It takes a special kind of interest to want to play a hardcore simulator. It takes an entirely different breed of “special interest” to even have the desire to play a hardcore train simulation game. Luckily there’s a developer out there catering to those of us who are bonded by having that desire, Railsimulator.com. That’s not a typo, that’s the actual name of the developer and publisher. What can I say? It’s a niche company serving a niche market.

If you’ve ever used Steam you’ve probably noticed the publisher’s main product Railworks 2 releases a crazy amount of DLC at premium prices. As of this writing there are currently 82 pieces of DLC that will cost you $1377.23 if you’d like to purchase all of it. That doesn’t include the $34.99 to purchase Railworks 2 to begin with. I mention this because this may be seen as a barrier to entry if you’ve ever even thought about buying the game. If you’d like to get a sense of what Railworks 2 is like without having to drop a bunch of money there’s Drive A Steam Train, so let’s take a look at what it has to offer.

At its core, Drive A Steam Train is Railworks 2 with only steam trains and about 12-15 scenarios available. The control options and visuals are exactly the same as its parent game. The menus have the same style but have been simplified as Drive A Steam Train doesn’t offer as many scenarios, DLC or any kind of modern, electrical trains. If you were to compare screenshots of driving a steam train in both games you wouldn’t be able to tell a difference between them.

I highly suggest running through the three tutorials that teach you how to drive with the basic and expert controls as well as managing switches and coupling cars. You’ll quickly find that the “expert controls” are not that complicated and though you might want to play through the first scenario with the basic controls, using the expert controls give you a bit more to do while your train is barreling down the tracks. Monitoring your steam production, usage and brake level are all as important as monitoring the signals and train speed. Controlling the trains takes a bit of concentration and looking at the gauges, but once you get used to it there’s definitely time to play with the various camera controls to take in the pleasantly-rendered English scenery.

During the scenarios you have your task list which may involve coupling and uncoupling cars to your engine, picking up or dropping off passengers at different locations or simply helping push another locomotive and freight up a challenging hill. All your tasks are listed in order and you’re notified via pop up as you complete each individual portion. If you fail to complete any individual part you’ll fail the whole mission though you can just keep going as if nothing happened. At the end of the scenario you’re given a breakdown of how you did, including any times you broke the speed limit, let the wheels slip (by accelerating or breaking too quickly) and how safely you drove the train. It’s these sort of details that you’ll obsess over, playing the 25-60+ minute scenarios over and over again to perfect your trip.

You might be surprised at how peaceful it is driving the trains through the English countryside. If you’re skeptical and think that the game is probably boring, you’re partly right. However, it’s a type of boring that you can certainly appreciate and enjoy. This is a hardcore train simulation game for people who have never played one before and it’s the one that I will point people to if they’re looking for some train-driving goodness.

It seems that Drive A Steam Train is mostly a product that is made as a recruitment tool for Railworks 2. If you were to find that you really enjoy what it has to offer and want more the obvious choice is to pick up Railworks 2, which you can do right from the main menu. The two games are that closely tied together. Sure, train simulators are a highly niche genre but if you’ve read this far I haven’t lost you yet. Take the next step and go pick this game up, give it a shot. I won’t be surprised to wave at you as our trains pass on the rails.