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Buyer Beware!

1 Rating: 1, Useful: 33 / 38
Date: July 30, 2006
Author: Amazon User

I bought this game after having amazing fun with Microsoft Train Simulator. I was hoping this would be as fun, but it's not. I have a computer that far exceeds the recommended minimums to run this game, and find the graphic lag to be way too much to handle, preventing one to enjoy this game. Most of the runs offered in this game are demos, and to get the full versions of some of the runs you have to go to different websites and pay more money for the full blown versions. I went to the Auran website, downloaded and installed service pack 1 for this game hoping it would improve the game play, but it didn't. I do not recommend this game, and would suggest those who enjoy train sims as much as I do wait until something better comes along.

Most fun for the buck

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 18 / 20
Date: January 13, 2007
Author: Amazon User

Reading some of the other reviews, I can see that we have a very mixed opinion on TRS2006.
I have owned the original Trainz, then TRS2004, and finally TRS2006.
I have never had the 'issues' that some people are complaining about. The S/N may be in one of several places, including the box or the manual.

All that aside, this is simply the most enjoyable, mesmerizing game I have ever played. I have spent most of my time in Surveyor, creating the terrain for my 'dream' layout. I don't know if I will ever be finished with it.

While the locomotive controls and physics may not be as realistic as those in MS Train Simulator, it is creating my layout that gives me the most enjoyment from Trainz. I find it very relaxing 'playing God' in creating my world.
I have to admit that there are some aspects of the game that could use improvement. For example, you cannot zoom out far enough in Surveyor to get a good picture of what you are working on. The Mini Map helps, but it is not enough.
I would also like a better paint feature. It is difficult to get realistic looking landscaping with some of the textures.

Considering that all computer games have some flaws, I still rate TRS2006 five stars because it has provided so much entertainment for a program that cost me only about $50 (for the special edition DVD)

I would advise to download and install Service Pack 1 for TRS2006. It fixes some of the bugs, mainly with the Content Manager.

A do-it-yourselfer's game

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 13 / 15
Date: February 16, 2007
Author: Amazon User

TRS2006 is one of those games where you get to do whatever you want. You create the world, set the goals, populate it, and then sit back and enjoy the ride.
One of the things that delayed my entry into the world of Trainz was the lack of a list of what comes with it, or what's available. To help, here's a short list of American locos that are included: RS3, FA-1, SW7, GP38-2, SD40, SD70, GP7, GP9, F7, Big Boy, DD40AX, and a 2' Shay. Not all are in many heralds, or are editable, but many more can be downloaded. There are locos from Canada, Germany, Australia, England, India, Japan, and the US.
I was dismayed to learn that there are very few, if any, American steam locomotives available. There are several narrow gauge steam locomotives available for download, like the D&RGW's K-37, and logging locos like the Climax, Heisler, and Shay, but few others.
And most of the downloadable American Diesels are older designs, or simply included models with a newer unit's stats.
Included buildings, industries, railroad cars, and trackage are a smattering from the aforementioned countries, and they cover periods from the old west to futuristic monorails and maglevs.
There are several premade maps, some with and without scenarios, and there's tutorials on every aspect of the game and it's operations. For the maps without scenarios, you can build your own, or download (for free) scenarios made by others.
As to my ratings...
I love the game, but the inability to repaint some of the locomotives and railroad cars is annoying. Repaint templates should've been included for everything, not just a few units. Being forced to run a Canadian National RS3 instead of one from my favorite roads detracts from my enjoyment.
Overall, it's a train-lovers dream come true, but the 3D map building is not to my liking. I prefer the 2D style of the "Right Track" layout design system.

Don't buy a ticket for this train (sim)

2 Rating: 2, Useful: 13 / 16
Date: August 16, 2006
Author: Amazon User

I looked at the screenshots for this game and read some of the reviews at different sites about this title and decided to buy it. There we're alot of positive reviews, and the graphics looked pretty nice.

This is where the title has shortcomings. The biggest gripe about the game is the graphic lag and sound quality. I have a decent machine which surpasses the req's and I get alot of lag. Worse yet, the sound is unbalanced, VERY LOUD at times, then gets quiet. At times the horn sound does not work.

A good number of the routes are either a short tutorial or a demo/trial version. The routes that are full do not compare to the length and quality of the routes in Microsoft Train Sim.

I liked the game for awhile, but I soon got annoyed with the lag and horrible sound issues. Not a good buy if you want to really see what running trains are like. Buy Microsoft Train Sim. Much better.

Promises much, delivers little 'right out of the box'.

2 Rating: 2, Useful: 10 / 11
Date: November 10, 2006
Author: Amazon User

From product description, I thought I was in for some cool railroading with Trainz2006. In fact, I felt duped. After an initial problem with the product having been shipped with the wrong unlocking key, I eventually got loaded. Performance actually seemed better than I had expected, but this did not strike me as being anything like MS Train Sim. There appear to be lots of upgrades and add-ons, mainly from 3rd parties, and I am left feeling that I have a completely undocumented, incomplete product. I imagine that if I want to sit down for hours designing my own game, then this product would allow me to do that, but I was expecting to be able to do far more 'right out of the box' than I actually can do.

