[Train-a-Mania]

...Japan has railways unlike any other, but Japanese routes for train simulators are hard to find. This is one of the few available for Railworks, but what exactly is The Story of Forest Rail? We'll find out in this review...at the railyard!

[ED_4]

That route looks very appealing. Too bad there isn't a free version like that for MSTS. I specially like those older Kiha models.

[That Genset Foamer]

I'm glad there's a developing interest in creating Japanese content for MSTS. Several friends of mine have shown me various railroad wonders ranging from impressive bridges to beautiful landscapes to a vibrant preservation scene. Hopefully Forest Rail and Jeff's Sasebo - Nagasaki route (Along with loco projects like my C62) jump-start interest in virtual Japanese railways.

[ED_4]

That Genset Foamer, on 03 September 2015 - 06:49 PM, said:

I'm glad there's a developing interest in creating Japanese content for MSTS. Several friends of mine have shown me various railroad wonders ranging from impressive bridges to beautiful landscapes to a vibrant preservation scene. Hopefully Forest Rail and Jeff's Sasebo - Nagasaki route (Along with loco projects like my C62) jump-start interest in virtual Japanese railways.

I've had this Japanese steamer (I think it is the sole Aso Boy that's out there) in my gigantic MSTS round house forever yet no appropriate Japanese Route to run it on. Just using the default Japanese routes seem to be too much out of place for them. Specially if no steamer typically runs on them.

Even with an appropriate Japanese fictitious route, at least I can run that Aso Boy over there. And feel that it is more in place than some other fictitious route that fits more better for US terrain.

[captain_bazza]

Many, many, years ago, a very advanced, for it's era, Japanese train sim was released as a demo. Although it had somewhat limited (lost in translation, maybe) controls, the graphics, for its time, was superior to MSTS. There was a short line, with steam loco (Mikado?) and a number of carriages, and the train travelled through tea plantations (?) and across a curving bridge, over a sort of stoney riverbed, to a small station, near a valley, or in the start of a valley. Timeframe it appeared, late 90s, or early 00s.

There was also a South African train sim, with two locos, a diesel and a Bayer Garratt. It too was superior* to MSTS at the time. *More advanced features.

Do these rarities ring a bell with early train simmers?

Cheers Bazza.

[SD45T-2]

captain_bazza, on 09 September 2015 - 02:02 AM, said:

There was also a South African train sim, with two locos, a diesel and a Bayer Garratt. It too was superior* to MSTS at the time. *More advanced features.

Do these rarities ring a bell with early train simmers?

Cheers Bazza.

The South African sim was called Spoorsim. There were two versions, one free and one shareware. I actually have both on me.

I have no idea where the author is at this time.

[ED_4]

captain_bazza, on 09 September 2015 - 02:02 AM, said:

Many, many, years ago, a very advanced, for it's era, Japanese train sim was released as a demo. Although it had somewhat limited (lost in translation, maybe) controls, the graphics, for its time, was superior to MSTS. There was a short line, with steam loco (Mikado?) and a number of carriages, and the train travelled through tea plantations (?) and across a curving bridge, over a sort of stoney riverbed, to a small station, near a valley, or in the start of a valley. Timeframe it appeared, late 90s, or early 00s.

Do these rarities ring a bell with early train simmers?

Cheers Bazza.

You're not talking about Boso View Express (BVE for short) are you? That one is surely a Japanese one. And the earliest release was dated in 1996.

https://en.wikipedia...ki/BVE_Trainsim

Check out the OpenBVE one. That one sure looks good from the shot shown in that page.