TRS19 on a $400 used PC?

Hello... I'm a Apple/Mac guy since before Macintosh (Apple II and Apple /// owner) so I know very little about PC gaming...

Will $400 buy a used PC that will run TRS19... say at Medium settings? I see "gaming pc's" on ebay for around $400... or am I in fantasy land?

Yes, yes... I know... a person can spend 3 times that (and more) on a graphics board alone.....

At minimum settings, I currently see 22 to 35 fps on my Mac, depending on Route. I'd like a somewhat better performance so a PC is on my mind just for TRS19..

Like many modern games, the quality of your graphics card will be the bottle neck. I doubt that that $400 box will have a GPU anywhere near even the bottom rank. If you can get it on a trial basis you could test it yourself. Of course the route and how efficient it is make a big difference but you wouldn't want to limit yourself to the simplest routes. Meanwhile what are the specs of that box?
CPU,memory, GPU, power supply, OS

I'm not referring to any one specific box so I can't give specs... There's many different ones on ebay ($350 to $400 "gaming" PCs). Perhaps buying all separate components (used) would be a better option? I'd be buying knowing that the graphics card would get an upgrade after a number of months when budget allows again... but I need something just for entry into PC gaming.

Sure - there are sometimes bargains to be had with ex-lease, pre-loved machines that occasionally have the hardware chops to run TRS2019.
The Crucial Component being in possession of is a discrete video card with sufficient resources and powerful enough to run the simulator.
For example, a GTX 1050 - or faster - with at least 2 Gb of VRAM.
More RAM than the absolute minimum 4 Gb also helps with each 4 Gb increment.
An Intel i5 or i7 CPU (preferably 4 cores and above) or a recent AMD Ryzen CPU is also something to look out for.

Most likely: NO ... Nowhere near even close

Post specs

You can not upgrade a low end PC to gaming specs

hmmm, calling a PC "gaming" is easy to say but probably doesn't mean much at the $400 level. If you're able, buying components will be cheaper but with no recourse if things go south. Though at $400, there is probably not much of a return policy either. That old catch phrase, caveat emptor really applies here. If you still want to go ahead, make sure that the box is able to accept an upgraded GPU. (connector, space, power)

Ok all.. comment on this which I think can be had for around $600 new...

- Ryzen 3 2200 3.5 quad core Processor
- Asus Prime B450M-A/CSM Micro ATX AM4 Motherboard
- SanDisk SSD Plus 240 Drive
- Asus GeForce GTX 1050 Ti 4gb Phoenix Video
- EVGA - 500 w 80+ Certified ATX Power Supply
- 8 gig ram
- case, monitor, keyboard, mouse - Available already

Not bad, for $600! If a 1050 fits now, later you should be able to get a 1070 when the prices go down, Then if the motherboard can accept 16 MB, in an upgrade, that would be a pretty nice rig. Get that confirmed before buying so you're not surprised later. Not the top top but not bad either.

Assuming you are US based then look at https://www.dellrefurbished.com and look at their workstations as I type they have a 4 core xeon for $359. Drop in a GTX 1050 TI or even a GTX 1060 and you have a very nice machine. The thing to note is the power supply is solid. It comes with a graphics card that support directx 11 so will just about run TANE out of the box and you can up the graphics card later on. It has windows 7 but there is a very good chance that will upgrade to win 10 for free. Google it or you can buy a Win 10 licence number for around $30 again google it.

The dell refurbished site needs keeping an eye on. What is available and the prices vary widely.

Don't touch their desktops, you need a power supply of at least 450 watts and you're unlike to get one on a $600 game machine.

Cheerio John

Thanks for the Dell refurb link... I actually buy my Macs as refurbs from the Apple store. Every one has always ran flawlessly.

I have to say a positive word or two about ex-lease workstation Xeons. They are the big hidden secret when it comes to buying a second hand PC. The build quality is excellent and Xeon processors are made to a higher quality control standard than processors intend for ordinary home use computers. I have two Xeons, one a slightly older model than the other and they are both Hewlett Packard workstations. As a rough currency conversion from the New Zealand dollar both my Xeons cost me around $US150.00 each. With a GTX960 added in I've got myself a great Trainz computer that is just about bomb proof.