Go 200+ mph:
 Select "Simple Controls" in the options window, 
 select the Innsbruck to St. Anton route, select 
 the starting point to be St. Anton, and select 
 the Flying Scotsman as the train. 
 Start the simulation. Detach from your train 
 (leave the tender) and press D until the regulator 
 is at 100%. Wait, and your speed will exceed 200 mph.


 Hints:
 At it's simplest level Train Simulator can be used as an 
 interactive screensaver, one of the first options is the 
 ability to take a virtual tour on any of the lines with the 
 AI driving the train. Tutorials are included for the novice 
 user to assist in learning how to operate steam, diesel and 
 electric locos. However the bread and butter of Train Simulator 
 comes in actually driving (or operating) trains as the virtual 
 engineer. On selecting a route you are given an option to 
 explore in "free play" mode, though this is still subject to 
 speed restrictions etc. In practice this is not always easy as 
 every time you approach a set of facing points you need to choose 
 which leg of the turnout you take. This can lead you up a dead 
 end spur or siding. Also, in explore the route, there are no AI 
 trains as the dispatcher is inactive. 
 
 Each route comes with a number of pre-defined activities or 
 work orders. Depending on the route, these might be passenger 
 or freight operations and in addition to driving the train you 
 may also be required to switch cars in or out at locations along 
 the way, pick up or drop off helper engines etc. This is so much 
 more than in previous simulations and adds to the sense that 
 Train Simulator is a complete virtual railroading experience. 
 All the routes (apart from the Kalispell branch on Marias Pass) 
 are fully signalled according to the rules and era of the 
 particular railway and under control of the aforementioned AI 
 dispatcher. It's quite something to arrive on a crossing loop 
 with a train waiting on the opposite track. As you draw in clear 
 the signal for the other train changes to proceed and it departs! 
 On the Settle & Carlisle the semaphore signals change with a 
 satisfying "clank".
 
 Whether driving steam, diesel or electric traction each type 
 presents its own challenge. Steam locos are the most demanding, 
 particularly if you switch off the AI fireman and attend to the 
 boiler and fire yourself. The workload this creates is very 
 tough, leaving little time for sightseeing but ultimately more 
 rewarding than just letting the computer take care of things. 
 Don't forget to switch the blower on before entering tunnels or 
 stopping though, or you will end up well done to crispy when the 
 fire blows back! My only comment about the steam locos is that 
 acceleration seems a little brisk at times, at least compared 
 to what I have experienced travelling behind steam. Diesel is 
 quite a bit easier to handle, but on Marias Pass this is countered 
 by the fact you have to manage a 50 or 60 car consist behind the 
 locos - possibly one mile long and 5000 tonnes in weight. It is 
 easy (actually too easy) to break a coupler if you mis-manage 
 the train handling. Everything you do from advancing the throttle 
 to making a brake application has to be planned ahead and executed 
 with regard to how it might affect the portion of the train 1000 
 yards back. Your performance is rated on how well you manage 
 passenger comfort and freight durability. Both the US locos are 
 fitted with dynamic braking but as implemented in the simulation 
 are not very effective. It should be possible to slow and nearly 
 stop a train on dynamics but at 40 MPH on level track, full 
 dynamic braking barely retards the train. Simplest of all are 
 the electrics, particularly the Acela which is the Ferrari of 
 the Train Simulator collection. Very easy to get carried away 
 with this baby!
 
 A number of visual aids are provided to assist in operating the 
 train. The most useful of these is the Track Monitor which shows 
 upcoming speed restrictions and signal aspects or if you are 
 being switched at a turnout. You also get a projection of your 
 "expected" speed according to the route ahead if you continue at 
 current throttle or brake settings. In practice this tends to 
 fluctuate especially on undulating routes and an indication of 
 the actual gradients would have been more useful. On a number 
 of the routes (notably Marias Pass, at East Java) you can 
 experience quite abrupt changes in gradient with little or no 
 transition. A few of the gradients seem steeper than they 
 otherwise should be, almost as if the developers have stuck 
 rigidly to the DEM data rather than referring to a gradient 
 profile. This is also probably the best place to mention that 
 curved track is not canted (super-elevated on the outside curve) 
 though one assumes this is factored in to the physics. Other 
 pop-ups tell you how far to the next station stop, allow you to 
 manually switch points in yard limits for switching or call up 
 the train consist. Very useful for steam locos or controlling 
 the train in external view is a HUD view which can be called up 
 on the right side of the screen.
 
 A couple of limitations - you can't change cabs, the forward 
 view is always from the primary traction unit. So when reversing 
 the train you need to do so in external view. This effectively 
 makes it impractical to include lines where trains reverse en 
 route, as you can't change ends (in an MU train), run the loco 
 round the train and change cabs, or attach a fresh engine at the