free museum entrance policy is well supported in Britain with no commercial interference. Just how it should be

Bill

 

[cascaderailroad]

That's nice ... But in the US almost all museums charge a pretty hefty entrance fee ... Even the Horsehoe Curve charges admission to walk up the 137 steps

 

[martinvk]

..., if there was, any commertial interest in any sector could demand equal access. If not litigation would undoubtedly follow.

The free museum entrance policy is well supported in Britain with no commercial interference. Just how it should be

Bill

Hmmm, you mean to say that there are no brand names on any of the exhibits? How do they show the "real" world without any real objects. Even if you remove the name plate, I thing most people could still recognize most icon objects so that would be a waste of time. If a simulator were to be donated, wouldn't the educational gain outweigh other considerations? if other simulators want equal time, let them donate too.

 

[wholbr]

Hi martinvk and everybody.
First Can i apologize for some of my postings on this thread being somewhat terse this afternoon. i was on a train coming back from Oxford which to describe it as being over crowded would be an understatement to say the least.

I was standing in the corridor between a coach entrance door and the toilet door with my convertible laptop folded into just tablet mode. Pushed against the toilet wall I was trying to tap away on the screen keyboard while being pushed and shoved by everybody trying to get on or off the train or in or out of the toilet. Along with the forgoing every time the toilet door opened the stink was just terrible(LOL). so, I hope you understand martin and all as I do not normally post terse comments as I did witch could have been considered somewhat offencive.

Anyway, returning to topic as I am back home, settled down with a nice contruoe and brandy with nerves returned to normal.

Martin, of coarse their are logos etc on the museum exhibits that show their manufacturer among other things. But this in almost all cases is part of the history of the exhibit as most steam and diesel era rail manufacturers no longer exist.

On video equipment etc the manufacturers current logo would obviously be shown, but as in all cases such as the forgoing that cannot be avoided and is not considered as blatant advertising as opposed to a donated video game to be played would obviously be viewed as such.

As you can see I am a passionate supporter of our British museums and the way they are organized with free entrance and non commercial approach. They are highly successful in their present strategy with very high attendance figures and have proved time and time again their value to schools and the UK education system in general.

Their is an old saying which states "if it ain't broke don't fix it". That is the way the vast majority of the British public feel about their museums. Even through the recent austerity cuts the UK government went shy of doing away with free entrance to these great institutions, and again that's the way it should be.

Bill

 

[martinvk]

I didn't read it as terse, so no problem, just someone who is a "a passionate supporter." Where have we seen that before ...? Still think that adding a simulator to bring some of that history alive would be a plus, especially for the younger crowd for whom tech toys are a normal part of the environment. Actually driving a steam engine instead of looking at a cold hunk of iron or watching a movie about that bygone era would be a great way to get them interested.