Make sure you understand what you are getting before you buy!

Do not buy TRS2006 from Merscom

1 Rating: 1, Useful: 9 / 10
Date: February 05, 2007
Author: Amazon User

The Merscom TRS2006 that Amazon is selling have a faulty serial number. Amazon should cancel the sales of this product. Without this you will not be able to install any pack addon. Merscom has a very slow and poor support. They gave me a replacement serial that was already being used by somebody else at Planet Auran.
Instead buy the Auran version. However, even being old as it is, I prefer much more Microsoft Train Simulator, because of the addons available.

If you are a Railroading fan, this game is worth your time.

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 9 / 10
Date: August 20, 2007
Author: Amazon User

After having tried the Ultimate Trainz Collection, I decided to see what was new with TRS2006. This simulation is exactly as advertised,...and more! But, after reading some of the reviews here, I would like to offer a realistic view.

First, this is a very detailed simulation pertaining to the operation of Locomotives from all over the world (some are historical) in all types of situations (passenger, long haul freight, railyard consist building, etc.), in terrain and layouts from all over the world.

Much of the new content in TRS2006 has been created by the Trainz community members in their spare time and has been kindly donated, PLUS!, there are over 40,000 additional items available for download from the official Trainz Download Station,...for free!

The layouts included in TRS2006 are from the US, Canada, Australia, the UK, and Europe, including some nicely detailed Narrow Gage routes and even a futuristic Monorail layout. Can you imagine 300+mph?

For the doof who thought this was way too complicated, all I can say is,"duh!, Baby E videos are in the next aisle."

But seriously, straight out of the box, TRS2006 has considerably more to offer in realism and detail than MSTS. In order to achieve what TRS2006 has out of the box, you have to purchase many of the MSTS add-on packages.

Also, here are some notes on the Physics in TRS2006:
1)Some of the engines may not perform to prototypical expectations, BUT!, the Engine config file for each loco can be tweaked to adjust performance to a more prototypical operation. And,
2)When in DCC mode, trains operate in a semi-prototypical manner. It is possible to change the config parameters to make your trains accelerate and decelerate much faster(or slower) by changing max accel and max decel settings.

Game lag? I've experienced no lag what-so-ever, and my PC is only mediocre by today's standards.

Keep in mind, TRS2006 is a graphics intensive program and requires at least a 64MB graphics card to operate correctly. For best results make sure;

Your system meets or exceeds the required specifications.
You have the latest drivers for your video card.
You have the latest main board chipset drivers.
You have DirectX 9 or above from Microsoft.

As for Merscom serial numbers, there were no problems with mine. Besides, any problems with TRS2006 are handled by Auran's Helpdesk, and they are only too happy to help.

If you are a Railroading fan, this game is worth your time.(and it's much less expensive than an HO layout!, plus, you can drive these trains)

Great for Building; Not for Operation

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 8 / 9
Date: December 29, 2006
Author: Amazon User

My family has been playing with the Trainz series since we first saw it in the late '90s. We most enjoy building virtual layouts with awsome terrain and buildings, then running some trains. My son figured out the interface before he could read (and can still teach me a thing or two). However, if you are looking for realistic operation or want to jump behind the controls of a locomotive, I recommend MS Train Simulator. We own both and they have competely different purposes. Operations: MS Train Sim. Layout creation: Trainz.

Opened Up a New World to Me

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 10 / 13
Date: June 26, 2006
Author: Amazon User

I was not a train buff before I bought this simulator. I honestly didn't know a thing about trains, but I bought this because I wanted to learn more about them so as my son gets older, we can learn about this together. I have a sense of appreciation for this software, because the tutorials teach how how to actually drive a train (be it steam, electric, etc.) I've also enjoyed learning how to load and unload cargo. This software is something that I will not tire of because I can build new tracks (haven't even started to explore that yet) and share with an online community.
I have a relatively new computer (1.8Ghz with 512MB) and many of the scenarios take time to load (30 - 90 seconds) which surprises me, but that may be a testament to the detail of the software.
I enjoy the different camera views and the ability to ride inside the cab. The reality of actually adding coal to the fire or making sure I get my passengers to their destination on time is a thrill.
So, I'm a train buff now. This is the best software I've purchased in a very long time (no more war games for me). So, now I'm going to invest in an encyclopedia of trains and learn how to start swapping my data from this game with others.

The world's best 3-D train game has rolled the rails in to stores finaly!

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 8 / 11
Date: June 19, 2006
Author: Amazon User

This game is the most awesome train game ever created. Custom make your own train, passenger, grain, coal, freight, oil, salt, even revrigerated and box cars. Choose from present day engines to the early 1900's. Union Pacific and the Old "Big Boy" steam engine. If you like trains as much as I do, I 100% think that this is the game for you. Shirley everyone who buys this will be extremely happy. If you are not, than you must not like trains.

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