Whole-country train simulation

[PaulTrack]

Greetings train simulation enthusiasts! I'm new to this forum and have little knowledge of the train simulation scene, but I do have a question, and my search for an answer has brought me here. You may be among the best people to ask...

Has anyone simulated the entire rail network of a country before? I don't mean a full-on graphical simulation, just a basic but complete computer model of every station, track, and junction that comprises, for example, the UK's railway infrastructure.

It strikes me that a computer model of the rail infrastructure, combined with accurate passenger journey statistics, would be the best way to assess new ways to use the railways to the best of their potential. I expect rail companies are already doing this to some extent, but I wonder how detailed their models are.

I'm interested to hear you comments!

[Tony]

I have often wondered why no-one has produced a game/simulation of any of the privatised railway companies. I have played Railroad Tycoon for several years and something along those lines based in the UK would be of great interest.

[Silver Fox Phil]

Hi Paultrack and welcome to the forum. I hope you find the answers to your questions; I feel sure there are plenty with ideas and answers.
Enjoy and I look forward to your posts
Regards
Phil

[Mendipman319]

It really depends on what you mean. One where you drive the train would be near impossible unless it had shocking graphics. But a tycoon sort of game where you run a rail company would be possible, something like freight yard manager that was made in the USA.

[The Falcon]

Recreating a railway line is much harder than you think!

As a Trainz and Railworks route designer I can testify that making routes is an incredibly long, difficult and tiresome process. Making a fictional route is a bit easier, but for real routes, you're talking days, weeks and months of work.

The serious developers have to go out and catalogue the entire route they want to build, bit by bit. That means every bridge, every signal, every house, every lake, every little thing has to be recorded and photographed in the route you want to build.

When you're finished with that, you have to put it into the simulation. I use the Railworks route building engine, which is by far the most comprehensive and powerful building tool out there. But even on that, it can take a professional, experienced designer hours and hours of work just to complete one town.

Sticking with your project takes a lot of commitment.

If I was to build the entire UK Network using Railworks/Trainz, I'm looking at a year long project. Longer in fact, because I have to go to school, I can't get an education sitting behind a PC all day. Unfortunately!!!


Falcon

[Paulp51D]

Is this something that you are planning to do then?

[Mendipman319]

It has been done by someone on simutrans (pak64). He made the entire UK rail network accurately.... Took a while! Simsig has made a lot of the countries signalling panels and actually in ts2012 a lot of the country has been made, its just in seperate chunks!